A Divorce Between the Fans and the Club

It seems ever since our move from Highbury to the Emirates, us loyal fans have had a slow divide between the board and manager. It seems the move to the Emirates just came before the economic crisis, which effectively made it more difficult for the fans to afford renewing their season tickets or memberships. The club however never decided to reduce the prices of their tickets for the economic downturn, only until VAT tax went down to 15% that they followed suit.


So the club kept on raking in large amounts of profit whilst loyal fans may not have afforded the price of a day out at their beloved team. In the 2008/09 season, people who had paid to see the likes of Denilson, Song (different player back then), Diaby, Bendtner, Eboue week in week out due to injuries and lack of investment, struggling for a win in every game in the winter period, fans started to raise their voices ever so slightly.


The cracks opened, and with cracks they'll always be more likely to get bigger and more noticeable. Back then we were in our 3rd season at the Emirates and we were expected to be settled by then after the year before we came close to winning the title before collapsing at the end (see a pattern?). The team needed investment for the new season and only Arshavin was brought in as a fix it, and that has been the only marquee signing in a while and he managed to help us secure a champions league spot.


The season after promised more yet again but we failed and the same last season. Every year passing by the team has been known to falter at the last hurdle and the opportunity of buying players with experience has arisen many times, yet Wenger is always after super quality.


What is super quality? The likes of Messi and Ronaldo are super quality. What Arsenal need is a just quality experienced players who know how to play their position and get stuck in. In other words a team player who will give their all. The fans know this and can see where we are going wrong with the players we have and ones we need.


This is why the fans moan and groan along with the ever increasing booing and demonstration/protests. It's not because they hate the club, it's because they care and the fans have become distanced with the disillusioned board and manager who aren't acting quick enough on transfers to secure the players we need. Peter Hill Wood isn't exactly helping matters between the relationship of the fans with the board by saying:




"As Arsene said, we are looking to buy some players but we are not going to do our business in public. They are going to have to be bloody patient – as we are."

“It is frustrating for both the fans and Arsene and the board."




Bloody patient? Manchester United have pretty much bought big signings this summer and they won the league last year with a not so great team and now they'll win it with the likes of De Gea and Ashley Young added.


The booing on Sunday just shows nothing has changed since last season apart from Gervinho giving us something to look forward to until he disappears to the African Cup of Nations. The chanting at Fulham away at the final game of last season, "Spend some f****** money!", shows what we haven't done this summer. All with below bar performances in all our pre-season matches this year, it shows no confidence for the season ahead.


Fans will start and most likely have started (like me) to wisely use their money for more useful purposes rather than on a club interested in making money and bringing in through kids. That project youth is now over and proven unsuccessful apart from Wilshere coming through and we should just go out and buy what we need.


Arsenal is just a frustrating club to support at the moment, and I believe we won't even make top 4 this season if we remain like this. Especially if Fabregas is sold, the last of our world class players would have left. The new Stadium has fed into greed from the board and left us fans separated, with us losing our club we used to love so dearly. Now I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a club we love to hate.

Last of the Invincibles Departs

So the first exodus of players at the Emirates has started. The French and Toulouse born and left back, Gaël Clichy, has parted ways with Arsenal after 8 years at the club. A consistent performer who always gave 100%. His new destination is that of About Diaby's long lost cousins club, Manchester City.


A player who was bought in from Cannes, with a reputation as an attacking left back, but who mainly played in front of Ashley Cole whenever he came on off the bench in his early days. Clichy managed to make enough appearances in the 2003-2004 unbeaten season to claim a winners medal in the Premier League and to this day was the last 'Invincible' left remaining at the club.

Still have a smile on his face come end of season?

As far as I'm concerned the loss of Clichy isn't a big blow as Cole was replaced, who was a much better all round left back than Clichy, so Clichy he can be replaced as well. However this has left a void for any player to make it his own place in the starting line up. I don't think any 'left back' currently at the club (Gibbs, Traoré) can quite cut it yet for a whole season. The thought of Vermaelen being moved to a make shift left back is one I dread to think about. Why take him out of his best position just to fill a hole is beyond me.


Arsenal have been linked with Aly Cissokho from Lyon, who moved from Porto in 2009 to the French outfit. However a 23 year-old isn't really saying he's any better than Clichy. At least replace class with class. But I can't judge the guy as I haven't even seen anything of him. The thing is I could easily name world class right backs, but i can't think of many left backs who we could attract. If someone along the lines of Sagna's defensive ability with the crossing of Daniel Alves, now that would be a dream.


I'd like to say thank you to Clichy for serving the club this long, 8 years in this day and age is quite loyal and a long time. However I do not wish you the best of luck. Who in their right mind would want another club to do better than their own?


The search for the next best left back continues... (maybe get Winterburn out of retirement?).