Arsenal fans

[RP]

Of the London fans, I always used to find Arsenal fans were just about the most reasonable. They seemed to be able to move on from the "my team's great, yours is sh*t' kind of football debate that Chelsea or Spurs fans thrive on.

 

But recently that seems to have changed - they seem to have become, as one, gobsh*tes (obvious generalisations there!).

 

I had one yesterday spouting off about Sturridge and Suarez being "cheats, plain and simple", and telling me how sad it was for English football that their "unethical" actions seem to be endorsed and even celebrated by their Manager and fans. I thought he was on a wind-up or had been on the pop a bit early .. but no, he was being entirely serious.

 

Just one example, but I have heard a fair few such random comments like that from arsenal fans just recently. Anyone else encountered it? I seem to get more reasonable chat from Mancs these days than Arsenal fans ... which just feels wrong.

[Maldini]

I think they've all gone slowly mad trying to understand the Wenger paradox. He's the greatest manager they've ever had but he is largely to blame for their listless decline. How do they condemn the man who gave them their best footballing memories and who on the face of it isn't doing a terrible job?

[Benzo-13]

They've had the same season on loop for 9yrs.

Must be driving them demented paying out the nose for that and it's starting to show.

[Cobs]

funny if they win the FA Cup this year and end up 5th

[Swan Red]

Weirdly I had more grief off Arsenal fans over Suarez / Evra than fans of any other clubs bar the mancs, like my sample size wasn't great but there was definitely a condescension from Arsenal fans that I didn't get elsewhere.

[RP]

funny if they win the FA Cup this year and end up 5th

 

 

If you were an Arsenal fan, wouldn't that make a welcome change? To actually win a trophy, I mean.

[Swan Red]

If you were an Arsenal fan, wouldn't that make a welcome change? To actually win a trophy, I mean.

 

nah because they wont be holding out the hope that they'll sign players to win the league if they aren't in Europe, like if we always qualified and never won anything it's a decent trade off but they wont see it like that and I'm not sure that many of ours would

[RP]

nah because they wont be holding out the hope that they'll sign players to win the league if they aren't in Europe, like if we always qualified and never won anything it's a decent trade off but they wont see it like that and I'm not sure that many of ours would

 

 

Not even just for once?

[Swan Red]

I'd deffo swap a CL qualification for a FA cup in Arsenals shoes but I'm an arlarse and still think winning cups is important.

[domlfc]

I can never get my head around the argument about qualifying for something rather than actually winning a trophy.........winning things is what matters, surely?

[smithdown]

I can never get my head around the argument about qualifying for something rather than actually winning a trophy.........winning things is what matters, surely?

 

 

It's sort of how I remember things, I think.

 

What year, officer?

Let's see, what did we win and where was I when we were winning it...

[Swan Red]

I can never get my head around the argument about qualifying for something rather than actually winning a trophy.........winning things is what matters, surely?

 

so I agree but there's massive importance attached to Champions League qualification, it's where the money is and where the best players want to play. As much as it irks that qualification for a tournament is more important than winning a lesser trophy that seems to have become the case. I'd trade off an FA cup for CL football this season but as Arsenal I'd take a cup.

[Duncan Disorderly]

[Knox_Harrington]

Basically the reason you want to come top four is to have more good players to win more trophies.

 

Arsenal have b*****dised this. The reason they want to come top four is to come top four is to come top four is to come top four.

 

They can f*** off. This is why they can f*** off.

[Swan Red]

Basically the reason you want to come top four is to have more good players to win more trophies.

 

Arsenal have b*****dised this. The reason they want to come top four is to come top four is to come top four is to come top four.

 

They can f*** off. This is why they can f*** off.

 

You're right kinda but given there are more top four places than trophies on offer and given that they are competing with teams who have more good players and more money I think they've settled for what they get.

[domlfc]

so I agree but there's massive importance attached to Champions League qualification, it's where the money is and where the best players want to play. As much as it irks that qualification for a tournament is more important than winning a lesser trophy that seems to have become the case. I'd trade off an FA cup for CL football this season but as Arsenal I'd take a cup.

I can see the argument for us getting qualification this year over a trophy because we have plenty to be happy with as far as trophies and actually winning is concerned, Arsenal, their fans and the media make out like it's a great big achievment to have qualified however many times. You'd have to look at their squad and say being serial cl qualifiers hasn't improved their squad at all, as with all things football, it's winning that matters and having stuff to put on display

[Swan Red]

I can see the argument for us getting qualification this year over a trophy because we have plenty to be happy with as far as trophies and actually winning is concerned, Arsenal, their fans and the media make out like it's a great big achievment to have qualified however many times. You'd have to look at their squad and say being serial cl qualifiers hasn't improved their squad at all, as with all things football, it's winning that matters and having stuff to put on display

 

Is it? What about the majority of clubs who aren't going to win anything what matters to them?

[domlfc]

Is it? What about the majority of clubs who aren't going to win anything what matters to them?

I'm speaking as a Liverpool supporter who grew up in 80's Liverpool and never had a really long spell to endure (League title excluded) without winning, only saying how I feel. I am sure most supporters want to win something though, my mate who supports Fleetwood Town was desperate for them to get to Wembley in the Johnstone paints final. There is always a trophy to aim for.

[D.Boon]

What about the majority of clubs who aren't going to win anything what matters to them?

 

Trying to win stuff.

[Maldini]

Basically the reason you want to come top four is to have more good players to win more trophies.

 

Arsenal have b*****dised this. The reason they want to come top four is to come top four is to come top four is to come top four.

 

They can f*** off. This is why they can f*** off.

 

It's pathetic, they celebrated like they won the league when they got 4th last season.

 

 

[Swan Red]

I'm speaking as a Liverpool supporter who grew up in 80's Liverpool and never had a really long spell to endure (League title excluded) without winning, only saying how I feel. I am sure most supporters want to win something though, my mate who supports Fleetwood Town was desperate for them to get to Wembley in the Johnstone paints final. There is always a trophy to aim for.

 

There is but the lower you go the fewer those chances. Supporters of other clubs enjoy winning games, win enough of them and you've had a good season irrespective of not having a trophy to display. Some clubs define success as not being relegated hence Allardyce. The supporters of clubs should be free to define what they consider success it seems a tad harsh to place on them the burden of winning something when it's not a birden all clubs fans face.

 

We are Liverpool supporters but you were speaking to Arsenal. Now they have a history, are a big club and have won trophies in their past but I'm not sure we should be telling them whether a pot is worth more than a CL qualification given they'll be the ones not following their team across Europe.

 

Trying to win stuff.

 

I think this is wrong, if you'd like to explain why then feel free, given there are clubs who've won f*** all in the last 50 years how do they still have fans? Winning stuff is relative winning games is winning stuff.

[dorgie]

I had one yesterday spouting off about Sturridge and Suarez being "cheats, plain and simple", and telling me how sad it was for English football that their "unethical" actions seem to be endorsed and even celebrated by their Manager and fans. I thought he was on a wind-up or had been on the pop a bit early .. but no, he was being entirely serious.

 

Haha. From the club with the manager who sees nothing and that gave us Pires, Bergkamp, Walcott, Nasri (and many more)....all very well accomplished at a bit of simulation when required.

[Swan Red]

And lets be clear it seems that our club values CL qualification over Cup success given what happened to the previous manager and given we suggested we'd have done the same if he had won the FA Cup.

[dorgie]

And lets be clear it seems that our club values CL qualification over Cup success given what happened to the previous manager and given we suggested we'd have done the same if he had won the FA Cup.

 

It's a really tricky one and there probably is no simple answer to it. Supposing Wigan win the FA Cup again this year...two in a row - a great achievement for a club like them, but they were relegated and are now fighting for a play off position in the 2nd tier.

 

Silverware is great, but league position tells you a lot more about the overall health of your club.

[Swan Red]

It's club by club, I'm not sure fans of one club should be defining the success criteria for another. This doesn't preclude us laughing and taking the piss but we're doing so because it's alright being unbalanced over football, it's not that there's actually much merit in it.