Have Some Gooners Become Arrogant? by Dan Smith
Sometimes I can see why other supporters think gooners can be a little bit arrogant. It didn’t always used to be that way.
For many years we were everyone’s second club due to our style of play and our reputation of doing things the ‘Arsenal way’, which means to act with a bit of class and dignity.
I thought of this topic a couple of weeks ago when I read some fans complaining about us being linked with Coutinho and Icardi, suggesting they were not good enough to get into our squad. Which is like me approaching Natalie Portman in a bar and apologising unreservedly that, ‘sorry you’re not my type, I will not be going home with you’.
In other words who do we think we are telling a talent, who is about to add the German title to the Spanish one he won 12 months ago, that he can’t get into a midfield who this season between them have scored 2 goals? Even having that debate is the equivalent of arguing what size TV to purchase when you only have 10 pound in your pocket.
I decided though; let’s give our recruitment team the benefit of the doubt and critique transfers when the window actually opens.
Then yesterday I was online and a columnist in the Sun, who claims to be a gunner, predicted all our results for our final 9 League matches. Not just does he think we will go unbeaten, he only forecasted two draws.
It’s not just him. I’m hearing many theories saying why we might have an advantage in empty stadiums, why it’s a good time to play Man City, that Tierney and Saka are going to be this devastating partnership on the left (based on nothing), that Liverpool will be playing a weakened team against us, that unlike us others are not used to playing every few days, etc, etc, etc.
Of course, these same people, for some reason, don’t assume that the 8 clubs above us would equally enjoy those type of advantages. You can try and convince yourself as much as you want about scenarios which might help you but there is still one problem…..we are not very good…….that’s kind of important if you want to win in sport.
We convinced ourselves we have amazing youngsters who will just walk in from the academy and be great, when in reality Martinelli and Saka have been good, but not nowhere near enough to suggest they can carry this team.
Again, for as well as they are doing, we are still on course for our worst finishing position since 1994. So (this won’t make me popular) can we stop acting like we discovered Wayne Rooney in our youth team. It is okay to say a talent is decent, you don’t have to instantly label him world class.
Neither have played enough to be saying ‘don’t sign anyone who could undermine their development.’ Take the emotion out of it. If it wasn’t a club you loved would you say that if it was anyone else? If their fans turned round and said they genuinely think their side were suddenly going to put together this magical run would you not question their logic? Would you not question how a squad who are 9th after 29 fixtures, which proves they are inconsistent, will suddenly be consistent?
Everyone is entitled of course to their opinion but is it wrong of me to point out to the writer who has forecast 7 victories in Arsenal’s final games of the season, that we have only won 9 in total so far? Our longest winning sequence in the League has been three, so magically that just changes?
Many will point to our improvement under Arteta. While I acknowledge we are finally are getting our identity back, I do think some of his praise has been based on twisting statistics to convince yourself everything is okay, when in reality we have an owner who, while Chelsea are paying 50 million for a striker, and Spurs are taking out a loan, is releasing scouts and making salary cuts.
Yes, our new manager hasn’t lost domestically in 2020, yet you could also translate his record as 4 wins out of his 10 Premier League outings. He also was knocked out of the Europa League in the last 32 by Olympiakos.
If Arsene Wenger was 9th and out of Europe he would have got hammered. Remember he used to get mocked for ‘only finishing 4th’? That remains our biggest arrogance that our rival fans can accuse us of.
I will always maintain there is a section of our fan base who will never admit we have gone backwards since Mr Wenger left. It is only when he departed have we realised how hard a job he had with Stan Kroenke as an employer.
If we now would celebrate ‘only’ qualifying for the Champions League, is it not a huge contradiction to mock the greatest boss in our history for doing it.
I’m not judging Arteta by the way, it is far too early for that. I’m judging the Kroenke family. Yet for some, (especially those on YouTube) admitting that would be admitting that they were wrong, that we have gone backwards. That’s why they carry on this narrative that the old regime left us with baggage and in a mess. It will only be so long until that gets old and you are left asking where have we improved?
Again, everyone is entitled to their point of view. Even if you think Coutinho can’t get into our midfield. Even if you don’t understand that we would never have the ambition to even try and sign him.
If you think Saka is the answer to all our problems based on 0 League goals and 3 assists, then … you have either been manipulated by Kroenke, or are arrogant when it comes to how you perceive Arsenal in 2020.
I hope I’m wrong. I really do …
Be kind in the comments
Dan Smith
