Arsenal Pride by JM
A lot has been said and written in the media all these years about how Arsenal football club has gone downhill in the past 10 years, with hardly a trophy in sight. I beg to differ with this generalised feeling amongst fans and pundits.
I have been a fan of AFC for 20 years now and consider myself fortunate enough to have seen Ian Wright, the famous back four, Seaman, Parlour to Cesc, Henry, RVP, Hleb, Cole, and on to the recent Ramsey, Ozil and Sanchez play in the famous red and white.
AFC did not win the Champions league prior to Arsene Wenger’s arrival and never looked like winning it either. Liverpool and Man united were the Premier Leagues top clubs. In fact Arsenal was England’s top club prior to the 80s, and then Liverpool became more successful and then Man United in the 90s.. And of late there are some small clubs with big money who have also got their names on a few trophies recently.
However in 96-97, Arsenal wasn’t a big club and there was no chance we could ever sign a top 50 world class player. Arsenal was not a big club globally and was hardly recognised outside England. Ajax, Inter, AC Milan, Liverpool, United, Dortmund, Bayern, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Hamburg, PSV, Juventus, etc were far more popular and with a richer history. In fact through out my time as a fan the only world class player we bought was Dennis Bergkamp. Our fanbase was smaller and we weren’t really the big deal in Europe.. And in fact we struggled in mid table in the mid ’90s. Vieira, Henry, Pires weren’t exactly world beaters when they joined Arsenal, signed on the cheap and were out of the top 50.
Then came Arsene and all of a sudden Arsenal began to rise. Yes we won trophies, but we won trophies under George Graham too. Only now AFC was far more famous worldwide, we had more sponsors and more success on the pitch and our fanbase grew tremendously.
By 2006, we were a major force in Europe playing CL every season and a title contender every year in England. But that success wasn’t the only thing; we were making more money than other clubs, and it’s only then that we were able to move into our new home a state-of-the-art 60,000 seater stadium called The Emirates.. Sponsors lined up and we were far more recognised all over the world. US, Africa, Asia. We started eating up the fan base of Man United and Liverpool.
My point is that the only reason fans like myself actually expect AFC to do well in Europe is because of the way the club has moved forward in recent years. If in 95-96 you would ask me if AFC would win a Champions League trophy, I would say ‘let’s just qualify’ and then dream.
For people who have supported this club for a long time now, understand this and can see how massive this club has become over the years. Hence to say AFC has gone down in the last 10 years is false, we have actually become a much bigger club in this world. Back in 95 we couldn’t have attracted top 50 players like Sanchez and Ozil. No chance. But now we do…
Let’s give credit to the board and the manager where it is due. Trust me when I say it, AFC Is a class apart. It is in very good hands and is very well equipped to continue for a long time at the very top. 10 years is a very small cycle in terms of football history. These clubs have been around for 130yrs.
United went trophyless for 27 years but that didn’t make them a small club. Nottingham Forest and Aston villa have won the European Cup, their fans still sing about it. They are not bigger clubs than Arsenal.
Throw this small team mentality away. Be proud.
JM
To be fair, we got to give credit where its due! Arsene wenger has really done a lot for arsenal fc!
Once upon the time, dinosaurs walked the earth.
you have no idea about football. just silly comments all the time. are you that bored?
He put together a unstopptable team, that gave us an unbeaten season plus the league and fa cup double in one season! Coyg!
How can someone thumbs down that comment? ?????? Who are you? ??? Listen and learn
There is so much to be proud of. Like that time we finished fourth. And then that other time we finished fourth. Oh and that other time we finished fourth. But the pinnacle has to be that time we finished third.
Lol …. Because so sadly accurate …. The question is could we with the massive resources the club has …. One of top dozen sports franchises on planet …. Done more under a different manager and board …. And the answer is obviously yes we could ….
Glad someone remembers, i was beginning to think everyone on here a spotty faced teen. Also there was many more clubs to add to that list who where more renowned throughout Europe.. especially in Italy.
Arsene has done wonders for this club and still has enough nous and more experience to again catapult us to glory. These fa cup finals are a great achievement and stepping stone for they will give our players the taste of winning.. or even if losing a final it will give them certain lessons to be learned.
I have a good feeling on next season as i think the last of the players Arsene feels must be sold or gone one way or the other will be out the door. We couldnt just overhaul our squad with one foul swoop as we are no psg etc, last summer we had some good clearouts and some very good signings and i believe this summer will be just as important maybe more so given that we have an even better team now. I look forward to Arsene doing it the Arsenal way.. or vice versa.
Wow the truth is si funny.
Hahaha I’m laughing at us
We are proud, but we need trophies now.
I mean pl and ucl, not saying facup is bad.
The problem, and I sound like a broken record saying this, is that some ‘ignorant’ fans and football supporters think that from 2004 up until now Arsenal have had all the resources needed to compete at a top level and win titles like the CL, but they are sadly mistaken.
During those years, Arsenal went through a major transitional period building the Emirates, requiring a huge initial capital whilst ensuring diligent annual payments. This had consequences – we were unable to bring in top players because we could not afford inflated wages like the Chelsea’s, Barca’s etc were offering. Secondly, all our best players jumped ship year after year ‘for titles’, but we all know money had a big part to play here too.
So there we were, building a new stadium worth 550 million pounds, unable to bring in the best players, whilst losing our best. Wenger had to rebuild our squad season after season, it is a miracle that we cut top 4 each of those seasons and an over achievement if you are being honest. Remember that our competition (Chelsea, United, City) have been spending quadruple and more over what we were able to spend, and yet they finished only marginally above us each year.
Only in the last year or two have we really been able to flex our financial muscle once again – the purchases of Ozil and Sanchez are testament to this. ‘Coincidentally’ in the last 2 years, we have won two trophies and looking at a third this year. In light of the above, Wenger has done miracles for this club and it is only naive and ignorant fans and who criticize and fail to see this. Great article and from what I have read recently concerning transfers, it looks like Wenger is going to be bringing in some quality players soon – Vidal, Martinez, Cech are all looking promising.
Great comment and article. Both true reflections of the past, what we’ve achieved and where we’re at.
We spent so much yet Chelsea have widened the gap.
Sorry we need a new manager
Lol m8. First time I’ve seen a gooner worrying about us spending sooooo much! Whatever we’ve spent, it’s loose change compared to the spending made by Chelsea since mourhino first arrived.
Nicely said Big Gun.
The thing i cant figure out is how all fans cant see it that way… am at a loss.
And fans who are saying how are we better off this year sure we are on less points – are you an idiot, if a team comes second on 80pts one season then wins title on 75pts next season does that mean they took a step back..
People just need to come to terms with the fact we’ve not won things because of Wenger but because we’ve not had the financial power to compete. People say he doesn’t have it in him anymore but he’s still overachieved season in season out and if he can achieve that then with continued financial backing and the best players he can still active anything. People were saying he’ll never win anything ever then we won the FA cup people said he’s not capable of building a quality squad but he’s doing that. He deserves time after what he’s done and it takes time to build. People I think underestimated how far we were from being a top side and were saying we only need 2 players 2 seasons ago in reality most of the team needed strengthening.
I will however start to question Wenger and the club’s ambition if we don’t push the squad forward this summer and compete next season because we have spent quite a bit over the last season or so and I really do think the squad is very very close to being brilliant and if we don’t then it takes the potential away. But I don’t think players like ozil and Sanchez would have come if there wasn’t assurance that arsenal are moving forward quickly and they’ll have the chance to compete at the top.
I honestly believe things are going in the right direction and Wenger is still the right man for the job and at the very least when he does leave he’ll leave the club and the squad and also the youth setup in the best possible position and make sure it’s left in safe hands. There’s no denying he loves arsenal and he deserves massive respect.
If the rumour is true that we have bid for Vidal that would a great signing.
Fair enough. Pretty much agree with the author’s opinion. Of course we should appreciate what Wenger has achieved with Arsenal!
However with current condition, do you think Wenger is still the right man to take the club a step further?
Even with a better line-up this season, we made no progress -if not worse- from last season. Urgh… It’s hard to keep my faith in Wenger when you know this man is one the most experienced manager in BPL, and yet he keeps failing to bring the team as a title challenger every.frickin.year.
Really hope next season will be different. Wenger needs to bring few new key players and challenge for the title! COYG!
@pisjo….lots of people make the comment we’ve made no progress, we’ve even gone backwards this season.
However it’s not true. There are so many good things. The fact remains we’ve not won the league but we are closer today than we have been in a decade.
Firstly, points. Our total is less this year – ‘so we’ve gone backwards’. Not true. Teams who have won the title have achieved fewer points from one season to another. To assess the team on this single fact is very misguided. If you look at our points last year we were top of the league at Christmas. However this year we had a dire start to the season, gaining close to 10 points less. It is the second half of this season which should delight every gooner. Since Christmas our performances in 2015 have been BETTER than anything since we last won the title. If we assume we get a result today, we will have more wins, a better goal difference and more points than in any half of a season since we were champions. The team IS IMPROVING and on the form of the last 5 months we are now serious title contenders. I think most people will know that since January our form has been right up there with the best, not just in the pl, but throughout Europe. That is MASSIVE progress and something to be very positive about.
This season we have no CL qualifiers, which is progress and given the short summer break great to have secured.
We have the FA cup final in a week which, we should win. If that happens we’ve won a second trophy in successive years. So at last some consistency on that, whilst we will also become the most celebrated team in FA Cup history.
This season we’ve improved against the ‘top teams’ which is also an important step forward.
We’ve seen the emergence of great talents in Bellerin and Coquelin and even quite surprisingly Monreal. The Ox looks like next season could see him emerge as a top top talent. We’ve bought Gabriel, Chambers and Debuchy giving us quality and depth at the back and of course Sanchez who other than probable fatigue of late has been a revelation in the PL.
Wenger has finally showing some adaptability in tactics which serial moaners and hard core gooners would both agree is good to see. In the past couple of months as the squad had returned to fitness, Wenger has been playing players pretty much their proper positions.
On the fitness front Shad Forsythe seems to be making progress and we have fewer and fewer injuries within the squad. If we carry that into 2015/16 we will be so much stronger.
So, even without new additions and the quality kids coming through (Hayden, Bielik, Zelalem, Akpom, Silva etc) this team, this squad and this manager have made positive PROGRESS and are well set up for a serious crack at the title next season. With a little extra quality, it’s a certainty.
Although I am thankful and proud of everything Wenger has done for Arsenal, I don’t like the way the writer suggests we only became truely great once Wenger came in. Has he not heard of George Graham? We actually won a European Trophy with this guy, something Wenger has never done for us in how many attempts?
Huh?? Did you actually read the article… Many of us were fans throughout GG’s years as was the writer. Arsenal were a different team, a great team at times, but nothing like the team or club we’ve become since AW arrived.
Messi : arsenal what?????? never hear…. I will go to Barcelona….
has Wenger ever been successful in Europe? learn from Madrid fellas! they get what they want at all cost # sackwengerplease #
And when Wenger goes to Madrid and wins the UCL you Muppets will be crying about how much you miss him. I really wish we could trade fans sometimes. Half these people don’t deserve a team like Arsenal
If wenger quite today and walked away from the club .All nationals teams .
barca bayern real even Chelsea would pay top top cash and oil from some clubs like city and psg to tie him to a 3-5 years contract.
He wil spend 1 million for a player worth 3.6 million.
He will save you money
he will also teach preach and implement q uike possion football ehich is based midfield interchanging and 1 touch pass philosphy.
young players who can improve appear on scene when wenger arrives
The guy is gift amongst us
heavy burden on his shoulders
but the current squad rate’s him highly
enoufh said
I am pragmatic and therefore no AKB or Arsene out.
I am thankful for elevating the club from a Tottenham level to one of the biggest clubs in Europe and by this securing our future at or near the top.
But I also think Arsene can be stubborn tactically and strategically (recruitment). A bit more flexibility and awareness of our opponents would be nice.
Overall I think he has a special place in the club’s history and hope he renews with success in conquering the league title in the next 2 years. Now he has the money and the core of the team right, now is the time to build for immediate success and not for the future.
Go nuts with the budget man!
seems akbs are having a field day today cuz of the article.No one says wenger is useless but our aim as fans is to put pressure on wenger to deliver because he is a good bussiness manager but an avarage coach in great club,arsenal was a gr8 Club even b4 wenger was born.Those who dont buy tickets cant understand the pain trophy drought
Wenger has done a wonderful job and should be praised at times, but also should be cuss out when he tampers with his own team, for years this team have suffered due to his negligence of not buying or using a proper defensive midfielder, if it was not for the accidental emergence of Coquelin we would be further down in the table