Arsenal need to build bridges with fans or the in-fighting will continue

There have been more than the usual anti-Wenger protests this season, with banners on planes and fighting on the terraces between Arsenal fans, and even Wenger himself admitted that the uncertainty over his contract situation was the cause of the toxic atmosphere and even the form of the players on the pitch.

Now that Wenger’s two year extension has now finally been confirmed, Lois Langton of the Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association is worried that the ill-feelings between the fans and the club will continue to cause problems in the future. Langton thinks that the club cannot afford to just ignore the protests and must work out ways to improve the situation. He told the Star: “Whilst some supporters have welcomed the news that Arsene Wenger’s contract is to be extended, for others it has felt like a missed opportunity to draw a line in the sand and for him to go out on the high of a FA Cup win.

“Whilst the uncertainty that we have experienced for an absurdly long time this season has finally come to an end with the announcement, for many supporters the feelings of discontent and disconnect with the club remain.

“Whatever views there may be as to whether it was right or not to give him a new contract, the board and the manager need to get to grips now with recognising the extent of the ill-feeling that exists and urgently look at ways of building bridges with many supporters.

“If they bury their heads in the sand and pretend that it is only a small minority who want change across many levels of the club’s structure, we will only see an escalation of the in-fighting we have witnessed in recent seasons.

“And if that happens, my concern is that our wonderful football club, with its rich history, is going to implode – and nobody wants to see that happen to the club we love.”

As anyone who visits this site or other Arsenal forums will be well aware of the level of animosity between the pro- and anti-Wenger factions, but what can Arsenal possibly do to improve situation?

Admin

39 Comments

  1. News Flash!

    hTeeTeePee://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Admin/BkFill/Default_image_group/2011/4/1/1301668867334/Sunday-Sport-cover-006.jpg

  2. Lois Langton is spot on.

    there is a disconnect because there is an obvious chasm between what most AFC fans want and what the Board and Owner or willing to do to bring this club forward.

    Highest Prices, Lowest Ambition..

  3. I think the protests were intensified this season because fans know Wenger’s contract will expire at the end of this season and they dont want him to be offered another one.
    In my opinion, i believe there wont be such protests next season as fans would have accepted that Wenger wont be forced out without finishing his contract

    However, we could see the same in 2 years time if things do not change next season and that time, its gonna be massive

    1. i have to disagree.
      I feel that Wenger survived by the skin of his teeth and it is only the lack of true ambition by Stan and his Kroenkies that we don’t have the beginning of a new era at the club.

      Not all people forget so easily to the total capitulations and beatings at the hands of bigger clubs around Europe, the going backwards in the league, the lack of signings, management, motivation and the damn right arrogant way he treats the fans.

      If things don’t go to well early doors the disenchanted and disenfranchised fans will soon make their voices heard again towards wenger and the board.

      Regardless of this, I know for a fact that there are groups who will make their discontentment known about the board and the decision to renew AWs contract from the get go next season.

      it is what it is, and it is that way because pure and simply its down to the Owner and Board and their dubious running of our club.

      1. I hate to keep remembering all these things, i feel i dont need to…
        I hate to always think i have a better idea as to how a club should be run…
        I hate to always dwell on the negativity and shortcomings of the club…
        I hate to always ignore the achievement and success of the club…
        I hate to deprive myself of the pleasure of supporting the club i love by focusing TOO MUCH on administration…
        I hate to be an AKB or AOB…
        I hate to treat Arsenal or football as a do or die affair…

        All i wanna do is derive pleasure from supporting Arsenal and HOPE we always do well, i guess that’s all i can do…
        What do i think about Wenger? i think he should be gone but that is not up to me and i do not support Wenger but Arsenal…
        So, when he does well i praise him and when fumbles i complain BUT to constantly complain and moan is what i detest and will never do…

            1. “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.”
              – Bill Shankly

            2. A short story for you, i have a friend that stopped supporting Arsenal when we sold RVP to United and this was a guy that could fight anybody for Arsenal, he said “How can Wenger sell both Song and Rvp at the same time?” as they were so influential to us that season

              My friend started supporting United even with his children, and i was just wondering how that was so easy for him to do, then i realized it was only a game…
              Later he said…..” I do not hate Arsenal but i hate Wenger peradventure he leaves tomorrow, i will be back as a gunner”

              We just have to take it easy, imagine you offend your wife one day and all she does is sing it to your ears like you never do anything to make her happy and yet she refuse to divorce you…nuff said

              1. Sir, you can ask that friend to please not support arsenal again. Loyalty is a term much forgotten nowadays, every bloke here who supports arsenal is disappointed at this lack of success, even the ones who are happy after the 2 year contract given to wenger you cant question their love for the club and its glory. If you truly support a club you can never stop supporting it, i dont know why, but you cant, you dont have to support a club to be a fan of football but when you do when you’ve chosen a side, you cant dare to look at any other club with the same passion. I’ve wept a lot at our important losses, at our failings when there was a hope….and for a arsenal supporter to go cheer for man utd even for one season, he can keep his a$$ off our club. The club is as good as the fans, if you start taking it easy stop expecting anything else from the club

        1. people are still complaining of Trump and he is already the president of this world, you think it’s easy to just tell them to stop? when everything is obvious that we fail every season in the same manner, due to having the same manager and the top management, but vying for change leads to more contract for the manager? you think it’s easy to swallow that?

          “Judge me at the end of the season” he said, every Arsenal fan wants our club to win EPL and do well (even win it) in the UCL. at the end of the season, we are 5th in the league and Bayern raped us 10-2 in the UCL. ain’t this the end of the season when judgements are supposed to take place? is rewarding the delusion with 2 more years something expected?

          some fans will go an extra mile to defend Wenger even though everything is obvious that after 13 years of failure, he won’t change and we should expect the repetition of previous seasons for next season as well, but they are happy with that as long as le-fraud is happily getting the fat paycheck and making every sort of excuses to defend his failures, they even defend the failures with him

        2. well I personally I can’t paper over things and kid myself into believing that the running of the club doesn’t directly impact on the potential of the team on the pitch.

          the two are inherently interrelated.

          but to honest none of this football stuff is that important in the grand scheme of things. Its only a distraction for us all, to marvel over 11 men kicking a pig skin about. the rest is business.

          I get joy from watching my 5yr old boy playing football. now that’s the beautiful game [and his better than welbz already!;]

          1. Oh! I love that and i hope your son can one day be an Arsenal great….or where would rather have him??? *smiles*

            Football is a business especially in this modern age, it is not worth getting overly angry about….

      2. Spot on ArseOverTit , the only way to bring us WOB’S & THE AKB’S together again is to keep our best players, show some ambition in the transfer market and the club do everything it can to bring the E.P.L title home next season. If we don’t do those 3 things in the next few months and next season I’m afraid it may be all out war in the stands next season. I’m not calling Wenger Out anymore cause obviously our words fall on deaf ears but come on Arsenal let’s do this.
        We have a weak owner, a weak board and a deluded manager in my opinion so I have no confidence that the things I mentioned at the top off my comments happening. However I really hope the owner , board and manager prove me wrong. I don’t think so though cause the proof is in the pudding.
        COYG

  4. The only way Arsenal can restore fans confidence (most fans anyway) is by:

    1. Having our best summer ever by buying WC players in key positions (ST / CM / goal scoring winger / etc).
    2. Renewing Alexis’s contract
    3. Getting rid of the deadwood
    4. Winning the EPL!!!
    5. Winning Europa League
    6. Challenging for the FA cup
    7. Start scouting for Wenger’s replacement
    8. Start restricting the club, new positions like director of football, new scouts, etc.
    9. Re-structuring of our academy
    10. And if its not too much to ask, kick out the yank.

    My top 10, now over to you santa!

  5. garbage in garbage out ,wenger in Wenger out madness. Let us give up these protests because the board is greedy the owner is greedy and the manager is greedy too for continuously accept undeserved contract offers! it’s three Against a divided fans.First things first kick out akbs and our anger will be properly directed

  6. Where I come from there is no infighting among Arsenal fans because we know the one real problem…Arsene!

    This is so because we do not bask on past glories and we do not pay mediocrity let alone a pay lift.

    To earn a dollar you must have something tangible to give unless you’re a politician that steals public funds.

  7. The club needs to start showing some ‘REAL’ intent, in every department, surely this would go along way to resolving the issues.

    1. Absolutely!!!
      Everyone in the world knows Arsenal fans have dealt with a lot of things, from selling our best players, to missing out on top players and so on…
      But we are not known for turning against the club, that’s why when the protest started i was happy and surprised and was praying we see changes. but what did we learn???
      Imo, the protest showed that many Arsenal fans still want Wenger to stay so now that he has signed it wont be good enough for a ‘FAN’ to continue such acts and i believe we wont be seeing that anytime soon JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE CLUB…

      1. “the protest showed that many Arsenal fans still want Wenger to stay” so all those plains flying with the message on the back showed that they are happy with Wenger and they want him to stay? was it a typing error or you meant that? protests meant they want him to stay? this is new.. so what were they protesting about?? why isn’t Wenger given a lifetime contract?

        1. bran99…

          Oh! you didn’t get me, what i meant was that the protests was planned and staged by MINORITY, but a significant number of Arsenal fan base still want Wenger to stay and knowing that, Wenger and the Arsenal board decided to take advantage…

          If you still dont get it: The number of fans that want Wenger to stay on are MORE than those that want him to go and the protests all but show this to Wenger and the board

          1. For every Wenger out banner, there was always another “IN WENGER WE TRUST” banner…and for every Wenger out plane there is another “RESPECT ARSENE WENGER”…

            Although the fans are divided, majority still want Wenger to continue

        2. He is saying the protests proved most fans want Wenger stay because out off the hundreds off thousands off fans only 500 max showed up to protest. Seriously mate read his comments again stupid

          1. That’s not the case mate, do we all have to travel to U.K. to increase that number? Or are the fans who attend matches only the real Arsenal fans? There are a lot of fans who want that old man out, just that they can’t reach into that stadium to do the necessary thing. We all deliver our views through social media, or by not being there our votes are not counted? Search through social media and you’ll get the answer if there is only 500 fans who wants Wenger out or there’s more.. every Arsenal news with Wenger in it is attacked by 90% of the fans there

  8. For me, one of the elements that would return some goodwill would be more honesty from the club. Management comes across as trying to Bullsh1t the fans.

    We all know the cycle by now of promising top-top players at the beginning of the transfer window only to come up with excuses as to why no top-top players were signed. Over time this has lost them credibility IMO.

    Same as now claiming we have the squad to win the PL. To most this is nonsense. If we did have the squad to win the PL why did we fail to finish in the top 4 and why were we miles away from first? I think Wenger knows this squad is highly unlikely to win the PL.

    He probably also knows Sanchez is likely to leave. Don’t come out and say he wants to stay. Say nothing. If they pull off a miracle and convince him to stay I will be thrilled. If you tell me you expect him to stay and he leaves I feel that once again you tried to bullsh1t me.

    I respected Pep a lot this past season when he came out quite early saying Man City should not dream about the PL title and that this was not going to happen.

    In the same way, I would prefer the club/Wenger to come out and say that getting back into the top 4 would be a huge challenge but that this is still the goal. Stop pretending we seriously want to win the PL.

    I could live with the adjustment to our goals because I don’t think it reasonable to expect us to win the PL and I would consider a top 4 next season impressive. All our rivals will continue to invest and improve, probably more so than we will. But if you tell me each season we consider ourselves title candidates I actually expect a real run for the title which never materializes.

    So the club could gain my trust back by being more honest and realistic about our prospects and by giving fewer excuses for our failings in winning the title. I don’t like being taken for a fool. We obviously can not compete with the big clubs financially or sport wise. Nothing wrong with that in an of itself but come out and say it. You don’t hear Everton saying they are aiming to win the PL and everyone gets that.

    I also think the club could do itself a favor by being more active on killing falls rumors. I now have to read how we are trying to convince Mbappe to join. What’s wrong with saying publically that this is a player outside of our price tag and that the rumors are falls? I secretly expect or hope we will sign Mbappe despite knowing it is probably a pipe dream. Better for the club to kill the rumor to manage my expectations than to allow them to be build up to an unreasonable level only to be mad as hell when I read he went to Real.

    If they secretly do try to sign and actually manage to bring in a player like Mbappe or Aubamayang it would be just a great bonus for me. But it’s much better to kill the rumor if they know there is no reasonable chance of him joining.

    If I am hoping for Lacazette and have to settle for Perez I get frustrated. If I expect a Perez and they surprised me with Lacazette I am thrilled. I understand they can not comment on every rumor but rumors like Mbappe or other players north of 50 million should not be too difficult to dispell.

    So for me, transparency, honesty and no excuses would go a long way to rebuilding my trust. If you claim you think you can win the title but fail by nearly 20 points I start to think you have no clue of what you are doing. If you tell me we can compete with Bayern only to lose 10-2 and only to have 1 player that would get into their squad I feel like you think I am a moron. If you tell my regaining the top 4 would be hard but is the goal and then you win the PL or finish 2nd or 3rd or even 4th I will be impressed.

  9. When one person supports a club what do they support…? The manager, the players, the playing style, the name, the crest on the shirt, the history, the trophiees? ….After 20-30 years when literally every one oh it changes they (except maybe the name but even that changes once in a while)What makes a fan pledge his whole life to one club..? Sorry if this sounds stupid, just a new person in the block

    1. Passion for the club. but some fans support a club coz of the manager (or rather supports the manager and don’t care about the success of the club as long as the manager is happy), such people are called AKBs in the Arsenal world

  10. Keep Alexis and Ozil and get the following players, then a bridge will have been built:
    1. Lacazette or Aubemeyang or Lukaku or Mbappe
    2. Mahrez or Turan or Draxler
    3. Matuidi or Carvahlo or Krychowiak or Matic
    4. R. Rodriguez
    5. Van Dijk or Some other quality CB
    6. Good RB

  11. Honestly, I think some fans have unrealistic expectations. Unless that changes some fans will be forever unhappy and frustrated.

    That said, the club should make an effort to build bridges with fans, but I’m not sure they will.

    1. Mark

      I understand and respect your opinion. However I will not sorely blame some of us for having unrealistic expectations. When we see teams who spend way less than us like Bayern / Dortmund/ Athletico / Monaco / Juve /hell even Leister winning the title and moving forward its so painful. Even Spurs now and Lpool are playing more attractive football and we are moving backwards.

      The moment all fans slip into accepting the system or reducing our demands trust me the board will drag this beautiful and rich club to the ground. Its always good to have a balance, people with realistic expectations and those just cant help but demand for more, this is good in life situation.

      1. its how you move forward and win stuff by becoming the best.
        I read a piece where Allegri was saying this, after having won 5 scudetto’s back to back. its about raising the bar..

        stan, ivan and wenger have lowered it for some years now.

        1. Guess gooners have been calm for 13 years in a row.. where have you been to demand a little calmness from Arsenal fans? Or have you been enjoying the FA cups while the likes of Chelsea, Man U and City are having a laugh with the EPL title? Heck even LC got one last season

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