Some of us gooners just love a scapegoat, don’t we? by Dan
I blame the era of social media we live in but growing up I remember Arsenal fans being a lot more supportive of their players.
Now I’m not saying you should say someone is perfect just because they wear the crest you love; everyone should be able to express an opinion.
Yet this isn’t you sitting with your mate in the pub debating if a certain talent is good enough. I’m taking about those who are reactionary and who take it to the extreme. Within seconds your views can be shared with the world.
There are podcasts to listen to, YouTube channels to watch, a 24-hour news channel. So, if you are a player not loved at your club, daily it’s hard to escape the circus. And as much as it pains me to say it, us Gunners have become some of the worse in overreacting, being dramatic, and not being loyal to our own.
Of course, that coincides with things not going well on the pitch, yet it’s noticeable within our fan base that there are those it’s okay to ridicule – yet there are other aspects we can’t question.
This week I think I fairly pointed out that our owners only signing two loans when we are 6 points off bottom proved a lack of ambition. The response was met with talk about Martinelli and our great youngsters, how Arteta has changed the culture.
I saw one fan shot down on AFTV for only giving our new manager a 6 so far. He’s won one Prem game in 7 ……say that again ……1 in 7.
Yet we have so many good youngsters? That doesn’t add up…
If your winning one in 7 and are 7 points off relegation in February, everyone should be looking in the mirror, not just the same names like Ozil taking all the heat.
To my surprise Lacazette is the new name being wheeled out. He’s making lists of a signing who’s flopped, all because he’s on a goal drought! Complaining he’s in the team won’t make his confidence return quicker, it’s quite self-defeating.
We already have had Mustafi and Xhaka talk about how their mental health has been affected by how constant the abuse has become. It’s embarrassing that a coach has had to convince two players to stay based on their relationship with fans. I saw picture of staff signing autographs after the Bournemouth tie. Xhaka was one of the few not to stop. When he has before he’s been sworn at.
Arsenal Wenger did warn some of our fans were in danger of forgetting the values we as a club have set. So Laca is being written off due to not scoring since December 5th? That’s all it can be. Surely no one could question his work rate which is unrivalled.
Isn’t that all we as fans can ask for? That we see those in the red and white give 100 percent effort? When things are not going well, he chased back more than an Auba or Pepe.
I still believe Laca can be a 20 plus a season scorer if he could just stay fit.
He’s someone else who’s contract will expire soon, so let’s hope he’s not listening to those who think we can do better because we can’t.
It’s funny I can think of another French striker who was happy at the Emirates yet got forced out. He got the final laugh in the Europa League Final. The same morons who call him disloyal for joining Chelsea and being open to a move to Spurs are the same ones who treated him badly.
Yet he’s always been honest that his family are settled in London so if Arsenal didn’t want him, what was he meant to do?
Turn to his daughter and say:’I know you love your school in London, but we have to move to Italy out of duty to Arsenal.’
Daughter: ‘ Well maybe Arsenal will take you back.’
Giroud: ‘No my dear, loyalty only works one way.’
So, when Laca becomes the latest to not sign a new deal, just remember how he was treated…
Dan Smityh