Arsenal fans have every right to criticise the team but is there too much of it?
Straight away I will openly admit that there is an abundance of critical articles on this site from all the writers, myself included. There are also some very positive articles and I would suggest that we are close to finding the right balance but even so, is there too much negativity on here and elsewhere?
I have just finished watching a video from Lee Gunner on Youtube and he absolutely rips into the club and I have to say, for the most part, I found him spot on with his analysis.
It has to also be said that the notorious AFTV has been a lot more positive recently, maybe they have listened to the huge amount of criticism they have received, who knows. But generally speaking whatever Arsenal site you visit or Youtube video you watch, there is criticism.
There is the odd exception, Untold Arsenal do conspiracy theories and blame everyone but Arsenal for the clubs woes but then they did not want to see Unai Emery fired so we know where they are coming from.
I find the comments on this site to be a good barometer of feeling among the fans and quite a lot of it is not positive at all, nothing wrong with that but it does give an indication of what I am talking about here.
It is obviously difficult to find positivity when the team is doing poorly, especially when it is clear what needs to be changed but should there be a limit?
Personally, I think fans have every right to be critical but I am against being critical for the sake of it and I do see that starting to creep in.
I did think there were some positives from the Burnely game as an example and acknowledged that in an article, I also found negatives and did an article on that, to me, that is balance but I just feel that some fans simply refuse to see any positives at all.
A classic example is Shkodran Mustafi, I found him to be the best Arsenal defender at the end of last season and I have the same opinion about him under Mikel Arteta but some of my fellow fans simply will never agree with that assessment. No problem with that, it is all about opinions but I honetly feel that if he was man of the match for every game until the end of the season some fans would still call for him to be sold.
That, for me, is being negative for the sake of it.
It does go the other way, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette supporters will never see any bad in these players despite the massive amount of evidence in front of their eyes. So, it is not purely a one-way street.
In conclusion, is there too much negativity from Arsenal fans? I think maybe there is but I am not sure it is totally unjustified either. Which opens up a whole new can of worms, should Arsenal fans rein in their negativity for the sake of it?
What a conundrum.
Great article Admin Martin. I do agree that there is heavy criticism from the fans but it is not un justified. I think you have eluded to the fact that there needs to be a balance to this. What I would love to see is perhaps as much passion about our wins weather they are poor or good and as much passion about our players who ate doing well. Granted currently that is no I’m abundance but over the years I have seen arsenal fans more happy to be critical and say we will never make it rather than get behind the team.
I am fortunate enough to live in london and frequent games. Although I have not visited any this year. But I also feel at the stadium there is a distinct lack of support. A lack of noise. I have visited football games all across Europe and the UK and I must say the most quiet stadium is ours. I am hoping that arteta takes a leaf out of klopps book and tries to engage with the fans when we do finally start winning. I remember ganes where klopp has gone on to the pitch to thank his fans at the end as well as celebrating wildly. This passion we did not see or saw in a different manner from Wenger but I think klopps positivity is infectious and liverpool have that 12th man on and off the pitch and it’s something that we lack.
In conclusion I agree with admin martin let’s get behind the team when they are good and the individual players when they are good also.
Yes!! Me included – I have been very negative on our defense and midfield, on Emery’s team selection, on what Wenger was doing in the last couple of years and on the Management of the club in general.
I agree with shortboygooner that there is some justification (especially with management for me), but in the social media world it is really easy to go over the top.
We have been very fortunate for a long time so the change in fortune is bringing the worst out in us. There will be an Arteta-out group pretty soon, some folks here are itching to pull the trigger on that one.
I am with Arteta for a few transfer windows now, perhaps blindly. While the last game was really disappointing, up to that point he has been getting more out of the team, results or not. We just aren’t that good right now.
The poison is too much. So much negativity. It is very sad. A player who plays so well today and performs averagely tomorrow is instantly tagged as useless.
A new signing who is yet to kick a ball is crucified before his debut likewise a new coache.
After all that MA is doing within a short period with what he currently have at his disposal, people still think it reasonable to give him stick. As though Klopp, Pep or Zidane could have performed magic if any of them were to be in MA’s shoes.
Admin, not every submission here is from a fan. So if comments here are to be seen as good barometer of feelings among the fans, the caveat then would be to have a larger margin of error. This is because even tottringham fans can make comments here and I don’t doubt that some of the comments here come from opposing fans as some comments are very silly to the core example comments that wish to see our coach, any player or our team fail in their endeavors.
We all know we have a silent owner pun intended but does that give us the licence to criticize the coach who are still finding his feet or players who are finding it hard to adapt to the new club or players who haven’t even kicked a ball for us, We are all feeling down due to our club being in this position, i get that, but lets go back to basics, lets first do what we are suppose to do and that is support our team and coach, the other stuff we can objectively discuss, the team will definitely perform better if they know we have their backs 100% we cannot keep on saying our players are useless when expect them to perform on match days, remember a lot of what we say are read and heard by the same team we are suppose to support.
I think the balance of opinion and perspective on JA are exactly what I would expect.
All football blogs have a “grouchy” theme running through them.
Complaining is the life’s blood of all football blogs.
The media knows all too well “if it bleeds it leads” 🙂
The simple reason why criticism abounds on football blogs is
because fans have unrealistic expectations which will always produce disappointment
and endless debate about whats going wrong and what needs to be done.
If fans had realistic expectations there would be less complaining
and blogs would die so the media encourages conflict at every turn.
Conflict is what drives blogs.
So enjoy the riguorous debate it’s what everyone enjoys most.
NO!!
There is too much rubbish played by the Arsenal team.
We have had 3 managers fail to get a tune out of this bunch of players.
We are being served up bottom half of the table football for top of the table prices!!!!
If Kroenke started investing we wouldn’t complain
In some previous comments, someone mentioned that after 8 games, we were in the top 3, then this Ozil in/Out brigade started being vocal, Unai succumbed to the fan pressure, kept on playing Xhaka who needed a break then, and we dropped to 10th, meanwhile Utd., Spurs and Everton overtook us. Had we been in the top 3, the criticism would be there (by those who worship Ozil if he was benched) but much less. Simply put, Ozil, Xhaka are not Arsenal quality anymore, Guendozi tries but not helped by either of them, hence a very weak midfield not supporting the defense or attack either, neither do they go for goal like in the past (Rocisky, Carzola, Ramsey, Fabregas, Nasri, even Wilshire when fit).This is my opinion which many will disagree, but fact is we are mid table as on date.Hope Mikel can fix the midfield during the break or just go for an early goal and park the bus. We should focus on the FA & EL first and just play to win in the EPL for the remainder of the season.
It’s not negativity but the truth. Arsenal have great individual players, but sitting on No.10 on the log. All teams between Chelsea and Arsenal have inferior squad as compared to Arsenal. Where’s the problem? Why is Arsenal not in the top 4?
Yes, it is not negative but the truth. But it becomes negative and hatred in the long run without even knowing it when we repeat every criticism every article of the day, we have more than10 a day, then weeks, months and years. How long must a fan criticize a player before other fans get his opinion on the player. Virtually everyone of us has been saying the same thing more than 3 years now. The funniest thing is we say it to one another and each and everyone of us say the same thing that is known by everyone of us. Then it becomes negative and hatred. One article here, some fans were saying they won’t forgive Giroud if he moves to spurs and I my thought was wow!!! Are they talking about the same player who was called several names and can’t wait to the back of and now they still care about what he does or doesn’t. The way some make every article about Ozil, Mustafi and Xhaka is not criticism anymore, it has simply become hatred and negativity because they don’t see the good thing done by this players.
Yes this is another area where people can be very negative,Who cares if giroud goes to the spuds,rivalry is one thing but bitterness is another we have signed spuds to great effect in the past Jennings and Campbell were good signings Giroud was not a great player here,he did ok but didn’t exactly light the place up with weekly great games,just because its spurs does not make him a great player all of a sudden in fact i cannot think of any ex player that has gone there and made a huge difference to them,There is enough negativity around our own club why keep worrying about ex players and rivals.For now I am happy with what Mikel is doing but he needs big support from the silent one this summer or we will suffer.
We have become the most negatives fans I know about in honesty. I truly believe the lack of support the fans have shown at times has hindered our club. I understand that people have opinions your welcome to them I have mine, the difference now compared to 15-20 years ago is that all those opinions can now be read by the players. It’s demoralising, imagine if customers or the public were telling you you were rubbish at your job every single day…would that inspire you to do better? With most people no, it will make them loose confidence and perform poorly. Modern football is all about mentality and confidence, it’s what Klopp brought to Liverpool and it’s what Arteta is trying to Dow it’s our club. We fans need to get aboard.
2Good post Tojo, I agree completely.
We know from our players reactions that they read what’s being said and thĂ ts why it’s always sensible to counter negative personal remarks with positive ones.
To read that you are viewed as dross, lazy, mentally frail and bleeding the club dry does nothing to help the club or the players. We even get the comments, after being told the official team, that its the wrong decision and all hell will break loose when we lose!!!
I have no idea about other teams fan sites, as they interest me not one iota, but I do read untold arsenal etc etc and they have nowhere near the negativity as on here, its true to say.
We all have our opinions though and from these come debates – handled well in most cases by the powers that be..admin.
Just a little bit more positivity, or re-phrasing the words used when criticising would help, along with some structured thoughts and actual realism – that includes me as well.
I do fight against negative comments..
I believe a team with such talent and has been down for a long times now, need encouragement, need support to rise again…
There is quality in the squad but they are not delivering… They lack support… Trust me
RVP left us and won the league and many others, but they weren’t good enough for our team… Y we saw their bad days as whom they are…
We see them as machines that don’t have to deliver less than the best. But for God’s sake, they are humans, and they are athlete, we support them in good and bad times or let them be…
These guys are good and have fault too, they not perfect beings..
As it is sport, they need our support to give us back what we want from them and make us happy…
I wish the team can be supported for the rest of the season not withstanding present result… They will do better…
Up gunners…
This word is a supporting word…
I wish we will sing for Arsenal, like Liverpool do for 30years even when they haven’t won the league…
Come out and support ur team, u can as well jump to the other ship…
One love Arsenal
To reach the real truth, we need to PROPERLY define “negativity”! What some call necessary comments, with a view to changing attitudes. so that we who know vast change is needed, can begin to garner mass support for that vital change, OTHERS call “negativity”. SO WORDS ARE IMPORTANT AND “NEGATIVITY” IS NOT A NOUN, SO IT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. YOU TAKE MY POINT I HOPE!
FIRST, properly define your problem. Then and only then, when all agree precisely WHAT that problem is, can you begin to tackle it. This is true in many walks of life and football clubs internal problems are not different in THAT aspect.
The so called “negativity” that some mistakenly believe that concerned fans comments actually are, is in fact, healthy. What IS harmful, is blind, unthinking faith in the status quo, no matter what and a refusal to tackle clear problems or even to admit there are real problems. The many self foolers among general football fans, sometimes fall into this harmful category. Please think carefully about what I say, as it is true. One has to be ruthlessly honest, especially with OURSELVES if we REALLY wish to help our club, esp in the longer term. So many worry only about the next game and never look furthe ahead than that. I find that lack of proper ability to think ahead ,quite a depressing situation and it irritates me – as a deep thinker – a great deal. As it should!