Victory Through Harmony by Dan Smith
The assertion is that Arsenal were fortunate stadiums were empty last season so the team avoided any backlash from fans. Therefore there was a genuine fear about what the atmosphere would be like with our stadium full again.
Yes, there was a full house for the Chelsea fixture but there seemed to be a resignation within the crowd, an acceptance that they are better.
If ever discontent from the stands would be noticeable it was this Saturday.
Norwich’s visit represented how far our club has fallen.
A fan base, where some cried about only finishing top 4, was now hosting a newly promoted side, both without a point this season. It was the first time we began a league campaign with three straight defeats since the 50’s. That’s before you factor in that we are without European football for the first time since 1995.
So with the scoreline goalless at half time I was worried. It doesn’t take a lot for the Emirates to get nervous and my fear wasthe Canaries would use that trepidation to their advantage.
Most teams will be thinking the same when they travel to North London. The longer they stay in the game the more toxic the atmosphere becomes. At that point we often don’t have the leaders to respond.
Yet to the majority’s credit, the atmosphere was not poisonous at any point this weekend. Sure, there were ironic chants of ‘we are staying up’ but you need to be able to laugh at yourself. Not everything has to be serious.
It’s like Gooners made a collective choice to back the players, perhaps realising confidence was low and individuals needed that extra boost of support?
Perhaps it was smartly viewed that negativity would be self-defeating?
If you’re paying a lot of money to see the team you love, you want to give them the best chance of winning. Booing and jeering wouldn’t do that.
A lot of my peers are unhappy with how far the club has fallen.
The likes of myself will use platforms like this to question the owner’s ambition but there is a time and a place.
In the short-term players needed our support this weekend. That’s our job…. to support, to encourage, to help.
In an era where many Youtubers build views on how loud they shout, well done to the majority of fans for putting the teams needs first.
There’s a phone in from Talk Sport which has been trending where a caller (adamant they are a gooner) says they have chosen to go watch Man United this week rather than Arsenal because the return of Ronaldo would be more entertaining.
The hosts were left to debate if this was the behaviour of a true fan? That’s not for me to say. I do feel that no team has a divine right to be successful and as much as we have enjoyed seeing our club win trophies, you can’t bail the moment things get hard.
Part of sport is the journey, the chase. The lows we are feeling now will make the future highs that bit more enjoyable.
What I do know is true Arsenal fans did the club proud on Saturday at a time where there hasn’t been too much to be proud about to be a gooner.
They applauded the work rate of Aubameyang as our captain closed down the keeper, they responded well to Tomiyasu’s debut and most of all they stayed with the team in the tricky moments. Most importantly they
stayed calm in the second half when it was easier to lose patience.
There is a famous motto for years we had on our shirts, Victoria Concordia Crescit, Latin for Victory through Harmony. For decades we had a reputation of being the club who acted with class and did things the right way.
You can learn a lot about people in adversity.
Who hides?
Who cowers?
Who stays loyal?
No one is pretending that a 1-0 win over Norwich is anything to be excited about. Yet in a hard time, I was very proud to be a gooner yesterday.
Well done to the fans for sticking with the team and as our own skipper said, providing energy for the team.
Be Kind in The Comments
Dan
“You can learn a lot about people in adversity.
Who hides?
Who cowers?
Who stays loyal?”
Does that matter when it comes to fans? To me it only matters to players and staff at the club because they’re the ones who have it in their hands to make a real difference.
Couldn’t care less how other people choose to support or not support the club. I’ve decided to stick with the club and enjoy the conversation about it, that’s all. Others can do whatever they want but this whole thing of “true fans” feels like the sort of thing brainwashed cult members would talk about.
Yeah Dan- you pretty much summed up the atmosphere yesterday. But at the end it seemed a relief that we finally got up and running and “should” kick in from here. But let’s not forget who we played. It was Norwich City. A team 100% certain to get relegated. And we laboured to a win. The performance was not great but it got the job done. That’s all. So after 19 months we are in the position of being grateful for scraping a win over a Championship quality side. And we are supposed to be happy with this?
Certainly happier than if we had lost Phil!
So AdPat- you are satisfied that Arteta fielded his strongest line-up ( you could argue for Xhaka ) and we laboured to a win over a Championship side? So we won. We won 1-0. As got over the line, just about. That’s all. Snd we are supposed to be celebrating? Again, and with a reply I posted to @Grandad on an earlier thread, your bar must be set pretty low. I expected and demand far far more from a squad of good players. Arteta is failing this club, and the sooner he goes the sooner the damage he is causing right in front of us all can begin to be repaired .
I agree with your comment about setting up the bar quite low!
That’s what all true supporters should do. I feel the club need my support now more than ever & all the moaners do is create a poisonous atmosphere & we have to remember we have to divine right to win anything & I was so glad to hear our fantastic away fans again gave AFTV a hard time at Man City, who thrive off our misfortune.
Davi, I agree 95% but you say Couldn’t care less how other people choose to support or not support the club. I get pissed at those that call themselves supporters and continually knock everyone from the top down. Support and have your say certainly, but if the best you have is moaning about how every other club has this or that and The Arsenal aren’t trying or doing things the way they want then they can FO. Unlike you I haven’t learned to accept it. Being in Aus I need to be awake any time from 10:00 PM to 5 AM to watch a live game.
In times of adversity I reckon most folks are most interested in figuring a way outa that adversity
I can see what Arteta and Edu are trying to do in this time of adversity. They wanna build a new young, consistent compliant squad. There are no superstars because stars run hot and cold and divide the team. So we are signing nuts and bolts players where the sum of the parts is greater than any individual. The team is not promising stellar football let alone scoring an avalanche of goals. The aim is to beat sides 7 to 20 and remaining in games against top teams as long as possible.
Top 6 is the goal this season.
Next summer add another 4-5 similar profile players and push for top 4.
Its more a scientific faith I have in this process. Nothing to do with loyalty.
Dan how do you differentiate true fans from a fake one and from a truer fans. I have no doubt that more than 50% at the stadium yesterday must have said some awful things about our club managment and Arteta as the coach
that would make some believe they are not true fans yet they keep going and spend their money on club merchandise and travel and having a torrid times and a daymare each time the club loses. Should those set of fans be thought as not a true fans because they question ARTETA Choice as our coach or accept not the dire results and performance in our last 3 matches and again not accept our narrow win against the almighty Norwich who did spent a dime compare to our 150m. The 3 point against Norwich is acceptable and is important but the manner we got it on our home is not. I will accept the performance if it were in there home. We have the tools but the handling them is not befitting.
So to accept mediocracy is a true Arsenal fan ??
Well I’m glad I’m not one of those 🤦♂️
Make that two. Support the team, not the regime.
Make that three
This club has become so awful
Are we going to ever judge Arteta?
Make that four please. If supporting mediocrity is a sign of a good fan then I am not a fan at all because there is no way for as long as we have the resources to do well will I ever support mediocrity.
Make that 5!
Make that 6
Make that 7!
Late to the party as ever, but please make it 8.
Make that 9 Arteta out! Clueless
10 here! Support the team not the regime! Arteta will only take us down further!
Make that three
The club over any manager or player
Good to highlight such positive aspect too. In my view, during the game we all fans should fully support the team no matter who is playing & encourage to bring best out them. Outside that game time make all the required valid criticism.
Booing players during game will only help opposition
The term “True fan” has no meaning at all. Everyone is a fan and we all have different tolerance levels. I do suggest that the “Arsenal” fan that went to watch Man Utd because of Ronaldo is not an Arsenal fan but more of a football fan. I support the club for what it was to me and the incumbents of the club that are ruining it, i dont give two hoots about. I have been a fan a lot longer than they have and probably longer as well. They are and should be judged on their performance, not the fact it is our club. Every Arsenal fan wants the same thing but in a different way.
In direct response to this articles headline, I found the atmosphere inside the ground yesterday to be excellent, especially given the clubs current standing and the millions of opinions as to why we are where we are.
Yes , there were the usual areas of empty seats , yes a tad of frustration crept in when Norwich had periods of being in the ascendancy and when we played sideways / backwards when the progressive ball could have been played.
Also the last 10 or so the tension was tangible- we simply HAD to land these three points.
But for the majority of the game the crowd were magnificent.
If the same old, same old (in terms of team selection) occurred it may have been different.
But yesterday seemed “fresher” when the line up was announced, giving all a boost.
But you could sense the crowd WILLING our new recruits in particular to do well for both themselves and the team.
Ramsdale, Tomi & Sambi in particular set to become firm fans favourites.
Love Ramsdale’s interaction with both his defence and the crowd- at last a CHARACTER !
So Dan, the question that arises from your article is this:
Arw those that abused, both verbally and physically, AW and UE, classed as fans?
In my opinion, MA has been a very lucky man, having had empty stadia during last years horrendous run.
Do you think the crowd would have been so tolerant during the worst season for over five decades?
Empty seats were used as weapons to explain how the “vast majority” were signalling their displeasure at the performances of Wenger’s and Emery’s last season – there were empty seats at both the Chelsea and Norwich games – so what does that imply to you?
At the present time, we have a group of players who are not performing at the level we ALL know they are capable of… unlike the squads of AW and UE, who were performing above their weight and that is easy to prove, because we have just spent over £250,000,000 on new players, while unloading 30 of those players who were considered “dross” and yet.. here we are battling it out with Norwich for a 1-0 win.
SO, as a supporter who has witnessed all the highs and lows for ages, I support my club 100%, but will NOT sit back and be satisfied with the results / performances this season.
If that classes me as anything other than being a true supporter then so be it…. and I wonder how many of the Wenger / Emery Out brigade class themselves as true supporters?
you lost me at “true”
Well, at least your improving in your grasp of the English language and how to use it when expressing oneself – such a shame you can’t comment on the substance of the post, but I’m sure that will happen in the future….. as will your promised article!!!
I respect and agree with the proper perspective in DANS well put and correct article.
I do not appreciate fans who do not support in practice but only criticise, sometimes almost hourly on here.
You do not have to be in the stadium to support; there are many ways to show your love for the club but to constantly criticise, all the time, is NOT SUPPORTING.
To constantly support mediocrity, is NOT SUPPORTING.
Right on, Splendid.
Voicing negative/positive opinions shouldn’t make fan more or less true.
Of course, when at the Emirates, even the biggest Arteta-out fans should vocally support the team for the full 90, regardless od how they play.
But being all rosey about the ongoing decline of the club is probably more harmfull than addressing it konstantly (get it, get it).
This game against the worst defence in the league has shown us that the team will definitely struggle against the likes of Burnley and Brighton.
Time for Arteta and the boys to prove us wrong. And if they fail to, I don’t see any good reason not to talk badly about their performance.
Splendid, You wiil understand, hopefully, once you grow up, that clubs go through cycles and true supporters stay loyal through good AND bad times.
To not support at ANY time is to be a non supporter. Simple as that!
Your own post is a damning and revealing picture of how YOU are not a true SUPPORTER. The clue is in the name itself.
you lost me at “proper perspective”
I’ve got it now, you’ve lost the promised article 😂
Why didn’t you say❓
Thanks for the incredible input to the discussion though. 🤔❗
Love these little faces etc as it adds such colour and clarity when one gets “lost”.
you’re so thirsty to have a go that you actually targeted someone who basically said what you said, but without all the unnecessary nonsense…I was speaking directly to the title of the article in question and not towards your commentary, which is why I didn’t use the reply button…maybe now you can relax a bit and stop acting like the prototypical angry old man yelling from his front porch
Sorry mate, I lost you after “you’re so thirsty” 💦💦
Lost you once again Vera – never mind, the loss is quite painless and pointless to me.
weird that you don’t know how to spell the last name of one of our greatest players, seems a tad disrespectful to him, don’t you think??? maybe some cheater glasses and a ruler might help…take care Kim1869
Vera, to give yourself a link to Patrick Vieira, along with the word “real” shows the arrogance your posts always give.
Such a shame you hide behind this, rather than using your own name, but I suppose beggars can’t be choosers as they say.
I’m sure Patrick isn’t the least bit concerned by the way and please don’t worry about me Vera, just concentrate on finishing that article that you boasted would tell all regarding Wenger and Dein – I really can’t wait for the “inside information” you have….until that day of publication, let’s just ignore each other shall we?
FFS, get over the pissing match. you each got one point.
Tbh I had the man utd game on my computer as I watched our game on tv. Had to see CR7 men!
He didn’t disappoint did he? The guy’s a machine!
Supporting the team whilst in the stadium is a sign of a true fan, but criticising the team when they are not playing well or when the manager makes awful decisions, puts his personal ego and bias before the team is the duty and obligation of a true fan. This is called constructive criticism. A true fan does not want to see his team go down the barrel and be a silent bystander. He could atleast voice is just opinion for the good of the team. We have supported Arsenal for decades and never seen our team in such a bad situation as to be struggling against relegation teams, so as a true fan it is indeed a duty to call a spade a spade and make the necessary suggestions for improving the team performance since that is what a genuine gunner wants, for Arsenal to be on top.