Some Arsenal fans are asking what’s the difference with wrongly bullying/abusing someone compared to their freedom of speech to be critical. To me it’s very clear, you can say you believe Xhaka is not good enough, but once you start using language and being personal you cross the line. It’s also cowardly, as the minority of fans who abused our players do this do so knowing the players can’t do anything back because of their celebrity.
Hence look how everyone has reacted to Xakha simply swearing back at being sworn at. That to me is the bigger story, fans sense of entitlement that they can say/do what they want but how dare someone speak back to them.
Below is an example of the fanbase we are in danger of becoming. Only by saying it’s wrong can we educate that next generation that it is not okay to behave this way.
The following clips should answer the question what is going too far?
Aubameyang this week..
I wonder if this will make some Gooners think twice?
It’s easy to be critical of Xakha as he’s always been one of the main scapegoats. But what if it’s everyone’s golden boy Auba, the man who has struck up a great bromance with Lacca and is some gooners choice to be our next captain? Does he deserve abuse, especially the amount of times he stops to give fans pictures and autographs?
By the way it won’t surprise me if the Gunners security advise the players to keep their windows down at traffic lights as this is becoming too common..
The minority ruin it for the majority, I guess….
Xhaka again – Jan 2019 while signing autographs….
Maybe an example of how long Xakha has had to tolerate this abuse and why his temper finally boiled over? Again, he’s going out his way here to stop for pictures and autographs and this is what he gets ….
Granit Zhaka – Angry confrontation with fans…
Chamakh and Nasri – Jan 2013
Chamakh decided to invite Nasri to be his guest one evening at the Emirates Stadium. Maybe it was not the best idea, and nor was it to decide to take the short walk with the public, but the Arsenal fans reaction was disgusting. When Nasri started to get abuse, the Moroccan, like most, would try to stick up for his friend.
Emmanual Eboue – December 2008
The closest example to what happened Sunday. Eboue came on against Wigan but kept giving the ball away. Such was the fan’s reaction Mr Wenger felt obliged to sub the sub.
The commentary says it all….
I wonder what Mr Wenger’s answer would be when Arsenal fans abused our players? Is this the perfect solution…
Makes us proud to be Arsenal fans, doesn’t it……
Dan Smith
Not pleasant to see, but free speech comes at a cost. Sure I wish civility reigned, and people were more humane to each other, but that’s unrealistic.
Should fans ignore poor performance and be sheep to the players? Perhaps do nothing as their club goes from title contenders to 4th place junkies?
Fans tired of this regime and the lack of ambition they brought. Wenger was hounded out; though his time was clearly up he deserved better ending.
Emery killing our DNA, lacks style and substance, and the players are becoming focal points of fan’s ire for Emery’s failings.
This will get worse before it gets better, and benching Xhaka until he’s sold and sacking Emery can be a start.
We can turn things around, but it will take some backbone and ruthlessness from management and ownership. They have to come out and take a stand.
I was amazed that Auba was harassed whilst in his car. We are all different in our mentality and our desire to express ourselves. For me, there should be a boundary for a physical or in-person confrontation of players once the game is over and they are on their way home or with the family of on a day off.
This forum is my outlet to express my frustration when things at the club go wrong. I would never even text Xhaka to explain to him I don’t think he has the qualities needed to play in his position.
I would have thought that at least Auba would be somewhat spared given his contribution to our point total. If I was a football player I would think twice about renewing a contract if I was harassed in the streets by angry fans, provided I had alternative options.
The idea that ‘free speech’ means you can say whatever you like as a human right is often misunderstood. When philosophers such as John Stuart Mill first wrote of such things they knew freedom needed limits. ‘the harm principle’ coined by Mill stated that you should be free to do as you please (without state censorship or control) as long as it does not harm others around you. The last bit was crucial because Mill saw that with freedom came responsibility. The question then is is this causing Xhaka undue or unfair harm? To me, the answer is obvious.
Xhaka was absolutely wrong to have reacted angrily to the booing of the Arsenal fans who booed him at the Emirates Stadium. But what has caused his booing on this particular occasion? 1stly, the fans didn’t boo him because he was substituted. They only show they were in agreement with his substitution by Emery by cheering. But their cheering later turned to booing as Xhaka was walking slowly down to the dogout instead of be juggling or running to the dogout to allow his substitute Saka to come on quickly to the pitch to replace him as Arsenal was chasing the winning goal in the match to beat Crystal Palace. And at this juncture, the fans became angry toward Xhaka for his I don’t care body language for not showing any urgency to come off. Hence he was booed. But instead of him to take his booing on the chin, he fired back to the fans angrily by cupping his ears at them and sworn fu*k off at them. But not only that as he pulled off his shirt and threw it on the ground. But to signify what? That he feed up with Arsenal or he doesn’t want to be at the club anymore? If that be the case then let him too fu*k off. At Arsenal, soldier comes soldier goes. But Arsenal remain. If he doesn’t apologies for his gross indiscipline to the Arsenal fans and the club to show remorse for his errors openly in the media in the next 24 hours i.e. latest by Thursday afternoon this week. Any apology that comes from him later on will not be honoured by the Arsenal fans. For, it will amount to a contemptuous apology from him. If Xhaka is playing well for Arsenal regularly as should, would any Arsenal fans boo him? None I believe.
Yes I vent on here… but watching those clips… sheesh! All I can say is.. we’re not all like that!