Anyone who had been reading and commenting on Arsenal in the football media or websites in the build up to the planned protest by Arsenal fans during the home match against Norwich at the weekend could have been forgiven for thinking it was going to be an almost unanimous outpouring of anger towards Arsene Wenger.
As we saw on Saturday it was far from that and it was not even all about the manager in the first place. The calls were for change and it is the way that the club is run from the top down, with making money seemingly the main objective rather than trophy success, that has frustrated a lot of us.
But why let the truth get in the way of a good story, as they say? Even after the Arsenal fans public backing of the boss, some anti-Arsenal folk (Jamie Redknapp the ex-spud I am looking at you) seem determined to drive a wedge between the manager and fans and the different sections of fans and focus only on the negative aspects of our club to do so.
So we have Redknapp on Sky Sports banging on about the reaction of Alexis Sanchez being subbed as clear signs of disharmony in the dressing room as he calls it. Could it not be to do with the well kniown fact that the Chilean wants to play every minute of every game? And do we not always hear when other players do that the pundits saying it is a good side because top players should always be disappointed to be taken off?
The same man today is in the Daily Mail comparing the fans problems with Wenger as being like a teenage break-up. While there are plenty of big football stories to talk about like the problems of Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City, red cards, elbowing and much more, Redknapp’s top priority is to highlight a pretty paltry protest from the fans. It’s not just him either. I challenge to find a positive story about Arsenal in the mainstream media today despite the fact that we look set to finish higher than all of the other EPL favourites.
Why are they so determined for us to fall out with Wenger? What about the Everton fans’ protest about Martinez? What about the popular line that clubs are too quick to pull the trigger on managers these days? Why don’t you naff off and leave us alone Redknapp, and all the other anti-Arsenal media propagandists?
Arsenal fans want change.
The media hates arsenal.
Wenger sits on the bench and enjoys the movie.His coat zip seems to be disturbing him though
Arsenal fans couldn’t even get the protest right. What an embarrassment, all they did was unite the board and players around wenger.
All they had to do was boycott the next 3 games, we are not playing for anything anyway and the media would’ve ate it up.
guess the question should have been, Did the media start the Tension between Wenger and the Fans?
The Media wants what they want (got their own motives)…..Fans wants what they want……
Well I think there are a series of answers to the article question….
Redknapps the son of the former Spuds manager and he’s related to a West Ham legend and a Chelsea hero, so he’s programmed to hate AFC. However it’s clear hes not that bright, he’s never really won anything himself (league cup is the pinnacle) and he’s never really cracked it at international level (a dozen games for England), so his opinion is not really worth worrying about. Add to that he’s also a poor pundit compared to Thierry…and I think his reasons and motivation are clear.
Can’t say I pay any interest to what he writes but what I have seen are rubbish articles that offer no footballing insight. He’s just not worth bothering with.
However when every AFC forum is alive with our own fans who are equally obsessed with talking up negativity, dissing the team, moaning about what colour socks Wenger wears bla bla bla…how can he and others in the media possibly resist writing for them??? Our fans have hugely contributed to creating this media bs and it’s sad to say, probably lap it all up
Wenger wears socks!!!!!
Would have thought he wouldn’t go for socks as he would deem it an unnecessary expense. Old bin liner suffices nicely.
The End result is Wenger is going where and so are Arsenal get ready for another top 4 fight next season. I have supported Arsenal for the last 50 years and I never felt so let down this Man and Board have let all Arsenal down .
Christ if we’re in trouble how much sh1t are Chelski, Man S1tty and Manure. We’re only a couple of players short from a very very good side.
Can’t help but feel we Have heard that somewhere before…
You may of, but not from me…..if we had secured Suarez we would have had 2 more titles under our belt.
Maybe some of think we have a very good side, with a couple of gaps.
Now whether their filled is whole different matter
Media creates public opinion so the public consumes and chew on it and reacts with a burp
For Mr wenger its his reputation on line here I for one dont agree with Mr wenger in all but I respect him and love what he has done to the club some of you will complain 4 position i for one i dont Chelsea won it last season look where they are this season and now compare with the Arsenal to sit in the top 4 is not easy there is no manger capable of that year in year out yes ~I know we are little short every season from being the champions but look at liverpool united we are always there and for that reason I salute Mr wenger
The media have mostly given Arsene Wenger a free pass
compared to what they did to Mourinho.
About the only place where you get a few criticism of wenger is on talksport and they do that for commercial purposes.
they know trolling arsenal is good for ratings because Arsenal fans are the most active fans on social media.
after the weekend’s game, on media’s like Sky Sport and Daily Mail I’ve read several stories such as Arsenal fans protest and support for Wenger, Man Utd delaying Leicester trophy celebration, Fellaini’s elbow, Liverpool and City defeat.
I think there is already tension between the fans and the manager, big tension. Specially, when half of the fans hold a banner ” Time for change “, and when the other fans holds banner ” Arsene for life”, when fans wants Wenger to die in may, when fan clubs call for a protest against the manager and when the fans fight each other after a loss, it’s pretty much clear there tension.The media did not put this tension between the fans and the manager, it’s already there.The media just reported it.
Alex’s substituted, instead of going to the bench he stormed into dressing room angrily, so what did you expect the media to say?Its not like he was substituted at 60, 70 or 75 min, if that was one would say it’s because he wants to play. But at 85 min, come on. There would be questions at everyone mind not only the media.
Last year Arsenal won FA Cup and finished third and Alexis said it is an okay season. Can you imagine what he feels and think this season? And he storming inside the dressing room for 85 min substitution, it raises an eyebrow. Even if it’s nothing, it’s raises a question considering the situation at the moment.
So stop this, “the media is against us mentality”, the media’s reporting is not out of no where, it’s is based on clear information.
Redknapp is but one example. Now, the response would be but they all have it in for poor old arsene or are just saying stuff for airtime and their own motives. There may be some truth in this but it is also obvious to people that the man has been unable to procure, train and forge a PL winning team for 12 years nor a UCL winning one in all of his career.
His failings and those of his teams are obvious to all but only his staunchest supporters.
Yes, the man did great things for Arsenal and he should be revered for that, but that is all in the past. The only reason he is still the football manager of AFC is because the board and owner have had no ambition except the 4th place trophy and therefore he continues his tenure.
What frustrates the fans the most is not the fact that we lose or draw, but that we lose or draw AND put in zero effort.
It is also extremely frustrating that you can see right from the beginning of the game, as has been the case in previous matches that Danny Welbeck is desperately needed, and yet he remains on the bench, and Campbell who has twice the energy of Ramsey ATM, can’t even make the bench.
I’m not sure if the Euros has anything to do with it, I hope not, but even the players subbed of were all non-Europeans (Alexis, Iwobi), who were actually not doing too badly compared to everyone else on the pitch.
The problem is that with the internal infrastructure at Arsenal (Board, Kroenke etc), replacing Wenger will we very difficult, as oppose to if we had the internal structure of any other club in the EPL, and it is not a given that it will improve us. Footballing knowledge is needed on the board, we need a Director of football, we need to be able spend a reasonable proportion of the money we make on new players. I think these are all things that Kroenke is responsible for putting into place, and if he can’t, he should go.
Especially when Wenger himself is the main pillar of the structure.
I think we could do with more support for the manager, even thinking after Wenger, the new manager will need top support if we are going to be a top team.
When Wenger first arrived, he never had the authority in the business as he may have now, he also had support to do the job. The trust he built up allowed the board to pile on the different areas outside of making sure the team performs, that and the loss of Dein, who I may add was fantastic support.
Dein worked with Rioch to get Bergkamp.
Dein got Vieira for Wenger.
Dein worked on TH14 transfer.
Dein payed what he had to…
I just think about Gazidis and think he is not half the man Dein was in transfer dealings, I do not think he is good enough support for any manager we may have, we need a guy who can get a managers targets without expecting the manager to justify the purchase with economical reasoning.
I would be happy for Wenger to become director of football, he can support a new manager and Wenger has a lot to offer still…