Arsenal "Fans" Show Their True Colours Against Fenerbache: Shame on Them

There have been a lot of articles on Arsenal recently.

Are Arsenal a spent force? Are the Arsenal team too young? Is Wenger gone a bit cuckoo? Why aren't players brought in? Why doesn't Wenger do this and that?

This is not one of those articles.

This is an article aimed at those who seem to think that they are Arsenal fans, but in my eyes, they are nothing but a scourge of this wonderful club.

Look in any dictionary and it will describe a fan as a noun as someone who is an ardent devotee; an enthusiast. In terms of sport, it is a person that follows a team or individual through hell or high water, through thick or thin.

In the last week and a half it has become quite apparent that some so-called Arsenal fans like the thick stuff but are not so much gone on supporting their team through the thin stuff.

Arsenal and the home support

"Highbury the Library" - very true wasn't it?

Sadly "Emirates" and "Library" don't rhyme but nonetheless the expression loses none of its worth. I don't think there is one true, honest Arsenal fan that would disagree that Arsenal fans are rather pathetic in vocally getting behind their team.

It was bad at Highbury, but seems to have gotten worse at the Emirates.

Sadly, I have never been to a game at the Emirates (although I have been to the ground). That said, the television is a good indicator of support.

Do you know what I heard last night?

Fenerbahce Fans!!

Yes, at Arsenal's home ground, the "Gooners" were out sung by the travelling support. The only time the home crowd were louder was when they booed their own team off at full-time.

Oh, what wonderful supporters you are! What is wrong with you people, too posh to shout?

Sometimes you watch in envy at those at the Emirates and think, "I'd give my left arm to be there and they look as if they don't know what a ticket is worth."

They sit there, and sit there, and sit there.

This is not the bloody theatre, it is not the West End, it is not a show. It's a sport. You can shout on your team, you can wave your scarf or you can clap your hands. Would you believe this is called "supporting you team" and can actually spur them on?

Arsenal are playing Manchester United on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.

Last night, in the Champions League, Manchester United travelled to Scotland to take on Glasgow Celtic. I am sure that both Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson will review the video of the games in London and Glasgow. While this is important in terms of tactics and play on the pitch, what occurred off the pitch will also be vitally important.

What a big grin Sir Alex will have on his face come the end of the tape of the Emirates. He will have heard a pathetic home crowd get on the backs of their players, giving them little to no encouragement and to top it all off, hear Saturday's opposition being booed off in a half-empty stadium.

Then, Wenger will look at the game against Celtic. He will see the home side put bodies on the line. Men in green and white shirts running around and chasing every ball for 92 minutes.

Now, Celtic are a far weaker team than Manchester United, no one will doubt otherwise. United had players out last night but so too did Celtic. Yet, at one stage United had Giggs, Berbatov, Ronaldo, and Rooney bombarding the Celtic goal.

Manchester United had the class, creativity and chances to win, but the game ended 1-1. Yet again another top side fail to beat Celtic at home—just as United had previously failed to do, as AC Milan, Juventus, Liverpool have all failed to do in recent years.

Celtic are shocking away in Europe, but at home they are virtually unbeatable.

Why? Because they actually have fans who will shout and support their team from the first second to the last.

Watch last night's game at Glasgow and see the Bhoys singing from beginning to end, the scarfs being held high, the pride these people have in their club. When the United goal went in after 83 minutes, the cheers of the away support were drowned out by chants of "Celtic, Celtic, Celtic."

Yes indeed, Alex must be thinking "we might as well be playing at Old Trafford," Arsene must be thinking "can I borrow come Celtic fans."

I have merely picked out Celtic as both Arsenal and Celtic were playing last night and it was an obvious choice to compare and contrast. There are many, many other clubs that put the "Gooners" to shame—Liverpool, Manchester United, Glasgow Rangers, those that follow Turkish teams—these clubs have fans, have supporters.

Before the excuses come!

There are plenty Arsenal supporters on this forum and probably plenty more who will read this article and say I am nothing more than an "ignorant f***", yep I know because I have been called it before.

So before any of you people get the chance, I'll answer some of the accusations that will probably be thrown at this piece.

Arsenal are in crisis

Right we have lost to Fulham, Hull and Stoke and ....

Three defeats in all competition suggests to me a some bad form but hardly a crisis.

Fourth in the Premiership, kids scoring for fun in the Carling Cup, FA Cup yet to start, and one win off qualification in the Champions League - hardly a crisis.

Besides, when a team is not playing well and lacking in confidence, what is the best way to get behind them—booing, it seems, according to the Arsenal "faithful."

No, it is by cheering them on, it is by going all Barack Obama on their ass and say "Yes, we can do this Arsenal, we can do it," it is called believing.

Think back to 2006, the Heineken Cup Final between Munster and Biarritz. Munster were beginning to feel the heat midway in the second half. There was a break in play and up on the big screen in Cardiff flashed a scene of main street Limerick (from 2:35 on is the clip). That scene galvanised the Munster squad and they literally put their bodies on the line to win.

What was the scene of—10,000 plus people watching the game on a big screen in Limerick, cheering on the team and stating that we believed in them. Each and every player said after the final that seeing the clip gave them that extra bit of energy and they just knew that there was no way they could lose that match, no way they could look in the mirror had they lost the match, they did it for the fans.

When the Arsenal players hear booing and jeers and insults, why should they play for the fans?

We've not won anything in three years and tickets are dear, I want my money-worth

Back to the thick and thin argument.

When Arsenal were going unbeaten, winning doubles and playing football to end all football, we all loved The Arsenal. All sat and clapped.

Yes, I agree this team at the moment does not have what it takes to win the Premier League but can stay in the "Top Four" and go a long, long way in the Champions League.

Manchester United under the genius of Alex Ferguson went through a lean patch but stuck by him and remind me now who is that won a double last year?

Chelsea and all their money won nothing last year, and Liverpool have not won anything since 2006. No-one team has a given right to win anything—Real Madrid, who once were the all dominant force in Europe, have not looked like contenders in years and last night were defeated by a Juventus missing nine players.

As for your getting your money's worth:

A) Give up the ticket, someone else will take it who hopefully knows what it is to support a team.

B) Go to the theatre, you can sit and do nothing there as well, clap at a nice performance and at least there you can know the ending.

Wenger is stubborn and it is all his fault

Yes, the buck and the manager.

I've been torn for quite a while on this issue. Is Wenger stubborn in the transfer market or is he covering for the board?

More and more I think he is covering for the board. Why else would he not spend money if he has it, he has done it before when he put together the "Invincibles."

Why would he tarnish his reputation by thinking he can win with a bunch of kids?

We believe that Arsenal have money because the board told us...because the board told us!!

It wouldn't be the first time a board has told lies and a manager has to take the flak. Watching RTE last night with Johnny Giles, Ronnie Whelan, and Eamonn Dunphy, I agree with them when they say Wenger is covering for the board.

They argued that no board will admit to been broke until it is all too late. They or I are not saying that Arsenal are broke, but what they and I are saying is that money is not there to bring in the top players needed.

This major turn in Wenger's philosophy came about when Arsenal moved from Highbury to the Emirates. It seems there is a world-class stadium available without a world-class team to put into it.

If Wenger does not bring in the players needed in January, then you can bet your bottom dollar that the board are lying?

It seems David Dein was right after all—if you want to build a dream stadium the club needs investment, which he tried to bring in to Arsenal in the form of Stan Kroneke.

Dein was virtually bullied out by the Arsenal board and Wenger very nearly followed. Now Kroneke has been allowed to increase his shares in the club, despite being told months ago that "his money was not wanted here." It seems Dein was right after all.

David Dein, "Mr.Arsenal," and Arsene Wenger were a dream team, one has left why should the other hang around to be vilified?

Wenger has done more for this club than any Arsenal fan could of imagined beyond their wildest dreams, why would he risk throwing all this away for the sake of an insane philosophy?

I believe more and more that there is not adequate money at Arsenal to strengthen the squad.

Oh, the board say there is £30 million...has Wenger ever said it?

Not to the best of my knowledge. He has said that you can't tell young players you have faith in them and then turn around and bring in different players, but does this answer the question? Hand on my heart, I can never ever remember Wenger saying the words "I have £30 million to bring in players."

What I do feel is that Wenger is a managerial genius, a loyal man who has given it all for his club. As Dunphy said last night, "He's a whinging genius, but so is Ferguson."

Why would Johnny Giles, a Manchester United legend, Ronnie Whelan, a Liverpool legend, and Eamon Dunphy, who has taken so much pleasure in mocking Wenger in the past, jump to the Frenchman's defence so adamantly?

They know the workings of the football clubs better than you or I, and they know Liam Brady better than you or I!!

Arsenal and the "fans" should be glad that Wenger has managed to keep this team any way competitive and in the all important "Big Four."

So, keep booing you so-called fans. Watch Wenger leave and if he does watch Fabregas, Clichy, Sagna, Adebayor, Van Persie, et al walk out the door. Watch Arsenal slip in to mediocrity or at best be bought out and become another Chelsea. Watch as the boo boys see there work done and jump on the next bandwagon.

Cheer the team from beginning to end on Saturday, what harm can it do?

Don't say you haven't been warned!

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Note: No replies of "I cheer at every game", quite obviously this is not aimed at you, it is quite clear what kind of "fans" this is aimed at.