Are there any positives at Arsenal at this moment?

27/3/2013

A blog by @Swales1968

I suppose it depends on how you define positive, I could sit here and type a list of things that I think are good at Arsenal today. In doing this though I would be leaving myself open to the ranting of people with a negative view of Arsenal.

It is easier to find the negative in something rather than to look for the positive’s and this is where blogs twitter and forums excel. You put up a post about a player and you will soon find over two thirds finding something wrong with what he is doing.

When we post something seen as positive are we posting that everything in the Arsenal garden is rosy or are we saying yes there are problems but we can see the bigger picture in all this and the positives outweigh the negatives.

The positives are there but are either shouted down with the same overused quotes or the responses get personal. It is rare to get a reply to a positive point without one of these two things happening. You can go onto certain football forums put something positive on there and be verbally abused within 2 posts.

Why is there such a split within the Arsenal fan base? How can people see the same football club in totally different ways? It would be easy for me to blame forums, fanzines, blogs etc. For their views carry a lot of weight amongst the fan base. Could this be down to the Arsenal fans wanting some answers? Or is it a change of attitude from Arsenal supporters going from hoping to win a trophy to demanding they win a trophy?

But what answers to what questions, what do Arsenal fans really want? The quote most trotted out by the negatives is "no trophy for eight years" this is of course true but is that the be all and end all of supporting a football club? If so why do fans go to watch Barnet every week that is not for the trophies so why is it a benchmark at Arsenal?

"The players are rubbish" are they? If the players are that bad why are Arsenal sitting in 5th position in the supposed hardest league in the world?

"Wenger has lost it" again sitting 5th in the premier league with three of the richest club teams in the world above us.
"The board have no ambition" have they not? What do they want from the club then, to be like Stoke, Villa or Everton? Do you not think they would not want to win a trophy?

"Ivan Gazidis what the f*** do you do" was the call from the BSM walk before the Swansea game. Well what does he do and what has he done wrong. Everybody and his dog is now an expert on running a multi million pound football club, the sponsorship experts seem to be in all walks of life. There must be some well sponsored groups, clubs out in the world if the knowledge spouted by some is to be believed. Again when you push for an answer about what is wrong the reply is normally "oh that's just wrong a club like Arsenal should be doing better”

I read forums and hear snippets of radio shows and hear the same tired arguments about Wenger, the board, the players but what I don't get are answers. Get Wenger out, but when asked who to take over you get Jose or anybody but Wenger. Get rid of Stan is another call but when asked what then you get "get Usmaniov in" well what evidence is there that he would do anything different. The Russian has said he would
keep Wenger as manager so that won't change; he has spoken of investing in the club but only by a share option. He is as far as I can see not going to be an Abramovic or Sheikh Mansour and put loads of his own personal money into the club.

Back to the original question are there any positives at Arsenal?

To me there are positives, The players Wilshere, Gibbs, Jenkinson, Cazorla, Giroud etc. The youth set up
The stadium
The change in sponsorship policy
The change in wages policy
Wenger
The sound business practice

And as I said these positives are easy to knock and I expect them to
be because what I see is many Arsenal fans looking at the negatives
rather than looking at the positives.

52 Comments

insomniac

27/3/2013 03:33:35 am

Touched on the very basis of arguments there, very good article..some things to ponder over

You Are My Gooners

27/3/2013 03:38:05 am

Thanks for your comment, we aim to publish blogs that get Arsenal fans talking and discussing the club we all love!

@Swales1968

27/3/2013 03:55:58 am

Thanks glad to give you something to ponder

Bob Seedhouse

27/3/2013 07:03:44 am

To be honest I'm getting pissed off with all the possitive fans having to defend Arsene,the playersand the club in general.I have read lots of blogs lately that seem to have to defend Arsene .Surely any proper gooner knows what a great manager he is!!! Why don't the negs.go and support the spuds. We don't need neg.nobs.I could go on but bored now. Keep up the good work!!!

@Swales1968

27/3/2013 08:16:37 am

I think it's about perspective and looking at Arsenal in a diffrent way rather than just the downside. As I said there are problems but these need to be balanced with the positives.

You Are My Gooners

27/3/2013 07:17:39 am

We are glad the blog made you make a comment. Fans have differing views which is why we are trying to encourage discussion.

iceman

27/3/2013 09:10:03 am

Id like to see if the blogger can come up with any thing negative about the club. surely it cant all be rosie,

@Swales1968

27/3/2013 08:02:16 pm

As I said everything is not rosy at Arsenal and I think I do not need to list them out here as they are well documented elsewhere. What does seem to be missing is what is positive at the club at this moment in time to give a balanced view point.

You Are My Gooners

27/3/2013 09:55:05 am

I don't think the blogger was saying everything was rosy, just focusing on some positives in what can feel like a torrent of negativity. Glass half full kind of blog rather than half empty. If you want to write a blog on the negative aspects, more than happy to post it.

80sgoon

27/3/2013 05:17:39 pm

well great everything is rosy in your garden its not in mine, and i dont sit and type bloggs telling people its positive or negative, i have a pint with fans and talk face to face but thanks for the statement anyway. ill try and be constructive and not call you nasty names or threaten to beat you up. We are the do nothing brigade apart from the black scarf lads who get no acknowlegment for the work they do, the club is a business only it stopped being a football club when the scum bag directors realised how much money they where going to make.MARK MY WORDS HAD THE CREDIT CRUNCH NOT ARRIVED YOU WOULD BE LOOKING AT 10% INCREASE ON ST, CHAMPAGNE PRICES FOR LEMONADE FOOTBALL.so when the club do start making waves again they will start pricing out the middle class fans like they have done with the working class.this machine has to be stopped and controlled we are a fucking football club not asda always looking for new customers to buy there goods.

@Swales1968

27/3/2013 08:10:43 pm

How would the club run if it was just a football club and not a business?

80sgoon

27/3/2013 05:26:45 pm

by the way ive just read your 10 changes, i like them but will you get on the pavement to make it happen.

You Are My Gooners

27/3/2013 05:35:10 pm

I don't think for a second this blog pretends there aren't problems, but just tries to focus on the positives for once. It's a comment on a lot if the negative commentary. There are many people who complain but have no alternative ideas themselves. Hear 'sack AW' or 'Kroenke Out' a lot but a large chunk of 'fans' have no idea what to put in its place instead. Some groups such as BSM do have clear views and if you look you will see that we at You Are My Gooners have always promoted their work, even if personally we don't agree with all they say. In fact we liked some of their ideas so much we included it in http://youaremygooners.weebly.com/ten-changes.html

James

27/3/2013 07:11:53 pm

Arsenal has to be a business in order to be a football club. The playing field upset our financial model when the oil money came in. Arsenal have worked very hard to compete. For this the board and AW should be appreciated. Ok so 8 years without a trophy and........ Do we not all look forward to match day and watching our boys play? We have no right to demand a trophy and no right to say how our club is run. Have an opinion cool but support the boys when they are playing. My opinion is AW deserves a chance now he has money to spend. I am saddened that fans have this split, ask yourself though is the negativity helping Arsenal win a trophy???

@Swales1968

28/3/2013 01:12:00 am

The negativity seen around the ground during home games is amazing. Fans would rather stand and moan at Wenger and other fans than get behind the team.

Stuart

28/3/2013 12:13:55 pm

Yes, it seems many fans (without admitting it) are unhappy that we have not had a huge investor, jealous infact as the trophies leading to bragging rights afforded to them by the manager are not so easy to achieve in the current football world.

These 'fans' want investment and for us to compete but as we have no one pumping millions (billions) into the club, they will have to pay for it themselves to keep up through higher ticket prices etc and don't give me all this crap about two mega rich owners. Why should they put THEIR money into the club for YOUR pleasure. If it's that important to you, why don't you go and do what they have done and become a Billionaire so you can put YOUR money in. Until then, stop crying because you look pathetic.

Gooner Murphy

28/3/2013 12:20:33 pm

Great to read another positive blog for Arsenal, to many under cover Anti Arsenal sites,its time real supporters started to hit back at these blogs.

80sgoon

28/3/2013 03:19:32 pm

stuart you really are knob the club makes profits while on the pitch its sinking and helping its rivals become stronger, i hope you enjoy your £1300 ST when united are in town and RVP bangs a couple past us followed by fans who pay £700 for champagne football. fucking positive more like deluded. wake up and have a go before you are replaced by more tourists at the bowl.

Stuart

28/3/2013 06:46:01 pm

Your petty insults don't hurt me however I am concerned that you have misinterpreted what I have written. Maybe you could try and understand it from a different angle?

@RichGooner

9/4/2013 08:59:05 am

80sgoon

typical response from a fan who would probably love to see Usmanov come in and buy 6 £200m players and see the sustainability of the club that we have spent 8 years suffering hardship for go down the pan. I was going in the 80's. See the bigger picture.

You Are My Gooners

28/3/2013 04:07:19 pm

Thanks for your comments.

You Are My Gooners

28/3/2013 04:17:46 pm

We were going to delete your comments as you seem unable to make any rationale points without being personally offensive. However we have left it as you are the perfect example of what is wrong with some fans. We have no divine right to win everything and you want success at any price. We don't think the club is perfect but rather have a self sustaining model that delivers success on and off the pitch over the long term than be a rich mans play thing. Would you really sell your soul for success? Seems you would which says more about you than anything.

In future if you want to make constructive comments and criticism feel free to join in as we want good honest debate. But if you insist on being rude about other fans, who have the right to have their own views then you will be removed as we don't want bitter little men on here, there are enough of those wearing white in north London already!

80sgoon

28/3/2013 04:42:03 pm

I am making a point but you dont agree with them and the way they are made, it really does not bother me if we win nothing i watched us home and away from 79 till 87 without winning but i felt it was my club and i belonged. this lot in charge are not right and are fleecing fans while selling assets to rivals but all you lot thinks its good business, you seem to have no idea whats happened to many old fan base who are now having to rent out there ST or handed them back and you dont seem to care.I am more than happy to meet any of you face to face over a pint to discuss further rather than this crap on the net

You Are My Gooners

28/3/2013 04:52:43 pm

Glad you replied, this time you make some proper comments and We can see your point of view. Football has totally changed, money from Sky brought foreign players then rich owners and somewhere the older fans got squeezed out. What we need to figure out is what's the best way for Arsenal to live in this different world. I prefer self sustaining as I don't think some of these foreign owners have a clue. Don't want to be another Chelsea. Yes they had success but at what price? Slowly these clubs are coming round to our model. But Arsenal can do better. Have you read this ? http://youaremygooners.weebly.com/ten-changes.html

It gives our view on what needs changing.

80sgoon

28/3/2013 05:06:01 pm

yes and i have and posted on here that i agree and like the 10 changes but feel that we are the do nothing brigade, great ideas put on the net but no one does anything, Red action a group that is a good idea but useless and then the AST who as far as i can see just copied most of what the BSM put out regarding ST. we all need to unite at some point or it will not improve.

You Are My Gooners

28/3/2013 05:15:18 pm

Some of the fans groups seem to only want to act all high and mighty and slag off anyone who doesn't agree with them. That's why I suggested longest season ticket holder for the board, stop the self promoting brigade.

We started this site to encourage real debate and discussion about the club and although we have our own views, we want fans from all sides of the fence to contribute. We all want same result, just sometimes have different views on the route there.

For that reason we don't make ourselves public, it is not about us. That's where some if these groups go wrong. I like a lot of what the BSM boys say, but they can be a bit unforgiving of others who may not agree 100% with them. They are the best of the bunch.

N5Gooner

28/3/2013 06:01:09 pm

Christ !!!! what a load of drivel. I can't fathom how people are still willing to believe this sort of rubbish. West end prices for East end football, and this is the best you can do, while those Wankblasters on our Board continue to destroy our club ????

You Are My Gooners

28/3/2013 06:04:23 pm

So come on then, we have said in detail what we want changed http://youaremygooners.weebly.com/ten-changes.html lets hear your changes. Better that than getting personal (which was the bloggers point!!!)

You Are My Gooners

28/3/2013 06:47:35 pm

Seems like a couple of them totally missed the points you made ! Was a good article and started some good discussion, only a minority with poor reading skills !

Stuart

28/3/2013 06:52:46 pm

Just one question, why does the time on posts say PM when it's AM

You Are My Gooners

28/3/2013 07:00:31 pm

I have no idea and can't figure out how to change it !!!

@Swales1968

28/3/2013 07:52:00 pm

In theory a fan on the board is a good idea, the problem would come if and when groups like the BSM do not like something the fan has said or agreed to. One of the BSM calls is for PHW to be removed from the board because of things he has said, change him for a fan and you can see problems arising.
The fans do need a voice but what we don't need is verbal bitching between the fan groups we do have.

Stuart

29/3/2013 03:03:40 am

My preference is to have a cap on the number of shares anyone could own (if that is legal) and have people running the club voted in. I don't think it is a good thing for someone to have too much power.

You Are My Gooners

28/3/2013 08:11:42 pm

Completely agree with you about the bitching between fans groups. Don't get that a all. Some think they have the divine right to be right on every subject.

Would be good to see them working together in the common good and at the very least respecting each others points of view.

In reality I can't see it happening, they enjoy the sound of their own voice too much!

80sgoon

28/3/2013 09:06:56 pm

The problem facing football and more importantly at our club is more important then people's agenda and politics, I will support any group that backs the fans and helps make a better match day experience affordable and a laugh again, at the moment the nearest to that philosophy is the BSM and yes they are little direct and can be militant but trust me there are some top blokes in that group who have spent there own money and time. But the BSM or red action or AST will not make a big enough change on there own and do need to work with each other before the clubs starts squeezing the fans even more

You Are My Gooners

28/3/2013 09:09:11 pm

As I have said before I like a lot of what BSM says and have always rt their stuff as many fans misunderstand them.

pedksiooh2bgooner

28/3/2013 10:18:55 pm

Great thought provoking article. We need to at least give AW another season to show what we can achieve now that the financial shackles are off.

@Swales1968

28/3/2013 10:32:36 pm

Thanks, yes I think Wenger deserves until the end of his contract.

You Are My Gooners

28/3/2013 10:35:42 pm

Glad you liked it, I know the author wanted to start a meaningful dialogue with fans and cut through the rubbish. He writes very well!

You Are My Gooners

29/3/2013 03:37:27 am

Think that would be illegal as company shares are openly traded in a market economy.

@Swales1968

29/3/2013 06:57:31 pm

Fans look towards Germany as an answer to the problems of ownership 50%+1 of shares owned by fans. For this to happen it would of had to be put in place when the PL first started, it is far to late now owners and share holders will not give up/sell to make this happen.

I asked how do you run Arsenal like a football club and not a business on twitter after asking it on here. The only reply I recived was to spend all the money we have and stop tearing fans as customers. In theory this looks good but does spending all the money work, what happens next season. Do Arsenal go for it spend big on transfers and wages, again what happens then what happens if you do that and fail where does that leave the club?

iceman

30/3/2013 02:47:25 am

for every one of your positive views there are many many more negatives that you overlook, unhappy fans want to be happy. Our club is losing die hard fans every season, i dont see the Q of how to stop it being asked. Plenty more jumping on the band wagon who will temporarily fill there place. The Club should be owned by the fans in a trust. Football did ok before all this money came into the game. more clubs go skint today. And to think football was shit before the EPL was formed,
You lot are welcome to the game today, you will never know what it was really like to be one of the Arsenal family. And you will never have one ounce of the passion that the fans had for this great club back then.
E I E

stuart

10/5/2013 08:40:57 pm

"Our club is losing die hard fans every season" - not very 'die hard' then are they!

iceman

31/3/2013 02:29:39 am

you seem to overlook the bulls#it the CEO and others spout out,
ie" we need to move to compete" now we cant compete with the money men Ha Ha , in any other business heads would roll with the miss management of our club. " we need to move to make football affordable" haha, If mugs or "suckers" as PHW calls you . want to pay way over the top for the "match day experience, good luck to you all, there's no bigger fool than a blind fool, Its never too late to change things, if the customers with money don't give a hoot, Wait till they find the new rage to spend it on.
That day is coming closer.
Enjoy getting bolted up by the club,
Most of the customers partners have no idea how much they fook out on the Arsenal , poo will hit the fan soon, pardon the pun.

@Swales1968

30/3/2013 06:37:13 pm

So what have I overlooked, how many true die hard fans are there. Back in the 1970's & 80's what was Arsenals average crowd 20 odd thousand. The club should be owned by fans, that has long gone it is not going to happen. The PL is in the hands of big money and unless a die hard Arsenal comes up with a multi million pound bid for all the shares which is highly unlikely.

As for your last paragraph, a nice general assumption about me or whoever agrees with me. When was back then, can you pin point a time when I did not have an ounce of passion

iceman

31/3/2013 02:32:48 am

20k av gate what seasons you saying?

You Are My Gooners

30/3/2013 06:44:33 pm

Arsenal has never been owned by fans. Used to be effectively owned by a couple if families. But like most clubs, they sold out for very large sums of cash. Whether we like it or not football us a business and nothing will change that. Think we would all love clubs to be owned by fans but we must be realistic. That's why we have to work with what we have http://youaremygooners.weebly.com/ten-changes.html

@Swales1968

31/3/2013 05:29:14 am

The point I was making about the 20 odd thousand average attendance was that the die hard support is not that great and so we need the tourist, JCL or what ever name you wish to give the other supporters Arsenal now have. Unfortunately football has moved on in huge steps from when you and I first started going, it will never go back to those days no matter how much you stamp your feet.

The day may come when fans turn their back on football and the money drops out and moves to the next thing but looking around the footballing world how many teams would survive this event?

As for "we need to move to compete" etc where would Arsenal now be if they did not move?
I did cover this on http://youaremygooners.weebly.com/2/post/2013/03/whats-it-all-about.html

@Swales68

31/3/2013 05:34:16 am

Just for info-

1986 average attendance 23,824
6 out of the 10 years in the 1980's the average was under 30,000

80sgoon

2/4/2013 06:03:56 am

@swales you are joking with those figures right?
two things you have not accounted for the dodgy turnstiles in every part of the ground and then the tax fiddle, the old girl had more than 58.000 when we played liverpool more like 63 or 65. somethings never change the attendance was wrong back then and it is now lol.

@Swales1968

2/4/2013 08:01:16 am

Sorry can only go on official figures

80sgoon

4/4/2013 09:48:25 pm

those figures are official but wrong and if you put them against any other club you would probably see that we where the third best supported club in England, early 80s 4+ million young men out of work mid 80s 15% intererst. Violence was at every game so some would not go. Please use the 90,s figures when the attendance was at its most accurate and this will give you the REAL ARSENAL FAN BASE, this would have been lads who had been around 80s and the next generation and the newbies we picked up when wenger sky arrived.The lie sold to us was that we need to compete and more affordable tickets, please can you show me the evidence that we are competing and affordable tickets.

Are there any positives at Arsenal at this moment?

A blog by @Swales1968

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