WTTGT Writer: Reiss Silva
Arsenal’s failure to win any silverware since the 2005 FA Cup triumph over Manchester United has been well documented.
The squad and management have been criticised time and time again for their underachievement.
But the fans can be accused of ‘underachieving’ as well. Since moving the short distance to the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal’s home ground has lacked any atmosphere.
The loyal supporters must take some of the blame for this. Over the course of a season the away following will out sing the home fans most games!
In fact, there are games where there is no noise at all from the stands apart from the odd minute of chanting at the start of the match.
The lack of success and lack of atmosphere could be linked. I’m not saying that because we don’t sing, the players don’t win but making a ‘12th man’ could well inspire the team on those afternoons where a team comes and sits back.
The club itself must take the some responsibility for this too. Ticket prices have been raised for the upcoming season despite being expensive already. Emptying a stadium of the real fans and populating it with corporate gumf is never going to help the situation.
Arsenal’s support has become a joke to many other clubs’ fans and this has to change. It is horrible to see seats empty after half time, as club level members enjoy refreshments.
It seems that going to watch the Gunners now is more like a trip to the theatre. You go, sit in comfortable chairs, enjoy the interval refreshments, and watch a ‘show.’
Winning or losing I would like the home of our team to be a fortress, full of noise and one where the opposition’s players are even intimidated.
As I said this is no reason not to win a trophy, but it could be the first step to seeing our team pick up that all important illusive trophy.
Let’s hope that this is the season it is done.
Of course the away fans are louder, it's like that for most clubs. Home games nowadays are filled with families, children, less “passionate” crowds. When you travel away you're going to make sure you're heard because you've travelled far (providing it isn't a London derby) and have usually had several drinks on the coach there.
I don't think this is at all the cause if no silverware, have you ever been to the bridge? That is possibly the quietest home crowd I've ever seen, yet they did the double year before last.
This is just another excuse to hide away from the fact that the team isn't good enough, if you're looking for what the cause of no trophies is just look at the squad: Almunia, Fabianski, Squillaci, Laurent, Denilson, Rosicky, Bendtner, Vela, Walcott, Gibbs, Eboue, Diaby useless inconsistent players that offer nothing outstanding to the club.
Even the likes of Nasri, Chamakh & Fabregas; good players, but not EPL winning players. Personally I think RVP is our best player and although critisised, I think Arshavin is an extremely valuable player, people who question his work rate are blind, just watch the man utd game and see how many challenges he made. TV is a leader, I don't know how either him or RVP isn't out captain, rather than the unpassionate Catalan. Song, Wilshire, S53GK are all good prospects too.
this is so true, i have a season ticket in the upper tier and i find myself singing on my own the majority of the time. the problem is very obvious, and several fold. the club want to milk as much out of each punter as possible so they show the match live on the tv's around the concourse, that's why people elave early at half time and don't come back til late. the cost of season tickets as killed the real fans off, and our relative success has made us a tourist destination.
And ultimately we are shit supporters. apart from the Barca game last season, where the crowd really were the reason we won, we sit back and wait to be entertained.
I went to old trafford to watch Stevenage get promoted, and 5000 Stevenage fans created more atmosphere than 60,000 at the ems. things will never change at Arsenal until we clear out the tourist wanna be's. and that won't happen until we have several years of poor form…………..oh wait, a better crowd could be closer than we think!
Fabregas lacking passion? What about his goal in the San Siro, playing against Barca with a broken leg, saving us from the bench in countless cup games and providing chance after chance for our wasteful strikers.
Anyone who thinks Cesc isn't our best player is kidding themselves because they've accepted that he's leaving. there's a reason Barca want him you know. He made more chances from open play than any other player in Europe last season (in what wasn't exActly his best season), more than Xavi and Iniesta even.
What about whining about wanting to rejoin barca? What about handing them a goal with a nice little back heel, what about “trying everything possible” to play against birmingham and not making it 3 days? What about the lack of energy, poor finishing, poor passing? There is no way you can say he cares for the club anymore, it was a stepping stone, a finishing school so that he could hone his skills for a return to the camp nou.
How do you cheer players like Denilson and Diaby????
away fans best in country
home fans… two bob! every time i try to sing get funny stares from fans around me!! pathetic! apart from barca home game and the 3-1 hiding we gave chelsea the fans have been pony!
The biggest problem at the emirate's is corporate tickets. I recently went to a game and sat a few row's behind the dugout. The tickets had been given to us by a friend who works for barclays. We were amongst many other corporate ticket holders. As a gooner for life, and also an ex season ticket holder, i was(along with my mate) the only one singing in the whole area of the stands. For the whole game all we got was dirty looks from those around us. Disgraceful that this is allowed to happen!
I think you're on to something. Other clubs have the home crowd behind them and it lifts them. At Arsenal, the home crowd is a burden. As soon as something bad seems to happen, the home crowd starts moaning. It affects the Arsenal players, because the tension from the crowd reflects down on them. Arsenal-fans aren't helping.
i was told to sit down by a ''supporter” for getting up singing. im sure that this doesnt happen at villa, birmingham or stoke. 2 good atmoshperes this season, barca and man utd when we had really nothing to play for. appart from that quiet as a church mouse
Try supporting Scunthorpe United… EEK! 🙂
Great post and i totally agree!!! Start making some noise gooner fans dont make me come from australia to show you how its done. Fabregas is gonna kick ass next season, he needs all our support