There is no victory without harmony
Is there something missing in your lives? Do you feel empty? Does life itself make you feel disenfranchised? Do you feel like a loser? If football is your only outlet of these emotions and thoughts, please don’t use them in a negative or harmful way towards any players or coaches.
Only this weekend we’ve seen Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s car attacked by his own fans and Technical Director Edu Gasper abused whilst watching the game with his family. We find ourselves in such a world where tribalism seems to rule everything be that politics, sports or even media.
Targeted
Social media creates echo chambers where you only follow people who share the same thoughts and ideals as you. The internet has been used to connect people from all over the world so effortlessly, yet now it seems to be used to create bigger divides due to our social media echo chambers.
Far too often we are being asked to define ourselves, be that by our music, political views or even sporting ones. Are you Wenger out? Arteta in? Do make childish names for people who support managers you dislike?
How often do you find yourself in a debate with someone about Arsenal who seems so certain about their beliefs, with their viewpoints and idea’s all clearly backed up by their own followers who have all egged each other on to these generally unmeasured views.
I’ve found this season so funny because I spent most of last season critical of Mikel Arteta, mostly due to his rigid near robotic attacking style and man management. Yet I have been called an Arteta shill on more than one occasion for suggesting we give him the benefit of the doubt until his starting 11 is playing regularly.
It feels like never has the club felt so divided at a time when it’s been needed to feel united.
Ingrained within the heritage of The Arsenal is the long-standing Latin motto “Victoria Concordia Crescit”. Which basically means “Victory Grows Through Harmony”. Maybe we forgot these words along the way? But I do know you’ll see very few successful teams when the team and the fans aren’t united.
You only need to look at Leeds United who had infighting for many years after their relegation from the Premier league, be that fans or board members. As soon as Bielsa united the fan-base and the team, they were promoted and have gone from strength to strength.
United the Leeds fanbase and board
Arsenal football club seem to be a club under attack from all corners, be that opposing fans trying to banter us on-line or the media doing hatchet jobs at every turn. How many times have we seen a former player that no one has heard of make some a sweeping statement about Arsenal and it go unchecked, whilst other clubs get away lightly from the media?
For me this is where the energy that has been used with tribal squabbles should be directed, making sure that as a fan base we are united against this media bias, we are easy prey to them because we are too busy fighting each other. For too long it’s been allowed to go on and we need to make a stand against it. No interviews, no access nothing until you cover our team the same as all the others.
In conclusion I make a plea to you as a human being, as an Arsenal fan, please don’t let those people who want to divide us stoke your fires. Maybe they present themselves as fellow fans, maybe they present themselves as former players wanting to help but these people aren’t good for any fan base.
Regardless of our opinions please don’t let them, be the things that divide us. If we want to be a success, now is a time for unity not division, for building bridges, not destroying them, for Supporting the team and each other for, Victory in Harmony.
I got into football as a kid watching Italian football in the afternoons and ever since I’ve been hooked on tactics and the continental side of the game. I’ve written about Italian football in the past among other things but now it’s time to write about, the embodiment of how I see the beautiful game, Arsenal. Hopefully writing things and opinions about the game you haven’t seen before, I like a bit of a joke too.
Fully agree with you together we stand dived we will FALL
Fully Agree with the above together we stand dived we will fall, Arteta will accomplish what we all wish for,
ROME WAS NOT BUILD IN A DAY, he just starting building from the fallen foundations of the past years,
Is there a free toga with this…feel a coomba ya coming on.
Hi James.
While I agree with your sentiment, I think you’re writing this piece a few years too late. If a true club could not escape this treatment, then we shouldn’t be surprised that Arteta is getting it as well. It’s embarrassing, but this is what this fanbase has become.