Good evening.
The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. ‘Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?’ he asked.
‘Begin at the beginning,’ the King said gravely, ‘and go on till you come to the end: then stop.’
As discussed at length and almost dare I suggest predicted on this week’s show we are suffering all over the shop. That’s as plain as the nose on your face. But what’s the right response? Is AVB a clown? Are Levy & Co. a shower of bean counting shysters? Do our players need keel hauling and flogging?!
The Blame Game is a doll, eh?. It’s the most inclusive game in the world. Literally anyone can play. You don’t need any ability to reason or analyse. Just a strong desire to pin your metaphoric tail on the metaphoric donkey of your choice.
Before we get going on the ‘attitude’ of the crowd at White Hart Lane, let me not be accused trying to peddle opinion as fact in this respect. How we laughed at Arsenal. The Emptycrates. How we sniggered at ‘Arsenalisation’ and what it meant. They moved from a library into a purpose built monument to ambition and it turned out to have all the soul of an NCP car park.
This week however Arsenal fans have given us an exhibition in how to support. Losing 4-0 to the mighty Reading during the week and they were unrelenting in their support. Song after song. Earlier today they were losing away 0-2 to Manchester United. They sang, ‘We love you Arsenal, we do’ with a passion, a pride and a determination that was nothing shy of historic.
These are supporters who are seriously feeling that most horrible of pangs. Watching a former player be pivotal in their 90 minutes of demise. But they refused to give up. Old Trafford didn’t even really try drown them out because the home tribe acknowledged the away tribe’s strength and their honour.
White Hart Lane to me has for some time become over infested by people who behave as if they are going to the cinema. They take their seats and wait for the performance to please them. People who aren’t part of a tribe anymore. These weaklings have let the burden of expectation turn them into members of an audience, not supporters.
Never in the history of the world has there been such a time for a football fan to voice their opinion. Never. iPhones, android, apps, iOS Face Time, Facebook, Tweet, Skype me baby, call us now – we’re live and want to take your call, blog, use a net book, home office mate, log in to the forum now!
Who needs information.This high off the ground
Just give me confirmation We could win a million pounds
Who needs information When you’re living in constant fear
The first line of defence tends to be the line, ‘I’m entitled to my opinion.’ Of course you are, dear. But given the myriad options available… does enforcing the silent treatment, huffing or booing strike you as being amongst the most constructive options? Is that support?
The second line of defence tends to be the line, ‘Well at least I go!’ This dear reader is the suicide note of suicide notes. Who could possibly regard that of having discernible value? This is like the world’s worst employee pointing to his attendance record. ‘Yeah, I was the cancer of the business, fair cop. But I was never late for work!’
What of the fans that simply cannot attend? Is the girl in India a second rate fan? Is the man in Canada an idiot? Is the mother of 4 in Norfolk a time waster? No. The answer is too many idiots are over inflated with their own sense of self importance and indeed worth.
I’m aware of the pressures modern day fans face. Cost, burden of expectation all that jazz. My response to those of you weak willed enough to hide behind these and other pieces of equally worthless rubbish is simple. Ever thought this isn’t for you? Devote your time to something that gives you actual pleasure. Collect stamps, take up sewing, take a small plot of your garden, tend it and grow something. Root vegetables are as much of a reward to some as a sophisticated vine.
Tomorrow we’ll discuss the squad and the way the boss has used it thus far.
Several things jump out, not least your belief that free speach must be surpressed and only whispered in dark corners and alleys away from the glare of a game.
Our win over United and league position paper over cracks, yes agree. Without Dembele we have no midfield, Sigurdsson shows no signs of having any creative ability and Dempsey ia an average PL player. We need to purchase a creative talent to play behind the front man. Defoe for the first game attacked the 6 yard box for Bale’s crosses instead of pulling back 12 yards out and watching the ball flash across. Perhaps he is learning.
The Arsenal fans were away and it was not a stadium full of them, but then it is also irrelevant what other fans do as that doesn’t mean they are right. Besides they were singing during the game not at the half time break. During the game fans should sing I agree but an interval is different.
If it is only at half time and full time then the crowd should give their opinion of the performance, good or bad. This we mustn’t upset the sensibilities of the overpaid primo donas is laughable. You think they perform poorly because of a few boos at half time, rubbish.
Should a crowd be forced to laugh at a comedians joke which they don’t find funny? Because no laughing, heckling is the same concept as booing at half and full time, you are giving an opinion.
You are not allowed to voice an opinion unless it is a positive one is effectively your message. I understand your sentiment, but that is for the management, the coaching staff. During the play back them to the hilt yes, the break, give the management your opinion.
Without any negativity from supporters directly to the players there is potential for them not to perform to their best, to become lazy, knowing the paying public won’t complain. The myriad of ways you mention do not communicate directly with the players, nor at the immediate time. I doubt they take much notice either, supporters can’t skype players at half time.
Are you seriously suggesting that players are incapable of responding to a half time booing by coming out and performing better in the second half? It would make no difference when they are poor if the fans cheered at half time to their second half performance. Any one with any pride should respond, sometimes people need a kick up the backside, in a positive way and come out for the second half with a determination to show everyone it matters to them.
Levy is by miles the best Chairman we have had in donkeys years, we are in the top 5 in the country because of him, not in spite of him. He embarked on a journey, we are in transition as part of that.
We have taken a step back from last year, scoring is no longer the priority, keeping the ball and taking it slow is. We don’t use the tools we have, we don’t get Bale and Lennon running. Our midfield plays in a flat line in the last third so there is no creative midfield ball to make unless someone is to make a move. We are not Spain or Barcelona, we simply don’t have the players with enough ability to make the off the ball movement thse players do.
January can’t come quickly enough.
i cannot believe people are calling for avb to be sacked.
how the fuck is that going to help
who the fuck do you support
you make me fucking sick
The reason he should get the sack, is because he never should have got it in the first place, chelsea were right because their players sussed him out, and ours are doing the same, they dont believe in this guy, or his methods, watch a replay of some of our matches, they dont look on the same wavelength, puzzled looks everywhere, i have been hearing of discontent in the camp, and thought its just the usual paper talk, but now i can see on the pitch, they dont want this guy managing them, our players are doing what chelsea players did, THEY WANT HIM OUT.
Heres a scenario, we all know by now, its all about player power now, they have the last word, if there is discontent in the camp, and some players are trying to get him out, as chelsea players did, then what do we do, get rid of some of our very good players, possibly half the team or more, or one guy, i know which makes more sense, change a team, or a manager trying to prove himself at our cost, the sensible answer is one guy, and get the players a manager they can respect, its really that simple, kyle walker could be a prime example, they had pictures in the papers of avb talking to the players, and kyles face, said what the hell is this guy on about, and look at his form under avb, coincidence, ????????.
Now here are the other ones been rumoured, adebayor-unhappy, lloris our should be no1 keeper-unhappy, dawson-unhappy, and there are rumours of more talk behind the scenes, seriously if players want a manager out, they will get him out, chelsea , and other clubs players have shown this to be true, its nothing new, the players have to believe in the person leading them, the man, do our players seriously look like they have busted a gut out there, no they dont, yes i know its wrong for players to play bad to get rid of their manager, but it goes on all the time, and levy will be put in a situation, good players looking to leave, or getting rid of the players problem, the manager.
we all know the right answer dont we.
I cant believe some clown compared Spurs to a restaurant, speaks a lot for the morons views I have just read.
By the way do you know how stupid you looked in the Park Lane yesterday?? I was ashamed to be near some of them
I agree that our home support is absolute crap compared to the away support, and it shows in the results. home fans booing because Defoe was invisible the entire game so AVB brings on Ade.
Absolutely stupid reaction!
Dembele out, Walkers confidence shot after our supposed fans are so disrespectful he quits twitter. other PLAYERS need to OWN it, he put out a reasonable squad considering injuries, where was bale? or lennon? or defoe? they were invisible, anyone that thinks a manager can wave a magical wand and inspire players has never played the game.
The players have to own it.
And remember harry lost to wigan 1-0 too!
Freezal the keeper who fails to use his hands to any goos effect again couldn’t keep a clean sheet. he is absolutely terrible on set pieces, look at the goals he has let in this season alone. Lloris would make all the saves Freezal did AND be better on set pieces.
Home fans are embarrassing booing AVB its 10 games in and we are in 5th and only by GD. Perhaps if Defoe wasn’t so ball greedy or sporadic we would have beaten other teams by more (like against Southampton, Norwich, West Brom, Newcastle).
Its not like Levy let him buy the players he wanted (moutinho, willian). we have no creativity in midfield without dembele, I guess another manager would wave a magic wand and just make it happen? absolute rubbish.
I think we will win silverware this year and still finish top 4, be supportive!