Anyway I don't see the defeat yesterday as a disater for Arsenal, just that the performance let them down. Fact is they are a better team this season than they were last season, and there have been plenty of positives already. Its just that they are not quite ready to challenge for the title yet, but as long as they finish in the top four (which I think they will by the way), and look strong in the cups then that should be enough for Arsenal fans right now. Their in the Quater finals of one cup compulation, are likely to make the knockout stages of the CL and are in a reasonable position in the league still at an early stage. Are things really that bad? I'll answer that one no.
All I want from this season is a trophy. I didn't think we'd be able to compete for the title, although I was hoping we would. It probably won't turn out that way, but if we win the Capital One Cup or the FA Cup then I view that as progress. I'd be happy winning one of them, and obviously if we win both I'd be stoked. Just one trophy could be the kick for bigger things.
I have said in this thread Gervinho was brilliant up till the Man City game where his form fell off a cliff (which is true, no?), but feel free to ignore that to suit yr argument. Ramsey isn't good enough to play for Arsenal, he's basically to us what Joe Allen is to Liverpool. Mannone is albsolutely terrible, constantly costs us goal after goal by parrying the ball straight to opposition players, only saving grace is that Fabianski is even worse, and Martinez who played vs Reading is trash.
Also, yes, you have to go to games to be a true fan. It means I see thinks you don't while sitting in yr armchair watching highlight shows. Thus, I have a more well formed opinion of what goes on during matches, not just a compilation of Gervinho doing tricks for 30 seconds making you think he had a great game.
That's true, his form has fallen off a cliff since the Man City game. I think we all knew he was never going to keep that going long. I had no idea you even said that, so don't even try to use that to back your argument up. You're making assumptions that I've read the post and remembered what you said. I don't live my life just to remember your opinions on players. Get over yourself.
So Martinez is trash because of one bad game? Really? This is the point I'm trying to make - you call players shit because they have a few bad games. Wilshere didn't have a good game against Man Utd, and based off your logic it clearly means he's shit. Yes he's just come back from injury, but that's your logic right there. It's ridiculous!
You could be sitting on the furthest seat at the very highest point of the stadium, watching dots move around the pitch and come onto a forum and claim "I see things you can't see watching the game on television in your armchair" for all I know. Once again you're making pathetic assumptions that because I'm watching the game on television it means I have no clue what I'm talking about and I base my opinions on players on compilation videos. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard and clearly shows you have no clue what a true fan REALLY is. Saying you have to go watch games live in the flesh is ignorant.
I see both sides of the coin really, you're geographic location may say you're not a true fan because you can't get to the games but it's not as if that can be helped. If people lived in close proximity of their club and were still armchair supporters as it's put then that's a different matter. So long as they're supporting the club through other means like buying the merchandise it's something at least.
Me personally, I could never be an armchair supporter of a Premier League club miles and miles away when I know i've got a hometown club to support no matter how good or bad they may be. I started out watching Bradford City in the old division 2 when I was a kid and saw us rise through the leagues, survive a season in the premier league and then tumble all the way back down. Call me mad but I definitely wouldn't change that to be a "supporter" of a successful club like Man United like most of the people I grew up with, even though they've never been to a game in their life. That's not a dig at anyone by the way.
As far as attending games and having a better view of players goes, i'd agree with that but even then I don't think it makes someone's opinion any more right than the next persons. I used to go watch us play every home game then go on our forum after the game and read other peoples views and it's remarkable to see such differing opinions that it makes you wonder if you were at the same game or not.
Exactly, it can't be helped, but apparently that's counting against me in his flawed arguments. If I lived in London, I'd go to as many Arsenal games as I possibly could, and that's the truth. I'm not just saying that for the hell of it, I deadset would. I may not have any Arsenal merchandise, but that's not because I'm like "What's the point because I don't live there". It's because I don't have the cash to spare, but according to Cork I'm probably not a true fan if I don't spend what I have on merch or season tickets or whatever.
The problem here is the A-League isn't that great to watch at times, although it is slowly improving. I live in Western Sydney and now there's a Western Sydney team that is in it's first season. I've watched every game they've played so far, doing my best to get into the league. It's harder here when soccer/football isn't as big as it is in England, and the teams in our league would match up to the teams in League One at best. I'm too accustommed to watching as many Premier League games as I can each weekend that when I watch A-League games there are times where the quality of play is just unbearable to watch. Still, I'm doing my best, and if I do get really into it then I'd look to go to as many games as I can.
And that is spot on. Just because I can't go to games doesn't mean I have no clue what I'm talking about. Clearly Gimmick has a clue what he's talking about yet I doubt he goes to every home game, that's if he even lives in London. It's an ignorant thing to say that true fans HAVE to go to games.
Now as for Arsenal, I don't think we're a disaster yet either. We've shown that we can come back from troubling times like we did last season, but in saying that we've not been in the best form since the International Break. Lost to Norwich, lost to Schalke at home, barely got past QPR, won a game against Reading with a scoreline that suggests it wasn't a normal game, and now a loss to Man Utd that should've been a severe one. We'll turn it around, I know we will, but we won't be good enough to push for the title. Top 4 and a trophy would be a success.
But something does have to be done. I couldn't believe it when I heard Wenger compare making the Champions League to a trophy. Yes it's a great achievement to have made the Champions League for, what, the past 15 seasons, but it's not silverware. Success is measured in trophies for top teams, which we supposedly are. I like Wenger and all and I think he's done a great job, but nothing he has done has worked for some time now. Teams know the formation and the tactics we employ and know what to do to stop us, resulting in teams like Norwich picking up victories when they really shouldn't. The club has the money to hold onto players and to purchase top talent, it's just the club have such a strict wage budget (which is fine) that it cannot be budged. It means that world class players won't come to the club because a) they won't earn enough and b) won't win trophies. That's why they all leave, but the current Executives don't seem to care. They say they do, but nothing is being done about it.
In saying that, seeing the club purchase top talent like Cazorla and Podolski was awesome. Giroud is a different prospect and is yet to hit any heights, but he looked bright at times against Utd, which can't be said for most of the team. It's tougher for him to have an impact as he needs service, so if he's not getting any then he can't do anything.
