A little ambition could go a long way
It is not often you see anything positive written about Arsenal on websites these days, as negativity continues to sweep across the red side of North London as utter frustration pours out of sections of their disgruntled support. Even the most positive of fans are starting to stay clear of their usual ‘in Wenger we trust’ retort and it does appear that discontent is far from the minority anymore.
Six years without a trophy has hit supporters hard and Wenger must surely be under no illusions that this is the last chance saloon for him to land some silverware. A top four finish is no longer deemed a success (although most clubs would give a right arm) and some trophies in the cabinet are needed to lift a football club that has visibly lost its passion and zeal. In 25yrs I have never ever seen such a negative demeanour around the Gunners support; a feeling that hasn’t been diminished by the club’s activity in the transfer market so far. The big spending hasn’t arrived and supporters are rightly concerned as to how this current Arsenal squad can hope to compete with their domestic and Euro rivals. A call for patience is falling on deaf ears, especially for a set of fans that pay the highest price in the Premier League.
The whole Gunners plight got me thinking about the rising expectations in football and whether it has mirrored that of the ever increasing cost of watching it. One comment I read in an Arsenal blog really struck a chord when the writer suggested that at £70 a time he felt it was the club’s duty to respect his investment by ensuing the club did everything in their power to be competitive. He went onto suggest that he finds it unforgiveable that a club that generates the revenues it does, in comparison to its competitors, still fails to compete for the big players in the game. It is hard to argue with his sentiments; football has become an expensive past-time, but it does highlight the changing attitude to the way supporters look upon their investment. I wonder if that same guy would be so uptight if he was simply paying £10 to watch his football club, oppose to the crazy amount that the fans payout now? It would certainly be an easier pill to swallow financially.
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So it begs the question as to whether football clubs should show a greater responsibility to their supporters. Don’t get me wrong I am not naive to think that the fiscal side of football hasn’t changed dramatically and clubs have to operate accordingly, but for those clubs that generate higher revenues and subsequent profits; isn’t it understandable that their supporters will be slightly aggrieved? A club like Everton as an example unfortunately don’t have the sizeable revenues to compete and their supporters want answers as to what is being done to improve their situation; in comparison to a club like Arsenal where there are no such problems, apart from a reluctance of their manager to spend big. The directors are probably right to back their manager and his decisions, but they can’t overlook the growing discontent. I’m not suggesting they should override their manager and bring in players to the club behind his back, but giving Wenger a little gentle shove in the right direction may go some way in bringing a little life back into what is clearly a disgruntled support. A little ambition not only brings hope to supporters, but who knows may encourage certain players that the future is certainly a bright one at the Emirates Stadium.