If you have clicked on this article because you’re a frothing Wengerphobe and you want to praise me for expressing the sentiment contained in the headline I suggest you read no further.

I am not finished with supporting Arsenal and I never will be, even when they nail me down in a box and plant me.

The headline is in quotation marks because I have seen it expressed (in those words or similar) by many contributors to the Arsenal blogosphere.

If you share that sense of desperation – so powerful an antipathy to what is happening with the current Arsenal set-up that you are willing to turn your back on a lifetime of support –  I am also not here to make fun of you or attempt to argue you out of it. I am truly sad that you have come to such a despairing conclusion and can imagine that you have not reached it lightly.

Anyway, there is already too much dysfunctionality in the Arsenal family to throw fuel on those flames.

But I am fascinated with understanding what it is that can make people who – in some cases – have followed Arsenal for decades finally decide they can take no more.

Certainly anyone who HAS supported the club for decades has lived through far worse periods than anything we’re going through now (which, to be clear, is a run of poor performances on the back of a season where we finished third, albeit not convincingly, then sold our best player to one of our main rivals).

We have gone through bad periods in the past – periods when we were finishing much lower in the league than today, playing football that would make Tony Pubis wince and enduring the Sahara of all trophy droughts.

The supporters during those times did not do a Delap (throw in the towel). They looked forward to meeting up with their mates on match day, having a few beers, having a laugh and watching the game – win, lose or draw.

Obviously they (we) were gutted when we lost and overjoyed when we won. Most players would be given wholehearted support but even then there were always one or two who got a bit of stick.

Somehow though, however bad things were on the pitch, however clueless the manager, however donkey-like the players, it never took over our whole life. It didn’t leave us dejected the rest of the week, poring over the entrails of defeat like a Roman soothsayer.

The reasons offered for why people seem more upset in the modern era fall into three categories:

• Expectations

• Entitlement

• Internet

Expectations: this theory has it that the agonies of today are a direct result of the ecstasies of the past. Until 2005 we had a run of regular trophy success going back almost 20 years, to when a young Arsenal team managed by George Graham lifted the League Cup in 1987.

In the first half of Arsene Wenger’s reign the pot-winning was enhanced by some of the greatest players and best football ever seen at Arsenal, culminating in the Invincibles of 2003-4.

According to this theory, we supporters have tasted the best and won’t settle for less.

But why didn’t the fans who experienced Double joy in 1971 – including clinching the title at the N17 public toilets – throw their toys out of the pram as the mid ‘70s descended into Spuddish levels of awfulness (we finished 16^th in 1975 and 17^th in 1976)? Perhaps the answer lies in the second theory:

Entitlement: it is accepted by many that we live in an age of entitlement. Modern technology and a steady increase (until recently) in standards of living over the past 20 years have created a society in which we expect to have what we want, when we want it. Anyone with teenage children will understand this very well indeed.

In extreme cases, entitlement is recognised by clinical psychologists as a symptom of narcissistic personality disorder, with individuals becoming more and more furious when they fail to get what they think is their right.

For Arsenal supporters the entitlement issues are compounded by repeated surveys showing we are among the six richest clubs in world football. By this argument, we should be winning major trophies regularly, regardless of stadium moves, petro-dollars and a club medical centre that resembles something from The Walking Dead.

One problem with the entitlement theory is that it’s not just younger supporters (members of the “entitlement generation”) who are turning their backs on supporting Arsenal. I have read comments from people doing just that who start by saying “I have been supporting Arsenal for more than 30 years but now I’ve had enough…”

Internet: back in the 1970s when I first started watching Arsenal on a regular basis (yes – I was there when we finished 17^th!) I would be really peed off when we lost and would have a good moan with my mates in the pub.

But until the next game my only source of information, news or gossip about the Arsenal was whatever the national newspapers decided to print which, in those days, was not very much. Many newspapers had only a couple of pages devoted to sport (all sport – not just football) and footy coverage was mostly limited to match reports. There was no “insider” gossip, no guest columns by ex players, no “WAGs”.

Also it’s worth bearing in mind that there was virtually no live footy on TV: all we had were Match of the Day on Saturday night and The Big Match on Sunday lunchtimes.

Inevitably, therefore, I spent less time talking, thinking about or watching Arsenal than I do now. Today, apart from the massively increased press coverage and wall-to-wall TV exposure, the internet means I read, write and talk about Arsenal every single day – sometimes for several hours (don’t tell my boss… or my wife).

Which, in turn, means that every setback, every concern, every defeat is scrutinised and agonised over to a degree that would have been unthinkable in the ‘70s or ‘80s.

Quite aside from the mild mental derangement this causes me (and, I suspect, many other Gooners), it also means that more extreme viewpoints can reach a wider audience than they would have done in days past. Whether it’s the view that Arsene Wenger is the devil incarnate and should be lynched, or that Le Boss must be beatified by the Pope forthwith as a prelude to becoming Saint Arsene of Ashburton, those opinions – when expressed on the internet – can gain a following that they would not have done when expressed to a few people in the pub

This last theory – the internet – is the most convincing one for me. The first two theories may play their part as well, but it’s the sheer ubiquity of Arsenal in the modern fan’s world that makes the pain so hard to take: there is, literally, no escape.

One last theory: there is a final element which, I believe, plays a part in making people have such drastic reactions to footballing setbacks these days  – but it’s not an easy one to classify.

The element I have in mind is that, as a society, we are less sure of who we are these days. The class system that was still entrenched as I was growing up has gone (or at least become much more blurred and confused); we are a multicultural people in a multinational world; we are bombarded with entertainment in all forms (contrast that with the three TV channels of the 1970s and no such things as Talksport, computers or computer games); the “nuclear family” of two married parents and two or three kids – then the norm – is now in decline; even our external “enemies” are elusive, mysterious people hiding in shadows, not the mighty Soviet Bloc that threatened the childhoods of many of us.

I am not saying that any or all of these changes are bad things, just that they have left us (particularly, perhaps, the over 40s among us) feeling like there are fewer concrete things to hold on to than in our youth. We have changed from being a nation of people who all watched the same TV shows at the same time to a kaleidoscope society that has splintered into 10,000 niche interests and pastimes. As a result our sense of shared identity is more fragile than it ever used to be.

In those circumstances, the attachment we have to Arsenal becomes something stronger and more powerful than ever: the one solid part of our identity. But with such power over us, it also has the capacity to cause us pain like never before.

And maybe that’s why losing faith in Arsenal has changed from being what it once was – a wound capable of healing – to what it is now for some supporters – a death blow.

RockyLives

Ask an Arsenal supporter what they want first and foremost from any of the players representing them I think 95% or maybe more would say I want to see them show some pride in playing for the club we love so much.

Personally the second thing I want to see from them is an attitude that says they will do their job properly.

I’ll do my ratings first:

Mannone – 8 left with no chance with either goal, made some good saves and nearly prevented the second

Sagna – 6 did nothing going forward, normal self when called upon at right back in the tackle but showed some nervousness in first half with clearances.

Santos – 6 when the “brazilian wing back” did find his way into the danger areas his final ball left a lot to be desired.

Vermaelen – 3 from the minute he cuddles and shakes hands with BSR he has set the tone for his performance and the team. I know it wasn’t only him but he is captain he should have said in the changing room “in that tunnel, look straight ahead, don’t look at them….FOCUS”. I’ll cover the rest of his performance later.

Mertesacker – 7 his normal impeccable self in reading of the game, interceptions and well timed tackles and good blocks. Not as good with his distribution as normal, but not his fault. (See later)

Arteta – 7 unfortunately despite all his effort he was stuck to like glue by Rooney. Very limited opportunities to be proactive with possession, but busied himself well defensively fighting fires on his own.

Cazorla – 6 despite a good finish for the goal did not see enough of the ball in space to cause threat to ManU

Wilshere – 6 battled hard but that’s not what he is in the team for, like Cazorla starved of space and options all match. First booking harsh, second through tired legs, shouldn’t have been on pitch.

Podolski – 5 didn’t contribute

Ramsey – 6 out of position and definitely made Sagna’s life easier, like everyone else starved of space.

Giroud – 7 didn’t see the ball anywhere near as much as he deserves to….can’t be faulted if he doesn’t get the ball.

Subs:

Theo – 5 offered nothing different.

Arshavin – 5 ditto

Right that’s that out of the way, now lets begin the report with the positives.

Ok moving on to the rest of the match.

Fergie has not won that many titles without being annoyingly good at utilising the strengths of his team and the weakness of others. Yes that’s right he is willing to change his tactics from game to game. The club spend where it’s important, the attacking third, and they spend big, but that isn’t where it stops, they ask those big money signings to earn their corn however the manager sees fit. If that means asking the Premier Leagues most expensive teenager to man to man Arteta when Arsenal have possession he does it. If that means asking Young to run for ninety minutes up and down the flank with very little ball time he does it.

They clearly had two game plans, “if Theo is on the pitch we sit deep, if he isn’t we squeeze the play as much as possible”, there were times with BFG on the ball about ten yards from half way that Ferdinand and Evans were almost providing unique symmetry holding their defensive line ten yards in their half, they pressured the ball from the front, marked tight and we had no space, we needed our full backs and wide men to provide runs and movement in behind we had to play longer, but we can’t, either through inability, lack of pace or not wanting to.

So starved of the space options and possession we need to breathe this was always going to be difficult.

Sorry I have glossed over something, the above was what happened after they went one nil up. If we were facing a side that were set up to make it difficult for us we made it even harder by gifting them the lead. Santos had his first test of the afternoon, marking Valencia tight the ball was played to the on rushing Rafael who played a very Arsenal like nothing cross, which Vermaelen got totally confused by, he must face crap balls like that all week in training yet he clearly hasn’t worked out how to put his boot through the f’ing ball and decided he would gift BSR a nice early chance which he stroked in with ease. Had to happen but would’ve been nice to actually make him work for it.

After that we consistently failed to clear our lines effectively, after the Liverpool game my mainly glowing report focussed on a few things that still weren’t right, one of my suggestions was that it is sometimes ok to put the ball in row Z or beyond their backline to relieve pressure and regain shape.

In the first half we didn’t do this once, we allowed them space in our half without them having to work. Mannone couldn’t clear our half with his kicks, Giroud up front could have challenged Rio or Evans and will do given the opportunity, but instead Mannone was dropping kicks on Carricks head for Cazorla or Wilshere to try and win.

This was one way traffic and the only players looking like they wanted to do something were Arteta, Wilshere and BFG, Vermaelen walked around in a daze reconsidering his error, and hopefully his decision to take the captaincy.

A short corner, where the whole defence switch off – too busy telling each other who to mark and forgetting about the ball – led to the ball being fired at Cazorla from five yards away, his hands covered his face tucked tight to the body and the ball careered into it, nothing like a shout of penalty at Old Toilet to send Mike Dean weak at the knees and the home penalty was duly awarded. Somehow Mannone managed to put Rooney off and he scuffed it wide.

A let off before the break and a chance to get ourselves back in the game.

Could Arsene do anything to lift the team with his half time team talk? Would he make an early substitution which it seemed the game was crying out for?

On the first it didn’t appear so, United came out of the blocks quickly and we were called on in defence to snuff out a few scrambled balls into the box.

Theo was introduced, Ramsey the sacrificial lamb. United re set their back line dropping twenty yards further back. Didn’t really make a difference because not once did anyone try and find a ball over the top, Theo came short like Ramsey had, couldn’t do anything different as he was marked as tightly and again starved of options.

But somehow United eased off on their pressuring we started to get some good possession and move with a bit more pace. Santos was set free on more than one occasion, and on more than one occasion failed miserably to deliver a ball of note, perhaps one ball if Giroud had gambled he could have had a sniff of goal, but he had already shifted his position for a cut back. In reality he should be going for the 6 yard box and his midfielders should be the ones filling the edge of the box. He is still learning the English game and what is required, but it was the only criticism I could make of him.

Just as we had started to give United a test of their own at the back, we allowed them a second. Firstly allowing BSR to drift in unmarked only to see Mannone make one of several good saves. And the not clearing the corner well, not shutting down the crosser and not competing for the ball in the box…I’m looking at our skipper again. He didn’t even get off the ground, did not attack the ball, is this really the player we missed “so badly” for a whole season, the player that apparently “adds 10% to everyone else on the pitch”. I’m sorry I don’t see it, you are the captain, you must be better, you must lead, you must not give up.

The second half got even longer as Wilshere overrun the ball and clattered into Evra earning his second booking, he had been warned after upending BSR, Cleverley got warned by Dean too, when he did Ferguson replaced him with Anderson immediately. Wenger didn’t have the luxury having already removed the natural centre midfield replacement Ramsey.

It was pretty much all United for the rest of the game taking the game into our half whenever they wanted and Arsenal conceding ground obligingly, and I’m about as bothered to write about it as the players looked to be playing it, even then I found plenty to wind me up. Santos received the ball from Vermaelen, Vermaelen bombs past him, Santos loses the ball, sorry what planet do our players live on? Ten men on the pitch, deep in their half, and our centre back is playing a one two with our left back.

There was time for Cazorla to grab us a consolation and something for the away fans to cheer with a sublime finish, but it was way too little way too late.

So in summary, the players do not deserve the support they get from the away fans, I don’t mind losing, I don’t mind getting beaten by a better side, but just allowing the opposition to do what they want, and very few of our players seeming to care I will not take.

This defeat will affect many of us more than last seasons 8-2, that was a freak result, every shot they took first half they seemed to score, we had many understudies on the pitch and had yet to find any of our transfer targets and had just slogged our guts out on the pitch in Udinese to achieve CL qualification. This? No excuses, a week off, time to bond time to work out the kinks, experienced players across the back line, experience in midfield, 7 players older than 25, players who should be able to look at each other and work out what to do and how to put it right. They are not playing for the shirt, they are not playing for the manager, they are not playing for us…..that is not good enough, that is not acceptable.

I love my club, I love my team, I said after our drubbing in Milan last season that I would prefer to take ten paces back and a few leaps forward by doing away with the majority of failed talent on the pitch and letting the youngsters have a go, players hungry for their chance, I can support them, they will need it, this group of players need to stop hiding and start stepping up to the plate, it’s your fault, you put it right.

Despite all the other top 4 contenders slipping up and even Spudders losing at home to Wigan there was still nothing to smile about at the end of the day.

Written by Gooner In Exile