Mick Appleton
I have supported Arsenal since my Dad took me to my first game in 1967 when I was 4 years old. I am still as passionate about the Gunners today as I've ever been, which makes what I'm about to say so much harder. Our beloved club has completely lost touch with its fan base and is in danger of losing the love and loyalty it has built over 125 years by exploiting and ignoring the life blood of Arsenal Football Club.
I used to be a season ticket holder at Highbury but was priced out by the conversion of the stadium to all-seater as I settled down and got a mortgage. I still attended as often as I could and have continued to do so with my own son at both Highbury and Ashburton. This is why it makes me sick to see contributors on here saying that I am not entitled to my opinions regarding what happens at a club I've loved for 45 years.
Why is it if you do question what's going on you're told to ‘Shut Up’ and go down to the Lane? I have been a huge fan of Arsene. I appreciate everything he has done for us but I cannot sit back quietly while he refuses to see the problems with the team because he wants to prove his experiment with polishing rough diamonds has worked. We're told we shouldn't have an opinion if we haven't worked a day in the game but when every pundit, ex-player and Paul Scholes who have worked in the game can see it, you have to question why Arsene can't?
Refusing to give in to public pressure is noble but not when you are so obviously wrong! We desperately need big centre halves to deal with the bombardment that other teams rightly perceive to be our weakness but that still hasn't been addressed and we again faded at the most crucial part of another promising season. I would never single out players or boo the team while I'm in the stadium but I feel I have a right to voice my concerns on here and any other public forum that I see fit to post on. To be accused of lacking loyalty to the club for voicing an opinion good or bad demonstrates the same short sightedness we are seeing from the hierarchy of the Club.
I am a Silver Member and I had to endure a hike in the price of my membership this year. It was nowhere near as bad as the season ticket rise but, percentage-wise it was worse. To do this in the current climate when we are already one of the most expensive clubs in the world to watch is harsh in the extreme and is made worse by our lack of investment in the playing side of the club. I cannot imagine that any of us are happy to see extortionate wages being paid to players who are just not good enough for our club, which is probably another reason why we cannot compete in the transfer market.
Can there be any truth in the rumoured £40m transfer kitty when we are reluctant to spend an extra million or two to get the players we desperately need. In recent seasons several targets have slipped through the net because of Arsene's reluctance to loosen the purse strings. If you believe the rumours we tried to sign Xabi Alonso, Mark Schwarzer and Christopher Samba in recent seasons and missed out on all of them for the sake of a couple of extra million. The loss on the pitch was far worse, as we have squandered good chances to halt our trophyless streak. Would we have conceded half of the set piece goals we did in the 2nd half of last season if Samba had been in place? I think not. I also doubt his no-nonsense style would have led to the cock-up that cost us the Carling Cup.
I understand that the club are reluctant to pay over the odds for players, but surely the club’s value will only increase if the silverware begins to come through the door again. The risk at the moment is that the other clubs around us have started to invest large sums to strengthen their squads and if we do not follow suit the Board could lose their holy grail of a Top 4 finish. Will that finally bring them to their senses? I have my doubts. I had some renewed hope of an investment boost when Stan Kroenke launched his takeover bid, but he was quick to squash this optimism by saying we would continue with the same financial model! As much as I appreciate a financially stable club, I would welcome a risk or two being taken to increase our chances of winning silverware rather than seeing a Top 4 finish as a trophy in itself.
In conclusion, my love for the club will never be diminished by poor quality players, stubborn managers or pig-ignorant board members, but I will always reserve the right to criticise when I deem it necessary, especially when the people running the Club put money in front of winning trophies and enriching the history of the Club. Nobody is above criticism. Not the Club, not the players and definitely not Arsene. To criticise them does not make you any less of a supporter as long as it is done constructively and away from Stadium.
