Following a decade of failure since the famous invincibles season of 2003/04, Arsenal fans have endured an up and down relationship with their French manager. However disapproval of Wenger’s tenure seems to have reached an all-time low after video footage was released of furious Gunners booing and yelling strong words at him as he boarded his train after a crushing 3-2 defeat at the hands of Stoke.
Many have condemned these fans behaviour since the incident, labelling their taunts as ‘sickening’ and ‘shameful’. However their views represent those of a growing number of Arsenal fans in recent times. This came a week after fans had revealed a banner with ‘thanks for the memories Arsene but it’s time to go’ displayed on the front in a 1-0 away win at West Brom. Furthermore it seems that ‘almost’ every Gunner is now in the ‘Wenger out’ camp.
Having won just a single FA Cup title in the past 10 years, Arsenal fans have become disenchanted with Wenger’s methods. Season after season of falling away at the tail of end of a season, doing poor business and eventually having to settle for the top 4 has simply not been good enough for most supporters. What’s more, the Frenchman’s inability to listen or take advice from the fans has infuriated many. Also considering that Arsenal fans have to spend more than any other fans in the world to watch their team play live, what they have been achieving on the pitch has not been nearly good enough.
They say madness is repeating the same thing over and over, with the same bad outcome and that phrase could be aimed at Arsene. In the transfer window he has come across as inept, as he continues to neglect the kind of players the club are so desperately calling out for. Allowing world class players to leave and replacing them with unheralded youngsters has been a failed policy in recent times but one he continues to pursue. In addition, nothing seems to be learned from lightweight performances and defeats at the hands of the Premier League’s elite time and time again. You could not excuse Arsenal fans from wanting to bang their heads against a very hard wall…
Originally anti-Wenger Arsenal fans were seen as eccentric protesters. Now they are becoming very much the majority. The black scarves (one of the leading groups calling for Wenger’s head) has had a massive increase of new members in recent times. So far this season has been as bad as it’s got and this has particularly angered Arsenal fans as when they won the FA Cup at the end of last season and started to spend some money, they thought they had turned the corner.
Just saw the Wenger abuse video. Disgustingly disrespectful and totally inexcusable, regardless of any bloody football results.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 7, 2014
Although after all Wenger has done for Arsenal over the years, the fans behaviour does seem disgusting and extremely ungrateful. Gary Linekar was one of the first to criticise the men caught in the video. Tweeting; “Disgustingly disrespectful and totally inexcusable, regardless of any football results.”
However alarm bells should be ringing for him as their anger matches that of an ever-growing number of Gooners. The Professor undoubtedly deserves more respect but after years of biting their tongues and doing just that, many of the club’s followers now believe that anger and revolt is the only way to knock this dictator-like figure from his secure perch. Perhaps Wenger should just accept defeat and bow out gracefully at the end of the season before his once illustrious reputation gets tarnished more. The numbers and severity of these incidents will only increase if he doesn’t turn it around at the Emirates. Surely a great manager like Wenger would rather leave on his own terms rather than being ousted like tyrannical dictator?
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