Arsenal’s loyal away following have continued where they left off pre-pandemic. Letting the toxic AFTV know they are not welcome in away ends.
Following the victory against WBA, the chants were loud and clear.
“ARSENAL FAN TV, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB”.
The AFTV business model is simple.
Over the the top reactionary opinions, spread negative, to gain hits, clicks and therefore revenue from viewing non-Arsenal fans.
So it was no surprise that there response to being humiliated live on Sky was to attack Arsenal’s away following in the hope of turning their followers against those fans that actually go to games.
Now this is completely incorrect.
You only need to read through the quote tweets from those who were at the game to see that Arsenal fans were singing about Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
Robbie himself was actually at the game (although he is no longer seen on concourses – does he hide in the toilet until the final whistle before ducking outside to interview weirdos?) so would have known this tweet was not true. So why was it posted?
Probably because they pay a company to do their social media. People who do not have a clue about Arsenal, do not go to games, and get their information from other faceless Twitter accounts.
It was an attempt to get other fans, sitting behind their lap tops on dodgy streams, to turn against the Arsenal away following.
AFTV have found their viewing numbers tumbling since the departure or passing of some of their highest profile “contributors”. This has lead to them putting out any more controversial, divisive content in an attempt to regain those losses.
It is no longer the profit making giant that it was 4 years ago. With dwindling figures comes less advertising revenue. Less sponsors.
This is not the first time Robbie et al have lied about Arsenal’s away following. Previously he tried to claim fans were racially abusing him. A claim which fell on deaf ears.
It is clear he will say or do anything to earn a few quid at the expense of Arsenal. And that is why so many are against the boyhood Luton fan.
It is being made clear to them they are no longer wanted in away ends. And it is only a matter of time until they are run out of Arsenal completely.
Substitutes: Alexandre Lacazette, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Nuno Tavares, Pablo Marí, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Mohamed Elneny, Aaron Ramsdale, Arthur Okonkwo, Gabriel Martinelli.
Red Cards: Granit Xhaka
Yellow Cards: Cédric Soares, Sead Kolašinac
Arsenal Possession Percentage: 19%
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistant Referees: Lee Betts, Richard West
Fourth Official: Andy Madley
VAR Team at Stockley Park: VAR Darren England; AVAR Peter Kirkup
Attendance: 52,276
Playing devil’s advocate here, perhaps there is another side to “Bloody” August for Arsenal. Unfortunately, despite the well-publicised awful on-field issues, another one of our problems this season appear to be the fact that we are victims of the random selection of the fixtures computer; how else can anyone explain the trio that we have faced so far? A newly promoted London team that had never been in the Premiership before who played as if their very lives depended on it, followed by the Champions League winners, and today, the current Premier League champions. How unlucky can one club be? Just another thought in this time of trouble.
Anyway, today our players line up in an unusual five-four-one formation, probably to reflect the danger of the opposition, of course. In the early stages, we played the ball around between us very well, and a superb cross from Kieran Tierney which didn’t quite reach Bukayo Saka looked good, but soon went behind the line for a corner that was easily cleared, unfortunately. Four minutes later, we were a goal down when Gabriel Jesus crossed the ball to Ilkay Gündogan, who simply headed it into the net. We were pushed back into our own half, and our defence looked all at sea when a loose ball came into our penalty area and Ferran Torres was on hand to score with a ridiculously easy tap in; although VAR were called in to question the possibility of an infringement on Calum Chambers, it made no difference as the goal was allowed to stand. A terrible start to the match; within fifteen minutes, we were two goals down with no prospect of reply; the nearest we came to scoring was when Ederson, the City goalkeeper made a silly error that Emile Smith-Rowe tried to capitalise on, but sadly his block led to the ball dribbling just inches past the far post. Cédric Soares picked up a pointless yellow card for a foul on Jack Grealish after twenty-four minutes, and a couple of minutes later Granit Xhaka had a strong shot saved by Ederson, after yet another mistake found our man in space on the edge of the City penalty area. Sead Kolašinac was booked unjustly for a foul on Gabriel Jesus, and thankfully the resulting free-kick (and subsequent corner) was easily dealt with by Bernd Leno. We had a penalty appeal turned down when Kieran Tierney was brushed off the ball by Kyle Walker, and with ten minutes to go before half-time, Granit Xhaka got his marching orders for a careless two-footed tackle on Joao Cancelo. Down to ten men, with fifty-three minutes of the match remaining, which meant that we were playing a game of containment, trying to keep City from scoring more goals, which was a difficult prospect. And sure enough, a couple minutes before the break, Jack Grealish turned Calum Chambers on the left, tapped the ball across into the six-yard box for Gabriel Jesus to tap the ball into an empty net, behind a stranded Bernd Leno. Thankfully half-time arrived before yet more embarrassing goals were leaked.
The second half started with Bukayo Saka being replaced by Mohamed Elneny, and unfortunately the second half started the way the first half finished, with intense City pressure on an Arsenal defence that looked completely swamped. After fifty-three minutes, Rodri swept a curling right-foot shot down the side of our stagnant defenders into the bottom right-hand corner for the fourth goal of the match; shortly afterwards the stranded Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was replaced by Alexandre Lacazette, and with half an hour of the game remaining, it was very hard to see how we can stop Manchester City scoring even more goals today, try as we may. Bernd Leno prevented a fifth goal when he made an acrobatic save to tip a header over the bar from Raheem Sterling, and in an attempt to halt an onslaught, Martin Ødegaard was replaced by Ainsley Maitland-Niles with twenty minutes of the game remaining. The home side were just toying with us, and we don’t have anything to offer here at the Etihad at all, and quite frankly, it all looks very embarrassing now. It made no difference, as City scored a fifth when Ferran Torres scored with a header after Riyadh Mahrez put a cross in from the right-hand side of the edge of our penalty area with six minutes remaining of the game. Mercifully, we managed to prevent the home side from scoring any more goals, and when the full-time whistle was blown by Martin Atkinson, it came as one of relief, quite thankfully.
What is there to say about such a performance in Manchester today? We were extremely fortunate we didn’t ship even more goals, and we would have done had it not been for Bernd Leno in goal. This is our worst start to a season since 1954, and quite frankly, we are all at a loss as to how we can turn this around with this squad of players. The statistics are damning: played three; won none; drawn none; lost three; goals for, none; goals against, nine; goal difference, minus nine. Bottom of the table. The players are totally shell-shocked, with no visible on-field leadership and have no idea what to do next. The manager looks entirely out of his depth, the coaching staff appear to have no answers and the storm clouds are gathering. Next week we have a break due to international commitments, and we resume this nightmare in a fortnight. Let’s hope that the enforced break brings some kind of Biblical miracle at Arsenal Football Club, but somehow I doubt it, as “Bloody” August may just get worse in September.
Remember everyone, it’s going to be tough, but try to keep the faith, get behind the club, as this season is going to be crucial for our future success in all competitions. Stick with the winners. Our next match: Norwich City at the Emirates on Saturday, 11th September at 3.00pm (Premier League). Be there, if you can. Victoria Concordia Crescit.
Steve
Too Dearly Loved To Be Forgotten: Arsenal v Racing Club de Paris 1930-1962 by Steve Ingless (Rangemore Publications, ISBN 978-1-5272-0135-4) is now available on Amazon.
The talk of the town the last few days has been Jack Wilshere.
I have always felt Wilshere got a bit of a bad deal as he was coming up through Arsenal. He was labelled a bit of a chav purely because he was white working class.
This was an unfair label as whenever he was interviewed playing for Arsenal or England, he came across very well. Clearly he knows the game, speaks well and has been very well behaved.
Yes, there was a few incidents in his adolescent years. Photo’d in nightclubs smoking when out injured, the odd scuffle. But he was still a teenager back then.
What has been obvious for years is that he is a loving father and a good man.
His interview with David Ornstein for The Athletic highlighted this further.
For those who have not seen it he opens up about injuries, his regret on leaving Arsenal and his family. It is well worth watching.
The response from the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe has also been telling.
Prior to Wilshere, Arsenal had not developed a home grown Englishman for over a decade – Ashley Cole being the last to properly make it at Arsenal.
Between Cole and Wilshere, the club developed a lot of youngsters but most were foreign lads bought in between 15 and 18. They were not proper home-grown.
Wilshere became the first in over a decade and, perhaps even more importantly, the first since Arsenal took over the Hale End site.
Both Smith Rowe and Saka have spoken about how Wilshere becoming an important first team player transformed Hale End. That they realised that you cold go from being at Arsenal from 8 or 9 and make it to the first team. That it was possible.
So this interview has started a debate.
Should Arsenal re-sign Wilshere.
There is plenty in the camp of “he is a fantastic player, would be an improvement on Elneny. Give him a pay as you play deal”.
I always laugh when fans talk about “pay as you play” deals like it regularly happens in professional football. It hardly ever happens. If at all.
Then there are plenty, and I am probably in this camp, that think “thanks for the memories but that ship has passed”.
Wilshere talks about how he has been injury free since January 2020. But we have heard this before.
I remember in an interview as an Arsenal player he said had been injury free for the last 6 months of his contract. He then went to West Ham and proceeded to have 3 injury plagued seasons with them.
Wilshere will sadly never be injury free. He might get fit, but he will always break down once game intensity hits.
Last season he played for Bournemouth for the second half of the season, but was released following the end of his 6 month deal. What do they know that no one else does?
My feeling with Wilshere is you have people thinking with the heart or head.
The heart thinkers see the talented guy who dominated the midfield against Barcelona over a decade ago who is Arsenal through and through. The head thinkers see a guy who will never remain fit enough to have a serious impact.
Arsenal should reach out to Wilshere. Offer him the chance to use our training facilities to get and remain fit. We have a history of doing this with the likes of Matthieu Flamini and Jérémie Aliadière.
At the same time we should also offer him an opportunity to do his coaching badges.
Wilshere turns 30 in January. He will not be the first footballer to retire early due to injury and go into coaching. And I think this is best for him if he still has a passion to be involved in football.
This route would be much better for Wilshere’s own mental health.
It is tough constantly going through the process of getting fit, only to get injured again.
He talks in the interview about his son asking why he does not play anymore. Well he can reinvent himself as “Wilshere the Arsenal coach” rather than “Wilshere the footballer with no club”.
I hope Arsenal help Wilshere out, but not with a contract for playing.
Go take his badges, coach at Hale End. Progress through the ranks and one day Wilshere might become Arsenal manager.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 