A number of Arsenal fans have made no secret of their anger towards the club’s transfer policy in recent weeks. During last week’s goalless draw at the King Power stadium, choruses of ‘Wenger Out’ and expletives concerning the apparent parsimoniousness of Arsène Wenger resonated.
For many seasons, fans of the North London club have been frustrated with the lack of expenditure during the transfer months as well as the lack of a Premier League trophy. But the atmosphere has become severely more toxic recently. Why is this?
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Why are Arsenal fans so angry?
It is easy to see where Arsenal fans’ frustrations stem from. 12 years since Arsenal last held up the Premier League trophy, and with each passing year, the nostalgia slowly converts to anger.
Paradoxically, the transfer window started off promisingly. The signing of Granit Xhaka, a well reputed, hard-tackling midfielder who plied his trade in Borussia Mönchengladbach. The quoted price, £30 million, was a statement. A statement of intent from a club who were seemingly content with a top four finish season after season, and were well known for being conservative with their spending in previous years.
If Arsenal fans were not already excited, the rumors of Jamy Vardy joining the club sent them into a frenzy. Arsenal finally looked to be plugging the striker hole that was left after the departure of Robin Van Persie. Vardy was one of last season’s standout players, and it seemed increasingly certain that the Gunners were aiming for the top.
Things were going too well for Arsenal, as it seems. After triggering the Leicester forward’s release clause, amid massive speculation, Vardy promptly rejected the London club, even stating it was a ‘simple decision.’
After this shock, the atmosphere among Arsenal fans became even more toxic. Vardy’s teammate, Riyad Mahrez, was linked to the club but those rumors were obliterated as he signed a new contract with the Foxes. Gonzalo Higuain, a forward that Arsenal have been perpetually associated with joining Arsenal, made a transfer to Juventus for an immense fee of €90 million.
Another striker that has been linked to Arsenal for a multitude of years, Alexandre Lacazette, was apparently speculated to join the club. However, it was recently reported that Arsenal had previously bid for Lacazette but this bid was rejected as well. Arsenal have not been reported to make another move for the French frontman.
Despite Arsenal’s glaring need for a striker, the club hasn’t seemed to be making the waves in the transfer window that the fans had hoped for. With options waning, prices rising and time running out, it almost seems like Arsenal fans will have to make do with Olivier Giroud. Wenger’s comments about having to pay his 600 employees at the Emirates have infuriated some fans beyond belief, igniting the frustration even further.
However, what has infuriated Arsenal fans the most is that they have to endure their rival clubs splash the cash, gathering elite players into their ranks. Manchester United have purchased Paul Pogba in a historic deal, among many others. Likewise, Manchester City have bought players such as John Stones, Leroy Sané, and Nolito to add to their already star-studded squad. Chelsea have signed striker Michy Batshuayi, which makes Wenger’s comments about the lack of availability of strikers seem slightly nonsensical.
Clubs such as Crystal Palace have spent more than Arsenal. Add this to the rumors of Arsenal’s filled coffins, and it is easy to understand the bitterness of their fans.
Why the fans are wrong to abuse the players on the pitch
But is it right for the fans to holler ‘Wenger Out’ chants during matches, or verbally abuse players as they come to thank the away fans?
No matter how badly the club has dealt with the transfer window, when the season starts, shouldn’t a fan should want the team to do the best they can? Shouting and putting the players under an increasing amount of pressure definitely won’t help.
And while Arsene Wenger is partly to blame for the inactivity in the transfer window, why are the fans expressing themselves as the players are trying to do their job? The players have had no say in the club’s transfer policy, yet they are being hindered by the Arsenal fans’ vehement frustration at the club.
Many fans have turned against certain players such as Theo Walcott. At a certain point, one has to accept that a player isn’t fit for the club, especially a club of Arsenal’s stature. But there is only so much Walcott can do, and frustration should be targeted towards the Arsenal hierarchy and not towards the players during a game, where they are already under heavy pressure and are likely to suffer during the angered moments of fans.
The season has barely started, and yet the Arsenal team is under fire. Of course, it is not every Arsenal fan that has been spitting abuse at the players, but these fans have an impact on the team. There is much time for the team to improve on their poor first two results, but this poisonous atmosphere will do very little to get the team back on their feet. Many fans also forget that Arsenal’s team is very much excellent. Players such as Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Özil, and Laurent Koscielny have the ability to change games on their day.
Of course, none of this is to say that Arsenal’s dormancy in the transfer window should just be accepted by fans. They have a right to be internally frustrated, but they should keep it at that: internal. It is in human nature to express vexation during troubled moments, so it isn’t surprising to see why many Arsenal fans act the way they do. Twelve years is an enormous amount of time to wait for a title, and it is understandable that fans should want their club to experience glory once again.
Nevertheless, as fans of a club, they should put the success of the team ahead of all else, and express their dissatisfaction in May as the season draws to a close. Short term and irrational thinking can be dangerous, and Arsenal fans must be wary of expressing their anger in the short term because this may lead the worsening of results and send Arsenal into a downward spiral.
