March 27th – My Dilemma

So now that I’ve recovered from all that late night partying for our anniversary celebration, my mind (if there is one) has turned (or churned) to more weighty matters. Without any actual, real games to preoccupy me (occupy filbert street has a nice street – but anyone younger than 40 won’t get that reference) and whilst also trying to figure out this social media rubbish for this site, I’ve noticed that there seems to be an ongoing level of noise in relation to our esteemed manager.

So here’s my dilemma, – to which I’ve yet to figure out an answer. It’s a legitimate discussion but just not now. Not when we are in the “business-end” of the season (I still don’t get why people who love the game still use phrases like “business-end”); there are points to be won, goals to be scored etc. The last thing we should be doing is debating the future of our Manager,  It would be like, in the 75 minute of a tight, critical game starting to debate the team selection for the next game. Who, in their right mind, would do that?

Evidentially, these people are not legitimate. For example. those dickhead fans(s) who’ve dragged a stupid anti-AW banner to our away games. Yes, I get that banners are restricted/vetoed and a tenuous argument can be made to support their position (just like a tenuous argument can be made that the earth is flat). But this is not the time to be drawing attention away form the team. Unless of course you’re an attention seeking wanker.  Heaven forbid.

Then there are those petulant, emotional-unbalanced, childish media celebrities who claim to be Arsenal fans. (not that I would call them names because, clearly, I’m a grown up). For example, Piers Morgan. What a tosser this guy is. The emotional IQ of a door mouse. A better name would be Post Menstrual.

I could continue with this list but the point here is that these people force me to run in the opposite direction. I refuse to be aligned with these intellectual pigmies.

There is a discussion to be had at the right time. But it had better be respectful and informed. (Unlikely I know). Post the ManU game and after Swansea, I felt that the time had well come for AW to move on. But respectfully. But these morons drive the conversation. Trying to label people as either AKB or not. Why do people feel the need to polarize the conversation? Maybe it’s that Post Menstrual is the Donald Trump of the Arsenal fans.

So, by definition, these people are not legitimate and therefore I can’t participate. In fact, they drive me in the opposite direction. These “fans” have shown themselves to be impatient and binary. They refuse nuance and debate. It’s all so apparent and clear to them. That certainty is what gives me pause. It’s that certainty that makes it’s impossible for me to even consider, what to them, is the obvious move. Some of these characters have been stating the same thing for 5 years or more. To them this proves they were right – in the same way a broken clock is right twice a day (assuming it’s not a digital clock).

So I’m stuck in this dilemma. How do I have a conversation about a possible change when the people on the same side of the fence as me make we want to jump over to the other side. I don’t want to give them air time or encouragement. Every dropped point will make them so happy as it will bring about their preferred result – not that Arsenal win but that AW is closer to the exit. How can that be the right way to support our team. There should be no entitlement here. It’s our team to support – unconditionally. Well, ok, I exclude the owners from this – to them this is a business. But to the fans, our role is to support the team, get behind them and push them on.

Come the end of the season I would bet that AW will be 3 steps ahead of any of these morons. He will know what is attainable and sustainable. He will know whether it’s time to move on or build further. I know the Board won’t. That is way more concerning – that there are no football people on our Board. Long-term that is the most dysfunctional part of the club. From the manager on down we have a structure. But above AW it’s a vacuum. That means that if AW does walk we have no infrastructure to replicate what we’ve had for 20 years (I include Fiszman and Dean in this). So we should tread very carefully. And this is not a reason not to make a change but the recognition that the changes have to happen at many levels in the club. And, if we were smart (ha) we’d start on the Board changes now in advance of the inevitable AW (not this year but within a few years). That would count as planning.

So, I will do my best to ignore the attention grabbing, name-calling (who, me?), oh-so-angry Arsenal fans until the season is put to rest. Of course, I know, irrespective of whether we qualify for Europe again, if Sp*rs win the league there will be utter mayhem from some of our fans. And if they don’t people will bemoan the lost opportunity to capture the league. I know. I have the same frustration. I just can’t bear to align myself with this fucking annoying basterds.

– LB7