This may sound like something a person going through a huge existential crisis would say but are really just the normal utterances of a number of Arsenal fans on social media particularly after a loss or a hugely embarrassing performance (yes I’m talking about that shocking 2-2 draw at Watford). With that being said the statement does hold a lot of truth in it, that 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Chelsea in the Europa League final comes to mind, a game which if they won would take them directly into the Champions League, a competition which they had failed to qualify for in the last two seasons. That was preceded by yet another failed Champions League qualification bid from a position of strength via the Premier League as they were edged out on 4th place by just one point after failing to win four of their last five games.
We see more instances of this by going back to the 14/15 season where Arsenal were drawn against AS Monaco in the last 16 of the Champions League, in comparison to the ties they were given against Bayern, Barcelona and AC Milan in the years before advancing seemed like a more than doable task (on paper at least). That ultimately proved to be yet another failed chance to qualify for the quarter finals for the first time in years as they crashed out on away goals from a 3-3 score. Which once again went a long way to prove that they really are victims of their own undoing, self sabotage specialists if you may.
Now the real question is what gives the supporters this heightened level of hope and expectation even when there is glaring evidence that suggests that Arsenal are always likely to crumble under pressure. Well to begin with, the true essence of supporting a team you claim to love is the unrelenting hope for the best in good times or bad so in that regard Arsenal supporters aren’t different to any other group. It must be said that Arsenal are the third most successful team in England and that will always contribute to higher standards being set regardless of the current state of the club. The rise of social media has also played a tremendous part in increasing these expectations, its almost a recurring theme on social media that when Arsenal drop points it seems like the end of the world. This situation is then taken to a whole new level when opposition fans and media outlets ridicule those performances, which in turn increases the need to shut them up with success even when the situation does not seem feasible for any major success at all.
Arsenal fans may have to endure a lot of disappointments, overwhelming toxicity and Twitter trolls for a while until the glory days are back but for better or for worse the standards have been set and its up to the team and the relevant stakeholders to ensure that they are met. If the standards were to ever be totally compromised then Arsenal will simply cease to be the global institution it is today. Arsenal fans will also have to understand that their greatest ever feat – The Invincibles is something that they may never eclipse or even attain and setting the current team to those insane standards will only hinder the enjoyment of watching the current team grow and evolve.
Do you think that this is something that is unique to Arsenal only? or do all clubs big or small go through the same thing but to different extents ? Let’s discuss this, thoughts are welcome down below.
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