Loving the Arsenal AND Wanting to Win Are Mutually Exclusive
If you pay any attention to the world around you at all you will notice that thought has become fairly binary or so extremists would have you believe. I don’t think this is true. I think there is a majority of people who still believe in nuance and context but their voices are drowned out by the cacophony of the “my way or you’re the devil” sect. I would like to talk about that as it comes to Arsenal.
Arsenal twitter is a scary place at its best and a downright shitshow at its worst. Much like politics, to agree with one thing gets you labeled fill in the blank. I’m not going to use the Arsenal acronyms because there is a hammer with my head’s name on it within a short distance if I do. It is fairly mild on off days but matchday is when nuance and context get thrown down a hole Spartan style for the extremists to run the roost.
Much of my opinions on anything Arsenal related are a little bit of one side and some of the other. I try to be fairly balanced because I don’t like to go down the rabbit hole of limiting my thoughts to a finite extreme. I see both sides of any topic and each side usually ends up sounding very stupid when their reasoning is taken to its logical end, or illogical as the case may be but, there is this thing now where to question any player, tactic, or our manager means you can never praise any of those according to the manic masses of Gooners.
I believe, and I think many agree with me that it is time for our manager to retire for the good of the club He loves. No one can doubt The Arsenal is the love of Arsene’s life. The man has given everything and more for AFC. But, I also am not vile enough to bash him every chance I get either. To love the man and to think his time is up are not mutually exclusive. The topic of Arsene is by far not the only Arsenal one where mutual exclusivity gets shouted at you like a missile. You name it and you get told you can’t think both things at the same time. This is pure tosh in my opinion.
Those of us who still look for context are out there but our voices are quieter and quieter not just on Arsenal twitter but on many other things such as *shiver* politics and religion. These are the people I seek out and consequently the only reason left for me to stay on social media. You know who you are and I appreciate you all. I sometimes disagree with those I am referring to here but it is always civil and we usually end up learning something from each other. I have found it wise to leave the in house battle of Arsenal social media to those who thrive on the conflict and outrage like a bee to honey.
The best way to witness what I’m talking about is right when the lineup is announced. I love the debate of how or how we should setup. That’s all it is, debate. But inevitably I will be told to shut up and support the team. Like a golf spectator yelling “GET IN THE HOLE!” this gets to me. I consider myself a fairly calm man, quick to listen and slow to anger BUT, this mother of all stupid directives makes me long for the days I used to use drugs. Like supporting the team and debating the lineup are mutually exclusive FFS. Isn’t that what social media and especially football social media is designed for, discussion? Can we talk about tactics without being labeled a fake fan or, God forbid, a plastic?
I guess this piece is my cathartic plea to lighten up about The Arsenal. Yes, we all love the club more than is reasonable or sane. No “greatest fan” contest is ever going to do anything but divide us. I say we should embrace the diversity of thought when it comes to The Arsenal because wanting to see us win AND loving this club ARE mutually exclusive.
by @GunnerFaithful
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Well written and makes consummate sense to me. The beauty of being a football supporter is to watch, and to try to understand and appreciate; but also to have and develop your own opinions and footballing philosophy. Social media is a valuable tool in many ways but can also foster a climate of cyber one-upmanship and the compulsion to declare your allegiance to whichever fad group is in the ascendancy!