Being a fan

Unfortunately your argument can only really be approached around late August, because in recent years, most of the transfer business at AFC has happened quite late. Don't rule out another attacking
signing, and don't even rule out it being Eto'o, but I feel like we all will have to wait quite a bit to see what happens.

Also, the thing with Wenger is that he never goes for names. The biggest name he has gone for is Jose Antonio Reyes, and Arsenal haven't signed a "top player" since the summer of 1995 when Dennis
Bergkamp and David Platt arrived. Probably the biggest player to arrive under his tenure was Sol Campbell on a very expensive free transfer, with Jose Antonio Reyes a close second. There has been
money spent on players from time to time, Sylvain Wiltord is the highest outright fee that Arsenal have ever paid (11m), and he had scored a hatful of goals but was not really an exciting name.
Ultimately, it's not really about "does Wenger know best", but accepting that he has a way of doing things, and at times like this the fans are frustrated by it. He is an economical guy who likes to
pick up players that aren't hyped up yet, but have quality...

...and ultimately if the fans want something else, it will have to be without Wenger. Arsenal fans have also over the years grown to forget just how good a manager Arsene Wenger is - look at him
being linked with Real, Barca and co. every year. You can't discount all he has achieved over the years, and the football that has been played, and the attitude with which he has conducted himself
and the game. Remember that Sir Alex spent some time trophyless, and was 1 game away from being sacked before he turned everything around and made United into a force. Then after three years without
the league title, he's brought it back to them. I think we should allow Arsene some liberty as well. He's not just built a team here, he's built a club. There was no youth setup, no organisation, we
were training at UCL's grounds for god's sakes...

...It all is based on us having trust in Arsene Wenger, because he has a longer term plan that we have yet to see the fruits of (the academies are still 1 or 2 years away from consistently producing
top youngsters), but yes, we have traded away the short-term for all of this. Whew! Sorry for the long, long comments... should have probably just blogged a response!

"...an Arsenal group" "..known for intelligent conversation" hmmmmmmm.... that one's just sitting there mate ;)

Yeah. . . ok. They're everywhere nowadays I guess. Oh well, I did set myself up for it. :) I know we've bought late in the transfer window, I know he doesn't like to be drawn into a wage battle with
agents and other teams. I was just frustrated at the time of the transfer (I'm over it), and I got back the whole, "and you call yourself a fan" routine. So what I meant by the post was, "is it ok to
criticize your team and still call yourself a fan?" I believe you can, and it's not about being disloyal, or not trusting in management. I won't boo the team, or the players, I won't root against
them in front of others, but I won't just follow them blindly without disagreeing.

Yes. Of course it's okay to criticise your team and still call yourself a fan. In fact, I'd take it to the other extreme. It is your *duty* as a fan to criticise your team if you fell they're doing
wrong by the fans. Whether or not you're ultimately correct will be proven in the long run, as SM said. But if you just drink the Kool-Aid and don't speak up, then you're a being a sheep.

I totally agree with Jonathan. Don't let anyone tell you the right way to be a fan. Support the club you love and voice your opinion as you see fit. Spending money on tickets, kits, etc earns you the
right to question the way a team is being handled.

Players will question themselves at times to think over what they did wrong or right, how it can be improved or benefit the team. You have the right to speak out. You support the team and deserve a
say. Sure you may not agree on everything at times but that's how it just works sometimes.

ARSENE KNOWS! Arsenal at this time is a very touchy subject ... Wenger has proven over the years that he nobody is better at unearthing talent. Sure he deserves criticism for the lack of "big"
transfers over the last few years, but he has all the components of a team that can challenge. In typical Wenger fashion, after being quiet after Henry's departure, he signs the biggest secret in
European Football. He has shown that he can adjust his transfer policies as this is the first time in a long time that he has signed a 24 yr old. I think a Left Wing player and a defender is what he
is looking for now. When you look at the current squad, it may not seem like it could challenge for the prem title, but it seems to be enough to finish above Spurs. If all else fails, i think we will
still have St. Totteringham's Day.

Well Forza, A long time ago I decided to abandon my part as a one-team-fan (I still have them as my favorite team but I refuse to declare which one), to become a every-good-team-fan (with some
exceptions) ... In short: once you decided to write about soccer in general and still keep your fan side open, you also leave an open door to these kinds of responses from people who can't separate
the Forza "soccer spokesperson" from the Forza "Arsenal Fan"... But I totally understand your point of view and I think you should keep doing what you're doing because your opinions make a lot of
sense.

Forza - "is it ok to criticize your team and still call yourself a fan?" Why not? We all contribute money somehow (through TV, merchandise, etc) to the teams, we support them, and some of us go out
of our way to incorporate them into our lives. Especially when you are a stadium-goer, and you shell out thousands over a season, you are entitled to ask questions of the team. It can't just be a
one-way relationship. But that said, there are too many fans who haven't earned the right to criticise the team, and a lot who are only there to criticise and nothing else.

Thanks guys, all great stuff all around. Yeah, manogil I really know what you mean. The minute you start writing or podcasting it you have to have some kind of editorial distance. I still follow my
teams, but it's a bit schizo, like Bugs Bunny in those old cartoons, with two mini versions of myself on my shoulder (one with his face painted in team colors screaming at the ref and the other with
a PDA in hand writing on a deadline). Being a fan is very important for me, but the analysis is something I'm just as serious about. -Mando