Thomas Vermaelen has a very simple message – a message he hopes will resonate with fans and players alike.
It’s not a message in a bottle (they’re for cunts); it’s a message in the matchday programme which he relayed ahead of yesterday’s comeback-tastic win over Aston Villa.
This is what the Verminator had to say … read and take note.
“As players what we can do is work hard, be ourselves and believe in the team. What we can do as a club is stick together – as a team, as a club, as supporters – because then you are stronger.
“That’s the message I want to give – stick together.
“Sometimes you will get tough times in a season, the thing is to get out of it as quickly as possible, and the way to do that is being together. You cannot be down the whole week, there is always a game ahead of you.
“Of course we were disappointed after the Man United game, we spoke together as a team after the game, but now we are looking forward and trying to be positive.”
Ahead of Arsenal not signing anyone on transfer deadline day, a tough trip to Bolton on Wednesday and the visit of Blackburn on Saturday there is no time for a split between fans and players. The games are coming thick and fast and there is a points gap to be made up.
Let’s get to work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9EbR0ckb40
“Boooooooooooo”
*Sees Vermaelen coming and fucks off*
“Boooooooooooooooo!!”
*Sees Vermaelen coming*
“Boooooooooooooooo-urns…”
Personally I agree that as a supporter you should get behind the team, I would never boo them, however I do understand why an element of the fan base do this as they feel it is the only way players/board/management will know they are unhappy. Partof me agrees with them that if I just support blindly, then it seems the club will think all is fine and plod on making the same mistakes .
Right, because I’m sure the club intends to make mistakes and furthermore wouldn’t have any idea whether they’ve in fact made any without “help” from the fans.
Of course the club doesn’t ‘intend’ to make mistakes in the future, but I’d have thought even the most blinkered supporter would have to admit we have repeated mistakes over the past few seasons, such as failure to address defensive frailties, playing players that are simply not good enough, leaving the squad thin in certain areas in the hope we’ll muddle through. As I said, I have never booed and never will, but understand the mentality/frustrations of those who do. I don’t know if you go to games Wiltoldo, and I don’t judge you if you don’t, but there is… Read more »
I totally agree with Midfield Corporal here. It’s not about just the match. It’s about 6 years of fan frustration. The fans feel cheated and lied to by the club and at some point it spills over onto the pitch. The club has made the SAME EXACT MISTAKES for 5 years straight. While booing isn’t something I would do, I have nothing against those who feel it’s their only recourse.
Hunter, “The fans” don’t feel cheated and lied to. Some individuals do.
The ones who boo obviously feel that way and rightfully so. Some players feel that way as well. I don’t blame any of them.
There was a moment in the 2nd half of the Villa game that epitomised the spirit of Vermaelen and RVP. I think it was when we were 2-1 down. Villa had the ball near their own corner flag, and both players threw themselves at the ball in perfect synchrony, in order to prevent a clearance. They didn’t get the block in, but it was impressive nonetheless.
“Of course we were disappointed after the Man United game”
we can just copy and paste that sentence…….it has been used so many times
agree we stick together,i would/could never support another team fact,but when i think my beloved club is being sold short by the management and some players i have a right to show displeasure fact.Since 2006 our club is a former shadow of its self the squad is paper thin.in the starting eleven i think there are only verm, bac,ramsey wilshere and RVP WHO SHOULD HAVE A FUTURE.we have fallen so far that results against clubs like fulham,blackburn,newcastle are no longer a surprise..the suprise is when we now beat these clubs..yes we have been fortunate since 1996 with great players but… Read more »
Well, i think you’d better get used to Szczesny and Koscielny being around, because they will be for a while. They’re still developing as players, and have made good starts to their careers.
What about the Ox? He should have no future?
Arteta isn’t consistent?
I know the team’s not perfect (if they were we’d be top of the league) but I think you’re selling a few of them short here.
Koscielny is no longer a young player and hasn’t been since he has been with us. I don’t think he has 1 good game in 10 but I do think he has one mental error every match and sometimes (less often this season) they are catastrophic. For some reason he has a real issue with concentration. It’s not a skill thing with him, it’s 100% focus and concentration.
Koscielny has easily been our most consistent performer, Szczęsny is only 20 and is already showing signs of being a world class ‘keeper and Song improves every season. Also, what you’re saying is Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arteta, Mertesacker, etc…. have no chance of having a future despite being either internationals or joining the club this season. You need to get your head out of the football manager/FIFA clouds and actually look at our players and their performances as a whole and not over one or two matches. It seems you just wanted to rant with no actual direction other than to have… Read more »
World class, hahaha. You don’t know what world class is. Stupid supporters with their stupid brainless comments. Won’t be long before people are calling The Ox world class after 5 games. Utter crap. Zidane was world class, Bergkamp, Henry, Ronaldo, Messi – Sczcesny??? bwahahah. Clueless. And with supporters like you lapping up mediocrity Arsenal are doomed. Thank fuck for people that boo and apply pressure on the board and manager.
how old were Zidan, Bergkamp, Henry before they became world class and Messi, Fabregas and Ronaldo are just an exception to the rule who have peaked extremely early and will not get much better in years to come. Different players develop at different rate you have to give our young players a chance and time in the top flight to get better and quicker for that point. We cant afford to sign players for over 17 million so get used to it go and support someone else. We have to sign our players young, quickly and unnoticed before oil funded… Read more »
Yeah sorry but all credibility lost when you said Kos and Song only have one good game in five. What about Van Persie? He only scores once a game, rubbish!
You can easely add Song, Kos, Szczesny, Arteta, Ox, LeCoq as top quality and future top quality players.
But to be able to compete with the best we need a world class striker as cover or partner for RVP, because our injury plague an inability to finish games has cost us too many points already.
We also need a real creative attacking central midfield player (in my opinion Ramsey is nowhere near good enough) and a manger who will change tactics when the situation dictates the need.
Yeah, Wenger said Walcott was future top quality, and Vela, Merida, Gibbs, Bendtner, Eboue, Aliadiere, Lupoli, Denilson, Diaby, Fabianski… the list goes on, and on and on. The same old crap. Wait till they fucking prove it, and don’t pay them m ore than £10k a week until they start proving it by delivering. Anything else is absurd.
Totally agree with you James. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that a player Like Diaby is taking home 60,000 a week and Denilson was taking almost 50,000 a week and so is Bendtner (when he comes back). These are players that barely belong in the premiership, much less on a top club in world football.
We are only worried that we rely on RVP because he isn’t getting the support, in terms of goals from other players, that we are used to. This situation will improve as we get our best fullbacks back. Gervinho, Walcott, and Chamakh will all score more when we are getting forward with more speed, directness and frequency, and that will come with the return of our fullbacks. When we have a properly functioning team again we will get more quality chances for goals, for RVP and the wingers. Then we can afford to play Chamakh and Park into form, and/or… Read more »
Gotta love this guy.
Great comeback, although none of the goals were particularly amazing.
Real determination there and they didn’t cave in at the end. Well done the Arsenal.
The players have to remember that an immediate response is good, but one that carries on is much better. Sometimes it seems like they forget how much it sucks to lose after a while. With players like Vermaelen and Koscielny in the side we do seem to have more of a backbone.
Let’s have more of this.
I hate it when I see the fans boo. Of course you can understand their frustration. But, when you’re known for booing as supposed to how good your support it is, it is a crying shame. A lot of other team’s fans know us “the library”, and we’re doing nothing to prove them wrong. Yesterday on Twitter, we as fans were a laughing stock, there are too many fickle fans. Booing when we were losing and then cheering when we scored. Piers Morgan, is prime example. Absolutely bashing the team at half time without putting things into perspective and then… Read more »
I personally can’t find it in myself to do it, but I do understand why some people boo. I think it can actually ok to boo at half time in a way, as it shows your disappointment and gives the players something to think about, that more is expected of them.
Then, when they come back on for the second half cheer them on. Give them an atmosphere to push on with. A roar of encouragement can go a long way. It gets the adrenaline pumping again.
The worst thing is,half of our team follows that twat on Twitter.
Sorry, but sometimes the players and coach need to hear it too. They can’t expect to go through 3 defeats, be 2-0 down to Villa, and still have a happy crowd behind them. Obviously something resonated with the team at halftime, I’d like to think part of it was the crowds displeasure while the majority was the fight in the players.
@Midfield Corporal. I agree but on the contrary I believe that the booing is still part of sticking together. ‘Iron sharpeneth iron,’ we all know, and when such happens, the friction generates heat and sparks fly around. The sparks flyinf around now, after seven years of containinng ourselves as fans is not inappropriate, IMO. The fans that are not for sticking up either refuse to show up or take a leave haven had enough like we saw yesterday. And i believe that these boos, coming on in late January, are more directed towards Wenger (Arshavin’s case yesterday a rare occurence… Read more »
I think we are both in agreement mate as to the reasons behind the booing. i replied to Wiltoldo earlier in this thread but said I feel the booing is aimed at Gazidis/Board who are charging big money but not investing that in ‘star’ signings, and also Arsene for not being active in the transfer Market.
I wonder if the crowd had erupted into applause as the team walked off at half time whether we would have seen the turn around? Its the old quandary- is the carrot better than the stick.
It’s very sad to see fans booing at our own club. There are so many cunts who play for opposition teams who are far more deserving of our boos. Save your boos for them. It’s great to see the Verminator has issued a rallying call for us to stick together and back the team. It is frustrating supporting this great club but in football you’ve got to take the lows as well as the highs.
We also need the squad to stick together and not fuck off when Barca and Man City come sniffing around.
“There are so many cunts who play for opposition teams who are far more deserving of our boos.”
You should make a list.
I’ll start:
1) John Terry…….
Alex McLeish
3) Nasri
The players are not the ones who the boos are aimed at (or should be). The board and/or Wenger are the ones to blame. The players can’t help most of them are nothing more than average, the blame goes to the people getting this group of players together. And I can’t believe the acceptance level of so many Arsenal fans. I get the feeling they are forcing themselves to be positive, otherwise they feel like bad supporters. In my opinion it is the other way around. Show your disbelief in the ridiculous tranferpolicy to try and force them to change.… Read more »
They’re on the Wenger love train and will never let go. That’s it now, they will support the daft prick not matter how bad it gets. He’s got these lame brains on his side for life; they’ll never turn their back on him after sticking up for him for so long. Then they say we’re not REAL arsenal fans. They don’t support Arsenal, they support Wenger and themselves. These fans are filth.
I would like to state that I would never ever boo my own team, they need all the support they can get, it’s just that I’m completely amazed by the lack of will among supporters to call loud for a better policy. The problems we have irritate me every single day and I don’t really have the feeling a lot of people are really doing anything about it. I’m from Holland and I know the culture might be different, but here we would definately show the people who cause the problems how we feel (not in a aggressive way if… Read more »
I love Thomas Vermaelen even more!!!!!
Got to love this guys steel and I hope we get the players we deserve in the summer if not then we all start booing the board not the team.
Lets support the team best we can as we run in to the end of the season and get that 4th place.
In Verm we trust
Breaking news- Arsenal to wrap up signings for Eden Hazard, Christian Erikson and Gotze to make a push for a top 4 finish
Are you playing Football Manager 2012 again?
More likely to be Micky Hazard, Sven Goran Erickson and Shaun Goater.
I forgot to add the legendary striker aka Emile Heskey. He is available on free transfer!
First of all I love the guy he is everything one could hope for in a player and leader. I’m of mixed mind on booing, it’s unfortunate but, and my loci is sort of twisted here, it indicates a passion and caring in it’s own way. Kind of a tough love, c’mon chaps you’re better than that, we know you’re better than that, you do, so get stuck in and let’s do it. Or is dull apathy down 0-2 to Villa better? Rah-rah patronizing cheers? As long as the crowds gets as passionately behind the team when we do well,… Read more »
Gotta love this guy! What a Vice-Captain!
Would be nice if he delivered more than words. You’re impressed by words, not actions. Idiotic.
Seem to remember we were in a similar position last season when fickle fans kept booing over every mistake, and it just compounded the problems as players became nervous and made even more errors. Saying that Im pleased to see that this year is different, as much as Wenger’s quotes of ‘mental strength’ do my head in, yesterday was a perfect example of how our team has changed and developed. I think having the likes of Verm, Robin, Song, Per and Henry about has helped strengthen the player’s resolve and you have to give credit to the management. If we… Read more »
The problem is that they won’t tweak the squad. We will have this talk again next season and that will probably be AFTER RVP has moved on because he actually wants to win something. Gazidis basically said today that we are a selling club.
Maybe that’s because he and his staff can’t manage to close a freaking deal for a top player (Juan Mata, Elia, Schwarzer, etc.) so we sell without ever replacing.
I have to say I do think there will be some tweaking this summer, especially if we manage to get into the later rounds of the CL as it’ll bring in more money. It’s clear to all, and it also must be to Wenger, that we need a back up striker to Robin, and also an extra mid to enable more squad rotation. I mean I’ve also accepted the fact were never gonna get any top players in worth £30m+ because we just can’t afford it, but this summer I would like to see podolski cus seriously rate him as… Read more »
How man times have we seen glaring deficiencies in the team only for the manager to ignore them? That’s pretty much been the last 6 years hasn’t it? Arsene hasn’t given me any reason to suddenly start trusting he will do what’s needed.
yes we’re gonna stick together like glue, but first show us that you are all with us(manager and the board)!
why is it out of the question to replace Nasri/Cesc with Hazard/Gotze?
Are we turning into a feeder club to Man City and Barca?
It appears that way doesn’t it? We sell our best players and replace them with crap or kids who are nowhere near as good.
So. If we pay young players a lot based on potential, then that is not acceptable. If we do not pay young players a lot and then they leave, then that’s still a problem. Some fans need to make up their mind! You can’t have it both ways!
Also, please could anyone name a single manager who has managed to be better than Wenger with the same net spend? We have lots of young talent. enjoyed a long period of success and now when its time for us to give a little back in the way of support, we start booing our own team. The Arshavin incident was not a one-off, who remembers Eboue? Why put the club under more pressure? The press make our shortcomings clear enough. We should be more supportive
Would you rather be in Liverpool’s shoes? Change of manager, lots of money spent and they seem to be happy with the Carling Cup plus 5th or 6th. Maybe Dalglish should replace Wenger. That is what we need, throw all our money away on crap players and then not even consider contention for champion’s league places.
Be very careful what you wish for!
Rant over!
Liverpool is a bad example. No one is asking for Wenger to sign Carrol for £35 mill. Fans want money reinvested into quality players instead of signing players like Park.We should be title contenders not sturggling to finish 4th!