While it was pretty amusing to see the #WengerOut movement get hijacked during Arsene’s later years at the Emirates, with banners popping up in some of the most random places on the planet, there was a genuine message behind it. Arsenal fans had grown tired of the club’s stagnation under the Frenchman and were crying out for a fresh approach in the dugout.
Disgruntled supporters no longer content with winning FA Cups aplenty finally got their own way last year when Wenger announced he’d be leaving the club of his life.
Step forward Unai Emery, the man chosen to lead the Gunners into a brave, new, banter-less era. Supposedly…
The part-time Count Dracula lookalike has had promising moments during his first campaign at the helm. But all of a sudden, it looks like he could end up overseeing the season of Arsenal fans’ very worst nightmares…
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Missing out on the top four
Emery’s minimum objective this season is to restore Arsenal’s place in the Champions League. That’s essential for a self-sustaining club like the Gunners who, rather unconventionally, decide to let players leave for free as opposed to selling them for money or even some magic beans.
That would boost the coffers to the tune of about £60m and bring an end to the poxy Thursday–Sunday fixture schedule which every fan despises. Despite it being in their hands as recently as last week, three damaging defeats have put Chelsea in the driving seat for fourth place with two games remaining.
Arsenal fan hell-o-meter: 9/10
Losing the Europa League final to Chelsea
Winning the Europa League gives the Gunners another path back to Europe’s top table. Given his experience, you’d expect Unai Emery will find a way to get past his old club Valencia in the semi-finals, inevitably setting up a showpiece final against Chelsea.
In yet another genius act from UEFA, the final is being played in that famous European footballing country, Azerbaijan – a mere six-hour flight away from London.
Handy for the fans, that. Imagine what a horror scenario it would be for Arsenal fans to see their chance of a rare European trophy – and a place in the Champions League – wrecked by their rivals in Baku.
Arsenal fan hell-o-meter: 10/10
They’ve lost 10 league games (and counting)
While that is an improvement on their whopping 13 league defeats in 2017/18, it could still end up being their second-worst Premier League season ever in terms of losses.
Those reversals have come against Man City (twice), Chelsea, Southampton, Liverpool, West Ham, Everton, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Leicester City. While there’s no shame in losing to the dominant title-chasers, their dreadful away record shows no sign of being arrested. And in Europe, they’ve lost to the mighty BATE Borisov, and the immovable object that is Rennes.
Not much fun for those dedicated away fans, eh?
Arsenal fan hell-o-meter: 9/10
Spurs winning the Champions League
Just reading that sentence alone is enough to get Arsenal fans building a nuclear bunker to lock themselves in for the rest of their lives.
Yes, their stadium-hopping rivals lost their semi-final first-leg to Ajax, but would anyone write them off given how they’ve fluked their way through the competition so far?
It feels like the stars are aligning for Spurs to beat Barcelona 1-0 in the final, with the freak winning goal coming when Lionel Messi shoots and hits the crossbar so hard the ball cannons all the way back to his own goal and is mistakenly adjudged to have crossed the line by VAR officials who have forgotten their glasses.
Arsenal fan hell-o-meter: 10/10
They lost to Spurs at home in the League Cup
Granted, the League Cup is the runt of domestic competition, but it still matters to the fans – particularly when you end up playing your biggest rivals. However, it didn’t go to plan for the Gunners back in December, as Spurs came to the Emirates and inflicted a 2-0 quarter-final defeat.
One saving grace for Gooners: at least Spurs managed to Spurs it up against Chelsea in the semi-finals.
Arsenal fan hell-o-meter: 9/10
They lost to Man Utd at home in the FA Cup
It’s already hard to think of now, but there was a time when Ole being at the wheel didn’t just mean driving the team bus straight off a cliff. The Red Devils were flying when they took on Arsenal, overcoming their rivals 3-1 to make it eight straight wins for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
To make it even more embarrassing, some fraudulent part-timer called Alexis Sanchez scored as well.
Arsenal fan hell-o-meter: 9/10
Stan Kroenke taking full ownership of the club
Perhaps the worst of all, in September 2018 it was confirmed that Stan Kroenke – a man more interested in buying ranches than players – had taken 100% control of the club. It was labelled a “dreadful day for Arsenal Football Club” by the supporters’ trust, as it brought an end to the tradition of plurality ownership and having emotionally-invested supporters in control.
The American’s rudderless, hands-off approach to running the club and lack of investment is likely to mean things will get a lot worse for the Gunners before it gets better. The light at the end of the Emirates’ tunnel is very dim indeed.
But hey, look on the bright side, Gooners. At least you haven’t been caught playing background crowd chants during games like a certain other North London team has. Now that’s bad…
Arsenal fan hell-o-meter: 10/10
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