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It is an accepted theory that a football fan is tied to his club for life and largely, it is true. For instance, if a club simply does not have the finances to compete for the biggest trophies then the fans are reasonable enough to understand that there is nothing much that can be done. The fans will still queue up to watch whether on the television or at the ground.
However, the whole thing takes a different complexion altogether if the club in question refuses to compete and chooses to operate with the sole purpose of making a profit, instead of competing for the biggest prizes.
That brings us neatly to the subject of Arsenal, which has reduced itself into what English football fans call a 'Cup side'. The Gunners are the third-most successful club in English football, but nothing about them looks like that they are in football to win things and here are some compelling reasons why it is perhaps time to stop supporting them:
#5 For one's own sanity
How many times have Arsenal conceded the same goal and lost a game in the same way over the last decade or so? A well-worn template of many Arsenal games against the 'big clubs' run somewhat on these lines: start well, attack, lose the ball, concede, equalise, dominate and then concede on the counter-attack.
It happens in games after games, season after season, which is why, it is pertinent to think whether such an experience is actually worth the time, attention and money for supporters.
Supporters might actually not be that bothered about those things but such games can take a toll on one's sanity and perhaps there is not much of a point in putting oneself through such a psychological grinder anymore.
On top of that, there are the embarrassing defeats against the elite of Europe and perhaps it has now become a bit too much for fans to actually care much about Arsenal's fortunes. One might check the score in passing but actually watching the games and closely supporting the club might not be good for one's mental health.
#4 Repeated mistakes regarding contracts
Arsenal are perhaps one of the few 'big clubs' in the world which is frequently in the midst of a high profile contract standoff and that is something that has gone on at the club over the past decade or so.
Starting from players like Alexander Hleb or Mathieu Flamini to top stars like Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, plenty of stars have gone on to move to other clubs and the club seems to have learnt nothing from those episodes.
The worst possible thing that Arsenal have been guilty of is the delay in renewing contracts and that cost them their star-forward Robin van Persie, who moved to Manchester United back in 2012.
At the time, Arsenal and Arsene Wenger allowed their star forward's contract to run down to the final year of the contract and then when Van Persie had the upper hand, he went.
That happened in 2012 and even in 2017-18, a reenactment of such a situation is being seen as the club's big stars Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez continue to play for the club despite the fact that their contracts are going to expire in a few months.
Arsenal did not sell them but any mature club would either have extended their contracts and upon refusal, sold those players to the highest bidder. The money would ideally have been used to bolster the squad but naturally, Arsenal have taken the destructive path and it is a wonder, that they still have supporters.
#3 The club's unofficial 'fan channel' is an embarrassment
Now, everyone who watched the English Premier League is aware of fan channels on YouTube, but the channel that was the pioneer, was the now (in)famous ArsenalFanTV. When it started off, it was indeed a novel idea and perhaps a natural progression from social media, in which fans first found a voice.
Back in 2013, it first went mainstream following a rant from one Arsenal fan regarding transfers and the state of the club, following the opening day defeat to Aston Villa at home.
However, over the years, it has turned into a bit of a farce with a fixed set of characters saying mind-numbingly stupid things on camera.
More importantly, the channel is more popular among Arsenal's rivals than among the fans of the club, since there are usually bizarre scenes on the channel following defeats and that has all turned the extended club fandom into a joke.
The characters on ArsenalFanTV have now become the template for Arsenal fans, despite them being a minority and that is probably another reason why one would be careful before associating themselves with the club again.
#2 The club has been hijacked by one man
Now, it is a well-known fact that everything at the club is controlled by the club's manager Arsene Wenger and although that might have been a natural state of affairs a decade ago, it has now proven to be something that is holding the club back.
When Arsenal moved stadiums, Wenger stayed back despite offers from clubs like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, and following the ouster of executive David Dein, he became the most powerful person at the club, besides the owner.
However, he is no longer the manager that he used to be and yet, he continued to hold on to the sort of power that even far more successful managers could only dream of.
From transfers to training, and even the appointments of key personnel in the club are often greenlit by Wenger. So, in a way, one of England's biggest clubs has been hijacked by one man and is governed according to his whims, however ineffective.
Last year, it seemed that he would finally go, after widespread protests by fans, but Wenger actually signed a new two-year contract and this year, Arsenal are again staring at another finish outside the top 4.
The club does not seem to care about the performances, the state of the club or the opinion of fans despite repeated failures under Wenger. That is because the club now seems to be one man's ego-massaging project and it is quite clear, that fans are not important despite the protests they carried out last season.
#1 The owner, Stan Kroenke, has no intention of winning trophies
What is the point of a football club which is as big as Arsenal? It is a rhetorical question since everyone knows that the club needs to compete in the league and has to reach the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League if they are to be clubbed with the elite in Europe.
However, Arsenal's owner and billionaire Stan Kroenke is on record as saying that, “If you want to win Championships then you would never get involved.”
Kroenke's statements might have made some sense had Arsenal been a poor club but the club, located in London and charging the highest ticket prices in Europe, is one of the continent's commercial powerhouses.
In such a situation, the owner's statement simply reinforces what many fans had suspected, Kroenke is simply using the club as an investment and he is happy as long as the revenues keep the club among the elite in Europe.
A study published by Soccerex Football Finance, that was published on 4th of January this year states that Arsenal is the 2nd richest club in the world, second only to Manchester City. The club has £766 million in fixed assets and that is more than any other club anywhere in the world.
On the other hand, the club can boast of £300-million war chest in the bank, second only to Manchester United, who have more money in the bank than the North London club with a £307-million balance.
Last but certainly not the least, the club's annual net debt of £8 million is the lowest among all the clubs in England and the report has suggested that Arsenal can spend 'significantly' on transfers if the club wants.
However, as everyone knows, Kroenke is not in it for the trophies and those numbers must have further convinced him that just being there is reward enough.
When one considers the fact that Kroenke refused to sell the club to Alisher Usmanov for £3 billion back in 2017, the situation seems a bit desperate for fans. Kroenke won't sell and he won't lift a finger to turn the club into a competitive side either. What's the point in supporting such a club?
