Fans' Forum

Wounded by the cumulative disappointment of a Carling Cup final defeat at the hands of Chelsea and elimination from the F.A. Cup and the Champions League, some Arsenal fans have deluged message boards with calls for the recruitment of assorted superstars and the rejection of certain players they consider to be below standard.

It is an understandable reaction, but not necessarily a wise one. To begin with, the investment of many millions of pounds does not guarantee a player’s level of performance or degree of loyalty and the history of the Premiership is littered with examples of expensive mistakes in the transfer market, at fees which only top clubs can afford to pay, and which even they can scarcely afford to waste. Huge expenditure has to be seen to be right, especially as the object of that investment is denying a place, and therefore the opportunity to develop, to a young and promising player, of which Arsenal have arguably more than any of their rivals.

As for the clamour to dispose of certain players, that too should be considered with caution. Take Philippe Senderos for instance. Fans eager to categorise him as ‘not good enough’ would do well to remember his commanding performances for Switzerland in the 2006 World Cup. They might also note that if a centre back is to be rejected on the grounds that he finds it difficult to cope with Didier Drogba, then the majority of Premiership players in that position will be picking up their P45s. The case against Mathieu Flamini is equally unjust. His versatility and professionalism are reminiscent of Gilles Grimandi, who made a valuable contribution to Arsenal’s success during Arsene Wenger’s early years.

Perhaps the most outrageous examples of fans’ dissatisfaction occurs when it is directed at truly gifted players, especially when those players have not been given the opportunity to settle and adjust properly to the pace and pressure of the Premiership. It is ironic that when some fans focus on what they perceive to be the weaknesses of Alexander Hleb and Tomas Rosicky, they are compared unfavourably with Robert Pires. These fans would do well to recall that Pires, who became a star and a true Arsenal legend, took some time to find his feet in this country. He came to be regarded as irreplaceable, but already there are signs that Rosicky, once he settles, will do more than replace him because he has all the virtues of Pires (including the ability to score goals) and he is a better defender.

If Rosicky and Hleb deserve to be given time to establish themselves at Arsenal, the same might be said of Julio Baptista. It is typical of the impatience of fans that they already seem to have forgotten the goals which the Brazilian contributed to the club’s Carling Cup success, and ironic that in the case of Jose Antonio Reyes, absence seems to have made certain hearts grow fonder.

Perhaps the most persuasive case is that which concerns Jeremie Aliadiere. He has been at Arsenal for several seasons and though his career has been disrupted by injury and loan periods, he has been able to provide only glimpses of his talent, rather than the sustained performances necessary to force him into the reckoning at a top club with strikers of the calibre of Thierry Henry, Robin Van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor. In the light of this, he may be the only player whose departure can be justified.