Emirates Atmosphere - The Sound of One Hand Clapping? Not Really...

When the attendance figure was read out at the Emirates on Tuesday evening (58,978 if you must know), I turned to my cousin and smirked a little. Arsenal infamously count their season ticket holders amongst that figure, whether or not they have actually attended the match, and this certainly contributed to a number that was generous to say the least, based on what I could see looking around the ground.

That being said, my intention is not to criticise the club in any way, or the fans for that matter. There are plenty of reasons that I could (and did) come up with by way of justification, and I hate the idea that it would be bandied around to belittle not only those who were in attendance, but also those who support just as rabidly from elsewhere, for whatever reason.

Having read one or two articles and comments on the subject yesterday, I thought that I’d just offer my two cents on the matter. It’s not any more valid than what has been said elsewhere of course, but it may differ in some respects. None of what I was reading was in any way blaming Arsenal fans either, but I feel that a bit more of a personal look at the situation might be beneficial.

The reporting on the issue has generally referred to the lack of fans in the stadium as contributing to a somewhat subdued atmosphere, and it would be hard to seriously argue with that, but what frustrates me (and it’s not the fault of anyone in particular really) is that it’s another opportunity for more informal critics to claim that our fans are some of the least passionate in the league, when I know that to be entirely false.

Firstly, and at the risk of sounding incredibly defensive and petulant, I wanted to suggest some reasons why the attendance might have been so embarrassing on Tuesday. The increasing cost of actually attending a football game, especially in the Champions League, is clearly having an impact on attendances in general, and in November, with the game already shown on TV (for those fortunate enough to own a BT subscription), I suspect that more than a few decided to enjoy the comfort of watching the game indoors. Apparent transport issues, and the general heightened tension regarding security after recent events probably had an effect too.

Perhaps fans could even be forgiven for attributing less importance to a home game against Dynamo Zagreb, even after having it billed as ‘make or break’ in terms of our Champions League hopes this season (which, in fairness, it was, even if that suggests a tension to the outcome that I’m not sure too many were feeling as acutely as usual). This was perhaps even more understandable given the result last weekend, and that much of the focus in recent weeks (from everyone, not just the media, and myself included) has been on the ever-growing injury list rather than impressive individual performances from certain members of the squad.

Football as a sport is unnaturally liable to monumental mood swings from week to week, and in that respect, it is unfortunate that this game came during something of an understated moment during this season for Arsenal. That being said, the reported attendance was only 500 higher for the game against Olympiakos, which came during a rich run of form.

For the little that it’s worth I felt that, despite notably thin on the ground, the atmosphere inside the stadium was not too far different from what I was used to on Tuesday (although I think that might be more of a negative than a positive to some extent). The goals were cheered with the usual gusto, and several chants echoed around the entirety of the stadium as they do when we’re playing more recognisable opposition.

In all fairness, I would also have to admit that in between those moments of excitement, there was something lacking from the general passion surrounding the action on the pitch. Whereas every refereeing decision that goes against the team is usually met with a roar of disapproval, it was more of a tame growl around me on Tuesday; people were enjoying themselves, and were engrossed in the game, but once I actually got into the ground, I felt little nervous tension, and I think that was also reflected in the way that Arsenal pretty much dominated the play, bar a few hairy moments. We came to watch Arsenal do a job, not necessarily to watch a football match.

In this respect, the game was almost a lose-lose situation. Win the game, as we were fully expected to do, and it was only job half done, lose, and all the talk of a ‘crisis’ would again start circling around North London. Not just this, but whilst many see the Champions League as the ultimate pinnacle of club football, facing reality for Arsenal means that we have to be happy with maintaining our place in the competition each season.

Fans can (and do) argue for hours about whether this is an acceptable position for the club to be in right now. I’m not going to convince anyone of either persuasion here, but personally I see us still on the road to recovery following that long decade of turbulence, and let’s not forget that the best that we have ever done in the competition was reaching the final in 2005/06, and that our best teams of the Wenger reign haven’t come particularly close aside from that.

I want us to get behind the team whatever happens, I will certainly still be looking to encourage the team no matter who we’re playing or what happens, but let’s not do an ‘England’, and assume we’re one of the favourites going into every tournament, cup competition or season, because often, we’re simply not.

In this respect, we have got to make sure that we don’t fall into the trap (as I have on more than one occasion) of harbouring delusions of grandeur; simply put, in the majority of recent years we have been knocked out of the Champions League to a team that is better than us. Very few teams can be a Barcelona or a Bayern Munich, but let’s not let that mask the fact that we have made progress over the past few years.

Alexis and Mesut Özil are pretty good examples of that, as is the fact that, though still not perfect, we are far more competitive (in a far more even league) than we were two or three years ago. If the fact that we haven’t had some swanky new manager through the doors for nearly the past two decades is becoming boring for you, then might I politely suggest that this might not be the team for you?

The thing is though, I know that for even those people, most of the driving force behind any criticism of the club is an intense desire to see the club do well. The fan base, as divided as it can be, does care deeply about Arsenal FC, even if we’ve got some funny ways of showing it sometimes.

So, the futility of the game yesterday, which was seemingly noted by the lack of attendance, is somewhat reflected in the ultimate futility of this article. I guess all I really wanted to say was that we should not be defined entirely by low attendance, or the ‘library atmosphere’ that we are so often reminded about, because I know that things are not that simple.

We may get stick for being unable to take a bit of 'banter’, and for our insatiable desire to win twitter polls (I mean, just look back at the article I’ve written today), but for me, that all speaks of a fan base who are fiercely proud of their club.

Don’t get this wrong, Arsenal fans are no less passionate than any others, and I’m a bit tired of being told otherwise.