So as I was walking back to Wembley Park station after the game, content in the knowledge that we had brought the gap between us and Chelsea back up to five points and I decided to look at the comments by Spurs fans on our Facebook page.
I knew it wasn’t one of the best of performances. It was a very tired, end-of-season performance. The MOST important thing though was that we won, 2-0. I got to celebrate two winning goals and smile as I heard the desperate chants of the Watford fans with absolute crackers like “Arsene Wenger he’s won more than you”.
That really was the best WATFORD fans could come up with. A chant celebrating Arsenal…. The fact that in our history we have won more in a season then Watford have since they existed probably the reason they had nothing more to say I guess.
So there I was, happy with a win, enjoying the moment and I started to read the comments though I became a little confused. ALL I was reading was criticism of the players and Pochettino.
Along with the usual criticism of Pochettino’s substitution decisions, I was reading criticism of all the players. I was even reading about how Watford bossed the midfield.
Even more bizarrely these comments weren’t even ending with “..but we won which is the main thing”.
All I could think – If this is the reaction after WINNING the game, what would have been the reaction if we had lost!?
I absolutely appreciate that everybody is entitled to critique a performance, but taking in to account that we won the game and kept a clean sheet at this stage of the season, regardless of the opposition, for me makes seeing comments purely focusing negatively on the performance very strange.
A football team cannot play free-flowing, attacking and entertaining football in every match in a season, it’s impossible. Even Manchester City have had some below-par games this season and scraped a win.
I also appreciate that there is frustration with another trophyless season, but at this stage in the season, with Champions League football still not secured, the ONLY focus should be on the result.
We’ve played away from home all season. How many fans at the start thought we would get Champions League? I remember reading some saying mid table at best. Pundits and journalists due to the ‘Wembley curse’ never gave us a hope in hell of making the top-four at the beginning of the season. Yet here we are, gaining three valuable points on Monday night.
However; instead of Spurs fans sticking a proverbial two-fingers up to the doubters and haters as it edges us closer to that top-four finish they would rather focus on criticising the players after gaining those three points. When did our fan base get like this? We all used to laugh at Arsenal Fan TV and now I read these comments and think maybe I shouldn’t laugh at that as clearly we are no better.
Football brings me so much joy. Supporting Spurs brings me so much joy. If you can’t find joy from winning an important game of football then maybe you are following the wrong club, or maybe even the wrong sport. Surely you enjoy the good times when they come?
As I sat on the train home, I decided it was best to close Facebook, put on my headphones and sit back, smiling and content with the knowledge that we had indeed won our Monday night football game against Watford, and with that put another all-important three points in the bag. I only wish everyone could enjoy wins when they happen as much.
-Admin MC
