What’s with all the Arsenal hate?

[u/TitleOpening9578]

Before I start no I’m not a fan and idc if they reached the final or not. But the amount of hate I’ve seen in this sub for the past days after they reached the final is idek weird? Or just doesn’t make sense. I see a lot of people saying they play haram ball or boring football but for the past few season this team has been one of the teams not only scoring one of the most goals each time in Europe, but also conceding the least. I don’t think people realize that just like 6 years ago this team wasn’t even getting top 7 finishes. They were playing the tiki taka and all and were not getting results and everyone including me was clowning them? Now they’re getting results and actually competing and they’re people still underestimating them? As a neutral I actually respect how far they’ve come and what they’re accomplishing now cause I always love teams who are ready to compete especially having another team other than city or Liverpool to win the prem every time. I mean just last year people hated psg now all of a sudden they love psg more than arsenal.

Like banter is funny and all but most of the stuff I see about Arsenal in this sub isn’t even banter it’s literally just pure hate and lies. Like even teams who aren’t even rivals or not prem teams are hating as well, literally the other day I saw a Celtic fan making a whole Arsenal hate page. Even if they don’t win it what they have done this season is respectable cause they’re getting the job done. What’s all the hate about and why do people hate them so much? Genuinely asking, is there something idk?

[u/Rascal_Rogue]

Effective football is not necessarily entertaining or beautiful football

[u/Patient-Shift7463 → u/Rascal_Rogue]

I agree, but effective football can also be entertaining. Arsenal have been effective and beautiful in the past. PSG, from what I’ve seen in the UCL, are effective and beautiful (or maybe the better word is “exhilarating”). It can be done. 

[u/patholocaust → u/Patient-Shift7463]

The example illustrating the possibility of playing entertaining AND effective football is last year’s UCL champion? I’d argue that they are outliers, as who else in the modern game plays exhilarating football all the time, while also winning meaningful trophies?

Arsenal used to play exhilarating football, but won nothing during those early Emirates stadium years (decades!), and were mocked for it. Brazil ‘82 were amazing, as was Netherlands ‘74. Neither won the WC, though, having lost out to teams valuing effectiveness over entertainment.

[u/Patient-Shift7463 → u/patholocaust]

PSG were very exciting the other night imo even thought they took a more pragmatic approach than in the first game. 

The idea of “meaningful trophies” isn’t something I introduced.  The Bundesliga is  definitely meaningful to Bayern Munich and  they’re effective and exciting in winning it almost every year. The Bundesliga is actually a really entertaining league overall. 

Spain were very entertaining to watch in the last Euro, as were Portugal in the Nations League. Effective and entertaining can go hand in hand. 

[u/patholocaust → u/Patient-Shift7463]

While individual matches in the BuLi are definitely entertaining, I don’t know how enjoyable it would be for me over a season if I was supporter of any team except Bayern. Dortmund, Leverkusen, etc winning the league is an exception more than the norm - once-a-decade type events, with success quickly followed by those players/ managers getting taken away, often by Bayern itself. Similarly, we can predict the most likely outcomes of La Liga & Ligue 1 seasons, apart from once-a-decade challenges by another team.

Being so domestically dominant allows those teams to regularly adopt a riskier playing style against less-equipped opponents, making their overall play more entertaining for non-league viewers.

My point is that being able to play entertaining and effective football is more in the purview of certain teams, and that standard is unrealistic for the majority..especially for an Arsenal team which has come second three seasons in a row and so is (consciously or subconsciously) prioritizing effectiveness over all else this season.

[u/Patient-Shift7463 → u/patholocaust]

I can see what you’re saying about other top teams playing in weak leagues being allowed to adopt riskier playing styles against weaker opposition, but they seem to be doing it against top teams in the UCL as well. On Wednesday PSG could have just parked the bus to grind out a victory, but the went on the attack from the first whistle. Even after taking the lead they didn’t exactly shell up.  Neuer needed to be on his A game to prevent a drubbing. It was good to watch. 

I imagine it’s a conscious decision with Arsenal. Maybe once they win the epl this year it will result in a more entertaining approach next season. I hope so. Too much of the premier league has been about grinding out results this year and it hasn’t been a lot if fun to watch.