European Fans Rankings- Who's The Most Passionate of our Continental Friends?

9. St Pauli

Basically, they are mad. I mean MAD. Their radical left-wing support and involvement in politics has made the club renowned across the world for its errr...unique, approach to off-field issues. Over the years the fans have made the club be recognized by the black and white skull and cross bones, the club’s unofficial badge. The club has been very involved in the politics of the game, leading multiple anti-racism and anti-homophobia campaigns long before wider campaigns such ‘Kick It Out’ ever came into existence. Although they haven’t stopped there. The club has even campaigned for Tibet’s independence and arranged a friendly with Cuba to show solidarity with Fidel Castro.

Another trait that defines St Pauli is their close relationship with their fans. The club do nearly everything for the fans. Very little gets done at St Pauli without full and thorough consultation processes with fans (if only it was like that at The Arsenal!) and they have been willing to give up financial gain to accommodate the desires of the fans....I wonder if Stan Kroenke is reading this...

But onto what really puts St Pauli here on this list- The fans. Their notorious, yet incredibly peaceful, ultras are renowned for their amazingly choreographed displays, many of which involve thousands of fans donning specific costumes and using specific props, making their games quite a sight off the field if not on it. As a spectacle visually, St Pauli fans are by far the best on this list and the effort that goes into their displays is unmatched. However, one factor which is out of their control, but which probably prevents them from ranking higher on this list is the lack of big matches they get to experience and hence the lack of special, big game atmospheres. I would love to see the kind of atmosphere that could be generated if they managed to get back in the Bundesliga and play teams such as Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Trust me when I say if and when that time comes I will be on the first flight to Hamburg. Despite this their vocal support remains brilliant and their particularly famous “we love you, we love you” song, since adopted by the likes of Palace, Celtic and Liverpool can be seen below.

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European Fan Rankings- Who's the most Passionate of our Continental Friends?

Fancied mixing it up a bit today and want to take a break from The Arsenal so I thought I'd take a look at some of the best (and crazy!) fans from around the Continent.

One thing that was intriguing and slightly concerning when I went about putting together this list was that I didn't even come close to putting the fans of any English team in my list. However, when many factors are considered this is not overly surprising.

The English have and always will be passionate about football- fact. It runs in our blood. If you don't support a team you are pretty much an outcast in our society, unless you support Sp*rs- which makes you an outcast anyway. So we are equally as passionate, if not more passionate than our Continental friends, the issue is that we simply do not have the platform to convey this passion like they do.

With the advent of all-seater libraries hugely dampening atmospheres at football grounds across the country and heavy-handed policing clamping down on even the slightest whiff of over-exuberance, English football fans have been forced to become more subdued.

One can only hope that with the introduction of Safe Standing looking a real possibility, English will yet again be able to show their true passion.

Anyway, enough of that. On to the list. I have decided to not post the list as one and simply post one of the ten teams for the next ten days, allowing me to do more in-depth studies of the teams, their history and their fan bases. Here's the first team today:

10. Cologne (FC Koln)

The passion for football certainly runs deep in the Valley of the Ruhr and despite their decent dip on the field, Cologne fans remain among Europe's best fans. They still average a staggering 41,000 attendance in Bundesliga 2 and a great match day atmosphere continues to be produced. Their RheinEnergie Stadium typifies what all modern stadiums should be like. Despite being built for the 2006 World Cup the designers ignored the sweeping curves of other European stadiums and built a great ground with four traditional, but better equipped stands.

The Koln hymn is apparently a great spectacle to witness always belted out with gusto before each home game. The bulk of Koln's vocal support is based upon the lower terracing behind one of the goals (an idea I believe would work wonders at the Grove) and like many German fans they utilise the use giant flags and banners to create an excellent display visually. One game that certainly confirmed my belief that Cologne fans are up there with the best of them was their game against Bayern Munich at the end of last year’s Bundesliga season. It was certainly one of the best atmosphere's I've heard in recent years so here's a clip to demonstrate the amazing atmosphere that day.


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Hasta la Vista Andre!- Santos Out?

Undoubtedly the title of this post will have many Gooners breathing a sigh of relief. Yes, seeing the overweight Brazilian going AWOL at left back may be something of the past. Maybe.

Since arriving from Fenerbahçe on August 31 2011 Santos has hardly been a fan favourite although his marauding runs forward may have been enjoyable at first, his many frailties were soon to be exposed. Costing £6.5 million, Santos was hardly a bargain and came with fans expecting him cement his place as the first choice left back. However, throughout his time at Arsenal Santos has been consistently outshone by the younger and less experienced Englishman Kieran Gibbs, both in attitude and performance.

It’s clear for anyone to see that Santos is errrm...chubby? Don't laugh, this is a serious issue. Rumour has it the club have issued Santos a strict diet he is to keep to, eliminating his personal favourite- Brazilian Steak- Unlucky Andre. Or maybe not unlucky Andre as rumour also has it that Santos has failed to comply with the diet. Hence the fact he has not shed a single ounce since his arrival at the club. This is one of the many attitude issues which are aggravating AW.

As well as that, Le Boss is said to be unhappy with his work rate and application both in training and on match days, as well as his all too often lapses in concentration. AW is also said to be fuming- as are all us Gooners- about Santos' ludicrous shirt swap with arch enemy number 1 RVP. Doing it at the end of the game would have been silly, but half time? Even you're smarter than that Andre...and that's not saying much.

So he's alienated the fans and manager. It's fair to say he could have started his AFC career a little better. The fact is Santos is the kind of player Arsenal need to get rid of if they wish to compete. He is a player who shows glimpses of brilliance: cavaliering and penetrating charges forward and rushing up to dispossess his assigned winger, but too often these things don't happen and are replaced with him being left out of position and labouring, or having a winger ghost past him. Santos typifies the inconsistency of the modern day Arsenal. His good moments- his goal at Stamford Bridge where he ran riot down the flank, have been outnumbered by his bad ones- being humiliated by Jefferson Farfan and Antonio Valencia.

Santos- Typical of the modern day Arsenal

So it looks like after two dreadful performances against Schalke and United, followed by his rightful dropping from Last night's starting XI, Gooners may have to endure no more of the 'chubby' Brazilian.

To Go or Not to Go?- The Theo Predicament

Theo Walcott has played the role of the number one Arsenal enigma for football pundits and Gooners alike since his arrival at the club. His ability and potential has never been in doubt throughout his tenure at The Arsenal but his level of production has consistency wavered, leaving question marks over his value to the club.

The basic situation is that Theo's contract is due to expire at the end of the current season and that if he does not renew his contract or is sold ala RVP, he will leave as a free agent. Currently there seems to be a lockdown over contract talks as AW seems reluctant to play Theo until the issue is resolved whilst Theo is unwilling to sign a contract until he knows he features prominently in the plans of Le Boss. This has resulted in a rather pathetic stand-off which now sees Theo frozen out of the team and contract talks stalled. As far as the contract itself goes there are two major stumbling blocks: a) Theo wants to see his weekly wage increased from around £70,000 to around £100,000 b) Theo wants to be played as a striker.

For me the first demand is easily resolved. If Theo shows form which is worthy of a pay rise- as he has so far during his sporadic spells in the team thus far, then the money is available to increase his pay. This increase could also be covered by the money brought in from the departures of dead wood such as Chamakh, Squillaci and Djorou. The second demand is one which would benefit all parties. Ever since his arrival it has been clear to us all that Theo wants to be a striker, and as many like me believe he would suit this role better than the wide role he is currently employed in. The only thing stopping this from happening is AW. Despite numerous promises this is a matter he has yet to deliver on and has allowed his stubbornness to cloud his judgement over. Hopefully, Theo's recent goal scoring exploits can continue and his mind can be changed.

But the big question is does Theo merit a new deal? Has he shown enough? In my eyes the answer is yes: just. An article in the recent edition of The Gooner commented on Theo being a 'mini-Thierry Henry waiting to explode' and that is a theory I can relate to. I'm not claiming that Theo is going to become anywhere near the player TH14 was, but I can see how their play and their tendencies are similar. Firstly, both started out as wingers and both (hopefully) will turn out to be strikers. Secondly, they both experienced issues with finishing at the start of their careers and then both improved their finishing dramatically- an improvement we have seem from Theo so far this season. The main difference is that Theo does not have the all-round game TH14 had, he does not possess the skill, touch or vision TH14 did, he can only emulate one part of his game- playing off the shoulder of the last man and using his pace and finishing to score goals.

Theo- 'A mini-Henry waiting to explode'?

But how does he add to the team? Playing Theo as a striker would add much-needed pace to our cumbersome attacking unit which only consists of Giroud and Chamakh. This would allow us to stretch defences, forcing them too drop deeper and afford playmakers such as Cazorla more room to weave their magic. I can also see Giroud and Theo forming a decent big-small combination too. As much because of Giroud's apparent vision and ability to create, as his physical presence.

I hope a solution can be found and I hope AW can unlock Theo's true potential as I fear that if he does not, somebody else will, and that is something that does not bear thinking about.

In reference to tonight's game Theo should be provided with an oppurtunity to continue his rich vein of form due to injuries to Ramsey, The Ox and Gervinho. Schalke will be tough opponents and perhaps an injection of pace is just what we will need.

COYG!

Arsenal Podcast Review

In this post I am going to review the 3 main Arsenal Podcasts, offering my thoughts and a rating on each:

THE TUESDAY CLUB- Starring Alan Davies

A podcast of which I am a regular listener the Tuesday Club is led by comedian, actor and most importantly Gooner Alan Davies. The Podcast offers a range of football related sketches and jokes along with the latest and most-debated football topics, focusing in particular on The Arsenal. The Tuesday strikes an excellent balance between serious Gooner chat and witty banter making it a great and engaging listen. One of the best things about the podcast is that Alan, along with rotating panellists Damien, Tayo and Keith, is never afraid of voicing honest opinions. This is one of the pod's best features as it allows listeners to feel their true passion for The Arsenal. Overall, my favourite Arsenal podcast.

Alan Davies- A passionate Gooner

Rating- 9.5/10

THE GOONER PODCAST

Run by the main Arsenal fanzine 'The Gooner' The Gooner podcast consists of selected Arsenal fans discussing hot Gooner topics past and present. The pod is set up in a fans' forum style with each panellist being given chance to express their opinions on each topic. It lacks the humour and banter of The Tuesday club and sometimes the topics discussed can be too broad and often too similar. It also dependent on the panellists, which can be a positive or negative aspect. Overall, it still provides a good listen.

Rating- 8/10

FOOTBALLISTICALLY ARSENAL

Hosted by Boyd Hilton and featuring guests such as Dermot O'Leary, this podcast is a more celebrity-driven outlook on Arsenal. The format of the pod is similiar to that of the Gooner Podcast as panelists debate Arsenal-related topics. However, the pod can sometimes be slightly bland depending on the guests and lacks the passion and firepower the Tuesday Club possesses. With fans from Club Level featured it occassionally struggles to relate with average Gooner. An improving podcast with work still to do.

Rating 5/10

Mind The Gap- Why Can Arsenal Not Compete?

After watching the game against Man United on Saturday it is quite clear that Arsenal are no longer capable of competing with the top teams in the country on a regular basis. Of course, this is something we Gooners have known for several years, it hasn’t just crept up on us overnight, but the issue is not that we are not competing; it is that we should be competing.

Arsenal are known throughout world football for their extortionate ticket prices-something Gooners will undoubtedly have noticed when they see their bank statements. This generates what is the highest match day revenue in the Premier League, something which should stand us in good stead for competing with the best. And ultimately whatever Uncle Ivan tells us about our poor sponsorship deals and lack of exposure abroad etc etc...Arsenal are the 2nd richest club in the Premier League and as we know all too well there is a very strong correlation between money and success in football, so why is Arsenal's league position not matching up with their financial position?

One of the reasons for this is the club's well publicised financial conservatism. Demonstrated by season the board's insistence on keeping a rainy day fund of £40-50m- in case we do not qualify for the Champions League and gain the much celebrated 4th place trophy. This is particularly the case when it comes to what we spend on transfer fees, which is way below what is now spent by other 'big' clubs. The major issue with this is that AW has never been willing to spend more than £15m on any one player since his arrival in England but whilst £15m would have bought you a world class player 15 years ago it now only buys you a relatively good player (in most cases), Which means that over time the quality of our squad has deteriorated.

But what irks me most as a Gooner is that our overall spend over the last 8 seasons has not been that much lower than that of united, although their success has been much greater. The reason our overall spend is so high is our wage bill, which is one of the biggest around. Although we refuse to offer our top players the same money as United (as demonstrated by our reluctance to meet Walcott's wage demands) we do still offer many mediocre players very high wages. This means that when we do want to splash out big on a top player, we find out that much of the money has been spent on keeping dead wood like Djorou, Squillaci, Denilson and Bendnter at the club much longer than we should have (if they should ever have arrived at all).

There are some positives as it seems the club is looking to address this issue with attempts to show the likes of Squilllaci, Denilson and Bendnter the door in the summer. One can only hope that over the next few seasons Arsenal can make their spending more efficient across all areas and finally allow Arsenal fans to see the success that the ticket prices demand.

One last word on a certain Dutchman. Although I don't like to mention ex-players it is hard to discuss Saturday's game without mention of him and his non-celebration (to celebrate or not to celebrate that is the question!). I personally believe that although he was right not to celebrate, it is something which should be expected after all the club did for him and that no Gooners should now bow down to his great gratitude for it. I still feel betrayed by him and I was glad to hear him incur the wrath of the travelling Gooners who were fantastic as always- yet again showing that even though things on the pitch are not what they should be, us Gooners are still the loyalest in the Land.

Now forward to Schalke in the Champions League and what may be crucial game regarding or qualification to the knock-out stages.

COYG!