The downward spiral of the team eventually turned to apathy and this led to large numbers of season ticket-holders voting with their feet and the Emirates Stadium being half-full

The soon-departing, long-serving Gunners' boss had said after his resignation that he was being hounded out of the job he loves.

However, Arsenal Supporters Trust members have replied that Arsène Wenger did not lose his job at Arsenal, as he has suggested, because of the vocal and visual supporter protests that have been a constant theme for several seasons.

 


Trust members decisively denied their manager’s charge that demonstrations by fans have been damaging the image of the club.

In a statement, The Trust members said:
'We are hugely respectful of the achievements of Arsène and the success that he brought in his first decade, but he has always preferred fans to support but not to comment. Blind loyalty was expected and it was the inability to recognise that others could hold valid opinions on the club — internally and externally — that eventually did for him. When the club’s annual shareholder meetings were fractious or strong opinions of him were voiced in fan surveys and by respected commentators, he brushed them off with dismissive comments along the lines of those people having never worked a day in football.'