talkingOfArsenal.com

Recent weeks of stalemate at the Emirates has led to certain sections of the crowd booing off the Arsenal players at the end of the game.

The obvious question is - how is booing going to help? Is it going to lift the players to higher heights? Will it inspire them to play better?

Mind you, that's not to say I'm not as frustrated as the next fan, because I do get frustrated too - I just happen to also think that booing is the last thing fans of a club should be doing, when it's patently obvious that this young side is lacking confidence.

To be brutally honest, I'm not sure what the alternative is to showing our displeasure at some players, assuming there is such an alternative to booing.

For the record, I appreciate the validity of arguments such as "on thousands of £x per day, I would work harder" or "I pay for my season ticket so as to be entertained, not watch a team that keeps passing sideways" - however there is a danger that showing our displeasure by booing, could result in even less confidence, and then more displeasure and less confidence, and an ever accelerating downward spiral.

What to do about it though, isn't obvious.

We've had terrible luck with injuries, our most creative players have spent many months keeping the medics busy.

Recent wins against Cardiff City in the FA cup, and Roma in the Champions League highlight the fact that virtually every team (apart from the top-6 or so) that turns up at Ashburton Grove for a league game park 12 men (I include the visiting teams manager) in front of their goal.

Possibly the only exception to this was Fulham this weekend gone who did not restrict themselves to defending - in that game though, we created really good chances with their keeper, Schwartzer, pulling off at least three really good saves to keep the score line at 0-0.

When it comes to opposition teams being ultra-defensive, what can you do but try to find a way through, which may include passing the ball sideways, instead of trying to thread through a pass at the risk of conceding possession?

One thing I know for sure, booing definitely isn't the answer.

Seriously, it could introduce the kind of endemic dejection that results in the very players whom the crowd still have respect for, players like Fabregas, Rosicky, Walcott, Van Persie etc, leaving Arsenal at their earliest opportunity if current form degrades into a rot.

Unfortunately I'm yet to work out any other way of showing our displeasure when specific players don't perform - one thing I know though, booing isn't the answer.

The way West Brom play should provide adequate opportunity to end our goal drought tomorrow.

C'mon the Arsenal!