[singlepic id=9 w=320 h=240 float=right]Arsenal are a team that, like most football fans, I can’t help but admire. The slick one touch passing football and attacking mentality is exactly the kind of game we all want to see.

I’ve always got on well with and respected the fans of Arsenal too. Yes they’re enjoying the good life nowadays, but anyone that can sit through the drab ‘defend-like-your-life-depends-on-it’ football they used to play will always have my respect.

This admiration of Arsenal was put to the test on Saturday however when what should have been an enjoyable day of FA Cup action for two huge clubs was somewhat tainted by an Arsenal crowd that seemed to have other things on their mind.

The excellent 8.500 travelling Leeds United fans could be forgiven for thinking they were alone at the Emirates, such was the level of noise created by the home fans. Worse still, when they did bother to create some noise it was usually in disgust at one of their own players who had had the cheek to fire a shot wide or fail to find another Arsenal player with his pass.

It was almost like Arsenal had never contemplated the fact that little Leeds United may be able to give them a game. To them, it wasn’t the sheer brilliance of our defence and the efforts of Kasper Schmeichel that kept the goals out, but the failings of their own team who they refused to get behind throughout.

Anyone wondering why the stars keep leaving Arsenal when they reach their prime needs not to look at the wage structure and competitive nature of the club, but they should take a close look at themselves and ask whether they’d want to play in front of a crowd of fans that feel so entitled to victory over inferior teams like ourselves, anything else will be ridiculed and booed? A crowd that does little to encourage and support those on the pitch?

We may be in a different position from Arsenal these days, but we’ve still taken our fair share of unpalatable results. We’ve sat through tedious 0-0’s and watched speculative efforts sail 30 yards over the bar when we’re in desperate need for a goal. We’ve even seen the odd misplaced pass would you believe?

We choose to take a different approach in following our team though. Rather than subjecting our players to abuse from their own fans and booing when a team we consider inferior to ourselves gets a bit of a result, we continue to cheer and get behind the lads regardless. Strange, I know…

Whilst the Arsenal fans support of their own team was disgusting, the applause from all four sides of the stadium when Sanchez Watt was taken off was excellent to see. The Arsenal fans also applauded the Leeds United players walking off into the tunnel after the match had ended too, which is something you’ll rarely see at any football game.

Shame Arsenal can’t show a similar level of support to their own team really…