Arsenal: Will Emirates Stadium get louder as lost soul season ticket holders boycott new campaign?

TOM FOOT assesses Arsenal's chances for the new season after watching the Gunners draw 2-2 with Boca Juniors at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon

Saturday July 30 2011

COULD the black cloud of despair hanging over Arsenal at the moment spoil a sunny Saturday? Rarely has a season begun with such low expectations and the atmosphere today felt irritable and almost begrudging.

Not since the beginning of the 1980s season have things been this bad, according to one fan who has surrendered the season ticket he waited nine years on the list to get. "I just don't believe in it any more," he grumbled. I have a feeling the atmosphere may change at the Emirates as these lost soul season ticket holders leave and are replaced by people willing to embrace our new underdog status.

Even without Fabregas, even if Nasri goes, we still have a team and style of play that can still take your breath away. I heard it about ten times during this fairly dreary 90 minutes: the sharp, collective inhalation of breath that only comes when the play is extraordinary. There are still thousands of wide-eyed children, amazed by it all. The pre-match history film and its atmosphere-building music still gives me the tingles.

There were snazzy new kits. Fans of Boca Juniors - the seventh best team in Argentina last year - were jumping up and down waving blue and yellow umbrellas. And a few half decent new players on show and some more youth players getting bigger and better. Emmanuel Frimpong looked like he could be a presence in the absence of Song. Ger-vin-oh! looks half decent but may need a season or two before he really gets going. Carl Jenkinson is perhaps punching above his weight and no doubt desperate to impress. But the fans have taken to him.

With Cesc off, Robin van Persie is now without question our best player. His turns and touch are in a different league. He is still skying his free kicks though. Andrey Arshavin looks dangerous but is still wandering about, distracted, like he's left the iron on. Samir Nasri was not booed. But his reported desire to leave has left a sense of ill will. He didn't look like he was having a good time.

The match soon settled into the familiar routine of athletic men plotting impossible paths around the finely manicured pitch. Wenger is certainly not about to introduce a dramatic change in play. The Gunners scored two well taken goals, from Robin van Persie and a stunner from Aaron Ramsey – a fans' favourite - one minute after coming on in the second half. Lucas Viatri scored for Boca with 20 minutes to go. Djourou capsized minutes later and another two goal lead had vanished. Singing – remember that? – followed as the fans tried to raise the team and prevent confidence-sapping defeat. There was no fairy tale and some late Boca should have won it for the Argentinians.

The sun's shadow had crossed the pitch by full time and the temperature had dropped. I heard some moaning that "we should have stayed in the park". There were even some boos at the end of this friendly, a pre-season match.