Football fans can be a superstitious bunch.
You might not find them desperately trying to avoid stepping on cracks on their promenade to the ground in an effort to stop their manager’s back from seizing up in the technical area, but they’ generally take issue with things that ‘don’t bode well.’
Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker proved this theory rings true when he foolishly issued a war cry to rally on the troops via Twitter on Sunday.
Every Gooner would agree with the sentiment behind the tweet. The Big Fuckin’ German simply wants the team to continue their fine form in the league at the stage of the season where you can gain and lose a lot of points because of the fixtures piling up. However, his ill-judged closing line was always going to spark a reaction from the Arsenal faithful.
Games coming thick and fast now, but the whole squad is focused on every single minute coming up! We won't slip! #GameDay #Gooners 🔴⚽👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/rGrZuRyK17
— Per Mertesacker (@mertesacker) December 10, 2016
Football fans aren’t quick to forget the failures of their rivals and few are more celebrated than Steven Gerrard telling his Liverpool teammates that their title run-in in 2014 “does not fucking slip now!” before proceeding to stumble against Crystal Palace to throw any hopes of winning that elusive trophy out the window.
Some took Merstesackers choice of words as a bad omen.
@mertesacker why would you say we won’t slip. You’re basically jinxing us
— Tarek (@tareksaada) December 10, 2016
@mertesacker dude dont jinx us
— Kyle (@TheArsenalKidd) December 10, 2016
@mertesacker not another captain saying these same lines, might as well just lose every game now
— Lord Wild (@WildyAlex) December 10, 2016
Some were just happy to remember that hysterically funny (or cripplingly heartbreaking if you’re a Liverpool supporter) Gerrard moment.
@mertesacker obviously you’re not gerrard??
— 1 (@briteihuomah11) December 10, 2016
Others started getting aggressive.
@mertesacker CAN U SHUT UP?
— Tony Gooner (@a4af0a9d76184e4) December 10, 2016
Good God man, calm yourself!
@mertesacker please die
— Saleh abbas (@salehabass) December 10, 2016
