Carlton Cole has slammed the actions of Arsenal fans for trying to ‘taunt’ West Ham United supporters after they secured the transfer of Declan Rice.
The former West Ham United striker says it wasn’t so long ago that Arsenal were struggling, in ‘pain’ and with some of their fanbase even threatening to ‘change clubs’, as he told talkSPORT.
That was at the start of Mikel Arteta’s reign when they spent some time out of Europe altogether and even outside of the Champions League, before returning ahead of the upcoming season.
That’s why they are now able to sign players like Declan Rice and smash their club-record transfer whilst also doing it.
From the end of the Arsene Wenger era, the mixed reign of Unai Emery and the start of Arteta’s road, there have been some troubling times at the Emirates in recent years.
Former Hammers man, Cole, wanted to remind Arsenal fans of that, as he suggests that they are getting too big for their boots after signing Rice.
“Let me just say something,” said Cole. “No, no, no. I am not upset.
“I have got (Arsenal) mates who are all dm’ing me on Twitter. The WhatsApp group. They are charged. They weren’t like this two, three or four years ago. It was all pain. All pain. People were almost crying. They were actually threatening to change clubs.
“I like seeing you guys happy because it makes it a better environment. But what you are doing right now, some of them are doing too much.
“The number one thing they are doing to West Ham fans, and myself included, is taunting us about taking Declan Rice off us. It’s like you think that you are dissing us. It’s not! What because you took Declan Rice? Don’t try it! We have back-up. We are going to come back and land on our feet.”
Rice at Arsenal
Whilst West Ham now have to build for life after Rice, Arsenal are going to throw him straight into the deep end and hope he floats because there is big pressure on him.
Whilst the aim of David Moyes and Co. was to get into Europe, those at the Emirates want to win the Premier League title.
There is even more pressure and difficulty on them ahead of the forthcoming season because of how close they came last time out.
But that’s why Rice has been brought on board to try and change all of that.
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