This post has been a long time in coming. Firstly, in the sense that this is way overdue in the first place, and secondly, due to the inevitability of a mid-season Gooner meltdown.
So apologies to those special few that look to my words of wisdom in times of trouble (and for going all Beatles on you, there), but the second year is a beast becoming harder and harder to tame as the days go by, forcing me to abandon my beloved blog into cyberspace wilderness.
But what that has enabled me to do is to soak up my frustrations from this season's early months and try to identify what the real problem is. And I hate to say it, but I think it is the fans. That's right, WE are the problem. Let me explain:
It was all going so well. A long-awaited FA Cup victory, followed by a dazzling World Cup, where three Gunners returned with winner's medals. Money in the bank and a hell of a lot of time to spend it. And before the World Cup is out, we use it on this fella:
Berate Arsene Wenger for what he didn't do (or hasn't done yet) in the transfer window all you like, but sadly, this is looking like the most important deal, perhaps not just for this season, but for the future.
I use the word "sadly" because we should be kicking on now. The euphoria from that May evening under the iconic Wembley arch should still be very fresh in our memories, for us to use to drive us on to further glories. But we are playing, at the moment - bar one - with the characteristics of a broken team that had lost the FA Cup Final and were slipping down Andre Villas Boas' mythical - or so we thought - downward spiral, because it bloody well feels like we're on one right now.
The defeat at Swansea which followed the Anderlecht collapse sent the Gooner world into a critical state of anger and depression. The dreaded "Wenger Out" calls have once again plagued stadium concourses and Twitter timelines, even to the extent that there is rumoured to be a form of protest against the boss at the next home game. And while some fans have a point, this is not the solution to all our concerns.
I hate to criticise the boss. I always assume whatever he does, he does it for a reason. After all, he sees every single second of every single training session, speaks to the players themselves regularly, all whilst under the most excruciating selection headaches due to the lack of space in the Arsenal treatment room. Some even say Abou Diaby is considering renting it out.
So when I cannot find a plausible answer to something, it baffles me. And just like every other concerned Gooner, I could not find for all the world why, with all that cash at his disposal, the reason he a) chose to sell Thomas Vermaelen (something I was not against) and b) not find a top-drawer replacement (something I was expecting in the event of a)).
And, unfortunately, that is why I think this season has not seen the progression that the Gooners were expecting.
I felt the need to emphasise that particular word because, we Gooners, the fanbase of the greatest club in the world, as a whole, have gained a fairly fickle reputation. We have a truly phenomenal following not just in and around N5, but across the world. We have arguably the most intelligent and unique manager in the world, and he gave us a beautiful, state-of-the-art stadium.
During that time, we maintained a status quo at the very highest level on a budget to have the place we now call home. Taking the stadium out of the equation, we've had seasons that the vast majority of clubs can only dream of.
But also during that time, almost inevitably, our standing in English football had stooped a little. The Manchester United v Arsenal days were no more once Roman's billions had come along. The standards for competing at the top changed in an instant. And on the financial restraints that Wenger had to work with, it was near-impossible to challenge with clubs on virtually unlimited funds.
So we have come full circle from having success in the shape of seven trophies in eight seasons, plus a Champions League Final near-miss, to getting through year after year of painful blows, cruel twists of fate and a Carling Cup defeat to Birmingham City, to last year's tense, but triumphant cup final, ending the barren run as we come out of a decade of monetary restrictions.
So now we're equipped with money once again, some Gooners - the ones that are endlessly voicing their disgust these days - think we can get back to the top just like that? I've got two words for you lot:Fuck off Get real.
Yes, we're out of form. Horrendously below-par. Arsene's second-worst season in terms of points. Must be time for him to go, then, right? Wrong. Take a step back and have some perspective.
Firstly, we'd all be complete mugs not to learn from the complete mess Manchester United got themselves into. Think getting rid of Wenger solves our problems? That leaves you with an out-of-form team with every speck of team morale instantaneously destroyed as some poor fellow tries to pick up the pieces. And who would play for our David Moyes?
We are probably witnessing one of the greatest and most ruthless Premier League sides of all time. As we all hold our breath waiting for that solitary defeat, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea have been able to build that team year on year with and without him thanks to some illegally-earned cash. So how can anyone possibly expect us to be at that level so soon?
We can't help it if they run away with it, but second place is up for grabs. And second place is something we haven't seen for 10 years. Now that's moving forward. Yes, we all want to win the title, that's why you always see some dimwit Scouser saying they're going to win the league every single season, without fail.
There's no need to be so hell-bent on winning it. We cannot be expected to be there. Just have a think of the massive - I'm inclined to say "mahoosive" - sense of over-achievement it would be to WIN the bloody thing so soon. This is not too far off the same team that scraped past Sp*rs for two years.
And let's get the job of the fans sorted out, by the way. We support the team, not the trophies. And if we're honest, the Premier League looks a one-horse race regardless of our form. The Champions League still seems a bridge too far for this team while the cups are always a lottery. In many ways, it would be a tough ask to repeat the silverware success of last season. In an ideal world, what we should be striving for as fans, if we're realistic, is progression.
But we don't live in an ideal world. We live in a world where everyone feels there's always someone to blame. Always a reason for bad luck, for example, rather than blaming bad luck itself. Constantly playing the blame game, seeking justification for their, at times, unjustified anger. "Wenger Out" is merely a cry of the panicked. I suggest those who wish for a new man in the dugout pull themselves together.
We are still only in November. There are plenty of games to go and January is just around the corner, by which time, the outlook of the season will become much clearer. Southampton won't stay there forever. Manchester City are arguably in deeper trouble than we are. That should leave our destiny still within our grasp.
The team certainly need a kick up the backside. And as fans, I think we have a big responsibility to urge this club on towards the position that we all strive for them to be.
Come On You Reds!
So apologies to those special few that look to my words of wisdom in times of trouble (and for going all Beatles on you, there), but the second year is a beast becoming harder and harder to tame as the days go by, forcing me to abandon my beloved blog into cyberspace wilderness.
But what that has enabled me to do is to soak up my frustrations from this season's early months and try to identify what the real problem is. And I hate to say it, but I think it is the fans. That's right, WE are the problem. Let me explain:
It was all going so well. A long-awaited FA Cup victory, followed by a dazzling World Cup, where three Gunners returned with winner's medals. Money in the bank and a hell of a lot of time to spend it. And before the World Cup is out, we use it on this fella:
Berate Arsene Wenger for what he didn't do (or hasn't done yet) in the transfer window all you like, but sadly, this is looking like the most important deal, perhaps not just for this season, but for the future.
I use the word "sadly" because we should be kicking on now. The euphoria from that May evening under the iconic Wembley arch should still be very fresh in our memories, for us to use to drive us on to further glories. But we are playing, at the moment - bar one - with the characteristics of a broken team that had lost the FA Cup Final and were slipping down Andre Villas Boas' mythical - or so we thought - downward spiral, because it bloody well feels like we're on one right now.
The defeat at Swansea which followed the Anderlecht collapse sent the Gooner world into a critical state of anger and depression. The dreaded "Wenger Out" calls have once again plagued stadium concourses and Twitter timelines, even to the extent that there is rumoured to be a form of protest against the boss at the next home game. And while some fans have a point, this is not the solution to all our concerns.
I hate to criticise the boss. I always assume whatever he does, he does it for a reason. After all, he sees every single second of every single training session, speaks to the players themselves regularly, all whilst under the most excruciating selection headaches due to the lack of space in the Arsenal treatment room. Some even say Abou Diaby is considering renting it out.
So when I cannot find a plausible answer to something, it baffles me. And just like every other concerned Gooner, I could not find for all the world why, with all that cash at his disposal, the reason he a) chose to sell Thomas Vermaelen (something I was not against) and b) not find a top-drawer replacement (something I was expecting in the event of a)).
And, unfortunately, that is why I think this season has not seen the progression that the Gooners were expecting.
I felt the need to emphasise that particular word because, we Gooners, the fanbase of the greatest club in the world, as a whole, have gained a fairly fickle reputation. We have a truly phenomenal following not just in and around N5, but across the world. We have arguably the most intelligent and unique manager in the world, and he gave us a beautiful, state-of-the-art stadium.
During that time, we maintained a status quo at the very highest level on a budget to have the place we now call home. Taking the stadium out of the equation, we've had seasons that the vast majority of clubs can only dream of.
But also during that time, almost inevitably, our standing in English football had stooped a little. The Manchester United v Arsenal days were no more once Roman's billions had come along. The standards for competing at the top changed in an instant. And on the financial restraints that Wenger had to work with, it was near-impossible to challenge with clubs on virtually unlimited funds.
So we have come full circle from having success in the shape of seven trophies in eight seasons, plus a Champions League Final near-miss, to getting through year after year of painful blows, cruel twists of fate and a Carling Cup defeat to Birmingham City, to last year's tense, but triumphant cup final, ending the barren run as we come out of a decade of monetary restrictions.
So now we're equipped with money once again, some Gooners - the ones that are endlessly voicing their disgust these days - think we can get back to the top just like that? I've got two words for you lot:
Yes, we're out of form. Horrendously below-par. Arsene's second-worst season in terms of points. Must be time for him to go, then, right? Wrong. Take a step back and have some perspective.
Firstly, we'd all be complete mugs not to learn from the complete mess Manchester United got themselves into. Think getting rid of Wenger solves our problems? That leaves you with an out-of-form team with every speck of team morale instantaneously destroyed as some poor fellow tries to pick up the pieces. And who would play for our David Moyes?
We are probably witnessing one of the greatest and most ruthless Premier League sides of all time. As we all hold our breath waiting for that solitary defeat, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea have been able to build that team year on year with and without him thanks to some illegally-earned cash. So how can anyone possibly expect us to be at that level so soon?
We can't help it if they run away with it, but second place is up for grabs. And second place is something we haven't seen for 10 years. Now that's moving forward. Yes, we all want to win the title, that's why you always see some dimwit Scouser saying they're going to win the league every single season, without fail.
There's no need to be so hell-bent on winning it. We cannot be expected to be there. Just have a think of the massive - I'm inclined to say "mahoosive" - sense of over-achievement it would be to WIN the bloody thing so soon. This is not too far off the same team that scraped past Sp*rs for two years.
And let's get the job of the fans sorted out, by the way. We support the team, not the trophies. And if we're honest, the Premier League looks a one-horse race regardless of our form. The Champions League still seems a bridge too far for this team while the cups are always a lottery. In many ways, it would be a tough ask to repeat the silverware success of last season. In an ideal world, what we should be striving for as fans, if we're realistic, is progression.
But we don't live in an ideal world. We live in a world where everyone feels there's always someone to blame. Always a reason for bad luck, for example, rather than blaming bad luck itself. Constantly playing the blame game, seeking justification for their, at times, unjustified anger. "Wenger Out" is merely a cry of the panicked. I suggest those who wish for a new man in the dugout pull themselves together.
We are still only in November. There are plenty of games to go and January is just around the corner, by which time, the outlook of the season will become much clearer. Southampton won't stay there forever. Manchester City are arguably in deeper trouble than we are. That should leave our destiny still within our grasp.
The team certainly need a kick up the backside. And as fans, I think we have a big responsibility to urge this club on towards the position that we all strive for them to be.
Come On You Reds!
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