I don’t know anyone who is calling for Arsenal to buy a single £40m player as Arsene suggested today, much less the whole new team of players of Peter Hill-Wood’s fevered imagination. This kind of angry defensiveness, the type where you blend in some hyperbole for good effect, is a sure sign that the speaker is aware of his faults and is trying to cover them up.
How could you not be aware of the faults? Arsenal let Flamini, Gilberto, Hleb, Senderos, and Hoyte go in one summer! Meanwhile, the same cast of injured players is still hanging out in the infirmary (Diaby, Rosicky, Eduardo) and they have been joined by not one, but two new friends (Bischoff and Silvestre). And so, a team that was just a few points away from winning the EPL, a team that just needed a little bit more defensive steel and one more goal-minded midfielder has lost it’s midfield engine, a proven leader, and two promising defenders. Who were effectively replaced by guys who are too injured to play and a teenager.
I’m all about the bargain Arsene, but come on, try to see it from our point of view! And while we’re on my point of view, let me just make myself very clear Arsene; you don’t need to buy any £40m players, because there are some very good £15m players out there who will fill in the team in exactly the spots that the team most needs. Also, since you bang the drum about this being a good team and about developing these players, isn’t it helpful to have competition in a spot? You know, the old story of 27 year old man taking 21 year old man under his wing and showing him a few things? Like what to look out for defensively, how to put in a proper tackle, and what you can and cannot get away with as a defensive midfielder? Then challenging the young man to win the place from him through hard work and effort? A signing like that would only cost around £15m and would make a lot of fans happy AND (more importantly) improve the team.
No, this was a defensive reaction pure and simple. They know what’s wrong with this team and they will either choose to fix it or they won’t. If they don’t then I guess we have no real choice. It’s not like a real Gooner can just leave the club. You love the club no matter what and what did that one guy say “love the one you’re with” or something?
I told Twente puns to make people laugh and no pun in ten did
Yes, my whining friends, Arsenal have a game today and the press is tripping over itself to make puns of their headlines. Probably they are getting all punny because there’s nothing really to report. Silvestre is out, Cesc is healed but the boss is being coy about whether he’ll play him and other than that, there’s no real news. Yeah yeah yeah, Wenger said it would be “criminal” if they get dumped out against Twente, that’s not news, that’s just telling the truth. Essentially, Arsenal would have to concede 3 goals, at home, to a pub team from Europe. That would in fact be criminal negligence on Arsenal’s part.
No, I’m hoping to see Adebayor get a brace, Wilshere get some time, and Clichy to get his first goal. See! I can remain hopeful.
All kidding aside, this is an important game and we all need to get behind the team. We are supporters, we support, especially when the team is struggling. It’s like that picture of footprints on the sand and Jesus is abandoning his followers or something. Yes just like that.
The last game was actually televised live here in the U.S. on ESPN2 but it wasn’t listed in the programming guide. I’m going to go down to Doyle’s pub and see if the game is on any of the various channels they get. If it is, yay. If not, boo. Kick off is at 11:45 PST, see you there if you’re in town.
Come on you Arsenal.
You must be logged in to post a comment.