What a roller coaster ride for Arsenal fans in this season of ‘fun’!One week, we could be floating around, basking in a warm glow ofvictory while the next week, we could be in the pits of hell. Wait!Sometimes, it is not even between weeks but between days as the midweekreversals make Gunner fans worldwide pull their hair out.
It just seems like we could not bring any sort of extended runtogether. The talent is there for all to see. However, the lack ofexperience means a lack of control over the talent found in thisspecial bunch of players. The facts speak for themselves although onecan always argue that Arsenal has a team of young first team-ers and ayounger team of cup specialists.
In September 2008, following a brilliant 6-0 Win vs Sheff Utd in theCarling Cup, we lose meekly at home to Hull 0-1 in the next game.Immediately after that, we rose from the ashes and thrashed Porto 4-0in the Champions League game. As we were all gushing about howbrilliant our heroes are, we traveled to the Stadium of Light andcompletely failed to see the light after injury time where Fabregassalvaged a point for us with a stunning header.
Everyone thought we learned our lessons and got our season back ontrack when we rack up three successive wins in October after the 1-1draw with Sunderland. Horrors of horrors, we let arch-rivals Tottenhamstun us with 2 goals in as many minutes in the closing minutes of agame. What a defense splitting 4-4 performance that absolutely feltworse than a loss!
As the Tottenham draw threw the players and supporters off course, thetornado was coming at Arsenal at full blast in November. Out-thrown byStoke’s Rory Delap long throws, we sunk alongside Titanic with ahumiliating 1-2 loss to a relegation threatened club. As the playerslost confidence, we could not lift ourselves up against a Fenerbahceside determined to get a point at Ashburton Grove. By this time, theArsenal fans were all sinking in hell. The feeling is just like whatthe Dementors did to their victims as described by JK Rowling’s HarryPotter series. After the first week of November, the Arsenal ship wascertainly well rocked by the unforgiving nature of football. Add tothat, we face their haughty rivals, Manchester United, in the cominggame.
With all odds against us, we ‘welcome’ Man U and the big choke to ourbeautiful Emirates stadium. Nobody gave us a chance and nobody expecteda win except from the most die hard fans (including me!) What aglorious feeling when Nasri slammed in 2 goals with such authority! Theicy cold aura surrounding all Arsenal fans worldwide suddenly became awarm and beautiful glow! 2-1 to the Arsenal! Suddenly, the world isfull of hope again! The kids promptly responded further by beating thecrap out of the Wigan’s first team with a 3-0 win in the Mickey MouseCup.
By mid November, all Arsenal fans were talking about a revival anda fight till the finish for the Premiership title. By now, we shouldhave learned that this season will be a very funny season. When youfeel good about a game, the opposite happens! The current batch ofArsenal players did something that few of the predecessors did. Theypromptly lose the next 2 premiership games! And lost they did, with nogoals and no pride and certainly no passion! Nobody could explain thedisgraceful 2-0 loss to Villa at home while the next debacle away atManchester City (0-3) led to questions being asked about ArseneWenger’s managerial position! An impossible possibility given theGod-like status of Le Boss at Arsenal…………
Add to the humdrum craziness, the very big mouth William Gallascomplained to the whole world about in-fighting among the gunners justbefore the Man city game (which probably explain why we lost 3-0 withno spirit and a rather silent keeper as captain). Wenger had no choicebut to strip the big mouth of his captaincy and accelerated Fabregasascend to the crown.
Arsenal was going to face mighty Chelski for the next premiership game.Well, you guessed it. We were dead and buried at Stamford crap afterthe first half with a soft own goal conceded. A team that looked lostat times and irritated at best. However,  Wenger or Fabregas said at half time seemed to galvanize the youngteam. With a bit of help from the linesman, Robin Van Persie blasted in2 second half goals and we pulled off another amazing win when we aredown in hell.
What more can a bookie asked for? A team that see-saws so violentlymake good business for the keeper of bets! True to form, the youngerguns lost away to Burnley in the Mickey Mouse Cup to end Arsenal’s runin the cup. No prize for guessing this one.
Well, what can one expect from here? A see saw attitude all the way tothe end of the season, Wenger losing the plot or the young guns blazinga hot trail to win the league and even some cups along the way? Nobodyknows for sure now, but I sure hope Wenger still knows……….. |
發表於 2008-12-3 10:54 PM
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