Reasons to be Cheerful

The football season concluded on Saturday evening with Barcelona winning back the Champions League title briefly taken away from them by Internazionale last season. In the process, they managed- by all accounts- to make the champions of England look rather pedestrian. They have also won their third Champions League trophy in five years. Which is some acheivement- some acheivement by some team. As we look back and survey the wreckage that our own season eventually became, perhaps it is in that thrilling night- February 16th- the night where we took on the best club side in the world and beat them, that we might turn for comfort. We weren't, really, that far away from knocking them out.

I know that my double blasts of negativity last week weren't the most popular couple of articles I've ever written for this website, again some achievement. However, even I can see that there were a few reasons to be positive about the season- not enough to buy an end of season dvd granted, but they do exist.

At this point I was going to be flip and say the biggest positive about the season is that it's over, but that would make me sound like a Spurs fan, so I won't.

So, here we go, reasons to be cheerful part three...

1) I think this latest end of season collapse is our nadir. It won't get any worse than it did. The bare facts of our cup exits, Birmingham aside, will be looked back on more kindly than they were first received- beaten by both the domestic champions and European champions. The flip side of that is the relegation form that followed our Wembley defeat. That points to a psychological weakness and lack of quality in the team that even Arsène Wenger can't ignore.

2) If that wasn't exactly a positive, then I believe the form and presence of Wojciech Szczesny, Johan Djourou and Jack Wilshere, all in their first seasons in the Arsenal first team pointed the way to a brighter future. I would be wary of putting too much on these youngsters shoulders, but the attitudes of Szczesny and Wilshere in particular are top class. They aren't fazed by anything- witness Szczesny at the Lane, Wilshere in both legs of the Barcelona tie. And, most importantly, they can play. Djourou assumed an almost totemic presence at the centre of our defence this season, at least until he got injured. The less said about his performances since returning, the better but I can forgive him that.

3) Robin van Persie staying fit for six months and scoring a ridiculous amount of goals in 2011. I wrote him off, I was wrong. Still think we need a striker of similar quality to support him though.

4) Those stirring home wins against Chelsea, Barcelona and Manchester United. Present in the stadium for the stadium for the first two of those, the Chelsea game felt like the best night ever in the Grove as our young tyros tore into an apparently old and tired Chelsea team. And then came the Barcelona match. A match that I will never forget and nor will I forget the fact that with 15 minutes I was thinking what a priveledge it was to be watching Barcelona, whatever the result. And then those goals! Unreal. And evidence that this team, on their day, can be a match for anyone. Likewise, the United match- as we deservedly downed the champions elect and, in the process, got a three year old monkey off our backs.

Of course, the problem is that just as we can beat anyone on our day, we are utterly capable of losing to anyone so dependent are we on the right pitch, the right amount of confidence, the wind blowing in the right direction. One of the sobering aspects of this season's collapse was the fact that, Vermaelen excepted, it took place with the first team largely in place. No Denilson, Eboue, Bendtner or Rosicky to blame. It is that fact that makes me believe Arsène will act this summer, he can't hide behind injuries as an excuse for what took place between February 28 and May 22. He knows that it wasn't good enough.

Reading the blogs over the last week or so, I saw Karim Benzema's name linked with a move to Arsenal, but prevailing logic- with Zidane now in a position of influence at Real Madrid, not to mention the potential transfer fee- renders that unlikely. Even more unlikely would be the name of Samuel Eto'o, baselessly linked with us today. I would love to think that these are the calibre of players that we are looking at. It's that unique form of chinese water torture that is the average Arsenal summer- we are teased with names at the top end of the game only to sign the latest 17 year old prospect to step out of Ligue 2. And worrying about which of our top players are lining up a move to Nou Camp/ Bernabeu/ San Siro/ wherever..

And, with Samir Nasri entering the last year of his contract, in an interview with a French radio station, Arsène Wenger has spoken of a "little financial disagreement" which is holding up the renewal. Presumably, Samir has eyes on one of the destinations I've just mentioned. If it's true Samir is looking for parity with the top earners at the club, then I'd have to ask just what, over the last three years, he has done to deserve it? Apart from three brilliant months at the beginning of this season. That said, you'd think that concentrating on getting him signed up, rather than the likes of Eboue and Rosicky, would have been a smart move..

I'm digressing. I'll leave it there. Just to let you know, in case you don't, that Asser Ghozlan, Helen Trantum and myself will be having some kind of debate on MSN tomorrow evening. I have no idea how it will work, what form it will take- or how it will be reproduced- but if you have anything to ask any of us, then please let me know via Twitter http://twitter.com/rockthecasbah77

User Comments

User Comments

• Got something to say?
• Read comments

Vs chelsea