I really can't believe what I am hearing/reading in some quarters that Arsène is having to justify this season. Fans favourite (sic) Myles Palmer seems to think our season has gone 'phut'.
Today we will live in a sad tabloid world with the ability to recall only about the last 5 seconds. Everything is sensationalised and therefore trivialised. Superlatives mean nothing as everything is the best/worst ever...in the history of the world. The danger is that we all come to believe the hype. Three weeks ago we were the greatest British team ever, now we are abject failures who bottle it at the final hurdle. In truth we are neither.
When does finishing as Champions, which hopefully we will, with a potentially a record for fewest defeats and certainly one for longest sequence without loss need justifying?
Add to that semi finals in both domestic Cups and the quarter final of the Champions League and it equates to a pretty amazing season.
Add to that the fact that Ashburton Grove is now a reality, all the key players are secured on long term contracts, there are some phenomenal young players at the club and we have played some scintillating football (Inter away, Liverpool home/away, Boro away, Chelsea home/away/away/away) and it really is an awesome time to be a Gooner. We have also ground out results when it seemed we were dead and buried.
OK the expectation levels over the last couple of months went from quadruple to treble to double and then 'only' the Premiership and perhaps there is a case for a little disappointment. Afterall an ambitous and successful club wants to win everything. If you had said in August that our season would turn out this way many would have doubted you. Few would not have settled for it.
Remember the doom and gloom of last summer? We supposedly had no money, the best players were leaving, no new players were coming through, Ashburton Grove had halted, blah, blah. I remember one particularly hilarous piece by northern pillock John Nicholson on football365 predicting that we would be fighting it out with Sp**s for a midtable position. Well he was half right.
What has been acheived this season has been nothing short of miraculous. We have had the usual obstacles in terms of injuries and suspensions. We have had to go toe to toe with clubs that have almost limitless financial resources and come out very much as top dogs.
As a younster I dreamed of an Arsenal that played stunning football and boasted a world class squad. Remember I am of a generation that thought Alan Hudson would be a great signing and Richie Powling was the great hope for the future. I dreamed that as a Club we could match Europes finest off the pitch too in terms of stature and finance. As a youngster just to play in the European Cup was a pipedream, heck I went most of my life before I saw us win at Anfield and thought that beating Sp**s was a big deal.
We now have the club that I once dreamed of. We have a Manager who is quite simply unique. I have come to regard him as almost a Messiah. Through all of the change we have still retained our identity and our traditional values. In some ways we are being spoiled. Each season our expectation levels grow and rightly so. Yet we do have a club and a squad that is capable of delivering those expectations. Who knows how long this will last. We have had many periods in the wilderness. A Sp**s supporting 'mate' of mine has this theory about success and football being a cyclical thing. I do also like to point out that 2 League titles over a hundred years means that his next period of total domination is around 2040. Which half of North London do want to be in?
I for one will enjoy every last moment of the remainder of the season and jump for joy as and when we are confirmed as Champions.
The close season is a long time to go without seeing my beloved Arsenal.
Today we will live in a sad tabloid world with the ability to recall only about the last 5 seconds. Everything is sensationalised and therefore trivialised. Superlatives mean nothing as everything is the best/worst ever...in the history of the world. The danger is that we all come to believe the hype. Three weeks ago we were the greatest British team ever, now we are abject failures who bottle it at the final hurdle. In truth we are neither.
When does finishing as Champions, which hopefully we will, with a potentially a record for fewest defeats and certainly one for longest sequence without loss need justifying?
Add to that semi finals in both domestic Cups and the quarter final of the Champions League and it equates to a pretty amazing season.
Add to that the fact that Ashburton Grove is now a reality, all the key players are secured on long term contracts, there are some phenomenal young players at the club and we have played some scintillating football (Inter away, Liverpool home/away, Boro away, Chelsea home/away/away/away) and it really is an awesome time to be a Gooner. We have also ground out results when it seemed we were dead and buried.
OK the expectation levels over the last couple of months went from quadruple to treble to double and then 'only' the Premiership and perhaps there is a case for a little disappointment. Afterall an ambitous and successful club wants to win everything. If you had said in August that our season would turn out this way many would have doubted you. Few would not have settled for it.
Remember the doom and gloom of last summer? We supposedly had no money, the best players were leaving, no new players were coming through, Ashburton Grove had halted, blah, blah. I remember one particularly hilarous piece by northern pillock John Nicholson on football365 predicting that we would be fighting it out with Sp**s for a midtable position. Well he was half right.
What has been acheived this season has been nothing short of miraculous. We have had the usual obstacles in terms of injuries and suspensions. We have had to go toe to toe with clubs that have almost limitless financial resources and come out very much as top dogs.
As a younster I dreamed of an Arsenal that played stunning football and boasted a world class squad. Remember I am of a generation that thought Alan Hudson would be a great signing and Richie Powling was the great hope for the future. I dreamed that as a Club we could match Europes finest off the pitch too in terms of stature and finance. As a youngster just to play in the European Cup was a pipedream, heck I went most of my life before I saw us win at Anfield and thought that beating Sp**s was a big deal.
We now have the club that I once dreamed of. We have a Manager who is quite simply unique. I have come to regard him as almost a Messiah. Through all of the change we have still retained our identity and our traditional values. In some ways we are being spoiled. Each season our expectation levels grow and rightly so. Yet we do have a club and a squad that is capable of delivering those expectations. Who knows how long this will last. We have had many periods in the wilderness. A Sp**s supporting 'mate' of mine has this theory about success and football being a cyclical thing. I do also like to point out that 2 League titles over a hundred years means that his next period of total domination is around 2040. Which half of North London do want to be in?
I for one will enjoy every last moment of the remainder of the season and jump for joy as and when we are confirmed as Champions.
The close season is a long time to go without seeing my beloved Arsenal.
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