Watching the games at 2am gives you a lot of time on your own to think. My second season as TheSundayMorningGooner has been inspiring & frustrating in equal measure.
The arrival of my daughter in November put things into perspective, but you make time for the 2 loves in your life (hope my wife doesn’t read this)!!
My thoughts put the season’s efforts into 3 stages:
1) Nasri and Chamakh
2) Theo Van Nasregas
3) Birmingham
With the usual lack of movement in the transfer market, the all-knowing pundits were damning Arsenal to a battle for a Europa Cup spot, at best. Arsenal started the campaign in the league, thanks to finally avoiding the frustration of Champions League qualification.
Nasri and Chamakh
Samir Nasri, blessed with exclusion from the debacle of the French world cup squad, started with a full pre-season under his belt and Marouane Chamakh, due to injuries and missing out on Wenger’s usual 6-month settling period, was dropped straight in at the deep end. Both players hit the ground running. Nasri, showing everyone, the class and ability he has and going some way to living up to the burden he has carried since leaving France as the ‘next Zidane’. Chamakh, the unknown Moroccan, was banging in the goals and showing he could be the striker we had been missing since Wrighty (Eduardo aside, thanks Birmingham!!!). Samir and Marouane carried Arsenal through the early season until the arrival of…
Theo Van Nasregas
January came and went, and again movement in the transfer window was not forthcoming. The emergence of our new striker force Theo Van Nasregas brought renewed hope to the season. Given the vacant number 9 shirt (by the fans), TVN first appeared on December 27th and it was seen as the final realisation of the Arsenal way. A 3-1 defeat of Chelsea and the free flowing football we all knew was in the team, started to make people take notice and start to believe that Arsene did know best. The culmination of TVN’s prowess was the victory over Barca. ‘You must beat the best to become the best’. But, it’s not over until the fat lady sings and then came…
A reliable source has told me that arsenal have started negotiations and two players namely fabio coentrao who has a 30m buy out clause and matt humells hope wenger sign them.
This is all wishfull thinking. Arsenal will never win another trophy with Wenger at the helm. If he could not win a trophy in six years, what makes you think he will come good. Chelsea finished second, but fired their coach. We finish fouth, lose the Carling cup to a non premier league team, have gone six years without a win, became the first team to draw from a 4 -0 scoreline,can’t defend set-pieces, the list goes on. This is a shameful disgrace to all the proud fans associated with this great club, that Wenger’s mediocrity is going unpunished. The least the director could do was to at least issue the dreaded “we have confidence in our manager”. What type of Kool-aid drink is Wenger serving them. Thank god, he is not in charge of something more consequential such as the presidency or premiership!
Wenger? Spending 30m on one player? Will never happen.
Is he going to keep, defend and score goal at same time haa!! stingy prof of economy will never do dat its a joke.
I agree totally with this article. Great summary of the positives, negatives, stand out players and performances of the season. Lets just hope next season we can win a trophy so we can all rejoice and celebrate, because God knows we deserve a trophy, especally for our patiance.