It is about 8 hours after the final whistle. The anger has died down a bit, the frustration not so much. I'm on talking terms again with my "Anyone but Arsenal" supporting roommates who tried their best (and succeeded) to wind me up. And I'm done posting bouts of social media frustration upon all and sundry.
You know, the thing about a new season is that there is renewed optimism. You forget about the failings of the past. All is forgiven and the enthusiasm is back. Images of Mikel Arteta lifting the shiny Premier League trophy à la Patrick Vieira, and Jack Wilshere scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final against Barcelona (yes, Barcelona, that annoying club from Catalunya) dominate most dreams at night. You wake up with a smile on the face and think about team tactics and formation in the shower on the day of the big game. You're pumped up, full of belief, full of confidence. Bring 'em on, you say. We'll show them who's the boss here.
Then comes the first defeat of the season, on the first day of the season. To Aston Villa. At home, in front of 60,000 passionate Gooners at Ashburton Grove and millions elsewhere, like me, glued to their television sets. All that built up enthusiasm vanishes in a second. You wonder what just happened, as you sit on the sofa, head in hands, feet folded, almost on the verge of tears. You try to remember if you owned a table that you could hide under. Its a bad, bad feeling. Worse than your worst hangover. Oh, who am I kidding? Much, much worse.
So what's exactly happened? Merely a defeat to Aston Villa on the opening day of the season? No, its a lot more than that. And why has all this happened? Because of a series of failures from a series of individuals, thats why. "We can do things that will excite you", said Ivan Gazidis, Arsenal's CEO, whilst talking about the club's apparent financial muscle to the tune of 70 million pounds for the summer. Ninety days later, all we have is Yaya Sanogo, not to mention the 20 players we either sold/released/loaned to other clubs. That leaves us not only with a squad without quality additions. It leaves us without a proper squad, so much so that injuries to key players means that we will struggle to field a team against Fenerbache in the all important Champions League qualifier this Wednesday.
So lets get this straight - we had money to spend, there were players in the market that would've undoubtedly improved us quality and quantity-wise and we had all the time in the world to strengthen and show the other clubs that we meant business again. Did we do any of that? Nope. Why? Well, thats the question. WHY. Is it Arsene Wenger's stubbornness, Ivan Gazidis's sheer incompetence as CEO or Stan Kroenke's silence? I'd say a little bit of everything.
There are many reasons why it is vital to sign players, all of which are important in their own way. To augment the squad with quality, to provide competition to players in different positions, to provide options in case of inevitable injuries and most significantly to bring the spirit up among players and fans alike, the spirit which is needed to challenge for titles. We're in dire need of all of the above, and it pains me to say that we don't have any of them.
I can understand the club's frugality over the years, what with the stadium debt taking out the chunk of transfer funds each summer. But this summer was different. We had all the resources, but no end result. Its like you've suddenly won the lottery and you haven't a clue as to how to spend the winnings. Arsene says we can't find the right quality players - i'll tell you something gaffer, there are/were at least two players available in each of the positions we're looking to strengthen in through the course of the summer. Messrs Higuain, Bernard, Williams, Gustavo, Cesar, Jovetic and Rooney were all available, all within our grasp, and all possessing the required quality to play for Arsenal Football Club. So don't you fool us with that!
The injury list at the club is staggering - Vermaelen, Sagna, Gibbs, Monreal, Arteta and Oxlade-Chamberlain. Thats an entire defence and half a midfield gone. And all of those are vital players, mind you. So where do we go from here? Any spending we do now will definitely be a knee-jerk reaction, albeit one that is highly needed. But why do we have to wait to be down in the dumps before we look at the problems and address them? This is 2011 all over again!
The board and the manager have their work cut out - spend the money, get the required players, give everyone associated with this club something to cheer about and get us to that level again! The fans pay through their noses for season tickets. Some even paid £97 a ticket to watch this game. Saying that they didn't get their money's worth would be a massive understatement! Gooners around the world sacrifice a lot of things just so that they can watch their beloved Arsenal play. Don't get me wrong, I will watch us and get behind the lads even if we get relegated. Sacrifice for the Arsenal is not a problem. But when there is a chance to be successful and the club doesn't do enough to take that chance, that to me is a problem. It's an insult to the fans, the club, its people, the players.
This is it, folks. There can be no excuses moving forward. If there are, then the people in charge had better step down and pave the way for new people, who can guide the club back to where they belong.
I love Arsene Wenger's Arsenal. I always have. The things he's done for Arsenal Football Club, the things he's done for english football in general, the players he's inspired to reach the very top, his ideals, his stubbornness to stick to them even in the face of adversity - he's one of a kind. A legend. My idol. But he's lost his way a bit. Something, somewhere needs to change. I still think he's the right man for the job - but he needs to adapt. And he needs to do it quickly. To err is human, but to err twice is stupidity.
Sort it out, Arsenal! Lets get back that swag!
