Thursday, December 08, 2011

I'm back, and so are Arsenal


Since we last spoke, I've completed a degree, got married and switched continents.

The Season ticket has been swapped for 10am kick-offs at Lucky Bar DC. Thankfully, some of the best Gooners in the world reside over here in the States. (get in contact if you are a fellow DC gooner).

Forgive me for not posting.

But, really, the reason my posting slowed up over the last few years is that, for at least the last two seasons, I found it difficult to say anything original about Arsenal.

There's only so many so different ways that you can talk about the same bunch of overpaid, overhyped players choking when it came to the business end of each season, which seems to have happened for at least the last three years since our last real title challenge in 2008.

But something has changed this year. Especially since the fiasco at Blackburn, I've started to really enjoy watching Arsenal for the first time in a long time. Of course, I'd watch - and support - an Arsenal team made up of eleven vela-denilson-nasri-eboue hybrids, if it ultimately came down to it. None of us are switching sides. But not having to watch a bunch of spineless primadonnas is much nicer.

It's nice to watch a midfield which keeps things ticking over, and doesn't switch off. It's nice to watch midfielders who's first instinct isn't to look for the next pass. It's nice to watch seasoned pros who don't whine and quietly get the job done.

Given that the nadir of the youth project has surely come and gone (the hellish months between the Carling Cup final and the demolition at Old Trafford) I actually feel optimistic about the future for the first time in a long-time.

And who thought we'd have been the English team that qualified so comfortably for the second round of the Champions League?

So, Forward. I think this will be a very interesting season, and I hope to comment on it more than I have recently.

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Hope you all like the new layout. Any suggestions are welcome.

Question for the day - should Goonerboy finally join Twitter...

5 comments:

Can0n said...

Join Twitter and keep us posted! Good to have you back. Oh, and congratz on the degree, marriage and the switching of continents!

Personally, I agree with everything you say in this post. The team is a joy to behold at the moment. Arteta is looking like a class purchase, so does Gervinho when he does his magic along the flanks (though, he could work on his finishing). Koscielny has actually impressed me sometimes this season, and Vermaelen.. Oh, how we've missed him, truly. Chamberlain is looking like a very exciting prospect alongside Frimpong and Coquelin. Van Persie is so good I feel like crying and Walcott looks really sharp at the moment! Can't wait for the Everton game!

On the downside, Mertesacker needs to improve. But I guess he needs some time to adjust to the English game. And Chamakh? I hope we sell him and bring in Podolski, Götse, Hazard or Neymar. Either way, Wilshere will be back after the holidays, can't wait!

Man, I really went euphoric in this comment. Oh, well, how can I not when the city of Manchester has no teams in the Champions League.

Anonymous said...

first time visitor to your blog(i think).congrats on graduating and getting settling down, those are big steps for a man to take. also welcome to the land of 7 am kick offs and crappy coverage from FSC.

I share your opinion on the team. the maturity in the teams performances is re-assuring.

please NEVER EVER EVER join twitter, what is for? i do not have twitter and i am determined to be the last guy remain on earth not to join twitter. i dont hate it but i fail to justify why i need a twitter account.

once again welcome to the states and congratulations on your achievements.

looking forward to reading more of your posts!

Marty said...

Good to have the blog back! I think the site is fine. Keep it simple.

Marty said...

Good to have the blog back! I think the site is fine. Keep it simple.

Anonymous said...

I wish Wenger could sell Rosicky, Chamakh, Diaby, Bendtner, Almunia, Squilaci and Arshavin. All the money received added up with the balance left from the sale of Nasri, Eboue and Fabregas could be spent on Gotze, Neymar and a world class CB. That would be wonderful and we can even aspire to win any competition.

Jay from Mauritius