Do the shake and vac, Wenger

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And… breathe again.

I didn’t watch all the game on Saturday on the streamz and – can you really blame me – I didn’t then douse myself in the misery of paying it much attention thereafter. We lost and – to quote the Bard – we lost bad. Didn’t start well, didn’t middle well and didn’t end well.

It was our first truly poor performance of the season, and taken as a single entity I think we could dismiss it as such. But this is Arsenal and as well as knowing all about victory through harmony, we have long now been noted for inexplicably twiddling along in a dither (have a go at translating that into Latin – I almost broke the web trying). The ensuing angst was all the more teeth-grinding because we’ve been here, done that, and it doesn’t take much to remind us all of it.

Now look, I’m not some kind of mouthpiece for the club, but I do think some of the reaction has been a bit extreme. Yes, we’re gallons off the pace and bobbing around in mid-table, and yes, the depressing prospect of calibrating our gunsights at fourth is not what we all signed up for, but I’m damned if I’m going to spend the rest of the season unhappy so I’m not going to. And we’re only eight games in.

This is still the same side that was not long ago lauded for defending more tidily, drawing justifiably at Man City, winning at Anfield and topping its Champions League table. It’s a side that has seen some magnificent performances from Mertesacker, Cazorla, Diaby and Arteta. And others. It lacked pace on the weekend but it was missing Walcott, Diaby, and for the most part, Oxlade-Chamberlain. It’s missing its main goalkeeper. It has Wilshere waiting in the wings.

Maybe I’m burying my head in sand. And maybe I’m wheeling out the same old excuses. But I make no apologies for trying to take the positive line. I don’t want to be furious. Life’s too short and my season ticket too expensive for that.

PS – Penny for the thoughts of the contractually-recalcitrant Theo Walcott. One league start in eight, but even he must now be sniffing a start (when fit). We could do with his pace from the off. Whether he’s staying or not, we’re paying him good money now, so let’s get on with it. I think they call it realpolitik.

Anyway, there’s another game on Wednesday. Off we all go again.

Time to put the freshness back.

Jim

Arsenal since about 1979. Thick, thin and all that.

This Post Has 7 Comments

  1. Steve

    Ostrich features

  2. Ally Shaw

    Good stuff, I’m joining you in this ‘not being miserable’ business.

  3. Jeff

    Bang out of order, refusing to be miserable. Where’s the passion?

  4. East Lower

    I know. It’s terrible isn’t it.

  5. PDDD

    Same old excuses indeed. Injuries ? 5 out of 6 of the manager’s first choice midfield/attack started against the team with the worst goal difference in the league & we didn’t create one single chance. No-one should be blamed for anger after that.
    Me personally, I think I’m beyond anger. I’m just unbeliveably sad. The greatest manager in our history is simply no longer up to the job. I can’t understand how this is even up for discussion any more. I said at the end of the 2010-2011 season that he should have been encouraged to ‘move upstairs’ & that if he wasn’t (& I knew it would never happen because our board clearly don’t have the guts for it) there would never be another oppurtunity for it to end amicably. We’re going to have another 2/3 years of this downward spiral before it all ends in bitterness I’m afraid….
    Honestly, I have nothing but admiration for all your optimism. I just want this season to be over !

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