march 21st
21.15 – Lots of negativity about today from some sections of fans, saying the team is not good enough, we’re not a big enough club etc etc. Well, the biggest club in Italy finished bottom of our group and Roma got knocked out by dour, defensive Liverpool, so that doesn’t work.
Personally, I think the reason we’ve done so poorly in Europe this season is because the players don’t want to win it as much as they want to win the league. It takes a huge effort to go this far in the season without losing away from home in the league, there have been huge efforts to win games – the two Villa games for example and Liverpool away – and maybe they just can’t quite reach those peaks of performance in Europe because they know they want the league more. Pyschologically, they’re more focussed and motivated for the league games.
If that’s the case, then I’m glad we’re out in a way, because it means there are no more midweek distractions and they can go hell for leather for the last 8 games. On the other hand though, what sort of an impact will it have if they don’t win anything this season? To put in that amount of effort, commitment and energy, to go out and try 100% in every single second of every single game, and to come out of it empty handed might be too much for some players. How it will affect them, I don’t know, but I can’t imagine it will be positive. We’ve come second too many times now to be able to turn around and say ‘Next year, we’ll try even harder’. It’s win or bust for this Arsenal team I think.
Lastly, thanks to you for all your visits. So many that I’ve started getting emails asking me to display banners on the site, and I receive a certain amount ‘per click’. However, while it would be nice to make a few bob, it’s not absolutely necessary to keep the site going, and it would certainly take away from my stunningly minimalist design. Add that to the fact that the banners are all for crap nobody needs and it’s a non-runner.
I did seek some advice from that nice chap Richard at www.boring-boring-arsenal.co.uk and he told me these banner guys were just a bunch of evil criminals fronting for the Chinese mafia and if you get in with them they’ll have you running drugs into the Middle East and if you don’t do it they kill your family and stuff.
Well, he said they weren’t worth a shite really, but I like my story better. Thanks again Richard.
10.48 – “We’ll win it next year” – Arsene Wenger. The Arsenal boss is going to channel all his efforts, skill, know-how and experience into finishing first in the Fair Play league next season. Or he could be talking about the Champions League, who knows?
Patrick Vieira is going to stay with Arsenal, and that’s according to the man himself. “I will be here next season. Where do you want me to go?” he asked journalists after the Juventus game. “I want you to go to Madrid” – Mark Irwin of The Sun, who took lumps of money from Vieira’s agent last summer to write stories.
However if you look at it carefully, he’s saying he will see his contract out. All well and good, until you realise that unless he signs a new deal, it’s maybe not the ideal situation for the club. You simply cannot afford to let a player of his value see out his contract. So is Paddy going to just see out his deal – and in that case force the club into selling him because they can’t risk losing him for free? His commitment to the club has to be underlined with a new contract. So while it’s good news he’ll be at Highbury next season, it’s not as clear cut as it sounds.
So, it’s Liverpool and Manchester United in the 1/4 finals of the Champions League, and I just like to wish them both the very worst luck and I hope they both get stuffed and pick up a load of injuries. I’m not bitter, I’d hope for the same things if we’d gone through as well.
