Our Arsenal is starting their season this weekend against Swansea. A few weeks back prior to the Newcastle game I wrote on this blog that it doesn’t feel like the season for us has started. Of course it felt like we spent the pre-season travelling round the world and the Newcastle, Liverpool, Udinese and Manchester United Games were the pre season games we needed. Our team had several players who either were itching to leave; Nasri, Fabregas, Denilson, Bendtner, Clichy and others who had to leave; Eboue, Traore and a couple of youngsters from the reserves and others who we all wanted to leave but never have; Almunia, Squillacci. Well, fast forward three league games, Champions league qualification and the end of the transfer market leaves us one point out of nine, a champions league spot with tricky opponents as usual, three red cards, several exists, several ins and of course injury to key men Jack Wilshere and Thomas Vermaelen.
This weekend I feel like our Season is about to start. Of course you cannot say it’s been a woeful start simply because we lost 8-2 at Old Trafford. Our sorry decline towards the end of the season meant we needed to have the playoffs for a Champions League spot against the ‘best’ of the pack: Udinese and playing both games just few hours after losing Fabregas and Nasri respectively to Barcelona and Manchester City. We passed that test well and ensured we are playing the very lucrative Champions league this season. Against United, it was always going to be a sorry score line; they had played less games than we plus the endless suspensions and injuries plaguing our team. Did that make for the five additions to our team just before the end of the transfer window? I can’t say but Arsene always said he was in the market for players to strengthen his team.
Looking at all additions, there is no one of them including Jerkinson and AOC that I don’t rate as quality additions. Cesc was leaving and we needed a replacement for him. Question: Who would readily sip into the team; play the Cesc role and who won’t need time to acclimatize to the premiership? Answer: Mikel Arteta So, Arsenal picks him up. Physical presence and technique in Defence like everyone thinks we need? Who else but a 6ft 6inches German Center back rated as the cleanest defender in the world? Super Sub who can open up defences and armed with loads of premiership experience? Who else but the Israeli Yossi? We all have a foretaste of what Gervinho can do and I also believe Santos would be a befitting cover at Left Back. In all, I rate our transfers perfect.
The negative media against us may never cease and for this I call on gooners the world over to support this team. If you join the bandwagon who see nothing but endless misery and doom for the Arsenal including certain former ex players then you cannot call yourself a true fan. Our season begins here and I think like Arteta said: We can even win the league. Santos calls Arsenal his family already and for me I believe there is nothing this team cannot achieve. Common Gooners!!!
God bless Arsenal.
