While talks and tempers have momentarily cooled, what transpired within Gunner Nation at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season continues to leave a strange taste in my mouth.
What kind of taste, you ask? Certainly not the bile burp-up of the bulimic, nor the age-old liquor splurge of the man who just gave his first blowjob. No no, such reap-what-you-sow mouthfuls are reserved for the likes of those who berated Arsene Wenger at the end of the year shareholders meeting. Those are the flavors of the weak and scared, those better off just shutting their fucking mouths.
Yes, this was a long and trying season, beginning with the crisis of the captaincy, followed by the injury to our oh so fab cap'n spanish, and ending tantilizingly close to glory. Glory! An FA Cup and Champions League semi-final run, and yet we are a club in crisis?
Let's not forget, we are indeed a club, proudly holding off an uber-trendy takeover by outside investors such as Red and White Holdings. As West Ham and CB Holdings will tell you, naming the parent investment company after your colors does not mean you bleed them.
Our resliency in both tournaments was inspired and industrious, especially given the half-strength side we fielded through the entirety of the European knockout stages. While many felt we were "outclassed" by the Red Devil Ronaldos (wait, he's really gone? PINCH ME), shell-shocked seems the more appropriate term. The Kieran Gibbs slip in front of the Energizer Asian glaringly comes to mind.
As for our form in league, I think back to December, when early one morning at a San Francisco pub I hid behing a tall glass of Guiness and watched Manchester City carve us open. The bartender turned to me and blankly stated, "Arsenal are in a fight for fourth place." Correct as he may have been, it was never really believed to be our fate. This showed in the January signing of the mercurial Mad Russian Andrei Arshavin. Arsenal fans saw only a glimpse of what his little legs are capable of (4 at the KOP are you fucking serious?!@?), and his competitiveness seems only matched by his classy don't give a fuck attitude, demonstrated when he tried to wave away an incorrect penalty awarded to him against Portsmouth. A full-strength midfield comprised of he, Cesc, Nasri, and Theo will be...at the very least really really fast. Bolster the central defence in the summer (Enter:Arsene) and we are the most exciting team in the Barclay's Premier League and a real contender for the title. Yes, we've all heard this before, but it holds more true now than ever. Our youth is less youthful, they no longer fear the pain of an inevitable letdown because, well, we've felt two fairly sizeable letdowns over the past two seasons. Nothing more to fear. With half of Manchester United over the hump, and Ronaldo in Madrid, their grip on England will certainly diminish.
Hmm, that is strange, I taste the champagne toast to the new champions! Come on you Gunners!
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