Time seems to go rather slowly in the close season, sort of like in a Hollywood action film when time is slowed down to allow the hero to get his gonads in between the President and the flying munitions, it's just not quite as exciting watching the close season. There are those of us who are optimists who enjoy dreaming of winning every game next season and maybe even Eboue shinning one in, while there are those of us who are a little more pessimistic and who prefer to envisage rather more impending doom than the optimists. Personally one of the most drawn out and painful summers was that of 1996, so many big rumours and no signings, until the news broke that we had signed a 36 year old John Lukic.I sometimes think stupid things, so maybe this is another one of those moments, but maybe we all sometimes get a bit carried away with the winning and losing, and then forget to enjoy simply the experience of being a football supporter. Now that John Terry's sputum has had time on Carlos Tevez's greasy acne, and the initial high of the win has worn off, how happy will Manu fans be feeling?
Personally I don't get much satisfaction from rubbing peoples faces in my own club's success and the post winning silverware feeling can often be a massive anti-climax. Hypothetically if Usmanov did take over the club, and we then spent hundreds of millions on players with the club behaving like a morally bankrupt mafioso cartel, would you feel proud to be a Gooner even if we won the league? The way one does things and the context of one's success is pretty important in my opinion, it's not just the end result and winning at any cost.
Where am I going with this deranged rambling? You're probably thinking that I don't care if Arsenal win or lose, I'm not saying that, I love seeing Arsenal win; I'm just trying to get across that even if Arsenal were to lose all their games next season, perversely I'd still enjoy being an Arsenal supporter. Don't get me wrong it would fantastic if we could pick up a few trophies next year, I'm just saying if we don't I'll still be getting behind the lads one hundred percent. There's definitely a danger of become a little too obsessed with the end results, then one ceases to enjoy the experience, the great moments, the drama and the supporting; then even if you win the lot, well so what, if you didn't really enjoy it, what was the point?
4 comments:
Great post. Couldnt agree more. Uli Hesse Lichtenberger had a great article on soccernet if you're interested. About a Dortmund fan and how it's more fun in a side that may not win than it is to be in a side that always wins. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=534652&root=europe&cc=3888
thanks for that harry, I think it's so true.
http://www.football365.com/john_nicholson/0,17033,8746_3612316,00.html
Just thought I'd post this as it kind of continues (and rather extends) a point I made a while ago about Terry's tears.
This guy does go too far, but the point still stands - these guys are paid beyond all worldly bounds of reasonableness and are tosspots.
He also brings in one of Ted's favourite arguments against British footballers, that they do not have the self-discipline an self respect of the majority of continental footballers.
The "respect" regime Capello wants was shot to pieces in extra time in Moscow by the very people he wants to captain his side. Maybe it is this lack of discipline that has cost us a place in the Euros?
It's definitely part of the reason for England's failure, aside from our lack of technical ability.
Beckham and Rooney to name but two, both have let the side down with stupid red cards in big games.
Part of it is that the big English players get away with murder in the domestic league, for example Hargreaves and Terry in the intimidation department, and they cannot then behave on the International stage.
It would help if refs in this country clamped down on their domestic indiscipline.
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