The Joy of Football

[Xhaka Can’t]

Is anyone else really enjoying themselves right now? I know I am.

Sure I want us to make the most of
our resources and actually fucking win something. But this season has been anything BUT forgettable. This has been the season where we have endured some sickening lows. It is also a season where we ultimately will emerge from empty handed.

But hasn't it been fucking good fun as well? The outcome of just about any match has been a crapshoot to call, making just about any win a cause to celebrate rather than another meh moment because we were supposed to beat whoever we played on the day.

The come from behind wins, the performance against Milan at home and most of all, the overhauling of what was about to become a 13 point gap at home to Spurs.

All the talk of a shift in the balance if power, all that shit, all the crap we endured about nobody other than Van Persie being good enough for the Spuds.

And now this.

It could all turn to shit again, it might not, but right now, I'm having fun.

[LDG]

Too right!

And isn't that how it's meant to be??

That's why I started supporting Arsenal. The trophies have been lovely. But it's just as much about one-off results, last minute winners, Thierry Henry fairytales, as it is about winning a cup.

And most of all. This team feels like our team again. If there is one thing I had been so sad and demoralised about, with Fabregas, Nasri et al. It was that I couldn't identify with players who, be design, or not, had their eyes elsewhere, other than playing for The Arsenal.

And yes. It's not all rosey ( ). We have massive things to do this summer, and yes, a couple of bad results and we're back to struggling for fourth. We need to build on the last 6 or 7 games. Like RVP says, we have to do it all of the time, not just when we feel like it.

Let's consolidate, get fourth (at least) and really build on the positive foundations we really do have at the moment.

Come on the Arsenal!!!!!

[bignev]

Good shout guys.

I'm astounded at our turn around. I was slagging some of our players off left right and centre before the spurs game and since then they have done nothing but prove me wrong. I couldn't be more happy about it.

I don't know what has happened internally but whatever it is, it's working. More please.

[Syn]

Well people will say it’s always nice when you’re winning - and, they’re right, it is - but since around October, this is a completely different Arsenal team than the one we’ve been used to for the last 2 years. There’s a real collective sense - fans and players - of ‘us vs them’. It may be irresponsible but you could see Ramsey, Rosicky etc. closing down the opposition goalie even when we were 0-1 up.

We’re not thinking or worrying any more, we’re doing. We’re not worrying about how we’ll deal with set-pieces or corners; Vermaelen will get a head to it. If he doesn’t, Koscielny will. If he doesn’t, Sagna will. You think about Sagna taking charge against Tottenham; getting the ball in the net and sprinting back to the halfway line to do it again, or Vermaelen running 80 odd yards full-pelt in the 95^th minute against Newcastle to get the winner - it has been a real collective effort. I think the fans are responding to that.

[Marc Overmars]

We've been so bad at times it does make what we're doing now satisfying. Getting into the top 4 is actually an achievement for us this year given how far off the pace we were.

I think everyone certainly notices a degree of resilience about us now and that is the very least we expect to see, a team fighting for pride and refusing to lay down. The team realise now the fans are on their side and they've earnt it, don't do anything silly now to jepordise that.

The next step is to ensure RVP stays then buy 2-3 players this summer who can have a pre-season to intergrate. We don't want to be beating around the bush in August again.

[selassie]

We've been so bad at times it does make what we're doing now satisfying. Getting into the top 4 is actually an achievement for us this year given how far off the pace we were.

I think everyone certainly notices a degree of resilience about us now and that is the very least we expect to see, a team fighting for pride and refusing to lay down. The team realise now the fans are on their side and they've earnt it, don't do anything silly now to jepordise that.

The next step is to ensure RVP stays then buy 2-3 players this summer who can have a pre-season to intergrate. We don't want to be beating around the bush in August again.

This.

[Coney]

I think that gooners (including me) were just getting so depressed with the down at the start of the season, the ups as things seemed to improve and roll, then (almost inevitably) the failure to buy in the January window followed by a collapse in the cups. And the spud fans gloating about 'mind the gap' and all that. But just as you are on the floor thinking what other bad things are going to happen, we then start to play like we feel we should, fighting to get a result after being 2-0 down against spuds - at home,ffs. I was only able to get snippets at the time, so I heard we were 2-0 down. A bit later, I catch a clip on the radio talking about an equalise - joy, but I know we will fuck it up in a few minutes - then next is I catch the final 5 minutes and - oh joy - spuds fucked it up- no we fought like mad and got a great result. And we are still doing it match after match. Again on the radio hearing the Milan match - so we don't win but we fought. And again and again, match after match the team are playing like they care and that is what is so good now. If (ok, if) we can keep this momentum going and then have the team in that frame of mind, we have great potential for next year.

Now I want - I demand - 3rd place at least. Something I would not have considered even dreaming about 2 months back. And with no spud taunts - with them turning on each other - plus still clear of chavs - the season just seems so much better. We actually have a team that makes you feel proud because they are really trying the whole match. This is the kind of thing I used to get when I lived in Islington and went to every home game. It was what made me want to support the Arsenal in the first place.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

apart from our woeful start to the season and both champions league ties against milan which were an absolute embarressment then yeah its been quite fun.

need to build on it though and splash the fucking cash to really push on. biggest summer we've had and i know we say it every flippin year but i think we all deep down feel this summer is somewhat different.

love the fact every tom dick and his dog wrote us off for a midtable finish, and now none of them are anywhere to be seen.

could all go horribly wrong next season or go brilliantly depending on the summer. unfortunately i have no faith in this current arsenal board so expect the former, but a few signings may change my mind.

[Letters]

Too right!

And isn't that how it's meant to be??

That's why I started supporting Arsenal. The trophies have been lovely. But it's just as much about one-off results, last minute winners, Thierry Henry fairytales, as it is about winning a cup.

And most of all. This team feels like our team again. If there is one thing I had been so sad and demoralised about, with Fabregas, Nasri et al. It was that I couldn't identify with players who, be design, or not, had their eyes elsewhere, other than playing for The Arsenal.

And yes. It's not all rosey ( ). We have massive things to do this summer, and yes, a couple of bad results and we're back to struggling for fourth. We need to build on the last 6 or 7 games. Like RVP says, we have to do it all of the time, not just when we feel like it.

Let's consolidate, get fourth (at least) and really build on the positive foundations we really do have at the moment.

Come on the Arsenal!!!!!

If you haven't enjoyed the last month or so then give it up, following football is not for you.
Trophies are nice but they're not the be all and end all, it's only a small part of a long season with all its ups and down.
I can't think of anything more boring than being a Rangers fan in that run when they won 10 league titles in a row. Well, OK, I can think of more boring things but it can't possibly keep on being exciting. The next time we win a trophy will be all the more special for the fact it's been so long (and it's all relative, fans of a lot of clubs will never get to see them win a trophy).
We should have done better in the last few years but what's done is done, it's great to see them looking like they care again right now and that connection between players and fans restored which has been sadly lacking of late.

[Coney]

If you haven't enjoyed the last month or so then give it up, following football is not for you.
Trophies are nice but they're not the be all and end all, it's only a small part of a long season with all its ups and down.
I can't think of anything more boring than being a Rangers fan in that run when they won 10 league titles in a row. Well, OK, I can think of more boring things but it can't possibly keep on being exciting. The next time we win a trophy will be all the more special for the fact it's been so long (and it's all relative, fans of a lot of clubs will never get to see them win a trophy).
We should have done better in the last few years but what's done is done, it's great to see them looking like they care again right now and that connection between players and fans restored which has been sadly lacking of late.

1989. That is all. (Mind, I hope we don't have to wait another 18 years. )