Tough times to be a gunner

I am left high and dry by Arsenal’s recent performances in the Champions League and the Premier League. It is not the defeat (after all no bloody team has the right to win each and every game they play) it’s the manner of it. Let me put it for the record that I disagree with the Boss and believe that we got exactly what we deserved. At Shakhtar, we played as if the one goal we scored was enough and we paid dearly for it. At the Emirates, we played without any leader on the pitch the result of which was that nobody forced the issue onto Newcastle. We gave away the ball so so many times, Fab-4 was in particular guilty of giving away the ball on numerous occasions. If he wasn’t fit or out of sorts he should have been subbed and so should have been Walcott for his lack of ideas when with the ball at his feet. I am not singling out any player but just mentioning what comes to mind. Reputations should not govern who stays on the pitch rather their form should.

It is so frustrating to see a team of highly talented players go down so easily AT home AND against recently promoted teams. One blogger put it very aptly by saying that Arsenal were like an Orchestra where if one part was dysfunctional or not upto its mark then they struggle to make any impact while when each part was functioning well it would be the most enjoyable experience. If you ask me what I would like- I say let’s stay the Orchestra that we are but also have a switchover button (plan B) that could turn us into a one or two man band where the lead guitarist and the percussionist together or even alone could make for a winning combination. A start in that direction would be to start shooting at the very sight of goal and not trying to pass it in.

I will always be a gunner- there’s no doubting that but, I want to see my team put in the effort the passion that gets us supporters going, that brought us to the club in the first place. I don’t know if it is Wenger’s off pitch shenanigans the effect of which could be seen in the last two games or just plain complacency. Whatever it is, Wenger needs to sort this out soon and get back on track. I say bring on the Wolves and we’ll hunt that pack down with our cannon.

For the sake of childhood

Do children still..
-wear gum boots during the rainy season?

-exchange trump cards/free stickers with friends?

-wear PT shoes to school on Fridays?

-request their teachers to give them a ‘games’ period?

-wait like crazy for the annual school fete?

-take Milton water bottles to school?

-finish their lunches during the periods so that they have maximum time to play in the break?

-like other children’s lunches more than their own?

-exchange Tintin and Asterix comic books with friends?

-read Femina Home Truths and laugh about it?

-hide their report cards from their Dads and get them signed by their moms while the school bus is honking the next morning?

-discuss with friends the movie due to be played on the coming Friday night on DD/Zee TV?

-prefer outdoor games to dull computer games?

-wear civil clothes to school on birthdays?

-force their parents to rent the latest video cassettes for the coming weekend?

-are crazy about hot wheels cars?

-love going to their grandparents’ during their vacations?

-enjoy going to school for the Republic Day parade?

-have house wars with the other house students (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue or Shivaji, Tagore, Ashoka, Raman)?

-save pocket money to buy their favourite comic books?

-feel overjoyed when the mom lets them keep the change from a shopping trip?

-save up the loudest fire crackers for late night on Diwali?

-squabble with their friends over being the cricket/football team captain?

-feel proud to be one of those towards the end of the class line in the morning assembly?

-never sleep in the afternoons rather play around in the kitchen garden?

-crave for the Sunday brunch that mom would cook at home?

-maintain a homework copy and a classwork copy of each subject notebook?

Ah! those were the days.