From Brendan:
Dear Myles,
Can I say that more than ever, ANR is what keeps me sustained as an Arsenal fan and football supporter.
I’m pretty sure this is precisely BECAUSE you’re not partisan, although you have a strong knowledge of, and, I suggest, some affection for the club.
But I wouldn’t wager anything on whether this is more or less than the affection you may have for a number of other clubs, for different reasons.
That is precisely WHY you’re valuable to us – the fanatics.
There’s a certain absence of logic and reason in this state of being a fanatic in the first place, isn’t there?
All the better that we can engage with someone such as yourself who doesn’t trot out the same old tired cliches about Arsenal and Arsene, and doesn’t accept the status quo – who challenges, sometimes justifiably, sometimes rashly (in my and some other fans view).
It’s healthier than being constantly being massaged by the balm of fellow-fan sentiment. I was upset by the way Arsenal went out of the Cup to Manchester United, just as I was by the cup defeat to Birmingham.
I don’t mention the Barcelona tie, because I think we could and should have won it, but for idiotic refereeing. But the idea that Wenger should be sacked because of these things is over-reactive, lacks perspective, and would ultimately – in all likelihood – put us in a worse position.
What was most frustrating about the FA and League Cup defeats was that Arsenal was playing a ‘different’ kind of football in the part of the season when Fabregas was injured, and Chamakh was making his mark on the team.
There was more variation and more challenge for the Stoke / Newcastle / Birmingham style teams, because we weren’t playing it down the middle the whole time – we adapted to the circumstances.
I just kept thinking we could have done it if we’d gone back to that template.
This is a very important time for Arsenal and Arsene- critical even. He has to bring something out of the bag quickly in order to make a proper claim on the league title, which is what many of us – including myself – were most interested in the whole time.
Bringing Lehmann in looks like a desperate move, but his emphasis on his role being more behind the scenes has reassured me. I think having Jens around will set a few hearts going again in the right way.
There are players in the Arsenal team who can win us the league.
It’s a matter of them playing to their ability, and the more ‘iffy’ ones not making too many mistakes, being solid.
We can do it. Not saying we will, but we can.
I have been thinking about this a lot recently – two things have combined to make Arsenal’s task harder since the last time the team won a trophy – the great generation of French players which Arsenal benefitted the most of any club in the world from has run out – there are still great French players, but none to match Vieira, Henry and Pires.
Also, the money coming into the English league has gone into hyperspace.
It’s appalling what has happened to our national sport.
When the UEFA directives on keeping books balanced comes in in 2012-13, Arsene may start to look like a visionary again.
The ball’s still round, Myles,
All the best.