Written by Wenger Boy on Thursday, 05 May 2011 14:34

First off let me offer my traditional pre-ramble greeting to all Arsenal-loving humanoids in existence. As the season has wound down to what seems to be an anti-climactic conclusion my passion for ranting, raving and generally spewing forth ill-thought out ideas about our glorious team has waned ever so slightly and my words have, as a result, been absent from this site for longer than they perhaps should have been.

In light of this I may well add more words to my sentences than necessary (as you can see from the previous sentence) in order to make up for lost time. If that confuses you or puts you off in any way then I am happy to send you a vial of the saltiest and most authentic tear drops I can muster. Although that would probably confuse you and put you off even more so I might just leave it. Up to you really. Email me.

Anyway, the title of this piece is ‘What Do We Do Now?’ and it’s a topic that has been the cause for much discussion amongst the faithful since the season effectively ended a couple weeks back. People’s views seem to fall right across the spectrum – from complete revolution to careful evolution – but the one thing they all have in common is that something has to change. Another season of the same failings would be too much to bear for most and even those who preach long-termism understand that there are there certain issues which need to be rectified as soon as possible. Most of these issues will need to wait until the summer and we can only hope that they are addressed as effectively as we hope and expect.

But before the summer comes we need to think first and foremost about what we do now as in ‘right here, right now at this exactly present point of currentness’. 

There is still a season to finish, is there not? And shoot me down with your grandfather’s musket and hastily bury my half-breathing body for saying so but we do not still have a mathematical chance of winning the league?

Yes and indeed yes are the answers to the those questions and since I used the word ‘mathematical’  there is not a damn thing you can say against that without being justifiably labelled a liar and a heretic. I’m not saying we are going to win the league, I’m not saying I think we’re going to win the league but what I’m saying is that we can still win the league MAFEMATIKLY so while there is any chance at all we should be playing like we are one point off top with a game in hand, as is our duty.

Many of you probably think this is a futile exercise. Outrunning Man City or catching Chelsea should be our aim, yes? Well yes... and no. If we try to win the league then we will automatically be trying to outrun Man City and catch Chelsea, both of which would be by-products of winning the league.

It may be as unlikely as Terry Wogan giving birth to a sentient alarm clock which cures cancer by burping Christmas carols but as long as there is any chance at all of us winning the league then we should f*cking go for it in my book (RRP £87.79). Man U was a start and if we win our last three games then who knows what could happen? The gods of fate might smile down upon us for once and somehow contrive to hand us the title. Then what? Cancer-curing alarm clocks for all, that’s what.

To put it another more Arsenalised way: if Man U and Chelsea both dropped enough points but we hadn’t won our games we would be kicking, punching, stabbing and maiming ourselves for the foreseeable. And I don’t really like pain, even if I am used to it as a fully-fledged Gooner. 

The likelihood is that it won’t happen, but that’s not the point. The point is that we should play as if it is definitely going to happen. The players said after the weekend that they beat Man U because they felt free of pressure. Well now they need to use that new found freedom to push on and develop momentum in case, against all odds, they manage to drag themselves back into pressure. Nothing less will do.

The how’s, why’s, where’s, who’s and what’s of solving Arsenal’s problems can hold off for a few more weeks while we try to finish what we’ve started. Like the marathon runner who is visibly tired in the final stretch we still, at the very least, need to summon up that last burst of energy to get ourselves over the line as far ahead as possible and maintain our sense of self-respect. 

In any case, you cannot turn around and analyse the whole race until it’s finished and it is not yet finished. Let’s see where we are on May 22nd and take it from there. 

Thank you,

WB

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Comments (7)

• 05-May-2011 15:56 | | king gooner  - agree
  

  and try & restore an ounce of pride-plus HATE losing to that bunch of neanderthals in stoke.that alone warrants some justice..

• 05-May-2011 21:06 | | MeanLean
  

  Thanks WB,
  
  Just got in and had a read of your article. Wise words indeed as is the norm with you.
  
  Whilst reading the part about kicking ourselves if the Mancs and Chelsea did the unthinkable and slipped up and we didn't capitalise. How bloody awful would that be? I think I would have to cry for quite a long time.
  
  It seems impossible but the way the season has gone so far, you couldn't put it past it. Whatever it is.
  
  King Gooner, I agree with you. I have a rather unhealthy hatred for Stoke and their disgusting manager Pulis. Victory against them is almost as important as the three points themselves.

• 06-May-2011 11:57 | | richie
  

  If Chelski beat Manu'er (not entirely unthinkable) they will go top on goal difference. We will be 3pts behind both, depending on (how and) if we turn up and play Stoke half as well we played last time out. There are massive amount of if's and buts in all this, but Manu'er then play two teams that (aren't entirely safe as they) are just above the relegatiuon zone.
  
  Now in 9 out of 10 seasons we would all expect those teams to roll over and hand Taggerts boys the 3 pts, but this has been such a wierd season that nothing should surprise. If Manu'er lose to Chelski I can imagine them dropping points at either of the Blacks not yet safe,burn or pool. Now Chelski play at Everton last game of the season, never the easiest place to go needing points, but even if we win our remaining 3 and finish on 76pts. I can still see either or both teams above us dropping points and finishing on 77pts. One wins on GD.
  
  How bloody painful would that be?

• 13-May-2011 11:56 | | CHGooner  - What do we do now?
  

  So obvious but I'll spell it out for you.
  
  i) Identify who's ultimately in charge at the club.
  ii) Assess that individiual's performance in recent years
  iii) subject him to a thourough questioning about what he thinks has gone wrong, why, and what he will do to rectify
  iv) If satisfied that he will improve it give him a clear timeline in which the necessary improvements are in place and are seen to be working or be dismissed
  OR
  v) if not satisfied, just sack him now and bring in someone who can move things forward.
  
  It's either iv) or v) but as we all know in the mad world of Arsene Fc it will be neither.
  
  Complete joke.

• 13-May-2011 14:16 | | Man United Killer  - What we have to do now is to
  

  Get rid of the dead wood and bring in some real quality.Enough of these ladies.Time to sign real men.

• 13-May-2011 14:20 | | Man United Killer  - Darn Shame
  

  Richie.Look at what you have been reduced to.counting on other teams to beat others season in-season out.Plus to make it worse,you are not even confident of us beating stoke.I guess that is what you really want in a squad.Gunners like you are the reason why the club shows no ambition on our trophy assualt.Settling for the position of an also-ran.

• 13-May-2011 14:22 | | Man United Killer  - Yep
  

  Agreed..But this is not gonna happen @ Arsene Football Club.As you may have heard, consistent 4th spot is good enough--says the professor.

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