A quick note on Vieira and Spurs

If there’s one reason I cannot wait for the season to start, it’s that NewsNow and other directories will be flooded with match reports, player interviews and other such nonsense, as opposed to the constant headline wars by 14-year-olds trying to outdo each other with incendiary titles.

While I’ve blogged on Lorik Cana and had some fun imagining him in an Arsenal shirt from nothing more than youtube clips (a full, frank admission), I am never going to get worked up on him signing for a mediocre team that proves none of the bigger clubs were interested.

Especially for a (relatively) paltry £5million.

But the panic and absolute hatred towards Arsene Wenger thrown his way from blogs I’m sure most of us are aware of is hilarious, especially given the soon-to-be-released PORTAL has a whole section devoted to this sort of ‘commentary’.

It’s stemmed from a number of things, like categorizing certain Arsenal fans definitively as those who love the manager and those ‘with an open mind’ – it’s all politics meant to divide the fanbase and the club, killing portions of the atmosphere at the ground and increasing negativity throughout.

The truth is, no-one, apart from those who actually do watch Ligue-1 (and no, the blog responsible for so much of this ‘panic’ does not watch the French league despite his claims) and from all accounts, we are not missing out on much.

The whole furore arises from the fact nobody really has any names they can come up with that are well known that would really fit into central midfield.

They bring up players like Cana, like Yaya Toure, like De Rossi, etc, all of whom are either not up to it or never were available.

Despite this, Wenger is hung, drawn and quartered for ’sitting on his hands’, being a cheapskate or just plain stubborn when the grim reality is he has his hands tied financially.

So we all jump, like lemmings from a cliff in front of Heavens Gate, knowing we’re doomed to a life below the forever-ambitious Tottenham Hotspur.

The money from Adebayor’s sale – showing his class by now trying to tap Kolo Toure up – will more than likely go into debt restructuring. That’s the future of the club right there, like it or not.

Maybe it means it will be a decade before we win another league title – that cannot be helped. Destiny is destiny and no fan is going to change that without resorting to bloodshed and hostage taking.

The club is 123-years-old and has won the league 13 times. That’s a league once every 10 years, give-or-take and any expectations above that are being generated from teenagers and newcomers unaware to the realities of football.

Wenger’s done things on a shoe-string budget before and he will probably continue doing so. It’s just the reality of our situation, not by any stubborn streak of his but because of the situation a self-sustained club like Arsenal has had to be.

It’s honourable, it’s something to be proud of as a club. It’s frustrating, yes, compared to the bubble other clubs are living in.

But I cannot and will not tolerate the slanderous attacks the manager, a personal hero of mine, gets from ungrateful fans who are expecting him to work miracles no other manager could hope to attain with Arsenal.

The club is going through a financial period hampered by the recession. This is coupled with the fact that we’re all expecting so much from the club after Wenger set the bar higher than anyone else could or will.

I really fear the day one of the greatest managers of all time leaves the club. Who would you want him to be replaced with? Mourinho? Ancelotti? David Moyes?

They would be all be neuters compared to Wenger, who found his club in Arsenal and left an indelible mark on it.

I’m not saying Wenger is immune from constructive criticism. He himself criticises what he does and analyses to a great degree.

I’m saying that the sheer temerity of fans duped by the 24/7 news-cycle demanding his head for not buying overrated, overpriced players is not worth the attention it is getting.

To those jumping on the bandwagon – you’re part of something very, very sickening.

A quick note on Vieira and Spurs

Just an aside amid the rumours Patrick Vieira is looking to sign with Spurs – I’ve heard displeasure from certain quarters saying it will forever taint his legacy as an incredible Arsenal player and captain.

To which I say, it will a bit, but only a bit. We’re all meant to hate Spurs with all our souls and more, etc, but really – this is Vieira we’re talking about, one of our greatest ever players, who just so happens to want to return to the English Premier League.

He’s no longer able to play at the title-challenging level anymore, his legs have left him for good. But he would not want to play for relegation fodder either.

If Spurs are the only team interested, added to the hiatus from Arsenal and England after several long seasons, then the animosity towards the club would have dimmed a bit, from his perspective.

If he joins, then he has my blessings only in so much as he’ll be one of the only players there I hope goes injury free and plays with a smile on the face. He earned our respect from years of stellar service.

I’m not happy with him playing for the Spuddies, but I won’t ever be found booing him or wishing ill on Patrick. I’d hope some share my sentiments to a similar degree.

That’s all for now – cheers for reading.

Filed under: Arsenal, Blogging, Transfer Rumours