Of course it would be silly to suggest that winning any game, cup or otherwise, isn't good for the club, but let's remember just how problematic FA Cup
success has been for this club... I'm certainly not going to suggest I didn't enjoy seeing Arsenal win, I'm a fan of this club first and foremost, but how bad are things when you find yourself secretly wishing that your own team lost so that just maybe real change would finally come... I resent this team for even making me feel such thoughts and it's going to take a lot of effort on their part to earn my trust again... this club has treated the fans so poorly that it has created an incredibly fragile and toxic environment, so much so that a «what have you done for me lately» mentality has emerged... fans rise and fall depending on the results of each game because we don't have faith
in those
in charge to make the necessary changes to personnel and tactics... each
time we win many fans attack any dissenting voices and make unrealistic claims about the players, the manager and the potential for unprecedented
success... every
time we lose the boo - birds run rampant, calling for heads to roll and predicting the worst... regardless of what side you fall on, it's not your fault, both sides are simply overcompensating for the horrible state of affairs that have been percolating for several years... it's hard to take the long view when those
in charge have lied incessantly and refuse to take any responsibilities for their own actions...
in the end, we are trapped by the same catch - 22 that ManU faced upon Fergie's exit... less fearful of maintaining the status quo than facing the unknown, which was validated, wrongly or rightly, by witnessing the difficulties they have faced
during this transitory period... to be honest, the thing that scares me most is that this team has never prepared whatsoever for this eventuality, which considering our frugal nature and the way we have shunned many of our most revered former players is more than a little disconcerting
Picture this, we don't come out of the gate firing on all cylinders, Wenger speaks of how there wasn't enough
time for the first - teamers to build chemistry, several key players aren't even playing because of Wenger's utterly ridiculous policy regarding players who played
in the Confed Cup or the under21s and the boo - birds have returned
in full flight... if these things were to happen, which is quite possible considering the Groundhog Day mentality of this club, how long do you think it will take for Wenger to recant his earlier statements regarding Europa... I would suggest that it's these sorts of comments from Wenger which are often his undoing... why would any manager worth his weight
in salt make such a definitive statement before the season has even started... why would any manager who fashions himself an educated man make such pronouncements before even knowing what his starting 11 will be come Friday, let alone on September 1st... why would any manager who has a tenuous relationship with a great many supporters offer up such a potentially contentious talking point considering how many
times his own words have come back to bite him
in the ass... I think he does this because he doesn't care what you or I think,
in fact he's more than slightly infuriated by the very idea of having to answer to the likes of you and me... that might have been acceptable
during his formative years
in charge, when the fans were rewarded with an scintillating brand of football and
success felt like a forgone conclusion, but this new Wenger led team barely resembles that team of ore... whereas
in times past we relished a few words from our seemingly cerebral manager,
in recent
times those words have been replaced by a myriad of excuses, a plethora of infuriating stories about who he could have signed but didn't and what can only be construed as outright fabrications... it's kind of funny that when we want some answers, like
during the whole contract debacle of last season, we can't get an intelligent word out of him, but when we just what him to show his managerial acumen through his actions, we can't seem to get him to shut - up... I beg you to prove me wrong Arsene