Written by Lindsay Melrose Thursday, 18 March 2010 13:59

GunnerTalk Blog

By Lindsay Sheehan

Firstly the Karma Fairy has finished with the Chelsea scum (for now) and has gone on tour up Norf. He was last spotted in Hull popping a P45 in the middle of the Orange-utan’s forehead utilising vintage Cesc Fabregas spit to make it stick good and proper.

Anyhoo onto the Arsenal and come Saturday we could go top of the league. With the Chavs and Manure both playing Sunday, three points will see us return to our rightful place, at the summit of everything football. Its only Tuesday and already my bum had gone funny with anticipation.

So what is it about this team that makes us so unsure about believing? Yes we love em, but do we believe in them? Belief seems to be a TM Arsene Wenger catchphrase. He is always believing in something to do with this team. How nice for him. Me? This season has made me a wreck.Each time we slip on or sidestep one banana skin I seem to find another sinister yellow bastard lurking ready to derail us again. It doesn’t appear to be a question of if the others balls up, it’s when will we?

I mean how long was that game against Hull on Saturday? Honestly it seemed like it was 5 years. I was sitting in the chair, lucky scarf clutched to my face, muttering curses like some resident in an old people’s home who has gone quietly nuts in the corner without anyone noticing. Only to startle the whole street with a 500 decibel bellow of FUCKING GET IN BENTDNER when the goal finally came. I felt as if I had. Come that is, drained of energy, collapsed, squeueiff, dishevelled and with a happy smile on my face. I even lit a fag.

But why the tension, why the nerves, why no real trust in my team? I listened to BBC 5 live after the match (given up on anything TalkShite ) and heard a "Gooner" absolutely berating the team, especially Denilson. There are many of these twats around at the moment I think. Same ones that were wanting Wenger out at the start of the season/close of the transfer window. Fortunately it was countered by people knowing what they were talking about, clamouring for us to be positive, to get behind the team, to help with the push.

I think us Gooners do tend to be 'glass half empty' kinds. We are such spoilt brats, used to success, used to glory, used to beauty, used to world class players and so used to bragging rights that we only seem to sing when we are winning because that is the absolute minimum we expect. At the beginning of the season I doubt even the most ardent Gooner thought this was the year we'd be challenging for the title. But here we are like a stubborn dose of the clap, refusing to budge, annoying and itching at the usual contenders. It’s this squad, threadbare, short, injury racked and immature that has got us there. Denilson included.? Most have played their parts, from Eboue promoting himself from superwanker to Superman and little sprinkles of cameo brilliance here and there from the rest. (Fabregas against Spurs/Stoke/everyone, Denilson's free kick at home to Hull, Eboue against Sunderland, Gallas' perfect tackle on Ngog and Nasri against Port etc etc) So many goal scorers, so many heroes standing up at crucial moments on the batterfield littered with the broken bodies of their team mates. We should have been down, out and deeply buried well before now, lord knows we have gifted away games like Santa at Christmas. And yet although we are getting louder, although we are getting closer, still do we really believe? If we draw/loose at home to the Hammers on Sunday will we all be able to tell ourselves that we knew all along we'd fuck it up? Is it self protection or is it the last 4 years of nearly ish grating the psyche.

I can feel that the atmosphere at the stadium is starting to become more optimistic. Players’ songs are being sung again and the exasperation doesn’t seem to be as strong when mistakes are made or chances are missed. Like parents of a wobbly toddlers we seem to be allowing the team space to learn, as illustrated by the warm reception to Bendtner’s "how to miss a million chances" episode against Burnley. What happened next against Porto was repayment and growth.

Maybe we should look closer to home sometimes, maybe roar like a lion ourselves if we expect our players to play like kings of the jungle. Stop moaning, stop berating and start enjoying. Get behind them and bloody believe in them, no one else does. If we do win whatever, won’t we want to say we enjoyed the journey? Because once we’ve won, it’s over and we start from scratch again so buckle up Gooners and enjoy this mental ride we are on. (sick bags available on request)

All I know is if (still that word) we pull it off, Wenger will smile his little smile and say he has always known and we will smile along too and say we never doubted it for a minute.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS!!
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