Ramsey’s back and Arsenal remember what it’s like to play good football again. Really, the impact he’s had in less then 90 minutes is incredible. It beg’s the horrible and annoying question, Arsenal’s Achilles heel — what if? Well, you can be certain of one thing: we wouldn’t be in this tense mess of remaining fixtures, or biting our nails at any mention of Everton. And Ramsey’s injury isn’t only a shame for the club, had it not happened, had he been managed better, we’d be seeing a bit of a wonder story of one Arsenal’s most criticised players becoming one of their very best…and all in the packet of a nice, truly deserved, PFA Player of the Year nomination. I’d give it to him anyway, purely for setting the club alight in the months leading to December, but them I’m biased…and Liverpool winning the league AND bagging top goal scorer AND Player of the Year is little bit sickening. Gerrard deserves it, sure, but it isn’t going to be very pretty, Twitter would be a toxic zone in the aftermath of an apocalypse. Anything’s better than Mourinho though, right? Anyway, who else is in the FA cup? Oh, all the top teams were knocked out? And most of them all by that awful team Arsenal? Arsenal might end their trophy drought; you mean that NINE YEARS one that everyone talks about…ALL the time? The media are probably more nervous than the Arsenal players are. It’s a sad reflection on the desperation of some journalists. I’m not too bothered or surprised by how the season has flipped upside down. There are enough positives from this season to be more than hopeful next season.
Our British core is maturing every year, and as of yet, they haven’t played together, fully or consistently. Next year could be a midfield of Ramsey, Wilshere, and Ozil, flanked by Theo and Chamberlain, with Gibbs marauding down the left. It’s confusing for a team that lacks pace. Oh, that’s right, Injuries… Sorry, I forgot injuries make the team worse, and surprisingly, they DON’T make the team better. Who’d have thought?
With Ramsey’s breakthrough season this year, and Wilshere getting past that slog of season after a serious injury, much the same way Ramsey had to endure last season, there’s a lot of good times head. I’d expect Wilshere to be back at his best, and more, next year. I’m talking the Wilshere that showed Iniesta and Co. up at 19 years of age. That’s terrifying, and they’re the players we already have. Would anyone swap Ramsey for another player in the summer? If you do, sit down, quietly, and have a word with yourself. As I said in an earlier post, Arsenal aren’t far away, and I honestly believe it’s purely a matter of time before everything clicks. Of course, that could take forever to happen, but I don’t think it will. We’ve seen what this team can do this year. Next year Ozil will be adjusted and hardened. Mezut Ozil of all people…is an Arsenal player. I like saying that.
Yes, buying players helps a team become successful, but look at Liverpool, who, avoiding a loss to Chelsea, should win the league. An absolute fairy tale. A paper thin squad, holding on to their best player, with a slice of luck along the way, and at the expense of the mega rich in City and Chelsea. See, it can be done. The only reason doubt is cast into Arsenal fans more than anyone else is largely down to the harassment from other fans and media. They do it every year, and why? Because it works. People are sucked into weightless opinions, and the gloom spreads. Why is there no criticism for City, who have bought and bought upon the wealth of talent they already have? They drew at home to Sunderland. They threw away the title. They can’t blame injuries. Simply, they weren’t as good as everybody cracked them up to be. Do people harp on about this? Nope. City have four quality strikers. FOUR. Arsenal have none. Again, it’s context.
Think of the impact winning a trophy would have on this team. It’d take them to another level. Arsenal are in the final of the FA cup. Keep saying it until the end.
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Photo via Ronnie Macdonald – http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronmacphotos/