Back on the football Grind

Article by e-Arsenal Correspondent Timothy Nolan

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For what was the entire month of April, I was off enjoying the lush, 30ºC weather of Costa Rica. Though football is a major aspect of the lives of the Costa Ricans, colloquially known as “ticos,” I didn’t have much time to watch football. With the exception of the occasional Costa Rican Pro League match and the first half of the first leg of Bayern vs. Real Madrid, I was basically in the dark in terms of European football. Mind you, I could always ask a friend around town for the scores of the Prem or La Liga, and they would proceed to rattle them all off. It simply came down to the fact that in Costa Rica, while football is a major pastime, my time was reserved for adventuring, viewing volcanoes, seeing sloths, and relaxing with friends, and not plopping myself down in front of the television or computer for two hours at a time.

I left my country, the United States, at what ended up being the tail end of a poor run of form from my gunners. I was exasperated during March. They certainly didn’t give me a nice birthday present. After Liverpool dismantled us at Anfield, we simply looked lacklustre. To be honest, I was really glad to finally get a break from all the football. For a fan of a team like Arsenal, it’s almost impossible to bear the sight of your team that is having difficulties stringing two passes together, let alone finding the net.

Some would like to put it down to injuries, which, is plausible. Key players, such as Koscielny, Özil, and Ramsey spent crucial time on the sideline, brutally damaging our play. However, “injuries” is much too easy a scapegoat for our terrible play. To win the Premier League, a team must have the depth to do so. Our second choice options just never managed to show up during this time.

I left at a low point. Between Chelsea and Liverpool, we had conceded 11 goals. The last match I got to view was a crucial one against Everton at Goodison Park. The Toffees were a mere point behind us, curiously poking their head into the realm of Champion’s League Football. If we could get a result, we’d put ourselves 4 points clear of the Blues with a stroll onto the fourth spot. Mind you, this is merely a month after we were considered title contenders. By this point, Liverpool is a whole 10 points above us, and we can, again, only worry about top four and the Champions League.

We were, to the dismay of all, picked to pieces. I remember lying on my bed, feeling dead. The only beacon of life was my plane flight to Costa Rica, four agonising days away. I felt empty. How did Wenger, the team, let this happen? Everton hopped right over us, and took that coveted fourth spot right from our hands. Arsenal was floundering.

I ran away from all the problems my beloved Gunners were giving me. I avoided looks from the single Toffee’s fan in the school. It had gotten so bad, that I took solace in my Manchester United fan teacher’s suffering. Though they were a mere 7 points off the gunners now. I honestly didn’t know how it could get worse. We were slated to go off and get smashed at the weekend by current FA Cup holders, Wigan Athletic. I never remember being scared to go up against a Championship club like I was for that semi-final.

Thursday finally came, and Arsenal, the Premier League, the FA Cup, and football as a whole were gone from my mind.

Saturday came around, and as I was getting a milkshake just outside the park, it dawned on me: “The FA Cup! It’s on right now!” My friend graciously donated me his phone in the park, where we watched the live commentary feed with baited breath for the 20 remaining minutes. After going down at the start of the second half, Per Mertesacker, the Big F(expletive) German, rescued our cup run with a goal in the 80th minute. The game had ended 1-1, and would require extra time. Apparently the game was very back-and-forth, and both the Lactics and the Gunners had their chances.

It would all come down to penalties. I couldn’t believe it. My friend’s thumb was in a perpetual downwards-stroking motion, so as to immediately refresh the webpage. The Gunner’s FA Cup shot-stopper, Lukasz Fabianski, would be responsible for taking us to the final, to Wembley for a second time.

After watching the extended highlights and penalty shootout, it became evident that Fabianski played an absolute blinder. The man saved two, as Arsenal converted everything. The man with a cult following at AFC was doing big things, and I couldn’t have been happier. I jumped off the bench when the phone screen read “FT + AET Arsenal 1-1 Wigan, Arsenal advances 5-3 on penalties.”

After the FA Cup match, I paid no attention to the Premier League. I went to a Costa Rican League match, which was great fun, played a bunch of pickup football with friends, and saw Karim Benzema’s goal in Real Madrid’s 0-1 victory at the Allianz Arena.

During my layover, I looked at the Premier League table for the first time since after the FA Cup. I was expecting something similar to what I had seen when I left, but was surprised to see us clinging to a one point lead over Everton and in control of fourth. A string of decent results came with the return of Rambo, Özil, and Kos.

Only the day after arriving home did I find out about David Moyes and Tito Vilanova. While I am one of the few who thought the decision to hire Moyes in the first place was a silly one, I’m also one who prefers long-term managers, and that there must be a certain gap for player and personnel adjustment. Then again, Moyes had 8 unsuccessful months. Alas, it is time for van Gaal, or whoever is given the helm of management, to put United back on the right track.

In terms of Vilanova, I was shocked. On this subject, all that can be said is that sometimes lives are taken far to early. Finally, Tito would want the show to go on, as it will.

I have been able to witness two victories since my return to the States, an emphatic 3-0 over Newcastle, as well as a dull, yet crucial 1-0 over West Brom just the other day. The team is again, clicking on all cylinders again, and have officially clinched our Champions League spot, in a group that looks a bit different with Liverpool in United’s spot.

Our form has picked up at a crucial point in the campaign, and after what on paper looks like a game with nothing to play for from an Arsenal perspective and everything from a Norwich one, is our chance to pick up that elusive first piece of silverware in nearly a decade.

She wore a yellow ribbon in the merry month of May, And when I asked her why she wore that ribbon, She said, "It's for the Arsenal and we’re going to Wembley!"

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