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We’ve falied over and over again. And that is why we will succeed.

Posted on March 13th, 2011 | by KeithTheGooner in Arsenal,Arsenal News,Arshavin,Cesc,Cesc Fabregas,FA Cup,Fabregas,Gooner,Gooners,Jack Wilshere,Man utd,Manchester United,Uncategorized,Wilshere

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan was a childhood hero of mine. The grace in which he played basketball and his utter belief and confidence astounded me. He had what we would call today, a winning mentality. His teammates believed in him, but never as much as he believed in himself. And it pained him when he lost, you could see it on his face. But that confidence and that belief came from somewhere. And that somewhere was failure.

 

 

Yesterday, I made the long trip to Manchester with 8,999 other Gooners to sing my heart out for The Arsenal. Despite my possibly lethal Man Flu, I drove endured the traffic jams caused by 70,000 travelling “home” supporters from the red side of Manchester and when I got there, just like every other passionate away fan there, I sang my heart out from an hour until Kick Off until after the final whistle. As someone tweeted me pointed out regarding our tremendous away support, if there were cups handed out for singing, we would win the quadruple every year.

 

(This video is from before the Carling Cup Final in Wembley)

 

Originally my co-pilot for the trip was my brother, but he wussed out and so in his place, I took MumTheGooner. I did not want to travel by coach again, so we drove.  It was not only her first Arsenal away game since the 70′s, but her first Arsenal game since the 70′s. Back then, she was an Away girl, travelling up and down the country with her red and white scarf and then hiding in shop doorways while the firms battled on the streets afterwards. I had to reassure her that it wasn’t like that anymore, but I never confirmed that she didn’t have a flick-knife and some nunchucks in her handbag. Mum was buzzing for the whole trip and is now planning on more trips, although I had to tell her not to expect that sort of atmosphere at The Emirates week in, week out. She had an amazing day despite the result, and I would like to thank my fellow Arsenal fans for making me have conversations with my mum, such as the following…

  • Why are they singing about Ashley Cole going to bed with ten men and a mobile phone?
  • He did WHAT with a mobile phone?
  • Evra is a what?
  • Why are they Calling Rooney a fat granny shagger?
  • How old?
  • Why doesn’t Adebayor like coach trips anymore?
  • Is Redknapp’s mother really a whore and why would the pope tell him to fuck off?
  • Why are they saying that about Denilson, Diaby and Arshavin? I thought they were Arsenal players.

 

Cheers for that Gooners. I was dreading the awkwardness of bumping into someone I know from twitter (that’s not awkward) and having the following conversation (this IS awkward.)

 

MumTheGooner – “So who were they love?”

KeithTheGooner – “Oh just some men I met on the internet mum.”

 

 

 


As for the game, well, you all saw it and there’s little point going over it again. I will say though that I thought two players in particular had fantastic games. Jack Wilshere and Manuel Almunia. Yes, Manuel Almunia. I know that we conceded two goals, but he pulled off a fantastic reflex save to stop a shot that led to the first goal where Gibbs failed to cover his man. I couldn’t see the second goal from them properly, but from what I could see, it looked as though there were defensive errors, again from Gibbs. But Manuel pulled off some brilliant saves and if he hadn’t, it would have been an embarrassing 4 or 5 goals conceded. For a man who has fallen into third place in the pecking order, he has remained classy and certain players could learn a lot from the man on how to handle being dropped. I do not doubt that between now and the end of the season he will make an Almunia style clanger, but that is why he is our third choice. What we have to remember is that for this entire season, he has only made two major cock ups. One being against Orient, forcing the replay and the other being the entire West Brom game. Up until then, people forget that Almunia was having a brilliant season. So if I am at a game between now and the end of the season and I hear you boo Almunia, expect a barrage of abuse because I will not stand for it. I am not saying he should be given another chance- far from it. He has had his chances and I am sorry to say that his time at Arsenal as the number one is up. But I do hope that as a reward for being so classy and coming in and doing a job for us when we are desperate, he is rewarded with the move to a team where he can regain confidence and enjoy the end of his career. Until then, get behind him 100% as it is not his fault that the two keepers above him have got injured. Is there a better third choice keeper in the world? I would put my house on it that there is not. There are also rumours of an old warrior making a return…

Djourou

The biggest blow to come from yesterday’s defeat was not the loss to Man USA. No, it was the loss of our rock at the back, the magnificent Johan Djourou. Perhaps it is only because of the emergence of Jack Wilshere that more of a big deal has not been made about the transformation of Johan. Free from injury for virtually the whole season and arguably given the role of first choice centre back due to the almost season long injury of Thomas Vermaelen, Johan has been sublime. Without a doubt my first choice to partner Vermaelen when he finally returns after being rebuilt by OCP.
So where do we go from here? Let’s look at what remains for us. Ten games in the Premier League and a chance to focus purely on one competition. We have lost a significant part of our squad to injury. Both of our first choice Centre Backs. Our first and second choice goalkeepers. They are all out for the season and there is nothing we can do about it. So what if they are? I don’t want to hear excuses and at the end of the season, the cliched “If we didn’t have all our best players out we would have won,” because if you’re good enough to represent The Arsenal, then even if you are a fringe player or reserve, you had better be ready to play until you break a leg and then play on, because that is what it means to play for The Arsenal. We are more than just a club. Take a look at what it means to represent The Arsenal here. We are at Old Trafford. We are down to ten men. We have just lost our best central defender. We are likely to go out of the cup. But do we give up? No. We stand defiantly and sing non-stop for fifteen minutes, over and over again to the ManUre fans who had the cheek to sing to us, “You’re not singing anymore.”

 

 

THAT is what it is to represent The Arsenal. No matter if you are a fan, if you are a first team starter or someone who has been called in to do a job because of an injury. If you are wearing that famous crest, emblazoned with Victoria Concordia Crescit on it, you do not give up in any circumstances.Michael Jordan also said, “It doesn’t matter if you win, as long as you give everything in your heart.” That could almost be the motto for the travelling Arsenal fans. If I see every player wearing the famous Red and White from now until the end of the season putting in 100% effort and we win nothing, I will be happy. We now have an opportunity to focus purely on one competition. No distracting Barcelona games. No dreams of Wembley. Just football at it’s purest in the Premier League. A lot of the current Arsenal players can take a lesson from a young nineteen year old who wears the number nineteen shirt who just will not give up. His name is Jack Wilshere and he has Arsenal DNA.

 

 

 

 

Yes we are out of the FA Cup. Yes, as the ManUre fans sang to us, “Champions League- we’re having a laugh. Yes we blew our chance of silverware at Wembley with the Carling Cup. We now have the opportunity to use these defeats and channel the pain, the frustration and the regret. To paraphrase my childhood hero, We’ve failed over and over again in our lives. And that is why we will succeed.

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