DON’T STOP BELIEVING! by Uche
Hello there champions! Hello there twelve time FA Cup champions! Wake up you sleepy heads! If you are still hung over from last night’s celebrations, I regret to announce that we have more drinking to do – because today is our trophy parade! Congratulations Gunners. This was a well-deserved trophy and you should all be proud of yourselves.
You see, this is what happens when a great team plays with belief. For many months, I have listened to Arsene Wenger talk about belief, spirit and mental strength. In fact I have listened to his post-match pressers for so long that I can write a Wenger speech for you and you wouldn’t know the difference. Belief is vital for anybody who wants to succeed. If competence accounts for 70% of what it takes to be successful, what is left can certainly be credited to belief.
When I wrote in my last article that Villa were no match for us, many scuffed at these statements. @champagne Charlie and @Twig said it was idiotic for me to state that we were going to smash Aston Villa. Unfortunately for them, I was right. We smashed Aston Villa and taught them football. We tactically bamboozled them. So if Charlie and Twig are feeling remorseful right now, well, apology accepted. I am too happy right now to hold a grudge but you must watch your language boys. We can disagree without insulting each other because we are adults.
You see, there is a thin line between confidence and arrogance. Yes I wasn’t just confident about our capabilities. This team has given me reasons to be arrogant as well. I mean, just look at that performance against Villa. That was the perfect performance. This team did everything I thought they would do that it even spooked me. As at the time I was writing the article Fighting Talk: Reclaiming the FA Cup, all I knew was that our team was capable of blinding brilliance. Little did I know they would deliver to the letter. Sanchez and Walcott did not disappoint. They kept shooting at Shay Given’s goal until they punched through that brick wall. Marvelous assassins indeed. Our midfield pass masters were simply divine. Villa hassled and fouled them non-stop and yet they danced through all that aggression as if the opposition wasn’t even there. Coquelin the shield did not disappoint either. In fact many voted him Man of the match. And as for our defenders and that Benteke guy, here is what I know. Benteke spent plenty of time in Koscielny’s pockets and loved it. In fact he liked the pocket linings so much that he enquired about who made it. Koscielny told him the designer was Puma. Benteke was impressed and begged to spend time in Mertesacker’s pockets as well. We were feeling generous, so we obliged. It wasn’t until the final whistle was blown that poor Benteke realized this was a football final and not theatre rehearsals.
We were that good and the team played with belief. Belief. I cannot say that word enough. Fan belief, club belief, team belief and individual belief. All of them aligned to give the perfect performance on a day that notable pundits were predicting a Villa upset. According to pundits, Villa beat Liverpool and in so doing, would beat Arsenal too. What nobody told them is that everybody beats Liverpool. In fact, towards the end of the season, Liverpool was like that girl in the neighborhood that just can’t keep her legs closed. Everybody was hammering goals past them. Crystal Palace scored three at Anfield and Stoke City hit them for six. Somebody should have told Aston Villa that beating Liverpool at the time was not an achievement. Thankfully, they played right into our hands.
In summary, we cannot stop believing in this team because we finally have something special since the days of the Invincibles. Yes Walcott will frustrate from time to time but that boy will make us proud. He is doing it already and I am tipping him to carry this team next season, especially as Sanchez will be on holiday for a few weeks. So there is ground for optimism. The golden age is here again. We have got three trophies in two years. The monkey is off our backs and we are now seeing the best of Wenger’s men. Enjoy the victory parade folks. Today is a great day. Champions! Peace.
Uche Edochie
Lagos – Nigeria