Once upon a time in 1999, I just got back from working at my father’s poultry farm, I had a shower, ate my food and sat down to watch television. I switched on the television and what I saw on the screen, started my love for Arsenal. That evening was a Champions league match evening and my darling club Arsenal was playing that night. I watched Kanu Nwankwo dazzle and hypnotize the Fiorentina defenders. I can’t remember what ended that game but men; I fell in love with Arsenal from that night and saw my first wow moment.
This year will make it 20 years of supporting Arsenal for me and I am so proud of the ‘wow’ moments we shared as team, all those years. My proudest moment was the year that we went unbeaten. I was the proudest supporter that very year and I never stopped tormenting my siblings with our achievements. Several years after that historic achievement, I still torment till date. Although I have a brother who supports Liverpool and he keeps boasting that they will end the season unbeaten and shut me up for good. I know they won’t end the season unbeaten because my guts tell me so.
Apart from the few FA cups we won in the last ten years, I have been searching for another wow moment that I can boast and torment people with, but all to no avail. My darling Arsenal that I fell in love with that night has suddenly become the club that constantly breaks my heart. Arsenal is full of men; why are men this wicked? Constantly breaking our hearts! Why oh why?
I hate to mention Arsene Wenger’s name at any little opportunity but I can’t help but say that our wow moments ended, when Wenger didn’t know when to quit and allow the club move forward. If only Arsenal had woken from 2005, maybe we would have salvaged an already failing club and steered it back to relevance and importance.
Once upon a time, my darling Arsenal had players who could die for the club. We had players who were not scared to take charge, when things seem to go wrong. We had leaders on the football pitch. Today what do we have, people who just fold their hands, stroll round the pitch and seem lost for ideas, at the critical moment that the club needs them.
I give ten thousand salutes to Guendouzi; he has by far been the player who tries to make things happen for Arsenal, when we are down. Although they are times when he outplays himself into trouble, but we can’t deny the fact that he plays with his heart. That is what is needed from every Arsenal player.
A little ambition from the club, the coaches and the players, is all we need for the wow moments to come back to us. Enjoy your day, brothers.
Sylvester