There’s zero disgrace if you can’t win at the Allianz Arena. Having been away for 6 years, this young squad shouldn’t be expected to lift the Champions League (although many readers made out that was simple before last Tuesday).
Like Aston Villa, Wednesday is not as black and white as the result. It’s how you lose.
That’s what left so many numb from Sunday. Gooners would have been disappointed under any circumstances had we not won, because a win was the only way our destiny stayed in our own hands. Yet if we had left it all on the pitch, there wouldn’t have been the reaction that’s greeted the last few days. Paul Merson’s words echo in my head. Our players were in a position that ‘might not happen again in your career’ yet let the moment pass them by.
At the weekend, spectators were not leaving the Emirates early based on one game, they were mourning what it meant going forward. A realization of the situation. A story they have read before, a movie where they knew the ending.
The outcome in Germany is bigger than the short term. The consequences are higher than simply who progresses to the Semi Final.
It could be the injection of confidence that sets us up for the run in. Any self-doubt might evaporate. Individually and collectively, we could refind our mojo. Even if we lost it there would be enough to build on. Again, it’s how you lose ….
A failure to show up twice in 4 days would add to the narrative that mentally this is too big a step for this group.
Not criticism, a reflection of where one of the youngest squads in the Prem might be at.
The pressure of watching Liverpool drop points before we kicked off proved too much pressure.
The failure to get an early goal meant the crowd grew anxious.
With 6 domestic fixtures left it became too real and the Gunners reverted to type, doing what they always do this time of year, they froze.
Arsenal are two points off the top of the table in April. Mikel Arteta wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t still view this as a great position to be in. Our manager gets paid a lot of money to put a positive spin on the current situation.
Was it a coincidence that one of the first words the Spaniard used after our loss was to say now was time for ‘leaders’.?
For a man who is articulate and knows when to say the correct words it wasn’t ironic that he was now asking for the one quality that was missing in the 97 minutes he had witnessed.
He’s demanding a strength that might not exist.
If Villa was an audition to showcase who had character, every player would fail.
If that match was evidence that you had to present in the court room, every player is found guilty of lacking personality.
Yet, you need character to beat Bayern Munich when they are unbeaten in their last 14 home games in UEFA competition. You need personality to beat the Bavarians when you know they have failed to score in only 1 of their last 28 matches in Europe.
Common sense would say that if beating Villa to keep your destiny in your hands crippled us mentally, then why would facing European Royalty be any different?
That’s why how we react in the German capital is massive. We are on trial to prove we have the leadership to go to Old Trafford and the Lane and handle must win conditions.
We need to prove that the second half days ago was a one off, a blip, the exception to the rule.
Are we getting on that plane as I write this feeling sorry for ourselves?
How many players in training truly believe we can win silverware in the next month?
Who’s stressing the positives?
Who’s pointing out that win our next two league games and the next time Man City play in the Prem they will be 4 points below us!
Who’s insisting these are the moments to be excited about not fear?
Who’s pointing out these are the occasions you dream about being involved in?
A chance for immorality, to live forever. This should be embraced.
All l ever ask is for Arsenal be the best version of themselves. Win, lose or draw.
The 2001 Cup Final, the 2006 CL Final … you wouldn’t find a prouder Gooner because we lost with pride. We can never accept that performance against Villa.
In Munich, if the lights are too bright, the stage too wide, the brass rings too high …. then catching Man City is unlikely.
If we show up …… We can reset, breathe and take one last push. The Wolves game will feel easier and lighter.
Time to prove to the world, to yourself …. that you’re bigger than you thought, greater than you heard and capable of more than anyone imagines.
Arteta finds out this week how many leaders he has.
Dan Smith
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
I think we’re gonna do em tonight. As long as we get our team selection right…
No it’s more about the players delivering, as we saw against Villa.
We dominated Villa in that first half, created so much, but like before the new year, no one could finish! Game should have been out of sight by halftime thanks to MA tactics and team selection.
After the players blew their chances and let us down, it was then down to MA to change things up, and unfortunately he had no answers to Emery in that second half.
Win as a team, lose as a team.
Getting the team selection right would be a big Key to winning the game.
If Matinelli is in form he should play but if not, I would prefer Jesus in his position because of his UCL experience.
My team
Jesus/Matinelli. Havertz. Saka
Rice. Jirginho/Pathey. Odegard
Tomiyasu Gabriel Saliba White
Raya.
Only a win is acceptable at this stage.
Lose and it isjust another pointer to the ability off this team to win, or as it would be, not win something. A win only, for me.
I have to say DAN, that your use of phrases and key words in this piece were outstandingly good. That is not to say I agree with all you write- one area where I dissent from your piece is that last weekend ODEGAARD, though in a minority of one, WORKED HIS SOCKS OFF AND WAS OUTSTANDING . Once he was subbed, our race was run though.
But you ought,in fairness, to have mentioned HIM as a leader on that day(as he always is) and not damned the ENTIRE team for lack of leaders.
And though I do accept you point of view that winning in BM tonight ought to be a catalyst to inspir the rest of our Prem form, I see the consequent pile up of fixtures, if we win, being more harmful to us than any good we get from inspiration.
I always thought and said ,often too, that in order to win the Prem, we needed ideally to have been knocked out of the CL before now and that we were never going to win the CL anyway as we are not YET Eupo savvy at that level, nor “crafty” enough.
We are naive in Europe and I saw that being the case long ago and said so, often, on JA.
But as so often, I am a voice in the wilderness in preaching REALITY and not getting carried away with natural fan bias.
We are NOT ready yet to win th CL and chasing BOTH trophies harms our Prem chances. That, to my mind, is obvious.
I therefore think, as we are not IMO going to win the CL ANYWAY,even if we win tonight, that the best thing for us is that City DO beat RM and we exit against BM.
I expect BOTH to happen and am content with that.
Though I DO agree that we need to lose by playing well and not dismally , as we did in the second half against Villa.
How you lose,as you say, IS IMPORTANT and IF we play as dismally tonight as we did against Villa, our season will indeed be over.
Personally, I do NOT think it is over and I STILL BELIEVE we have a serious chance in the PREM, PROVIDED we exit tonight and City get through.
I agree Jon
Unfortunately some readers spent the season telling us we were second favourites to lift CL based on ?
That’s why I call some arrogant
Would be like Man United going another 10 years without a title , in the final 6 not being in CL , then calling themselves faves because ….they finished 2nd
Be humble Gooners
DAN, I never saw why even bookies were way overestimating our CL chances.
To me,mere Prem form alone is not NEARLY ENOUGH REASON to unwisely overstate our chances of winning the CL.
I considered them as always remote, for the reasons I mentioned in my other post and saw nothing to change my mind.
It is a totally different ball game in the CL, as City found out for several seasons in a row, prior to winning it ONLY finally last season.
Yet biased fans foolishly ignored all previous evidence, as biased fans so often do. Sigh!
Yeah I accept you have never been one of those fans who said we would win CL
Dan & JF
At the start I said i would be pleased to get out of the group stages and if we make the quarters then that would be brilliant. It’s been brilliant 👏 👌 😀
Gain the experience of being back in it again and take it on for the following season
What we can’t do is gain the experience and not be in it next season
Whilst we sit 2nd in the league and if we lose every game from now to the end of the season we could be 5th but on the flip side if we win all our games we could be 1st or 2nd
After watching last night’s games and seeing the quality on show plus the other 3 sides tonight I rank us firm outsiders but it would be nice to go all the way
You can Take some heart if we play well but Losing is losing what every way you look at it
I expect like all fans to win all the games so I would take an ugly win as well as as a sublime dismantling of BM win
Guaranteed from some of my fellow gooners, if we lose it will be off with his head but if we win it will be a cry of we will win it
Not long now to see how we fair
Onwards and upwards
Interesting post Alan but really all you are doing is backing up my constant saying that fans , not only ours, but ALMOST all fans, are biased.
I wrote a JA article about that fan bias a week or so ago and I also suggested that , TAKEN OVERALL, I believe there is more good than bad in fan bias, as bias means fans stay enchanted, which is healthy for attendances and numbers of those watching on TV..
Though , for we few REALISTS, bias is still frustrating, as it denies truth and sensible analysis!
I believe Berlin is still the Capital of Germany.Teams like Bayern and Real Madrid invariably just do enough to win through and if we are to prevent them from doing so we need to pace the game otherwise they will pick us off in the counter attack.I don’t believe Bayern are the great side they were and while we are still an emerging power I think we can win through.As to team selection this is the night for Partey and ESR to demonstrate their undoubted talents on the big stage.
Grandad I am intrigued as to what was the reason you mentioned Berlin as Germanys capital
.Though of course true, I fail to see how this is at all relevant to the other wise words you wrote?
The writer of this article referred to Munich as the German capital. Grandad corrected the inaccuracy
Thanks for that info! It now makes sense!
Correct Grandad. After the reunification of Germany Berlin reverted back to being the capital. Beforehand Bonn was the capital of West Germany, while Berlin was the capital of East Germany.
Should have put East Berlin was the capital of East Germany.
Yes we definitely will show pride if we get knocked out tonight. I don’t see a cricket score defeat, i think Bayern will just edge us or even through penalty shoot out. All in all, i don’t think we are making it past this stage tonight.
Heart touching post. Let us hope for positive results tonight. We can do it, are gone times of being SAME OLD ARSENAL
Dan,
In a reply to Jon you referred to posters as being arrogant for suggesting that we could win. I prefer to think of it as a cross between hopeful and wishful thinking. Without a crumb of belief, then the whole thing is a waste of time.
I couldn’t imagine turning up for the match tonight (now that is wishful thinking) or any other game thinking about anything other than an Arsenal victory.
When I have been to the Emirates, part of the thrill is the anticipation and expectation.
I thought you wrote a really good article and JF did mention Odegaard as showing leadership, so there is not point me adding to that.
The team picture at the top is a bit of a hoot.