I have a HSE session for 6.30am, hence the earliness of today’s article. Working in this facility makes you understand that time is truly of the essence and it would a while before I return to my office to continue my daily process engineering duties. Enough about me and my offshore escapades – the last time I checked, this is an Arsenal blog.
So the Gunners finally defeated Jose Mourinho and his Chelsea hordes after 14 attempts and all of the sudden, the world has become a better place. World hunger has been solved, Rafa Benitez’ wife smiled sheepishly on her way to the grocery store in the streets of Madrid and there was the much publicized tales of how Arsene Wenger is a bad guy for not shaking some egotistical f*cking b*stard rent boy manager that called him a voyeur and specialist in failure.
They will soon change from 'Arsene Wenger has never won Jose Mourinho to Wenger has won just once against Mourinho'. World People
— Gooner Daily (@goonerdaily) August 2, 2015
The Gunners preseason campaign saw them feature in three different tournaments and as we all know, Arsene Wenger’s side were triumphant in these tournaments, grabbing a couple of trophies along the way. We, the long-suffering fans, have endured through the drought and winning the 2014 FA Cup remains a significant moment in the minds of everyone connected with the club and when 250,000 fans came out to celebrate with the team, you could see how much it meant to them. Last season, the Gunners repeated the feat of retaining the FA Cup, which also placed the club in the record books as the most successful team in the tournament.
This season has seen a couple of changes on and off the pitch and most importantly, Arsene Wenger has ensured that the core players were retained with only the fringe players either seeking greener pastures elsewhere or farmed out on loan. The team spirit is great and confidence couldn’t be any higher at the moment. The players are blending, the results are good and the onus is on the team to do better this season.
That feeling of achieving greatness this season is also felt by the players, with Per Mertesacker being the latest player to share his thoughts on the issue,
“It was a good test for both teams a week before the season, everyone has to adjust a bit now. They (Chelsea) played a great consistent season last year, we had a great run to the end of the season, and deserved to win the FA Cup.
“It (the championship) is decided by details, and which team can maintain a good spirit, that level of focus which is vital throughout the season.
“They (Chelsea) have shown it, and we have to step up and do more than last season, so that is the question for us. We asked the question to ourselves and you could see we really want to compete and do the next step.”
Arsenal has made only one signing this summer and what a signing he has been. A legend, veteran, natural leader, winner and a football talisman in every sense of the word. In Petr Cech, Arsene Wenger has found a rock solid foundation for the defensive stability of the team, and the manager believes that he can be like Edwin van der Sar that joined Manchester United from Fulham in his mid-30s and went on to put up some breathtaking performances for the club, which included a run of 15 consecutive clean sheets in the league, besting Cech’s record at Chelsea.
I look at the current crop of players and I see a team capable of achieving greatness this season. The talent is there (has always been), the hunger is also there but all that’s left is for the lads to change those ambitions into results. If I was Arsene Wenger, my primary target this season will be the Premier League. Arsenal last won the competition as far back as 2004 and while I’d always take a third FA Cup in a row, I won’t mind me some double delight.
It’s not going to be an easy feat because winning a division over a span of 38 games requires one fundamental attribute – consistency.
We have to watch the lads this season and hope they have what it takes to achieve greatness.
I believe in them, Arsene Wenger believes in them. They just have to believe in themselves.
Sayonara.
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