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There’s only so much optimism that I can bring into my life despite my shrink asking me to look for the silver lining in every dark cloud as Arsenal seems determined to make this task rather daunting for me.
Yet another Premier League season starts with millions of eyes fixated on to screens and probably a huge chunk of Indian ears rather taken aback by the weird Hindi commentary (what is up with that? It’s like accidentally dropping a jar of paint on a Monet). I can’t think of a better marketing strategy towards getting a set top box consisting of the blessed blue button that changes the preferred language.
Five life lessons or inferences that I have painstakingly drawn from the debacle that just took place on my TV screen today (or was it a couple of days back? Well, you see, I am losing my head with grief here), and probably will continue to fuel my anguish throughout the season:
1. Life is unfair
” If you expect the world to be fair with you because you are fair, you’re fooling yourself. That’s like expecting the lion not to eat you because you didn’t eat him.”
Even though I strongly believe in the concept of Karma, it will probably take a bunch of matches to start working its charm. S*** happens, even when you do nothing to deserve it. You can sit back and complain or you can move on. It is not necessary that you’ll always have the chance to strike back at the very instance. Take the time given to you to plot your revenge wisely.
In a footballing context, this is one lesson Arsene Wenger would do especially well to learn. The Villans repeatedly committed a number of nagging fouls to break the rhythm of the Gunners’ play, but Good Ol’ Arsenal just didn’t play with the bit of ice in their hearts. Ultimately, they paid for it with the points. As anyone who has watched football will tell you, this isn’t new to Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.
2. Complacency
Just because you’re ahead of someone or better than someone doesn’t mean that they won’t have their chances to come back and bite you in your derrier. A battle is never won before it’s over. You have to keep fighting no matter how many glorious moments you have in between.
Slacking in the beginning and then trying to pull off miracles in the end doesn’t have a convincing success rate (our performance in winning the fourth place trophy suggests otherwise, but well, it’s the fourth place trophy).
Winning and losing makes all the difference and anyone who says otherwise is just a chronic loser.
Arsenal seemed to let Villa into the game far too easily, especially in midfield, with a combative influence (Kondogbia?) being sorely missed.
3. Language
It is still not acceptable to scream the F-word loudly in an Indian home, especially if you are a girl. Deaf ears will conveniently be turned to the reason as to why you said it even though a match, the magnitude of one being capable of giving a heart stroke, is going on.
Get a room. Shut the door. Applicable to more than one scenario. The other being Wenger/ Gazidis’ press conferences. What did you think?
4. Creativity
Sometimes you have to go outside of the box given to you, do a Szcz?sny and go all bat-s*** crazy because you need to have a life that constantly keeps you on the edge and makes you feel alive.
Get out of your comfort zone and be ready to give people a shock now and then as long as you can handle the pressure and not get clouded by poor judgement.
In an Arsenal context, that means players other than injured French U21 internationals. It also means not haggling over a couple of million quid for Gonzalo Higuain. Or it could mean spending that huge cash reserve.
5. Change
Admit that you’re wrong and change your beliefs if it’s absolutely necessary. Correcting one’s self is a process of life that is not harshly judged by people. Stir things up a little. Know when it is time to let go and pave the way for something new.
Wenger has always been the Professor, the football nerd’s dream, but the knowledge advantage that he held over the rest of the world has been bridged, and the great man will now have to play by the rule others have set. For the sake of us Gooners, let’s hope he sees this, and acts upon it sooner rather than later!
Or maybe this entire match was a sham to lure the other teams into believing that we’re not really cut out yet. Who knows how Wenger’s brain operates anyway?
Either way it is too soon to pass a judgement on any of the succeeding games yet and the drama the league brings along with it is more than I can ask for at the moment.
