Some miracles take time

I've left the original title of the draft because it seems apt in the light of all that has happened since the pandemic started.  At the time, I was just lamenting the size of the rebuilding project that the club faced, to break the culture of mediocrity that had defined it.  

But now, more than half a year since the outbreak, there is still no real end in sight and it does seem we're going to be in this new normal for a while more.  There's talk about allowing attendance at games in limited numbers, but that seems premature given the subsequent waves of infections that have swept across the world.  Still, I hope I will get back to the Emirates soon.

I'm an introvert and have practiced social distancing most of my life (heh) but after having experienced going to games regularly, something is missing now.  That sense of instant community, bonding over the teams successes and frustrations (but mostly the latter this season), was not something I had experienced before. It all came together in the second leg against Olympiakos (below)

What a rollercoaster ride.  We were flat, then down when they scored. Then in extra time, insane jubilation all round when we scored and I hugged a complete stranger.  Cue despair, head in hands when they scored with hardly any time remaining. But you still hope against hope, and our best striker fluffed his chance at the end and that was that.  A terrible way to end any game but it was an incredible experience and now we don't have any of that.

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28 Feb 2020

I saw this while heading to dinner before the game - Arsenal v Olympiakos (2nd leg).  It was probably an omen.

You really have to admire away fans.  They are the most hardcore of the lot.  The Olympiacos fans were in fine voice during the game as well and are a real credit to their club.

Gabe and Charissa went with me to the game.  It was cold, on a day when it snowed in London!  I wondered if it was a good idea but we were well insulated, and it turned out to be not a good day not because of the weather.

Maybe I jinxed it because I told someone I was feeling good about the game.  We were at home, 1-0 up with the away goal, playing a Greek team that looked pretty toothless for most of the game in Greece.  What could go wrong?

Reminds me of this video on social media that showed clips of various athletes celebrating prematurely before reaching the finishing line, and being punished for it forever and probably becoming an unwanted meme.  Ain't over till the fat lady sings and I should have known better that Arsenal have been far too complacent for too long - even in our worst season in recent history.  I've seen it with my own eyes and I fell prey to it myself.  It's all too human.  Never disrespect your opponent.

Of course this is different from the recent story about how the Singapore Sports School thrashed their opponent by 30-something goals.  It created a furore and there were those who said the SSS should be commended for respecting their opponents by not taking their foot off the gas - or perhaps in this case 'off their throats' might be more appropriate.   I get that.  In the professional game, just as you shouldn't deliberately tank a match, you also owe it to the spectators and your opponent to do your best.  I mean this is your livelihood, and it's part of the psyche to go all out and send a message about dominance and what have you because it will serve you well for future matches.

At amateur levels, I think it's just wrong.  Even in professional sports no one really wants to see lop-sided games.  Where's the element of competition?  That's why you have college drafts, salary caps and financial fair play rules.  But I digress.  The sports school was set up to nurture talent.  The only way to do that is to give them stiff competition.  You don't let them run up cricket scores against weak opponents.  Here's an idea. Why not play them against older teams?  They mighty learn some humility too.

PostScript : didn't know it at the time, but this would be the last time I watched the team play at the stadium for the season.