By Walter Broeckx
Another year over, a new one to begin… In these days many people look back at the year that has just gone by. So why not me.
When I look back at 2015 from the Arsenal perspective I feel it has been a great year. Not a super year. But still a great year.
First of all let us start with the trophy side of things. I know that in some parts it is no longer done to consider the FA cup as a major trophy anymore. That started in 2014 around May. The day Arsenal won the FA cup again after a long spell without any trophies.
So people who had been saying that “we will never ever win anything again with that ***fill in your abuse*** French manager” were proven wrong. And they had to move the goalposts. And so from then on they decided that the FA cup was no longer a real trophy.
To those who are of that opinion let me spell this out for you: Bullshit! The FA cup is a trophy. In fact it is a major trophy. It is the second best trophy in England that you can win. And in fact it is worldwide the most known and loved cup competition of them all. Most football fans look out to that day in May in Wembley. It is being broadcasted all over the world and millions of people look at the final.
Winning the FA cup final is big. And anyone who denies this is having an agenda against a certain person or is being misled by those persons and the thought police who are writing in the media.
So Arsenal winning the FA cup for the second time in a row in 2015 was for me a big, big, big, big thing. Arsenal now being the most successful club in FA cup history is a big, big, big, big achievement. And for anyone who doesn’t feel that way…. I really feel sorry for them. Because if you can’t enjoy such an historic win (and I don’t even mention the way we won it with style and class) then when will you ever enjoy anything about Arsenal or even in life?
Looking back at the trip we did from Belgium to be in the Emirates to be as close to the event as could be was one of my personal highlights of the year. We had an excellent weekend in London. Even the rain when the parade took place couldn’t stop us from enjoying the whole days. Sitting in the Emirates and watching us destroy Aston Villa was the best way to enjoy it apart from sitting in Wembley of course.
The atmosphere was great in the Emirates apart from the idiots at the end of the match who crossed the barriers and climbed up the large video walls and pylons. When we went out in the streets after the match it was one long celebration till we laid in our bed, late, late at night. The parade was great but wet. It was as if all the tears of frustration of the aaa part of our supporters had been saved up for that day.
For us it was a day of great enjoyment. For them it was a great day of sadness. That much hated manager had the nerve to not only prove them wrong once (FA Cup 2014), or twice (CS 2014), no he proved them wrong three times with this win! How stupid they must have felt.
Another great moment was the winning of that other non-trophy. Yes that win against Chelsea in the CS. I know it is a trophy that is looked down upon. And yes I know it is the least of all the trophies that can be won in England. But whatever way you look at it valuable or not: it IS A TROPHY!
I have checked all the clubs websites (yes even them) who have ever won the CS. And they all mention it in their trophy cabinet. Based on that I can only come to one conclusion: it IS a trophy.
Of course those who don’t want to admit Wenger has done it right will brush it away as a non-trophy. But then again I feel sorry for them. Again they have shown of being incapable of enjoying the achievements of their club. Really if you can’t do that…then what is the use of being a supporter?
I really don’t get it. Well if you are reading let me tell you that if you want to open yourself up to enjoying winning things you will feel great when we do win things.
So 2015 for me is the year we added two more trophies to our cabinet. And I fully enjoyed it.
But supporting Arsenal is not all about winning trophies for me. It never has been really. Oh, it feels great of course but I can love The Arsenal for many more reasons than just winning a trophy. The way we are behaving in general. The way our manager behaves in this most cynical of worlds. The way our players behave under the guidance of this manager. I don’t say it works all the time but for 99% we are doing things the right way.
Most of our players can be used as an example on how to behave on and off the field. We play football in the spirit of the game and fair play. You don’t get a trophy for that but for me it is worth a trophy.
But apart from the trophy winning 2015 was for other reasons also a great year. But more on that later.
Two from the anniversary files
- 31 December 1994: John Jensen scored his first ever goal for Arsenal – Arsenal 1 QPR 3. His failure to score before that point became a matter that was widely discussed.
- 31 December 2009: Abou Diaby signed a new contract to keep him at the club until 2015. Sadly continuing injuries precluded him playing very much and the contract was allowed to expire.
Football’s winners and losers in 2015 – the Untold List
I wouldn’t go quite as far as you, Walter, in your high regard of the FA Cup. It is of course a prestigious trophy to win, icing on the cake of our season perhaps (after the main target of qualifying for the CL).
However, so much depends on the draw. Whether we avoid our most dangerous rivals, whether we have drawn more home games than away. Not for the first time, Arsenal have won the Cup, after never having to leave London.
Once upon a time, winning gave you a foothold in Europe in the Cup Winners Trophy.
Yes, it’s nice to win it but nothing like the hard grind, home and away of 38 games in the EPL. If we triumph there this season we can truly say that we deserve every plaudit available. 😉
I’m pretty sure Manchester is not in London Nicky.
I’ve got my FA Cup record scarf and I am looking forward to wearing it for the first time on 9th January when our cup run starts again. Holding the wins record is just one more proof of how lucky we are to have a manager with such remarkable consistency and such high achievements as Arsene Wenger.
It is funny how the pundits now simply don’t mention our two latest FA cup wins when they talk about Arsenal. Moving the goalposts is right.
Just to add, on both occasions we had to beat top teams on the way to winning the trophy. And who can forget all the penalties not given in 2014. Yet we still won.
Pat,
On the topic of the strange and bizarre officals and looking back over recent months it’s interesting to record Klopp’s altercations with a certain school or style of manager, the kind of critique of LVG in the funny papers that you’ve never seen of the fallen special friend of agents and hacks on commission.
It appears as if some have a certain style or school that they prefer to promote and protect. Above others. This lack of logic, consistency, the code variations and transparent efforts at “game management” =
PGMOB Rules Football.
e.g.:
LVG failed to get anything out of Di Maria. Multiple and various factors could be involved there. It happens. Veron *coughs*.
The specialist in signing players from special agents inherited a squad upon his Second Coming that included:
Lukaku, KDB, Mata, Schurrle, etc. and I guess even Luiz performed better for GazCorp then either Cahill or their new younger CB
A squad assembled over time costng about a billion (more or less!) that should’ve been by now gunning for their third straight title.
And one of these managers has been promoted over the other even though one has his team near the top and the other had taken his team near bottom.
An interesting and strange contrast in the media narrative. You can’t help but notice such odd behaviour.
@BGM- Nicky refers to our 2014 FA Cup.
@Nicky – we had to beat the most expensive Spuds ever, the best Liverpool team in 25 years, the best Everton team in God knows how many years and Manchester United at Old Trafford. We did it.
Anyway, for me 2015 was a bit strange. Mostly great but strange. Come January I wanted less signings when we were sixth 12 points behind Chelsea than I want now that we are the best team in the league. I think we are two players short and that Arsene will address it ASAP.
In 2015 we won two trophies, got ourselves the best goalkeeper ever after enjoying excellent six months of Ospina, got ourselves a wonderful defensive midfielder from our own ranks, a superexciting right full-back has emerged as well as one of the most humble yet excellent wingers who has finally got a chance after so many loan spells. Finally, Mesut’s performances were jaw-dropping as well as our results against the rivals. 4 out 5 victories against Manchester teams and a draw that was essentially a victory. Oh, and Giroud scored 28 goals including two against Bayern and two against City. We share the top spot with a team we have beaten 5:2 away from home.
Disappointments:
1.PGMO – butchers have robbed us for a comfortable lead on the table. I actually wanted Flamini to make a scissor tackle on Dean after Chelsea match. Clattenburg’s poor display against West Brom was a real blow as he used to be a good one. Atkinson and Dean didn’t surprise me even if I didn’t believe Dean could be such a c.nt.
2.Injuries- too many of those, partially due to the butchers from point 1. Debuchy’s injury caused by that moron and Bennett’s attempt to kill Alexis stand out. Injuries to both of our central midfielders were a real hit but we have managed to sail without them so far.
3.Our medical team – will I ever see a player coming back without set-backs? Also, the whole Welbeck case is a real fiasco – a knock turned into a 10-month absence.
4.Media – English media who have forgotten Jamie Vardy made a racist insult in August just because he’ll play for Ingerland and can score goals which is not something Ingerland players do these days, especially the hair-transplant making diver.
@BG Murphy,
I wasn’t referring specifically to this year’s FA Cup win but earlier wins, e.g. 2014, 1950 and others.
As a child/teen I had very little interest in us playing European football. Before SKY came on the scene, the games were rarely televised and being mainly mid-week games it was difficult to get to Highbury on a school day evening even if I could get a ticket. My mates thought similarly. We had no idea of the finances involved in a football club but knew they were all superstars and had to be better than any foreign team if only the foreign refs weren’t cheating to let the foreign team win (the blinkered view of youth) and who wanted to go anywhere foreign, only smelly foreigners….France, Germany, Italy, all foreign….
Then Liverpoo and Villa got successful in Europe, so it became a bit more interesting because it was on TV more, but still not something we’d greatly aspire to.
Then the ban on European football, so they could stop us winning and let a foreign team win again.
The FA Cup was the real deal, equalled only by the first division football, and admired around the world as the most important cup because it was between English teams!
Obviously my late teens opened up an amazing world including a brief spell travelling Asia with a backpack. Later still Sky started showing European Football which was different. Not necessarily better but very different and interesting.
So younger fans have a different view than I do of European football and the FA cup.
The CL marketing has pushed the European game to far greater heights than I’d ever have imagined as a kid. But although getting into the CL last 16 or Q/finals is an amazing feat, winning the FA Cup is still bigger.
Some would say 2 FA cup = 1 PL and 3 PLs = 1 CL, but of course that’s drivel.
They can’t be compared because each is a trophy won in a different arena.
How would Barca fair on a cold night in Barnsley. They’d probably win but would it be a win with style, a 10 goal drubbing or a 1-0 grind…. We’ll never know.
nicky
But why even mention it?
I see no caveats added to Uniteds, Chelseas, Citys or Liverpools, or anyone else’s achievements.
And 3 of those where seriously outplayed in CL finals they won, but do you think there own fans add, yeah but we where shite/lucky when they talk about them? I know the media don’t.
Why would you as an Arsenal fan even consider doing that?
Andy Mack
I don’t know if time has clouded my memory, but pre Sky I used to watch plenty of Cup Winners Cup and European Cup games on
TV. It was all free and they showed one game (at the discretion of the broadcaster) from each competition each round. I think it was always on ITV. This was back in the days of proper cup knock out regulations, so for example following our double season in ’72 we didn’t feature for very long.
I’m not sure if this continued after English teams were banned from Europe in the mid ’80’s, and our return in 1990.
serge, I certainly don’t remember that. I guess I’d have taken less notice as we often weren’t involved. However even on the rare occasions we were, it was only a few home games or the later stages (which again, we were rarely involved in).
Andy Mack/Serge
Funny how the memory lets you down.
I know for sure it certainly wasn’t the blanket coverage we now see.
But as Andy says, was it more to do with the fact we wasn’t in Europe that often back in the late 60’s, through the 70’s and into the early 80’s that we don’t recall seeing much on TV, or was it indeed that not much was broadcast?
What I will say is that I’m pretty sure very little, if any, of our Fairs Cup run and eventual triumph in 1970 was on TV. Also, as I recall, nothing was broadcast of our magnificent and historic victory over Juventus in the Old Lady of Turin in 1980. I believe only the second half even made the radio.
My memory is that the Finals where always shown but very little else, at least not until the later rounds.
Radio was as I recall the home for much of the European football.
But I must admit the passage of time does fog the memory.
@Jambug,
The point I was making (which you clearly missed) was the fact that the draw is paramount in the FA Cup. Not only involving the venue but the opposition.
And for your benefit, not only for Arsenal but also for ALL teams who progress successfully in that competition. 😉
I know that nicky.
But those Champions League victories I mentioned where also dependant on various factors too, not least of which was luck, but I doubt you’d hear there own fans mentioning it by way of undermine there winning of the thing.
Yes, others may, but why try to undermine your own teams achievement? That’s all I’m saying.
Anyway nicky, this minor disagreement accepted I really enjoy your comments and look forward to reading much more from you in the new year.
Have a great night and all the best for 2016.
COYG
@Jambug,
Your good wishes are, of course, heartily reciprocated, in all possible ways. 😉
How great to see love and peace breaking out amongst Arsenal fans. Maybe in 2016 we will see WOBs and AKB shaking hands and embracing each other amidst the joy of a PL win, with all previous disagreements forgotten and all disputes behind us! Happy new year all, I have a feeling that Arsenal might finally make us all really happy this year. Mesut Christmas and a happy new Cech to us all!
CS is a trophy. It may be a “small” trophy but it is something that players play and fight to win…
Besides, it is even more significant these two years. It is match between aother big team. Winning both means Arsenal got CAN win against the thoughest opponent.
Some would quickly point out that the opponent does not take it seriously… One can certainly decide to put on a weak team in CL final. Does that take away the fact that its an important match??
and even if the opponent did not put up their best, their second team or not in form team is still supposed to be quite good and reserve players looking to get their chance can decide themselves if they really wanna put up the performance and draw some attention. So no excuse.
Winning CS once can be said as luck or whatever but then with back to back wins. it certainly means Arsenal is up to a certain level.
This year, the win is even more meaningful. It confims the fall of Chelsea which actually started second half of last seaon and gradually gained momentum to see that special one screw up in a special way. Its a significant event both for the face and psychology. The only flaw about that is… Arsenal lost to Chelasea in the league game. If Arseal won, ppl will be all over the place saying Arsenal sank Chelsea for good…