Alexis’ ego: where will it take him next?

By Tony Attwood

Of course I’ve never met the guy but think I can still make a fairly decent guess as to what powers the brain of Alexis.  He’s got a big ego.

That isn’t a very insightful comment however because I suspect most top level footballers have got very big egos.  Very very big egos.  Very, very, very… well, you get the idea.

Indeed I can’t imagine how one could be successful in the bear pit that is the modern game without having an ego the size of Mount Everest.

I guess one might be able to make a case that says that forward line players have more of an ego in general than defensive players – defenders (again in general) give fewer interviews, do less thumping of the badge on the chest and so on.  But even so, to go out in front of cheering and baying fans, and have your every move subject to intense speculation, not to mention rampant invention by the purveyors of fake news, you can hardly be a shrinking violet.

The ego (which is of course an invented concept set up to explain the way people behave – we must remember that it is not a “real thing”) is supposedly the part of the mind that links the conscious and the unconscious and from that gives us a sense of personal identity.  This is me.  This is what I am.  That sort of thing.   (Freud called it das Ich which transliterated comes out as “the I” – which explains why it is not a very clear concept   Ego is the Latin for “I”).

But for most people personal identity is also to some degree influenced by what others say and do – what happens in the outside world.  Most people are influenced by what others say and how they react, to oneself.  People who think only that they are right and ignore everyone else, have big egos.

So last season when Alexis did his usual bit of throwing bits of strapping that apparently are essential either to hold his kit together or his body together onto the ground, and the press started noticing, Alexis noticed that the media noticed.

He started to do it a bit more, with a bit more vigour, every single time he was substituted.   Interestingly no one ever complained about the time he took to go off when substituted, even when Arsenal were shuffling the pack to try and get a winning goal, and that helped him.  The crowd were rarely against him as they have been with Giroud.  Alexis made his little protest, the crowd were sympathetic and the media reacted.

Then he did it a bit more and a bit more and a bit more and… and the trouble with ham actors and big egotists who let things get out of control is they they always get to the top of their range far too quickly.  Quality actors rise up the more slowly so that one hardly notices.   Anyway, very soon Alexis was at the top of his range in terms of flinging stuff around.

But of course the media loved it.  “Arsenal player in a strop” that’s the story.  Now it is anticipated in each and every game.  When Alexis goes off the amount of camera work on the continuing match goes down by 40% as the media focuses on Alexis on the sidelines.

And because Alexis loves being the centre of attention, and because he’s not a very good actor, he does it more and more.  And the media (because really most journalists don’t have a clue how to report a football match) instead report Alexis’ latest method of leaving the pitch more and more.

None of this means that Alexis is actually protesting against the management, rather he is playing to his audience – the media – just like Giroud does.   The only problem with the situation is that unless one is properly trained as an actor, the act can become reality.  The actor starts believing he is the part he is playing.  The two merge.  Ultimately that way madness lies, or if not madness then certainly a dislocation from reality and a rather unpleasant person to be with.

Who knows what Alexis is really thinking – I doubt very much that he has thought about the whole situation (although of course I don’t know – I can only suspect, based on the psychology I have studied.  And I must admit players getting in a strop while leaving the field of play was, rather curiously, not part of the curriculum when I did my degree.  A grave error by the writers of the curriculum of course, but that’s how it was.

Above all, Alexis’ action creates a reaction (of course) and from there the fake news merchants get moving.  As I have tried to show in the past, “fake news” was invented and nurtured by football journalists and their editors, and now they are given over wholly to its invented reality.  Alexis’ agent must realise that playing to the gallery of men and women who live by creating fake news (in terms of transfer rumours and the like) is very much to his advantage.  It keeps him centre stage when he is not scoring glorious hat tricks against West Ham.  And all he has to do is throw something on the ground, or pull a hood over his head.

Sadly those of us who pay Alexis’ salary by buying season tickets, Sprout subscriptions and merchandise pay for these antics, and (although I maybe on my own on this one) I’d prefer to have my money spent on watching the football, rather than ego games.  Indeed even though I support Arsenal with all my heart and soul, and although I want Alexis to stay and be part of the team, I’m getting to the point of thinking that players that use the media to further their aims should not be worried about too much.

They probably have enough problems already.

Wenger ponders whether Yaya Sanogo will ever really be good enough for Arsenal. 

40 Replies to “Alexis’ ego: where will it take him next?”

  1. Can’t help thinking this is all a construct on his part in order to create a schism with the club to facilitate his departure, most likely to China for a fortune, in the same way Costa seems to be doing. Let’s face it, he comes from a poor background and he is looking after his family and quite possibly his hometown. Let’s enjoy his skills while he’s here, stay calm and find a creative way to spend the silly money wel’ll get for him.

  2. To answer the question: ‘…. where will it take him next?’, I don’t know if Alexis’ strops are leverage to expedite a move away, but Sanchez to a Chinese team isn’t so fanciful; he’s a single man who wouldn’t have to uproot his family and has no apparent commitments other than to his dogs. So if money is his main motivation (and I’d say it is), then it would be the ideal move for him.

  3. Do Alexis know that they eat dogs in China? Or so I have been told. Quick someone tell him 😉

  4. Reading the tweet from Özil after the match… I do wonder if he did on purpose to make a bit of fun?
    It read: “Yeees!! ?? Picked up a non-dramatic away win with a clean sheet ⚽?? Good to be back in the Premier League ? #YaGunnersYa ”

    Certainly the part of the “non-dramatic” win can be read in two ways. Add to that the winking smiley.

    More so someone who is travelling with the players and squad most of the time said that there was nothing wrong with Alexis his mood after the match. So I do wonder if they said: hey lets pull the media around a bit and make some fun of them.

  5. Alexis’ antics are synonymous of every footballer in the past 20 years or so who wants out. He is behaving like a petulant 7 year old – and despite the fact that he is very good at what he does, he cannot be allowed to destabilise the club. We were 4-0 up FFS!

    Take a random sweep of reactions on social media from our own fans and it is clear that he is beginning to fray the nerves, and patience of his loyal followers. AW needs to step in and remind him that he is a senior professional, and as such, needs to afford the requisite behaviour.

    If he wants to go – then let him. We would get a lot of money for him and be able to buy a couple of players. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want Alexis to leave, but find it distasteful that he is stooping to such pathetic outbursts.

  6. I’d like to see it as someone whose love of football is so intense that he experiences a substitution as a loss- ten minutes he could have had doing what gives him his joy snatched away- even though the whole point is to try ensure he gets more minutes overall (i.e to try avoid injuries).

    Even then it’s a bit much to be reacting like yesterday; he’s not daft so he has time to think through his behaviour after each game (though as long as he performs, it doesn’t bother me in one sense).

    However, I doubt it’s just that at the moment. Seems too much of a coincidence to be acting up increasingly with the contract issue being what it is.

    Unfortunately, I think ClockEndSniper is on the right track. Though I don’t think someone who loves top football as much as he does would contemplate China at this stage. It’s the 300 grand (?) clubs within Europe will surely offer that’s the danger.

    I’m going to try enjoy his play as much as possible this year and hope my pessimism is proved wrong this time.

  7. I totally agree with Double Dutch.It is becoming tiresome, regardless what the media are thinking or writing.AW was correct in taking him off.NO player is bigger than the club.If we offer him 250k a week and he wants more, sell him.If he goes the club must let us know what his demands were and we can then see for ourselves.

  8. Costa has always been driven by money and he’s only really been earning well since joining the chavs (By footballer standards). Before then he only had one good season at Athletico and was out on loan being rather unimpressive as a striker. His eagerness to play for the Spanish National team shows his loyalty is very much a buyable product.

    Alexis is not driven by money, he’s driven by football and success whilst playing football. Yes he has a big ego, as every player (Inc defenders) needs to do their job whilst watched by 60,000 every week but money is only the side-effect of playing and is dealt with by his manager (who will get the best money he can within Alexis needs). He wasn’t loved by the Barca fans to the level he is with us and that makes up to some degree for our lack of silverware, but is it enough?
    What are his options?
    He’s been with one of the 2 biggest teams, could he go back to Spain with RealM… unlikely and who else would be worth joining there…
    France and Germany are one team leagues (yes they get occasional competition but not enough).
    He’s played in Italy before, they do have competition and there’s some money there… But it’s still a lower level of competition …
    As for China, I don’t think it would help his image at home in Chile to go to a 3rd rate league to play for money. There’s only a couple of places in China worth living in, and even in those cities I suspect he’d be bored for most of his waking hours.
    IMO he’ll get to 32-34 year old and realise his legs are going, then suddenly realise he’s going to get less personal accolades so he’d better put a couple of years in trying to earn as much as he can. Then he’ll look at China/Middle East/America or wherever the big money is coming from.
    Until then our biggest Alexis problem is ‘will he stay if we don’t win enough silverware to meet his ego requirements?’.

  9. He’s just playing to the gallery for whatever reason…..and it’s only speculation he wants to leave. He could certainly go to China for the money, but as he seems at times to get frustrated but his high quality team mates here, with the standard of football currently in China, each game would be a living hell for him.
    Was interested to hear Martin Keown thinks he is more likely to stay than Ozil…..not sure if that’s anything insider or just his considered opinion.
    Unfortunately, his actions do help the Fake Newsers , and especially those with an agenda against our club and manager.
    Wouldn’t be surprised if he is using things like this to get a better deal out of the club…..as appears Costa, Alexis certainly knows his worth as a special player, and why wouldn’t he. Arsenal are going to have to pay a lot to keep him, that’s for sure, they may have some tough decisions to make

  10. Even some people or tribes in Nigeria eats dog meat too as a delicacy. As a child, I still remembered I once innocently ate a little dog meat given to me by the wife of the senior brother of my mum whom I was staying with at one time in life and I don’t know then eating it is bad until I later grew up and come to know to eat it is not a decent choise of meat then I resent eating it. I also ate pork meat as a child when it was given to me too. And at my adult life I do buy it on my own to eat it. But as I became more knowledgeable in Christianity, I realised to eat dog, pig and other forbidden animal meats I’ve never even eaten is bad and sinful for a Christian to eat them. Hence, I forbid myself from eating dog & pig meat.

    Arsenal is a team work of which Alexis is a big integer part of it and he shouldn’t be condemned nor be castigated for his ego showing on the field of play in Arsenal games which I think he’s not doing so to show a live selfie of himself to the fans and the media to advertise himself and his football to the public. Because we not been seeing him before posting selfies of himself in the media. Rather, he looks to be a domestic person who lives mostly at home as he has reportedly said and hardly goes out to parties. But I think it was reported in the media that he has a partner girl staying with him at that time when his Miss Chile failed courting episode news broke out. Is he now staying alone?

    I think Alexis is a gifted skill football fighter who always want to score goals and win games for Arsenal as evident in his games for Arsenal when he will workaholic himself to ground in the game for 90 minutes plus without switching off for Arsenal to win the game.

    At Swansea City, he must have wanted to continuing playing to see if he can add to his season’s PL goals tally of 14 when Le Prof substituted him for Welbeck to come on with 10 minutes to go in the game. Thus Alexis frustration as Le Prof had said. I doubt if Alexis is faking his displeasure for been substituted to the media to advertise it as a leverage on Le Prof to give him a pumper contract extention deal or else he’ll go to China to get it there which of course he could if he wants to. But I think he wants to win the PL in particular for Arsenal and himself too and also win the Ucl as well. These two titles which Sanchez has appeared he wants to win at Arsenal are what is motivating him to continue playing at his peak without relenting on the field of play for Arsenal. And it’s baffled him when he sees any of his colleagues not showing the total commitment required for Arsenal title success in any Arsenal game.

    However, I want Alexis to realise that other Gunners in the rank and file of the Arsenal’s first team want to play too for Arsenal. Some of these Gunners who have returned to the team from the sidelines have to be given game time appearances for them to gradually regained full match fitness, top form and confidence to enabled them start playing regularly for Arsenal too as Alexis is regularly playing. A player like Welbeck who has recently returned from injury can be fell on and call upon to play for Arsenal when he is fully fit to enhance Arsenal game results whenever Sanchez is playing or not available to play. This professional fact should be accepted and be respected by Alexis at all times.

  11. Samuel

    It’s OK for Christians to eat pork. No problems with that at all.
    I know Jewish people don’t eat it and probably others too.
    My understanding is that Alexis lives alone and does not currently have a girl friend.
    WAGs do not seem to feature in his life at the moment, so de-camping to China shouldn’t be much of a problem as agents seem to take care of those sort of things anyway.

  12. I’m afraid I can’t see what all the fuss is about. We’re being led by the nose by the media – again. Their focussing on him rather than the game, turns it into an issue. I read his tweet quoted on the Arsenal website:

    Alexis_Sanchez
    Feliz por el triunfo y por el equipo .. ????⚽️. Happy for our victory and for our team … instagram.com/p/BPQUiiLgv0P/

    Doesn’t sound to me like someone out of step with his teammates. More like someone wishing to clarify his allegiance, and defy the troubleseekers.

  13. I really don’t understand where this idea that Alexis is only in it for the money has come from. Based off what? Literally just because he comes from a poor area in Chile? I think it’s extremely ignorant to assume such a thing going off of that single fact and almost bordering on racism. I’m sure that money is a factor, but to say that it’s his number one and only motivator is just pure guesswork, based off no real evidence.

  14. I think Mandy and Kerr have shown great insight, I personally believe that he is angling for a better deal, he does not strike me as egotistical or disloyal. Kroenke does strike me as a penny pincher who is more interested in profit than football. Alexis is one of the top performers in Europe (where it really counts) and thus commands wages that stretch our fiscal practitioers. I do believe he would likely invest all his ‘hard’ earned cash in his home counties and thus his demands are of a seible and sensitive nature, this being that final major deal.

    Fans may be affected by his antics, but his performances are more indicative of a commited yet frustrated patron. Sky report Costa will stay it’s a spat and really picking ‘back pain’ as the issue makes use of something most if not all can relate to, is covers the more significant issue. Chelsea are struggling to balance the books, Oscar would enjoy the Chinese culture, mild mannered as he is, he also goes for an amount which in a year would see him valued at around £50m a not to insurmountable fee for most of europes top clubs, the new club likely to cash in on the 1/3 world populations investment in shirt, which equate return on the investment. Costa would see them rake in £145m for 2 players, Balanc the books and allow more freedom in a almost certainly extremely competititve Summer transfer market.

    Yet he is staying and Alexis wants out. I tend to observe and act upon the inference that mosy people will answr almost any question dishonestly Conte has been accurate with his response, yet the semantics used seem to suggest that Costa is potentially worht more to the club as a sale, allowing him to employ the services of a cheaper and potentially equivolent counterpart, Llorente for instance. Yet Costa is stayng and Alexis isn’t.

    This is the same media which allowed the pollsters to convince the UK electorate that a Labour victory was almost certain, then brought you Russel Brand, not seen him since have you!?

    Ozil and Alexis have little room to manouvre in regatrds to alternatives, without facing the wrath of fans and club alike. You never strengthen a rival and you don’t usually head back to where you were considered surplus to requirements, unless you were sold by someone other than your former clubs new manager who happens to be one of the best to grace the game, but where o you put Bale 10 and CR7 who if as he sugggests want to continue for a while at the top and retire with his current club, when he would also likely transition to 9.5 or 10.

    Keown makes a good point, (loves Gabby who reminds me so much of Martin), you remember how good he (Keown) eventually got right?

    The key is to supliment weak areas of the squad, RB/LB CM and RW as early as possible, it’s like Xmas shopping before the inevitable rush, or after in the January sales as I do.

    Giroud has proven he wants it, good man, so that makes Theo the next housemate for eviction, the same choice I would support. Santi is out for most if not the whole season and I am not sure about extending after such a layoff at this level and with the situation as it stands contractually. Monreal is in a similar situation, Mert being a prme coaching candidate and pay as you play earner, for him it’s about the club, he enjoys it and would mae a great coach with his sometimes demeaning and scathing assessments!

    The situation up top can be resolved in the summer as well as any marquee signings, but to suggest we sell Alexis in the winter of a title challenge in our managers last season is somewhat prepostrous. Alexis, OZil and Wenger I firmly believe share a similar agenda and the perception of ‘fans’ is more reflective of their own thought processes than the players intentions.

    Alexis merely plays with the youthful enthusiasm of a 7 year old, I love it, I play the same, 110% given for 90+, I hate to be subbed and always get pissed off, even if I am injured, struggling for fitness or playing badly. It is called the ‘driven’ persona, his strength is what you witness.

    The argument is we need reinforcements, if you are that good at the game, you don’t fil to notice.

    Tuchel confirms no interest in Gedian, as I hoped, that is Cesc mark 2, you learn from your mistakes, quickly, this one leaves for nothing, necause Cesc is a worse person and player for the tapping up.

    RVP, Judas yes, but agreement, cash in, he gets PL trophy and then costs UNited a bomb. The wry smile Wenger had after the first clash between the clubs as RVP passes him, animosity, no discussions unheard, he was loyal to the club in his own way, knowing he chose to put himself first, he made the best bad call.

    3rd, great result, Iwobi, scores an onwn goal, and now by executing (flash one across the 6) he causes two in one game to seal victory, “he just needs to play, wok on his back tracking and pace work and decisions in the final 3rd” – Dwain Kaye

    Belllerin, rushed back ut again, Gabby does his job, lean sheet. Playing with a soldi 3 and one wide player offering real width stops the leaks, as was required after no clean sheets in around a dozen games.

    We are not going to be offloading indiscriminately, we will be upgrading where necessary and casting off what is not up to our new billing as Elite! Only kids expect to be able to buy Neymar, Suarez, Bale, Cristiano, Iniesta, Yaya, Neuer, Messi Koscielny, Godin and Banucci, keep clean sheets and win 4 cups at a canter, scoring shedloads of goals in the process without picking up any injuries and balancing the books with total autonomy and impunity. This is not a game!

    If you can’t stomach the media hype, don’t read the papers, this is what you tell professionals, especially when the media are aiming to distabilise.

  15. @Leons
    Thanks. I understand the points you’ve made. But on the pork meat issue, don’t you think since the Lord Jesus Christ has cast out the many spirits in one mad man into a mass group of swines who afterwards ran violently down the valley into a stream, the pig meat should no longer be eating anymore by the Christians who are the believers of Christ through the Jews? And since we the Christians are the grafted branch of the tree, the children of Jacob – the Jews, what God has forbidden them to eat in the books of Numbers and Deutaronomy also extended to the branch – us not to eat too?

  16. Congratulations Ozil for being nominated German Footballer of the year for the 5th time in 6 years. Phenomenal.

    I might be wrong but I suspect Alexis’ strops are a in the heat of the moment thing, and would like to believe he apologisesaid to his teammates and boss later. Unfortunately he’ll need to learn that with the kind of media we have that’s not very helpful.

  17. It’s unbelievably 2-0 to Everton a minutes into the 2nd half of the game by Mirallas who made it 2 for Everton after Lukaku had made it 1-0 for Everton in the 1st half. If the game stays this way or ends in Everton win, only Liverpool in their game later against Man Utd at Old Trafford have the chance to challenge Arsenal who are 3rd in the table this week 21 for the final 3rd place placing in the table for the week. I hope Liverpool will fail in their attempt to displace Arsenal from 3rd as Everton are failing so far in their game at the Goodison.

  18. While people can easily say they have a right to know about player demands, a corollary of the Golden Rule says that unless the one with the gold also believe the people have the right to know of player demands, the populace at large has no right to know of player demands.

    OT: Mountains

    While Everest has the highest peak with respect to sea level, Mauna Kea is the biggest mountain on Earth (about 1 mile taller than Everest, base to peak). Both of those mountains are dwarfed by Olympus Mons (on Mars).

  19. OT: Chinese Super League

    From a Marca article:
    > however a new rule made by the Chinese Federation (CFA) just six weeks before the start of the season now means only three players per team can be foreign born.

    Being as Marca is part of the medja, this statement is not guaranteed to be correct. As it is not from England, this may make it more likely to be correct.

  20. Judging by the comments on this thread, if Alexis seemingly petulant behaviour is about his negotiating position, he is being poorly advised. Having a fan base that is philosophical about whether he stays or goes must weaken his bargaining position.

  21. Alexis is a striker. He wants to score goals. He wants to win every game. His passion is his strength as he never gives up. Literally.

    Of course, as late Johann Cruyff used to say, every advantage has its disadvantage and vice versa. His passion drives him over the edge sometimes. That’s why he loses the ball so many times, that’s why he misplaces the ball so many times.

    But that’s Alexis, two-time champion of America and joint top scorer in the Premier League this season. He wants goals, he wanted to score a goal or two to make a gap between himself and Diego Costa and he thought that the worst team in the league is a good chance to do so. He was brought off, he was unhappy with that clever long-term decision from the manager and that’s it.

    There are no sides in this story except the Arsenal side. In my book, both the manager and the player did OK. The manager has shown cleverness to keep his best player this season unscathed against the kickers from Swansea (Alexis got a kick with high foot in his belly in one occasion but the foul had been blown in the Swansea favour before that) and the player has shown that he is a champion who wants more goals, who wants to score goals for both himself and Arsenal.

    I’m fine with that.

  22. Quite simply, I hate the way Alexis Sanchez is behaving.
    He is creating an unnecessary tension. It shows a lack of respect for his manager’s decision or for the sub who has just come on.

  23. I’ve seen this type of behaviour before, from stars who are so passionate about playing and so demanding about how their teammates play, and so committed to winning that they feel a substitution is a personal insult and a reprimand at the same time, even if it neither. I am absolutely unconcerned and unconvinced that it is either a machiavellian scheme to use as a bargaining chip Or a genuine dislike for Wenger and the team. He just wears his heart on his sleeve and cannot hide his emotions successfully, unlike theo or Ramsey, who seem rather bland in comparison. IF we are going to start interpreting facial and gesticular behaviour from players, then Ozil is definitely been heading out the door since day 1, Koscielny is having a meltdown every three seconds and Bellerin is taking speed!

  24. Congratulations Oezil!

    I agree with the heart on the sleeve interpretation of Alexis. He loves to play and so he doesn’t like being taken off. He looked disappointed but not sulky when he came off. When you’re on the telly, everything you do becomes a big thing, if the media choose it to be so.

    We’ve got a great team. I think Iwobi with his youthful enthusiasm as well as his fine play is a very good addition too. I’m sorry he didn’t get credited with a goal.

  25. No worries about Alexis going to China. They love dogs as he does, except they eat them!!

    Sanchez, dude, stay in London with Arsenal we love you & we love your dogs & promise never to eat them.

  26. There is usually a very thin line between being worshipped by fans and becoming a pariah. Alexis should go read some bit about Adebayor. At one point Arsenal fans adored him but a short while later he was seldom remembered as a former Arsenal player. His career never recovered afterward.

    Football is a team sport and it is not always about an individual. Alexis is good no doubt, but he is no Messi. There is a limit to which his excesses can be excused or accommodated. No single player should see himself above the club.

    Failure to address his tantrums will actually adversely affect his marketability. Berahino is another case study at West Brom.

  27. A new word – EXHAUSTIPATED .

    There is a new word to add to your vocabulary. It will be most useful to us senior folk.
    Exhaustipated meaning ,” Too tired to give a shit .”

  28. Josif
    As per usual your comment hits the nail on the head.
    Alexis wants goals and victories and trophies. Goals validate him personally on the European stage, where he is in the top five goal scorers behind Aubameyang(16), Messi(15),Icardi(15), and tied with Ibra and Costa on 14.

    Getting subbed off against the goal leaking machine that is Swansea , must’ve seemed to him like a lost opportunity to gain some points on his competition in a Golden Boot Rankings,where he’s on 28 points , joint fifth.

    Wenger has no interest in personal accolades and he’s been on record stating his disdain for UEFA’s individual player trophies.

    Subbing Sanchez off was the right call from his and Arsenal point of view and Sanchez has to get over it.

  29. I think he is having a little fun.
    I noticed that as the camera focussed on him on the bench, he ducked his head under his coat, only to resurface a moment later.

    But if it is his character well he probably won’t be staying at Arsenal, even if AW says he understands him. This may infect the other players.

  30. UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER COMES WITH AGE .

    Wife: ” I’m heading to the store,Do you want anything..??”

    Hubby:” I want a sense of meaning & purpose in my life..I seek fulfillment and completeness to my soul..I want to connect to God and discover the spiritual side to me..”

    Wife:” Be specific, “Glenfiddich Or Jack Daniels..? ”

    ( I wish my wife was as understanding ! A Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc would really connect me to god !)

  31. THE RIGHT TERMS .

    A widower and his woman friend decided it was finally time to get married.

    Before the wedding they discussed finances, living arrangements and so on.

    Finally, the widower decided it was time to broach the subject of their physical relationship.

    ” How do you feel about sex?” he asked, rather tentatively.

    ” I would like it INFREQUENTLY.” she replied.

    The widower sat quietly for a moment, adjusted his glasses, leaned over towards her and whispered – “Is that one word or two?”

  32. I’m 46, but when my game is over I always feel a sharp pang of disappointment. And being subbed is even worse. On top of that I always feel I could have done better.

    Alexis enjoys every minute of playing. Why should he act happy about being subbed?

  33. I think everyone is being unfair on Alexis. As Guardian said today:

    After a week in which Dimitri Payet and Diego Costa proved not quite so enthusiastic about playing for their clubs, Sánchez’s desire to do the opposite might even be of some comfort to Wenger.

    Everyone has an ego, everyone wants to make more money. Alexis is madly driven to succeed and he has shown he is not selfish (how many times has he passed the ball when he could shoot? His assist numbers speak for themselves). He has played in any position AW has asked him to.

    And about ego, Tony, it’s real and it can even be seen in your writings on this blog. Please read “Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle to see what I mean.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *