We only went and won the bloody cup. This is us talking about our big day out, the nicest/dumbest Spurs fan in the world, and quite a bit more. Extreme caution advised: In places it’s actually quite cheerful.
There’s a scene in the original version of the movie Bad Lieutenant, in which drug-hoovering corrupt cop Harvey Keitel is drunk in a bar being told that unless he pays off his mob debts they’re going to come to his house and blow it up with his wife and kids inside. The Lieutenant’s plan is to win the money back on the World Series, which the team he’s backed, the favourites, are busy doing their best to lose. Barely listening to the threats, he says: “I see it clearly now, it could not have gone any other way.”
As the Predictotron finally reveals, the #Race4Fourth has been run, and once again we’ve emerged victorious – and this time with a couple of games to spare. Phew, etc. So, with a cup final still to play for, you might think this (heavily delayed) instalment of the A2M podcast would be our cheeriest yet. No dice. Instead, Tim, Dave and Elliot cast their moany minds back over the season, and start to think some unthinkable thoughts…
This isn’t usually hard to write after a win, but I find myself sat here waiting for the train to pull out of Paddington, and I’m almost overwhelmed by sadness. Not about the game of course, which was almost pre-season in its comfortableness. And not about the likely player departures, although I do feel sad that I probably won’t see Sagna, who’s been such a tremendous soldier, playing for us again at the Emirates. And not because of anything to do with the manager. Whatever my views on that, I’ll always love him and as long he’s here I’ll want nothing but success for him and the team.
No, I feel sad purely, and selfishly, for myself, because today was my last home game for a couple of years. I’m moving overseas in July, and although it’s a tremendous opportunity which I can’t wait to start, I think it’s only crept up on me now just how much going to Arsenal has been a part of my life over these past few years. And how much I’m going to feel the loss of it. I still remember the day Dave and I discovered, separately but at the same time, that someone at our office had a season ticket available for rent, and sending each other overlapping emails excitedly saying we should take it.
Stop me if you’ve heard this song before, but apparently it’s so hard to buy players in a World Cup year that we might have to just wait until the whole gosh darned thing is over before is even trying. Here’s Arsene’s thoughts:
"I believe this year again you will have to wait until July 15 to start going."
