Arsenal: The last invincible

It's sad to see Arsenal members departing to other clubs after the time and effort it took to create the winning...

Husna Anwar July 08, 2011
Wisdom teeth are a tiresome process. They take long painful months to grow out and more often than not, end up having to be removed, leaving throbbing empty spaces behind. Anyone who has gone through the experience will know how every Arsenal Football Club supporter across the globe is feeling right now.

The transfer period is never a happy time for the Gunners. Years of watching boss Arsene Wenger's shopping methods and they have learnt – like beggars at a bakery window – to suppress their desires. That one centreback or that one finisher that will get the job done is forbidden fruit. All the while, rival clubs circle like vultures ready to dive in on their carefully honed talent.

This year, the summer window has been nothing short of torture. The headlines began screaming 'The Great Arsenal Exodus' before the club’s sixth season without silverware even ended. The dam finally burst on Monday, the endless floods of Manchester City’s funds sweeping away Arsenal’s first-team fullback, Gael Clichy.

The ever-optimistic will pick at the speedy little Frenchman’s habit of making a season-destroying error at least once a year. They will sing praises at young Kieran Gibbs, so far the automatic replacement. They will suppress dark thoughts of how Clichy’s departure is just the first to come, of how – once again – an injury prone teenager will be left to fill a man's spot, and of how, the last of the Invincibles* is gone.

In these troubled times, the Arsenal faithful would do well to recall the humble beginnings of the Last Invincible. A slight, 19-year-old boy, sliding quietly into position as Ashley Cole – widely considered the best left back in England – crossed London to Chelsea in a haze of bitterness and, of course, money. Picked by Wenger at 16 as an unknown with an exotic name from Cannes, he quickly developed into a reliable presence. Winged feet, endless stamina and a thirst to press forward – perfect Arsenal material.

There is nothing anyone can say to cheer the sullen, toothless supporters out there. With the impeding loss of midfielders Samir Nasri and Francesc Fabregas, arguing Wenger's sanity or credit balance feels pointless. They are tired, six years worth of tired, and do not want to nurture more sore, deserting teeth.

Only by looking back will they remember that one tooth must  give another space to grow.

*The 2003-04 Arsenal team who won the Premier League title without losing a single game, the unbeaten streak continued for 49 games.
WRITTEN BY:
Husna Anwar A sub-editor for the Karachi pages of The Express Tribune.
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (19)

Umair | 13 years ago | Reply I think the Arsenal BoD & The Manager relied too much on Financial Fair Play Rules and thought that same would be followed by others....but hey look at ManCity by-passing it with a whopping 400 M deal...... Mr. Wenger!...time to wake up....property revenue has dried up and unless we welcome Usmanov with his money....we will end up like Ajax ( a selling club to keep us financially afloat)..... My proposed Outs and replacements: Vela (Miyachi)....Squillaci (Christopher Samba)....Almunia (Mannone).....Fabregas (he is not willing to stay....Ramsey)......Gibbs(..Armand Traore) My proposed buys: Ribery (if Nasri goes).....Lloris.....Cahill....
Saad | 13 years ago | Reply you can play pretty, but snood-wearing, ego-stricken arsenal can not grind out results, I mean, 4-4 against Newcastle? They don't, and won't win the league like that. They need people like Vieira, Keane in the midfield, people who can lead, inspire, get stuck in, hold onto a lead. Arsenal's approach could've helped in La Liga, with a lot of imbalance, but not against the Sunderlands and Newcastles of BPL. I say, sell Fabregas and Nasri, let Wilshere and Ramsey step up, buy Pjanic, and Di Rossi, and a good CB (squillaci is NOT good), and somehow kill Bendtner and make it look like an accident. With a few good signings, I believe Tottenham can easily take fourth this season. Tough they don't have funds to do that.
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