Cheers Fergie, You Did Us a Favour

I think it`s safe to assume that even the most elderly of Gooners will find it hard to recall a worse defeat than the battering we took at Old Trafford yesterday.

I`ve been supporting Arsenal since the 80s` and whilst we`ve definitely had worse teams, I can`t remember a result more humiliating that the 8-2 mauling that occurred at the Theatre of Nightmares.

But you know what, I feel pretty good about it today.

I`d almost go as far as to say "cheers Fergie".

We`ve had a spiralling situation for a few years now, quality players leaving our beloved club with egotistical mercenaries or inadequate players replacing them.

But make no mistake, no matter what Arsene or the club tells us, we`re not Champions material right now. Transfer market inadequacy and oil rich sugar daddies have put paid to that.

However call me crazy, but this could turn out to be a good thing.

We have become, rightly or wrongly, somewhat of a laughing stock with the rest of the country, people are taking great delight in what has taken place over the last three or four years (how many times per week do we have to hear how long it`s been since we last won a trophy, yet despite almost exactly the same record no-one ever mentions Liverpool), and because of this and our inability to win a trophy, the players who don`t really care about this club are jumping ship.

We`re ridding ourselves of people like Adebayor, Samir Na$ri, Gael Clichy, Nicklas Bendtner and such. Players who care far more about themselves than they do about the team.

The players who are left might not be as good, but they`ve got heart. Young players who`ve been unfairly burdened with the pressure of holding up the image of a fallen giant. But they`re not hiding.

Players like Jack Wilshere, Manu Frimpong, Carl Jenkinson, Sczczczznzzny etc, they will be honest on the pitch, and give their all, and as long as they do that they`re alright by me.

In the pre-Wenger years we wore our shitness as a badge of honour, supported the team through thick and thin, and despite what Samir Na$ri might tell you, we`ve got a lot of passion in the stands, even if it doesn`t always appear that way.

It`s time to accept that we`re not top tier anymore, that we`re the chasing pack, now is a time to rebuild. The sooner we accept that the majority of the time we`re not going to be able to attract the world class talent, the sooner the players we do sign will be able to benefit from our support.

The world didn`t end when we lost 8-2, just as the world didn`t end for Manchester United when they sold Denis Law to City and he helped relegate them, and today Arsenal fans still love their club as much as they did before the 8-2 loss, as much as they did before The Invincibles, as much as they always have done. We might not agree with the manager, the board or the players, but we still love this club.

And that's all that really counts.

'It ain't about how hard you can hit. It's about how hard you can GET hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep - moving - forward'

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