Arsenal: Oh Andrey! You could've had it all

Arshavin leaves Arsenal for Zenit St. Petersburg anonymously

As fellow blogger BlackburnGeorge pointed out in his article, maybe Robin van Persie’s hissy fits with players affected him profoundly, as they are rumoured to have tweaked Aaron Ramsey. Maybe Andrey didn’t feel the need to submit to Robin, that lanky faux-Alpha we all adored. If that’s close to the truth, and I believe there’s a good chance it is, my respect for him only grows.

I did not grow up on the terraces of Highbury, cheering Arsenal in postcard fashion. I did not watch Liam Brady, Cliff Bastin, or Ted Drake carve the opposition to mere fragments under the floodlights of a-once hallowed ground. I didn’t watch the Invincibles ravage the Premier League on my tube set with any regularity, let alone in the flesh. While I am still firmly the “newbie” among older Gooners, what I can say is, despite seeing legends come and go (admittedly at the tail end of their respective reigns) I am also humbled that I had the privilege to watch Andrei Arshavin in his shortlived, yet explosive pomp. He was so frustrating sometimes, but those flashes of brilliance made it worth the heartache every time he misplaced a pass and couldn’t be bothered to track back. He was a laugh (despite his own down spirits you’d imagine) and in a profession as cut-throat as football, you have to admire that. He may have spoken poorly of the club recently, he may be lazy, he may not have been the long term star we yearned for, but he knew was he special.

In a way, his leaving sets us up for a new star man. We tried with Andrey, and we ultimately failed. His departure allows us to recoup wage money and hunt for another big name. We’ll shatter our transfer record, and wipe the slate clean. It may not be the ideal way to go out, but to me, it shows the club has made the transition from punting on a talented player, to investing in a star for now. You all know who I’m talking about. Still, not seeing him in Arsenal colours will take some getting used to, and I’m sure I won’t be happy with whoever takes the number 23. Call me sentimental, but the little things matter.

The worst part about Andrey’s time here is he’ll only be criticized more strongly in the future, as his contributions to the club will inevitably seem smaller the more time passes. It’s already happening to me. I can’t remember the last time he played for us without looking it up. Maybe it was against Reading.

In a strange way, I’ll miss him more than the stars that shone brighter, and longer. Legends like Vieira, Henry and Bergkamp all left wonderful memories, legacies and throbbing hearts behind them.

Andrey leaves little more than a few well placed finished against Barca and Liverpool. They always say it’s mistakes that you learn from the most.