Arsenal - Time to hoist the colors!

“We have lost two big games in the last week and that’s very damaging for us. We cannot afford to drop points anymore if we want to be in the top four. It’s a concern…It’s vital that we beat West Ham…”

Arsene Wenger sounded the alarm bells after the loss at Stamford Bridge and immediately afterwards, the team delivered a serious blow to the Hammers. That’s been Arsenal this season – blazing away one week, blown the next – just like a sinusoidal curve. Though they hammered West Ham a couple of nights ago, yet another loss against their London rivals (Chelsea) meant that the Gunners have now dropped out of the race for the top three positions of the league. Mathematically and theoretically, they still have a chance, but realistically, with this set up, top three looks a far cry. A relatively empty Emirates stadium on Wednesday night showed clearly that the club has entered a phase of turbulence, with the fans vehemently criticizing the transfer policies while Wenger is still in search for his “exceptional” player. As the #WengerOut and #FreeVilla bandwagons gain voice, one has to admit that Arsenal looks on stranger tides this season.

Since the last seven years, the Champions League qualification has been the saving grace for the Club and the fans. Every season, Arsenal has somehow hung on to the UCL spot by the skin of their teeth and the fans have proudly flaunted the “16 years feat” whenever fingers have been pointed at the empty trophy cabinet. However, there has been no change in the script of the Arsenal story – superstars leaving, bad start, injuries and then a miraculous recovery. As if the Club has got stuck into an infinite loop, the story weaves itself in a similar pattern every year.

So, what happens if they don’t make it to the top four and miss out on a Champions League spot? It will not only be a massive blow to morale within the team but also to the club loyalists. Then again, it might serve as a blessing in disguise. Maybe finishing out of the top four and losing out on a Champions League spot will finally shake things up. Yes, the fans would be terribly disappointed and a few plastics may even switch colors; yet one cannot help but think that this season might just be the game changer for the red and white brigade.

However, with Arsenal, the point is not Champions League qualification or winning the league; it never has been. Following Arsenal is an adventure with twists and turns popping up every week. One week they demolish sides, the next they self destruct. But Arsenal’s class has never been under the scanner. In today’s football world, trophies are a by-product of your spending power rather than the kind of football a team plays. While Arsenal has significantly fallen behind in the currency game, there has never been a question raised about their quality of football. Elegant, sophisticated, chic – adjectives that have always adorned Arsenal’s show in the park. Their style of play has always been a visual extravaganza and has won the hearts of even the most bitter rivals.

This season though, the team has failed to put up a show for its fans. Yes, there has been the odd Newcastle, Tottenham or a West Ham, but the free and sleek Arsenal style football has been missing. Arsenal has lost matches before but now they are being defeated. There have always been moments of brilliance and sparks of inspiration, even in the biggest disasters. This season, the team has looked insipid and out of steam whenever the crunch time arrived. As Arsene Wenger rightly pointed out – “We’ve been too respectful in the big games”. The team has looked super confident against the mid table sides but when up against the stalwarts, they’ve had their tails between their legs. The losses hurt, so do the stars leaving, but the lack of quality football pierces a Gooner heart the deepest.

Apart from that, the fans have started to realize that their favorite club is slowly blurring in the rear view mirror of the other suitors for the title. Once upon a time, Arsenal changed the way football was played in the Premier League and a decade hence, the “Oil Revolution” has sent them down the slippery slope. The last five years have seen pillars being removed from the very foundation of the team. Players with immense influence and authority have deserted the club. Their contribution was so great that without them, Arsenal has struggled to get back on their feet. After Henry left, the goals ebbed. Fabregas left with all the creativity and after the Van Persie debacle, Arsenal might miss out on Champions League football. A few die-hard fans will still argue but let’s accept it; there has been a serious downgrade in the quality of players.

However, the Gunners never cared about superstars; they created them. Arsenal had never set the transfer market on fire but invested in talent. They have always provided the good with an opportunity to become great. Even now, the likes of Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla have to earn their stripes to be a part of the Gunners folklore. There is no denying their talent – they’re good, but can they rise to the Great category? It’s up to them to convince the fans that they are good enough to bear the cannon on their chest. And the time is now to hoist the colors and step up to the next level because it is during these times that characters are revealed and heroes are created.

Not only the players, but the fans are also under the hammer. A few may be losing their patience and their trust in the French commander. But hey! No one said it would be easy. Support and faith should come without an asterisk at the top or the hidden scribbled text at the end of any offer document. Support is needed when the neck has cricked, the pain is unbearable and the movement has been restricted to slow glances sideways. As a fan, one has to put up a brave face to shout out the loudest in the next game with the hope that the Gunners will create magic on the green canvas. It takes a mighty heart to support Arsenal, because at present, success is not guaranteed. But then again, the football world needs Arsenal back in their true colors because a touch of class is way more pleasurable than any trophy count.

As Captain Jack Sparrow says…..“Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate…”