Arsene and Arsenal fans: The bittersweet romance

Amidst all the other bittersweet romances that the world attempts to offer, probably one of the great ones is the Arsene- Arsenal fans relationship in the months of July- August and January. Arsene continues to play the high school heart-throb, taunting you with a curved half-smile here, a flirty comment there, convincing you into believing that she has some interest in you. And you, parched as you are for something to look forward to, hang on to that straw of hope. Then you build up your hopes, gel your hair, and buy a rose to meet her on the crossroads of her class. Almost as a rule, she does not recognize you. You move out with your heart crushed, with your eyes yet again ready to fall, hook, line and sinker for the next ray of hope. Last time around, it was Neymar, this year it’s Messi!

I know such emotions of the heart are beyond the realms of our mind’s control. Probably, this time she (continuing in a metaphorical sense) meant it! You interpret the signals, the hand gestures when she made the comment. You know, this time, I surely think she meant it.

Amidst all this hoopla, almost as a rule, you forget to see the girl who actually always loves you. The girl whom you actually love. Someone, if you actually did open your eyes, who means the world to you. It is but human nature to not value what you have and to value the world of what you don’t have.

I never mean to say that we do not need reinforcements. But with our utter desperation of hope that Arsene goes out and signs someone, each match in January seems like a semi colon in the sentence, an occurrence in the midst of two transfer-panging weeks we could have really done without.

We have known Arsene for over 16 years now. Yet we hang on to every word that he says or does not say in the transfer window. As sure as it is that Harry will roll down his window to tell you that he is trying for a transfer that will not happen, Arsene will never tell you about the transfer that will happen. Is that right? No, it does get frustrating. But, that is the man’s style. For better or for worse.

I believe that we have the collective right to tear our hair out and vent our frustrations at the lack of activity, once the window is over. But is there any sense in hanging onto every word of Arsene’s press conference for hope or for the lack of it? It messes our heads, causes us an ulcer and the signings, or the lack of it, continue as-is. I also believe that we have gone into a self- fulfilling prophecy mode, wherein we are going to be frustrated with whatever signings happen. For instance, there have been rumours that Zaha may be moving to United, with Arsenal cooling their interest in him with Theo apparently being ready to sign a contract. Two years ago, we lost our heads when Arsene used his entire transfer budget to sign the Ox. What we are really frustrated is with not winning anything. We are finding reasons to appease ourselves. If Arsene had signed that XYZ, we would have wrapped up the title. Things do not exist in such black and white in football, as in life.

I do realize that I have written this in a rare moment of philosophical clarity, when I am not attempting to refresh my Twitter feed to hang onto some bone of optimism that the Guardian/Sun/Marca throw at me to believe a fantasy of some signing. Borrowing from Seinfeld, the amount of transfer news everyday in the world seems to be somehow exactly equal to the pages that are dedicated to football in these dailies. But David Villa, that would be a signing, wouldn’t it? I wish that I could disengage myself from this excess of unreliable information. Sometimes I wish I go “So what?” like Calvin.

David Villa checked out house prices in London. So what? Messi’s girlfriend fancies wearing a red jersey with white sleeves. So what?