We need to ask the right questions

"We have to ask ourselves the right questions, do we want to be a good team or to win trophies? To win trophies, we have to be the best and that is what we are trying to do now.”

- Gael Clichy, asking questions

It’s an interesting way of thinking about it. Do we want to be a good team, or do we want to win trophies? If it’s the former, we haven’t been a very good team for a very long time now. We haven’t had the heart, the determination, the tactical nous or a physical presence to be a good team. If it’s the latter, I’m not sure we’ve have “winning trophies” as our major goal for a long time, either. We have the money to spend on signings, but we’d rather reinvest on extending our existing players’ contracts. We’ve been concentrating on giving the current crop sufficient experience to handle a Premier League challenge.

So for the past few seasons, the answer to both questions is a resounding “no”.

There are a few more pertinent questions I think we should ask. Where the f$%# is the backup central defender / defensive midfielder that we lack? Where the h#@$ is the reliable goalkeeper that we’ve been missing for four years? Why the c#$% haven’t we gone all out to buy those two players earlier in the transfer season, to give them time to settle in the squad? Why don’t we sign a f$%ing defensive coach to drill our team in defensive tactics? Can’t we f$%$ing learn from the mistakes of the past five years?

I’ve been waiting for five years for Arsene Wenger to address those questions. They haven’t been addressed so far, and unless they are, I can’t see us turning into a good team, nor us mounting a legitimate title challenge. If we don’t address these questions, we’re just going around in circles.

Clichy’s right - we need to start asking the right questions.

So on the 267th last day of my 20s, I went to my grand-uncle’s 100th birthday and spent most of it wishing I was still having lunch with the GOMD (and other people). She’s gorgeous and lovely, and being in her company is like a sweet narcotic which leaves you wanting more. I was weighing up whether it would’ve been worth the hassle if I blew off the birthday and spent another hour or so with her. I’m still wondering if I made the right decision.

Spent a lot of my grand-uncle’s 100th walking around my baby nephew. He’s at an age where he crawls quite quickly, and has an interest in the underside of chairs and tables and people’s feet. Cute little thing.