A depressing saturday evening

I haven't felt like this on a Saturday evening for years. Last night was bad. Some like my wife would call me a fool for getting so wound up as a result of Arsenal beating Manchester United at the Emirates, but football, at times, is just my way of expressing disappointment. I have other more direct reasons and occasions as well in my professional and personal life, but this is mostly the safest way.

Football is a great leveler of expectations. It teaches you a lot including a very important lesson that the better team don’t always win on the day. This isn’t to say Arsenal aren’t a great team, but yesterday they just didn’t have the odds in their favour with all the injuries. I’m sure a lot of their own fans were hoping to pull off a draw, at best, let alone win (keeping in mind their last 3 performances) against a full blown United side.

Yesterday’s game was also a great example of the how the paranoid survive. Arsenal were quick, they showed desperation and they took every chance they got and what did United do - control the ball mostly, move slowly and be arrogant about the chances they got, inturn missing all!!

The media and pundits have speculated a lot on Arsenal’s title challenge falling apart after their performances against Hull, Stoke and Tottenham but I get a strange feeling that there might be a problem at United, this year. Optimists would say you’ve played all the top 3 teams away and are still in the top 5 in the league table; there isn’t anything to worry about. I’m pissed. In the past, we have on an average come away with atleast 3-5 points from our away visits to the Big 3, but this year its 1 point only. Not good. United haven’t even scored as many goals as the other Big 3.

I know United are famous for comebacks and it generally starts post the half way point (Dec 31st) and I still believe we are favorites to win the title, but I want our performance to improve dramatically. It doesn’t feel the same if you win a title by not beating any of your top 3 challengers. I truly hope that the home visits by Big 3 to Old Trafford aren’t memorable for either one of them.

I felt cheated last evening after United’s performance. I truly hope the players felt the same and this game fires up our title defence big time.

Add to that, a fabulous dinner with friends, the only problem being the Arsenal fans among those were suitably dressed in the club’s attire. I have to say though that they were gracious enough not to rub it in.

But as they say, disappointment can’t be hidden and I was perfectly evident!!

Till next week and some redemption.