Arsenal On The Psychiatrist’s Couch
How about a little therapy - A high functioning team and the superego
There are excellent football writers who’ll bury you under an avalanche of stats and arrow laden images which is all good stuff, but don’t worry about digging yourself out from under all that here my friends, this is a place for football therapy.
It’s time to lay down on the psychiatrist’s couch and deal with the harsh reality of conceding two goals in a game that ended in a draw! Time to try and come to terms with our feelings about this current Arsenal team sinking to the depths of the Invincibles by managing to only draw instead of win (let’s remember even the Invincibles didn’t actually win every game, they just didn’t lose any).
Of course the psychiatrist should start by considering our current circumstances. It’s not easy being a club with its own NHS (Newly Hospitalised Strikers) with beds filled to overflowing. We’ve basically been a defensively high functioning team massively over performing on a weekly basis to cover for our weakness in Attack. We’ve maintained the points but eventually the pressure was going to create stress and problems. Is it any surprise some cracks begin to show?
Ridiculous analogies aside, I listened to the recording of Cesc Fabregas on The Arsecast and I completely agree with Cesc, I’ve never really liked defensive substitutions late in a game for psychological reasons. It seems like a signal to play more defensively and it takes the pressure off the opposing team by signalling they have the upper hand, even when they don’t. Maybe it’s just an old feeling picked up from the Wenger years but there’s something about sending on an attacker that always gives me more confidence than sending on a defender.
Anyway, current injuries aside this match was the perfect reminder that we should take every day as it comes and not fixate on some distant future goals. Living in the moment is always more rewarding than letting the mind wander toward oncoming threats or dreams. Because whether you like the Invincibleness of a draw or not, this was a fantastic game. it had everything a fan should want (except the 3 points), going down a goal, forcing a come back, some incredible goals and a last minute showstopper (even if it was for the wrong team) with the points shared between two teams that gave it everything.
There’s been a lot of Hubris claimed for Arsenal by commentators and football writers this season, Hubris by Proxy maybe?, Anyway, it’s understandable. Arsenal have broken all kinds of records and played some super powerful overly controlling football. But let’s remember that in the real world nothing goes your way all the time. Nothing. In fact in the real world (apologies to Idealists or Solipsists out there who believe reality is merely a conscious construct) most things seems to move in the opposite direction to my desires and I’m pretty sure yours too. So, as I say this game helps to get the mind focussed on the reality of taking each game as it comes.
By the way, while I’m on this Pseudo-Psychiatrist mode, the other day whilst wasting time watching some Bench-Cam nonsense I got to thinking about Arteta’s role on the sideline, and it occurred to me that the manager is a bit like a Superego. He’s a kind of external critical consciousness for the team constantly reminding them of the (fugging) social standards required to make it in the big bad world. His windmilling arms semaphore a right and wrong signal to players when they’re transgressing the Team Morality and breaking the Rules Of Society (The team).
Ok, maybe the shock of one point instead of our accustomed three has driven me over the edge and I’m losing it, so I hope you don’t mind this week’s On The Couch Wonderland. Before I hang up my white coat let’s remind ourselves that things can only get better. The two week break should give out NHS time to empty the beds and bring back out forward attacking players and creative midfielders. Considering how unbelievably well we’ve performed under the circumstances when these guys return I’m not sure we have too much to worry about.
For the time being I prescribe a little rest and recuperation for we fans too. Have a little meditation and an early night or two and I’ll be back when the Premier League returns after the international break. Keep your minds healthy in the meantime Wonderlanders and thanks again for reading :)
Fancy buying me a coffee for all this AW Writing? Press the button below
“By the way, while I’m on this Pseudo-Psychiatrist mode, the other day whilst wasting time watching some Bench-Cam nonsense I got to thinking about Arteta’s role on the sideline, and it occurred to me that the manager is a bit like a Superego. He’s a kind of external critical consciousness for the team constantly reminding them of the (fugging) social standards required to make it in the big bad world. His windmilling arms semaphore a right and wrong signal to players when they’re transgressing the Team Morality and breaking the Rules Of Society (The team).”
This is the best thing I’ve ever read. 😂 At half, I said to my husband “I wonder what Arteta is saying(screaming?) to them in the locker room right now?” He does play such a crucial role in their performances, I believe. Also I agree about subbing defenders, but I had never thought about it that way (psychologically) and I think you’re onto something there.