I also had a blast watching every match this season and can't remember the last time I felt so good as an Arsenal supporter. Being on Cloud 9 after every one of the famous victories you mentioned, rewatching match highlights several times during the week and counting the hours until the weekend comes and our next match is on. Nervously following every one of our players during the WC in Qatar, praying for no injuries. I remember thinking to myself back in February and March "Who cares if we don't win the title, when the journey is so much fun?".
A little gutted we fell short, but our young guns really gave it their all competing against a team that can afford to pay 100 million for a rotational player. No need to dig deeper into the plethora of controversial refereeing decision that went against our team in more than a handful of matches. Players and fans alike should be proud and now we look forward to the next season!
That's a superb summery of my feelings and experience too Ivo, from the "Who cares if we don't win the title, when the journey is so much fun?" to the eventual deflation blended with gratitude and pride. There's been seasons (in the recent past) when I've been relieved it was all over, but now I'm so curious to see how we evolve to meet next season's challenge.
Really interesting too how we fans are behaviorally inclined to strengthen this experience by regularly dipping into dopamine drenched content with its beautiful angles and curated music and slo-mo's and red and white clan colours bathing and soothing our neurotransmitters (Interesting topic for an article!).
Hey, we did agree in the comment section of your "Zombie narrative" article that this would be the first place for me to come whether we win or lose this title challenge. Now I look forward to some relaxing summer with regular (few times a day) interruptions to follow transfer news and rumors, so I can be charged up emotionally for the next great season.
Sounds like a good idea for an article, it would definitely be something different than the usual sports-related blabber and possibly something worthy of even being published in The Athletic. Here I also have to say that I enjoy your thinly veiled commentary of socio-economic nature in your writing. Keep up the amazing work! Many thanks!
I really appreciate your mentioning my "thinly veiled commentary" Ivo. I've got a tendency to see various aspects of our life experience through a single lens that focuses more holistically. Football is embedded in a wider cultural phenomenon and it's (I think) strange to disentangle these mutual and integrated experiences as we so often do. So I try and engage with life through football in AW. But it's a delicate balance to get it right. I'm so glad you're enjoying that aspect. Thanks so much.
As an aside. I'm considering shelving AW for the summer (after he final game) and starting it up again when the season starts in August (with the odd update perhaps). If I do this I will continue writing On a separate Substack about life and other topics, So I'll let you (and everybody subscribed here) know where you an find my new writing too. Cheers.
Couldn’t agree more Jonathan. This team has been truly wonderful. I hope they put the disappointment of just not quite having enough to beat City this season to fire up a title win next. As for those fans leaving at 2 nil they should be ashamed of themselves. I’m not having it. Nor the doomsayers like LeGrove. Bore off!
Exactly Ben. What's going on with this entitlement in football (and so many other realms)? A touch of gratefulness for the wonder of it all perhaps? Got to agree with your 2-nil feelings...sigh!
As far as next year, it's funny how football club's are often compared with an individual, as if a close "fail" will penetrate an organisation like it might a petulant teenager. They said the same thing last year when in fact (as Ramsdale pointed out) the disappointment spurred this seasons brilliance. We're only a few players and a spoonful of luck away. Up and at 'em boys!
Thanks again for your engagement Ben, much appreciated :)
I'm still wondering (this has been an ongoing thought since April) whether I have it in me to write a companion piece to https://www.footballparadise.com/weve-got-super-mik-arteta-an-alternative-match-report which has been my only Arsenal piece this season. After reading this, I'm tempted to give it a go and see what my brain (and most importantly, heart) comes up with. Stay tuned!
PS. One of the highlights of my season includes our "meeting" on the interwebs :)
Hi Anu! I've just gone and read your Alternative Match Report piece. Oh those glorious days when Arsenal were really flying and we fans were holding on for dear life in disbelief and wonder. What a season it's been.
Thanks for that. It was an excellent read and I hope you do follow up with more of your thoughtful passionate writing. If (when) you do write a companion piece please send a link so Arsenal Wonderland subscribers can find the article too :)
What a season it has been, indeed. Which is why I'm hopeful of that companion piece because it feels almost unkind (to myself, and to them) to not write something. I hope we can end it on a good note on Sunday, though, which will certainly help.
Ah, thank you so much for reading, and for the kind words (and the support)! And I will do :)
I also had a blast watching every match this season and can't remember the last time I felt so good as an Arsenal supporter. Being on Cloud 9 after every one of the famous victories you mentioned, rewatching match highlights several times during the week and counting the hours until the weekend comes and our next match is on. Nervously following every one of our players during the WC in Qatar, praying for no injuries. I remember thinking to myself back in February and March "Who cares if we don't win the title, when the journey is so much fun?".
A little gutted we fell short, but our young guns really gave it their all competing against a team that can afford to pay 100 million for a rotational player. No need to dig deeper into the plethora of controversial refereeing decision that went against our team in more than a handful of matches. Players and fans alike should be proud and now we look forward to the next season!
That's a superb summery of my feelings and experience too Ivo, from the "Who cares if we don't win the title, when the journey is so much fun?" to the eventual deflation blended with gratitude and pride. There's been seasons (in the recent past) when I've been relieved it was all over, but now I'm so curious to see how we evolve to meet next season's challenge.
Really interesting too how we fans are behaviorally inclined to strengthen this experience by regularly dipping into dopamine drenched content with its beautiful angles and curated music and slo-mo's and red and white clan colours bathing and soothing our neurotransmitters (Interesting topic for an article!).
Thanks so much for the comment Ivo. Brilliant.
Hey, we did agree in the comment section of your "Zombie narrative" article that this would be the first place for me to come whether we win or lose this title challenge. Now I look forward to some relaxing summer with regular (few times a day) interruptions to follow transfer news and rumors, so I can be charged up emotionally for the next great season.
Sounds like a good idea for an article, it would definitely be something different than the usual sports-related blabber and possibly something worthy of even being published in The Athletic. Here I also have to say that I enjoy your thinly veiled commentary of socio-economic nature in your writing. Keep up the amazing work! Many thanks!
I really appreciate your mentioning my "thinly veiled commentary" Ivo. I've got a tendency to see various aspects of our life experience through a single lens that focuses more holistically. Football is embedded in a wider cultural phenomenon and it's (I think) strange to disentangle these mutual and integrated experiences as we so often do. So I try and engage with life through football in AW. But it's a delicate balance to get it right. I'm so glad you're enjoying that aspect. Thanks so much.
As an aside. I'm considering shelving AW for the summer (after he final game) and starting it up again when the season starts in August (with the odd update perhaps). If I do this I will continue writing On a separate Substack about life and other topics, So I'll let you (and everybody subscribed here) know where you an find my new writing too. Cheers.
Yes, Jonathan, please keep us posted! And I agree with your point of view here so I look forward to reading more from you. Enjoy your summer too!
Couldn’t agree more Jonathan. This team has been truly wonderful. I hope they put the disappointment of just not quite having enough to beat City this season to fire up a title win next. As for those fans leaving at 2 nil they should be ashamed of themselves. I’m not having it. Nor the doomsayers like LeGrove. Bore off!
Exactly Ben. What's going on with this entitlement in football (and so many other realms)? A touch of gratefulness for the wonder of it all perhaps? Got to agree with your 2-nil feelings...sigh!
As far as next year, it's funny how football club's are often compared with an individual, as if a close "fail" will penetrate an organisation like it might a petulant teenager. They said the same thing last year when in fact (as Ramsdale pointed out) the disappointment spurred this seasons brilliance. We're only a few players and a spoonful of luck away. Up and at 'em boys!
Thanks again for your engagement Ben, much appreciated :)
I'm still wondering (this has been an ongoing thought since April) whether I have it in me to write a companion piece to https://www.footballparadise.com/weve-got-super-mik-arteta-an-alternative-match-report which has been my only Arsenal piece this season. After reading this, I'm tempted to give it a go and see what my brain (and most importantly, heart) comes up with. Stay tuned!
PS. One of the highlights of my season includes our "meeting" on the interwebs :)
Hi Anu! I've just gone and read your Alternative Match Report piece. Oh those glorious days when Arsenal were really flying and we fans were holding on for dear life in disbelief and wonder. What a season it's been.
Thanks for that. It was an excellent read and I hope you do follow up with more of your thoughtful passionate writing. If (when) you do write a companion piece please send a link so Arsenal Wonderland subscribers can find the article too :)
What a season it has been, indeed. Which is why I'm hopeful of that companion piece because it feels almost unkind (to myself, and to them) to not write something. I hope we can end it on a good note on Sunday, though, which will certainly help.
Ah, thank you so much for reading, and for the kind words (and the support)! And I will do :)