EX FACTORS AND X FACTORS

A STATEMENT FROM ARSENALISM©

A lot of comments, posts and tweets have made mention of Adebayor going to Sp*rs, Nasri & Clichy going to City and Fabregas going to Barcelona. I say it’s time to stop talking about these EX players. I say it’s time to focus on the players we have. I have not been interested in the slightest about Fabregas’ endeavours at the Camp Nou; I don’t care. Not through any ill will or malice but I simply couldn’t give a monkeys. I am not bothered about whether Nasri is successful or fails; it’s not important. So Adebayor has signed for Looting Town. Who cares?

Ashley Cole is probably the last player that Arsenal fans unilaterally disliked for leaving, and this was because he was one of our better players and had been at the club from a young age. The fact that his behaviour was unsavoury and it involved deceit and ego just stoked the fires. In the end Cole achieved much more than he would have had he stayed, and in that sense the vitriol that was aimed at him was a way of masking the fact that he went on to success.

The current batch of ex players are insignificant in that they never really had our hearts, did they? Even Cesc; world class player though he is/was, never connected as Captain in the way that Vieira, Adams or McClintock did. I am not diminishing Cesc’s quality just saying that he is not an ex player that you carry in your emotional suitcase; no Dennis or Thierry. That’s why I don’t care what they get up to now.

And that’s the legacy of the Wenger ‘youth’ experiment; the majority gave us nothing other than just being professional footballers under contract at Arsenal Football club ( at some times not even that). With the current set of players it feels like we will get more, not necessarily in terms of trophies but in terms of feeling and caring about them. In terms of actual connection. All most of us want is a team that plays for the shirt, tries their hardest and actually wants to play for the club. Winning on Wednesday showed that some of the current line up will show that effort and will put in the sweat this season. That's what we want isnt it? The other stuff; the decison makers shortcomings are another matter.

It feels like these players refer to our club as THE Arsenal. That’s the difference. I'm not talking about replecating the Invincibles I'm talking about an Arsenal team that give a damn.

I could be wrong but it’s a feeling and that feeling is that, yes, the X factor that has been missing for so long. Feels like its back at The Arsenal.