Confessions of a Gooner

I can’t believe what I am about to type, but I will be rooting for Tottenham tomorrow. Before the sharpening of the knives let me explain why I, an Arsenal fan, will be rooting for Spuds in the FA Cup Semifinal. Here are the reasons:

1. What choice do we have? One of these hated enemies has to move on. It’s basically a no win situation. According to the Urban Dictionary the saying “pick your poison” applies here. It’s a choice between two horrible options and you have to make one.
2. Seeing Jose Mourinho fail is always enjoyable. This needs no explanation. If you are an Arsenal fan this one is a no brainer.
3. Alexis Sanchez needs to feel some retribution for the way he left Arsenal, Arsene Wenger and the fans for Manchester United. He told Thierry Henry in a Sky Sports interview, “I came here to win everything. Otherwise I wouldn’t have come here.” Winning nothing would be karma for the Chilean.
4. The idea of supporting Spurs is vile to me. However, it’s like choosing between a migraine headache and acid reflux when it comes to this match. I’m going with the acid reflux choice. Tottenham has been in Arsenal’s shadow for years. The tide has turned though in recent seasons as St. Totteringham’s Day celebrations are cancelled for the second year in a row.

• Spurs supporters know all too well that their club has not delivered a trophy since February 2008, when they won the League Cup. The team’s last FA Cup victory came in 1991. Fans of all clubs love to remind Arsenal they have not won the league since 2004. Compare that to Tottenham’s last title in 1961 and things don’t look that bleak after all.
• Spurs actually have a good manager in Mauricio Pochettino. They have also built their squad without the help of a Sheikh or a Russian billionaire. Simply from a footballing perspective it is admirable.

So those are the reasons I would rather see Tottenham move on to the FA Cup Final over Manchester United. Plus there’s always hope that Southampton will defeat Chelsea and then take care of Spurs.