Wednesday Cannon Fodder: processing

I hope that everybody has had time to cool off, recover, come down, and / or do whatever you needed to do post Newcastle-loss. It was pretty big bummer for me. I really believed that Arsenal were going to do the thing (there is still a very small chance they might).

I’ve written in the past about how I’ve uncoupled my personal happiness from the failures of my sports teams. That has definitely helped me in the wake of Arsenal stumbling to the finish line. I was bummed for an hour or two after the match, but beyond that, I got on with my evening. I believe they call that “maturing” and “getting older” but I’m not certain (and I don’t know about acknowledging my aging publicly, either).

Stepping back from individual results (and I may write more about this later), it’s a weird feeling. This team has exceeded expectations. I thought they’d finish 6th. They’ve done better than that. The young players have taken a step forward, 4 of 6 new signings have been fantastic, and the team, at least to me, has gotten better. That’s a successful Year 1 of a rebuild.

At the same time, it could have been an even better season. It was within Arsenal’s grasp, and they fell apart at the crucial moment. There are a whole host of reasons why it happened, and none of them completely take away the sting of being a few points off Champions League football ahead of schedule and missing out.

It’s a strange combination to feel both pleased and terribly disappointed at the same time.

Looking to and anticipating next season and beyond at the club has helped, as well. This is hardly even the beginning for the rebuilt Arsenal Football Club. We’ve got a stable of young talent, a manager primed to develop with them, and what seems to be a newfound commitment to spending from ownership. Arsenal are a team on the rise. I’m excited to be along for the ride.