There are benefits to being an admirer of a club rather than a die-hard supporter. The losses are disappointing, but rarely traumatic, and when the ninety minutes have passed, life resumes as normal and objectivity remains largely intact.
The natural, emotional responses of the fanatic can hinder good judgement, for a couple of days at least, until the memory of the defeat begins to diminish.
In a haze of hurt and disappointment, the inclination of the die-hard is to highlight problems and propose solutions. All or nothing thinking sets in, and in the midst of the gloom, old doubts resurface. In these moments there is a danger of unconscious scapegoating, as the desire to explain and understand the reasons for defeats and setbacks goes into overdrive.
The last twenty four hours have seen plenty of examples of the tendencies described above but ninety-nine percent of the time, the reality is far more prosaic.
Take yesterday for example. To this observer, the cold hard facts of the match are as follows:
1. The team underperformed, with a few notable exceptions.
2. The creative players lacked their customary guile in possession and Rooney’s intelligent positioning was problematic for the centre backs and Flamini and Arteta, who failed to limit his influence on the match.
3. Arsenal, (and possibly Europe’s) best player this season, Aaron Ramsey chose yesterday to have his worst game of the season, as his distribution deserted him completely, even if he was exiled on the wing.
4. Ozil and Cazorla operated on the margins of the margins of the game despite Arsenal’s domination of possession, though the German lacerated their backline and set Gnabry free late in the second half with a fine through ball.
5. Van Persie shouldered the ball into the net unmarked
6. No one could convert Bacary Sanga’s late cross across the face of goal.
7. It might be argued that United played with the greater verve and hunger, but from my viewing angle, Arsenal were marginally the better team.
So while it’s bitterly disappointing, the result and even the performance certainly don’t point to any underlying problems, something that could not be said in the aftermath of big defeats in recent years. The quality from middle to front is not in doubt, despite yesterday’s sub standard displays, and while the backline didn’t function with clockwork precision at all times, United were limited to only a couple of chances.
As Arsenal wait patiently for the next game and the return of synchronised passing movements and pulsating counter attacks, let’s hope the predictable rush to condemnation doesn’t materialise. I read Bendtner being unduly criticised for his showing, despite only being on the pitch for twelve minutes. Lashing out at players, whether justified, or not is unlikely to return the three points either.
The minimisation of United’s credentials is also counter productive, as Moyes’ team will probably be there or thereabouts in the title race, despite media conjecture to the contrary. Arsenal are not yet ready to go to Old Trafford and expect to win comfortably.
The current squad has the capacity for devastating brilliance which they have already demonstrated and which no other team in the country possesses, but sometimes it just doesn’t click. Yesterday in Manchester was a salutary lesson for Ozil and Cazorla in particular and a gentle reminder to Ramsey that to be considered world class you must always perform in the big games.
Strange as it seems, I suspect the defeat will do Arsenal no harm and may even be the catalyst to set off on another winning run. And even if they don’t, they’ll continue to have my admiration as the club with the strongest set of sporting values in the league.
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