Merry Christmas To Me

Good morning, Arsenal-ites

It's Christmas Eve over here at the 505. I don't expect to awake to presents tomorrow nor will I be going to church service tonight but I do expect the day to be filled with anticipation. For the non-UK Arsenal fan the day before an Arsenal match is filled with much anticipation and nervousness, which I can only compare to that of the feeling of a small boy waiting for Santa to come down his chimney and fill the living room with presents.

For those who live in America, the day of a match is quite the trial. For instance, tomorrow we have Arsenal-Pompey at the Emirates which is a 3pm kickoff UK, which is 8am MST for @ArsenaLOS & @ArsenaLIND. I'll be half-awake with coffee in hand. By the time the football is kicked I may or may not have eaten, or be showered up; @ArsenaLIND will probably roll out of bed right at the kickoff. There is far more at stake than an Arsenal result. IF the Arsenal do not get a result we have to deal with our sour attitude for the rest of the day. A married, sour, cranky attitude. You can only imagine. The match will wrap up around 10am and IF we have done poorly it's really hard for us to get motivated and do something fun; now, if we get a good result our motivation is quite high and we're more likely to go out, have a good afternoon maybe drinks to follow. It's really that fragile. I know, 8am doesn't seem that bad but looking forward I am already dreading the Arsenal-Tottenham match October 31st. 12:45pm UK kick-off is like a death sentence. Not only is the match a 5:45am KO for us but it ruins our Saturday night out. It's not easy to be able to go out with friends the previous night and then be up for such an early kickoff. Shoot me in the face.

@ArsenaLIND is English so any match before 1pm is met with great angst, even depression. She has been here in America for awhile now but this adjustment to the KO times has been very hard. When I lived in the UK I enjoyed the build-up to KO throughout the day eg doing some wandering on the High street, bangers & mash for dinner, and getting to the pub early for a spot near the Tele. Drinks flowing, fan banter, and so forth. I miss it, too. I envy those who reside in North London, who have direct access to the atmosphere that we crave. I'd swap my coffee for a pint any day. I'm disappointed to have met people from the area, who call themselves Gooners, and have yet to splash the cash on the 30 quid membership. In my eyes, the denial to become a member and try to attend LIVE matches is unacceptable. Maybe it's ignorant to think that way but I'll tell you if we lived in England we would be at as many matches as possible. It may be as simple as the saying, "you never miss it till it's gone". And it's gone..and we miss it dearly.

Moving right along, it's the eve of another Arsenal match. Pompey is one of the pundits' picks to be relegated this season so I am hoping that we can put them to the sword early. 2-nil before half would definitely ease my mind. I don't feel like a match review because, well, you can find an Arsenal blog out there that has nothing else to write about and it will be covered. But I will take the time to say something about our boy, Vermaelen. I shall call him V.

V has been a breakthrough of immense potential for us. A debut goal and solid performance(s). I am shocked to read the surprise from other bloggers, too. Like he is some sort of kid off the street. V is not a boy, nor does he come to us without experience (former Ajax captain). V is a deceptive CB due to his size and when paired with Gallas they appear to the opposition as short in stature. In the Everton match, @ArsenaLIND and I noticed more than a few long balls attempted to be knocked over his head (to Jo, Fellaini) but instead V rose well above both and knodded the ball clear...to an Arsenal player. I am very impressed by his heading distribution. V can not only leap to win high balls but he can knock the ball to our players who can start a counter attack. In our 4-3-3 this is going to be key to getting out of defense, and pushing up to the half line. Power in numbers. Also, V reads time and space very well eg Clichy moves forward from his left back position and V provides direct support. If Clichy over commits V will slot over and defend the player who has beaten Clichy...but he will not do so if he does not have cover from Gallas. V actually sits in between the space, reading and anticipating the dribble and/or pass. V comes from a well-organized Ajax system, specializing in the 4-3-3. It would not be surprising to hear from other players that he is actually helping them adjust to this new formation, giving tips and providing defensive leadership. This is ineVitable. This is V.

So, that's all from Arse505 for today. Tomorrow, when you're rolling into the pub for the 3pm KO think of us other fans who are barely awake, trying to support the same team. And have a pint and some chips for us!

ArsenaLOS