Man U v Arsenal: Another bad day at the office...

So yet again we lost to Man U last night. De ja vu or what? Lately, I have resigned myself to losing against the other so called big four teams and just hope they slip up just enough for us to win the league. It has not happened in the last five years, and I do not think that trend is going to change anytime soon.

The build up to the game was uncharacteristically dull, with just the mindless blabbering of a disgraced French left back who decided to run his mouth like dysentery. You would think his disrespectful comments would have spurred the Arsenal players on, but it was the same old timid display that we are already used to seeing when it comes to this bunch.

Both teams set up primarily not to lose, with Man U deploying a 5 man midfield with Rooney as the lone frontman, while Arsenal had young Jack of the Shire and Alex Song on defensive midfield duty, with Nasri and Arshavin on the wings, Rosicky playing through the middle and Chamakh as the frontman.

Anyway, long story short, we lost by a lucky goal from our new nemesis, Park, who happened to somehow nod a deflected ball past our goalie debutant, the one whose name I dare not pronounce, lest I lose some teeth attempting it. The disappointing thing is not that we lost, that was expected, but the fact that we barely put up a fight throughout the 90 minutes. Our passes were wayward, their was no bite in the attack, and we dilly dallied way too much on the ball that their players were able to pick our pockets time and time again. I have said it before, this team needs to understand that no one is going to sit back and watch while you pass the ball around like a practice session. Its not dirty, its not unsporting, its football. Move the ball quickly, and when you lose it, close the opposition down in numbers. Even the Barcelona team that we seem to emulate play with a lot of aggression and direction when they are not with the ball, and when they have it, they make good incisive use of it.

I know its easy to label my opinion as that of a naysayer, but as long as we keep approaching the game with this mentality, we will keep losing to teams that might not necessarily be as technically talented as we are.

Now is the only time

Time. That relative thing that we all have but never appreciate. Till it runs out. It seems like we have an endless supply, till the barrel runs dry. Then its too late. Another year is just about to give up the ghost, and I look back the last 355 days, ask myself  'what have I done these days to be proud of?'. Endless hours surfing the net instead of learning new skills, time spent watching those meaningless soaps that could have been utilized investing in my future. Resolutions made in January that didn't get past February. And I realize the only thing that's changed is my numerical age.

2012 is round the corner. I hope not to repeat the mistakes of this outgoing year. I fear I will, but I'll head into it with a new fervour to achieve more than I've done. Now is the only time. See you next year.