By Chris Toronyi
There's something about this season this makes it easy - and difficult - to write about.
In the beginning it was mostly the low expectations we had, albeit expectations that we would finish in the top four and would have decent runs in the cup competitions. But how things have changed after that first weekend where everything that could go wrong did go wrong.
We have risen like McConaughey from the depths of romantic comedies and catapulted ourselves to "title contenders" and FA Cup favorites.
Let's appreciate what we have in front us. It has been an amazing ride thus far, full of drama, adventure and some comedic results that have left us laughing and crying. Or for some of us, frozen without any emotion and left shocked by the bizarre nature of the scoreline and performance. I still find it hard to comprehend the Citeh and Liverpool results given how well we've played when it matters. It's as if all we care about are the Oscar-winning performances, versus the ones that we may interpret as, say a Michael Bay production.
It's really confusing on the surface, but like many things, we don't know all the mental and physical details that lead to these results. Many movies on IMDB look like they should deliver, but man, they somehow give us something that is so odd and disappointing ("Prometheus" still haunts me. I'll never forgive Ridley for that experience, but then again it's probably my own doing.) I'm not sure I'll ever forget our Prometheus-like performances this season, but I will forgive as I know there is just so much more in store for this team.
They've shown us so much with heart-stopping football and amazing team performances against Dortmund away and Liverpool at home. We truly are that IMDB page that teases us with such talent and pedigree. Or maybe we're that entry in IMDB that is on the fence. We possess some well-known talent that have been on the big stage in a supporting role, but hasn't yet been the lead.
We're the Bradley Cooper of talent right now. It's slowly maturing, finding out where it fits in the system, but so close to making it big. We just need to find that one role that will make us a true star to carry us over the line - a defining win that not only changes our mindset, but also the mindsets of those reporting on us. "The Hangover" series was entertaining to a degree, "Silver Lining Playbook" was outstanding, as was his performance in "American Hustle", but none of them defined Bradley as the one.
I mean I get the hesitation to call us true title contenders, but we're so close to having a break out role. It's there, we just need to be prepared for when it presents itself and nail it.
We're not Brad Pitt yet, but we're getting really close to becoming that entertainment monster that every one envies.
ArseAmerica Podcast returns this week to recap the FA Cup game against Everton, Champions League clash with Bayern and look ahead to the NLD with Laura Williamson of The Daily Mail, @Gunnerblog, and also talk with @7amKickoff about his Munich travels.
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Thanks for listening.
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'Stateside Gooner' Chris Toronyi is a longtime Arsenal supporter and the host of the ArseAmerica podcast. You can read more of Chris' thoughts on Twitter.
The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of Arsenal Football Club or Arsenal Broadband Ltd.
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
