Feature

Calculated luck

Stateside Gooner

By Chris Toronyi

Some people complained about fourth.

Some people complained about the celebration the team had after we secured fourth place last season.

I toasted it at home in Los Angeles. Was it necessary? Was it obnoxious? Was it desperate? Yeah, it probably was, but who really cares? We're lucky to be in the position that we're in. There are only a select few in Premier League -- or even the Champions League -- than can claim the success we've had over the past 15+ years.

Were we lucky in the process? I think we can admit that as fact, but I see it as calculated luck. We had all the variables that allowed us to succeed with just a splash of luck. If we didn't have these variables, would we have been lucky? I don't know, but it sure seems that way.

I say this only because I walked by a man on the sidewalk today who was homeless. He was literally sleeping on the sidewalk without a care, without any pride. It was one of the saddest things I've seen in LA and I've seen quite a few things that will rip your heart out. I bet this guy would kill for a little luck. Not necessarily calculated luck, but enough to where he's not where I found him this morning.

I'm pretty sure he would do anything to be able to complain. Just to have the ability to complain means you have something. It may not be perfect, but at least it's there. (Did you know that we're a bit thin up top?)

We at Arsenal truly have it all. We have the most amazing group of supporters who are filled with passion, who support through thick in thin. And when are we going talk about the away fans? Seriously, why they haven't received more media attention is beyond me.

Ok, back to our luck...

We're lucky the club happens to reside in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We're lucky to have such an amazing stadium. We're lucky the club has the resources that it does. We're lucky to have witnessed some of the most amazing skill ever displayed on a football pitch.

Daydream about that for an hour or two. It's quite amazing to reflect on what we've seen.

Let's face it, we're lucky. Let's savor the luck we've been privy to. Enjoy it. Maybe roll around in it for a while. Put it on a biscuit or spike your coffee with it. It's pretty good, right?

Keep the faith.

The Arsenal America Podcast welcomes Julian Bennets of the Hayters Sports Agency for the first time, we also have James from @Gunnerblog and @AAllenSport of Arseblog News and the Arsenal Collective. Please don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and you can also grab the RSS Feed

------

'Stateside Gooner' Chris Toronyi is a longtime Arsenal supporter and the host of The Arsenal America podcast, available every week at ArsenalAmerica.com and on iTunes. 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.