Nowadays, Arsenal FC are a phenomenon. Loved and loathed in equal measure, Arsene Wenger’s side undoubtedly keep many sports journalists in a job

One thing I love about the advent of the internet and the explosion of various media outlets is that you can seemingly access news about your team whenever you want. Growing up, apart from a match report in the Sunday papers and the odd paragraph during the week about David Hillier having a thigh strain, there was very little written about the club. ‘Boring’ Arsenal weren’t headline makers and aside from us loyal gooners, no-one else gave a monkey’s what we were doing.

Nowadays, Arsenal FC are a phenomenon. Loved and loathed in equal measure, Arsene Wenger’s side undoubtedly keep many sports journalists in a job. I used to think that the only reason there are so many Arsenal stories about is because they’re the only club I constantly look out for. This week in particular has shown me that this is not the case. It seems that the footballing world is obsessed with us.

Firstly, we have our amazing record-breaking victory in the San Siro. Enough has been said about the game so I don’t feel I need to add anymore. The boys were great and, despite all the cynics and nay-sayers, did us (and English football) proud.

But then there was the fall-out. Firstly we had Juande Ramos telling anyone who cared to listen that the mighty Tottenham Hotspur played just as well when beat an unusually lacklustre Chelsea side in the Carling Cup final. Ok, fair play for winning the cup. Fair play for praising the way your team performed but why oh why must you feel you need to compare it to Arsenal’s performance in Milan? It’s seems that White Hart Lane’s eternal obsession with everything red and white has permeated into the new manager already. It was nice to see Spurs playing like Arsenal last night. Shame it was the Arsenal that crashed out of Europe to PSV last year that Ramos chose to imitate.

Next we had John Terry saying that Chelsea have shown – just this week – they can pass the ball just as well as Arsenal and can ‘play anyone off the park’ (Shame ‘anyone’ didn’t include Tottenham last Sunday, eh?). And who would doubt him? I mean, Arsenal only outplayed and outclassed the 7 times champions of Europe (who incidentally have been to 3 finals in the last 5 years – winning 2) while Chelsea were courageously putting the Mighty Olympiakos to the sword. Insecure much Mr. Terry?

I’m so glad it’s got to the stage that the one occasion when teams like Spurs and Chelsea play well, it’s compared to the Arsenal style of play. I choose simply to take it as a compliment. Long may it continue.

Next up, we have David Bentley. A sad and bitter footballer who cannot for the life of him stop talking about Arsenal. This man epitomises the true meaning of obsession. Since swapping miserable London and dull Champions league football for Sunny Lancashire and thrilling UEFA Cup qualifying round exits, young Bentley can’t seem to help but constantly muse about what life might have been like at Ashburton Grove.

First, according to Bentley, English players don’t get chances under Wenger. Then was the case that playing alongside world class players like Henry, Pires et al made him want to quit football. Now, he’s giving advice to Theo Walcott telling him he must move on if he wants first team football.

Don’t get me wrong, Bentley is a top player. I would have loved to have kept him but he is really turning out to be a truly irritating piece of work. I was shocked last year when he was getting booed by Arsenal fans but considering the nonsense he continues to spew, he deserves it. Where would he be without the football education he picked up at Arsenal? Where would he be if Arsene Wenger hadn’t allowed him his chance to shine against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup that year? Impatience was his Achilles heel and now he’s got a big gob to supplement it.

Theo will be just fine without your advice thank you very much. Setting up the killer second goal on Tuesday was greater then anything you’ve so far achieved in your ‘career’.

Last but not least there’s Mourinho. Like a bad case of diarrhoea, just when you think you’ve got rid of him, he’s back. For someone not even employed in the English game anymore, you wonder why he deserves an outlet to air his views. According to the self-professed Special One, Arsene Wenger is under no pressure to succeed at Arsenal and thus has it easy. Why he needs to have a dig is anyone’s guess. Le Prof doesn’t need me to defend him but Jose needs to realise that Arsene Wenger has what you call a long term plan. Jose bought players for instant success and once Arsenal realised they didn’t have the resources to compete with that, they went about things their own way and are now, not long after Jose was expelled from his post, reaping the benefits. Real football clubs aren’t run the way Chelsea are, Jose. You had a blank cheque and the mission to make Chelsea the best team in the world. A mission you failed embarrassingly. You would NEVER have achieved what Wenger has with the same restrictions he has had to deal with.

But alas, despite all this, another week will follow where all and sundry will have an opinion on The Arsenal. The fact that people are talking about us means they’re scared. I think that Arsenal are on the brink of stepping up another gear. It might not happen this season and there’s every chance we’ll end up trophyless again but everyone else is worried. When everyone is talking about you, you must be doing something right. The hated Arsenal team and the detested Arsene Wenger could soon make everyone else look quite silly. Hence the constant need to try and destabilise us. However, as long as the team stays focused and can repeat performances like Tuesday night, it will all be in vain.

It’s good to talk.