The following blog first appeared on A Bergkamp Wonderland on October 4th, 2016. It has been reprinted here with their permission.

Gazing upwards on a cold, clear night in early October, millions of visible stars stare back from the celestial darkness like pin pricks on some piece of carbon construction paper, held aloft to a desk lamp.  They shine back against the blackness, connected only by the billions of light years that separate them in the void of space.

Football feels like this sometimes, particularly during breaks for International games. Thirty-eight games separated by the vast distances of life and work and sleep and traffic jams and reruns of X-Factor.… More SMRTETA

The following blog first appeared on A Bergkamp Wonderland on August 16, 2016. It has been reprinted here with their permission.  Since this blog first appeared, Arsenal have signed Lucas Pérez and Shkodran Mustafi – two signings which are a great move towards getting a winning team.

The spring of 2007 was unseasonably warm in London. As the sun crested the early morning, a man shaved and brushed his teeth – rehearsing the lines again in his head.

As he continued to prepare for his morning meetings, he questioned what he was about to do. In the past, he had been clear in his mission – often taking on riskier and riskier endeavors to bring success to the club he loved.… More SMRTETA

We aren’t winning the League this year.

As the embers of our flickering title challenge were extinguished by the 7-minute hat trick of Andy Carroll at the weekend¹, attention shifted from the fragile mentality of one last chance to catch Leicester to the reasons for our diabolical shortfall this season.

The questions have gained in momentum since conspiring to lose at Old Trafford and the subsequent insipid display versus Swansea at home. Although the signs were arguably there already, those results consigned many supporters to the inevitable outcome of a fourth place trophy (perhaps third).

This is not meant to be a damning indictment of Arsène Wenger but the mounting pressure on him is not unfounded.… More SMRTETA

“I am happy that [he] has left… he got praised as a great runner if he ever got back to defend three times in a game. If [he] fails to train properly twice or three times he won’t get games.”

– Berti Vogts, former Coach of Germany, on Lukas Podolski when he left Köln for Arsenal

We’ve been here before.

A strong attacking showing for one’s country in an International tournament playing centrally followed by a move to the Arsenal – only to be shoved out on the wing to suffer a death found out by a lack of defending; eventually tossed aside and moved on with little fanfare.… More SMRTETA

Have you ever been to Abilene, Texas?

If you’re like me then the answer is a resounding “NO.”  I’m also quick to add that I have no plans to go to Abilene, Texas… ever.  It’s not that I don’t like Texas – I do.  It’s just – well – my preference is to go just about anywhere else.

Consider the following situation:

You and your two friends are drinking cold refreshments on a shaded porch in Coleman, Texas – nearly 53 miles from Abilene.  It’s mid-afternoon and the sun is beating down but you’re comfortable; and there are plenty of more cold refreshments in the fridge 10 feet away. … More SMRTETA