An Open Letter to Chelsea and José Mourinho. #WJ
Dear José and various Chelsea fans —
I gotta hand it to you. You've won this thing before a minute of football has even been played. No matter the actual outcome, you've got the inside angle on winning. If Chelsea win, of course, the story is simple: Arsène continues to be a specialist in failure. If Arsenal win, however much this complicates the plot, you can dismiss it in your snide, sneering self-serving way. It's only the Community Shield, after all. No one takes it seriously anymore—that is, if anyone everdidtake it seriously in the first place. Yep. That's right. You and Chelsea are in the enviable no-risk position of going into a match whose outcome means nothing. Do whatever you want. Win, lose, it doesn't matter. And yet...
In any other season, this might all be true. Then again, this is the season in which you've lost a power-struggle against your own sugar-daddy, with club-legend Petr Čech leaving Chelsea to join Arsenal. Had you found a way to win the Prem in 2014, we could entertain a debate about what the Community Shield might mean in light of Fàbregas's return to the wrong side of London. But you didn't. Man City did. Right off the bat, then, we have several layers of an onion to unpeel.
For one, Abramovich seems to have overruled you regarding Čech's destination. Whereas you refused to sell or loan us Demba Ba in 2014, fearing he would give us the firepower to win the Prem, you've now had to watch helplessly as one of the best keepers in the Prem if not the world has crossed over. Čech, by John Terry's own estimation, could help us claim another 10 to 12 points. To what degree will his departure undermine Courtois' performance? Yes, Begović is a fine keeper, but it's open question as to whether he'll challenge or mentor Courtois to the same degree that Čech might have.
That other layer refers to last year's Community Shield, the one in which we shellacked City 3-0. As with this season's competition, it's seemingly meaningless, a bit of silverware that represents little else other than a glorified friendly, but we do have to consider if only for a moment the fact that Arsenal, after thrashing City 3-0, went on to take four points from two Prem fixtures against that squad—our best haul in four years.
Oh. Sorry. I'm using "history." "History" is a term that in this situation refers to what a club has achieved in what is colloquially known as the "past"—another term in need of definition. Taken together, "history" and "the past" refer to a time period that variously refers further back than, say, five or ten years. While it's true that you all have enjoyed some glory of late, that's quite a bit different from achieving or enjoying success over the long term.
I'd venture a guess at the notion that many of Chelsea's fans are new to the game, having "pledged" their "loyalty" to Chelsea after a quick gander at the table. After all, it's easy to support a club that's enjoyed so much success. No one, after all, supports clubs that never win, which explains why the only clubs that fill their stadiums are—oh. As it turns out, there are plenty of qualities that inspire loyalty; success is but one on a list.
Also on that list might be tradition. Class. Style. Philosophy. I'd go into defining each of these, but the definitions might involve other long, difficult-to-pronounce and impossible-to-understand words. Suffice it to say that it might be difficult, if not impossible, to understand what follows. I'll try to keep it monosyllabic.
The club that wears red is more good than the club that wears blue.
Sorry. Hemmed in too much. Arsenal are better than Chelsea. Confused? I'll use Mou's own words:
If you add up the amounts clubs have spent in the last three or four years, I think maybe you will find a surprise. If you put Özil plus Alexis Sánchez, plus Chambers, plus Debuchy, you will find a surprise...Get a calculator.Yep. We've spent a bit in the last two windows. Özil (£35m)and Alexis (£29.75m) were a bit pricey for a club that hadn't ever spent more than £12m before splurging for Özil. Fair point. Clubs that spend a lot should expect to succeed by a commensurate amount. While it's true that Chelsea have been very quiet this summer, it's hard to ignore the fact that the club has bought no fewer than 13 players at transfer fees above £15m, to the tune of some £281.7m in transfer -fees (to say nothing of weekly wages) over the last four to five years. Perhaps I've been a bit unfair in including 2010-11, but the point, I think, stands. We'll set aside the numerous transfers that fall below this £12m treshold. To delve too deep might prove embarrassing...to Chelsea...
Why haven't you lot won the Prem and FA Cupeveryyear since 2011? Given the enormous spending Chelsea has indulged in, I would expect much,muchmore than has been delivered. We at Arsenal have come to expect, for better or for worse, more bang for our buck. We've had to sell key players, time and time again, but we've still fought well enough to matter—at least on the margins.
Now that the tables have turned, well, all bets are off. Chelsea are now in an impossible situation. Should you lose today, the chattering class will talk about how Arsène has finally slain the demon that is Mourinho. Gone will be the thirteen-match winless streak. Begun will be the debate over how best to run a club. Given the choice 'twixt the two, I'd choose the latter: hard, patient work that proves its own quality over sudden, unsustainable splurging that begs uncomfortable questions.
Should you win on Sunday, everyone will shrug: "yes, yes, Chelsea have added another...yawn." Should you lose on Sunday, tongues will wag: "what does this mean for the Prem?". Time will tell. Will this be another meaningless friendly, or will it signify something for the Prem?
Either way, something in me suggests that Chelsea have backed themselves into a bit of a corner. #WJ

wonderful.....

The jinx is broken today.

Wails of a wailer wailing

You call this thrash you wrote here an open letter to chelsea fans? I laugh you in boko haram tongue BOmmmmmmmbwaaaahahahahahahaha

For u to say u bought ozil for 35m and sanchez 29m shows that u are a big joke not to exchange words with u.

slimbowwow:
The gimx is broken today.

Gaddamit it's "JINX" not Gimx. And it won't be broken ever. You know why? Because GOD of soccer is with us.

Broken already.

I now understand why mou always throw jibes to arsenal.....the winner now cry more than the losser.
Chelsea lost and it was arsenal fans that cry more,imagine still booing fabregas after almost a year now,is that arsenal's defination of maturity?
Even chelsea fans that were known for immaturity still cheers petr cech that abadoned them directly to join rivals......

maxwell530:
I now understand why mou always throw jibes to arsenal.....the winner now cry more than the losser.
Chelsea lost and it was arsenal fans that cry more,imagine still booing fabregas after almost a year now,is that arsenal's defination of maturity?
Even chelsea fans that were known for immaturity still cheers petr cech that abadoned them directly to join rivals......

it's amazing really. Arsenal fans always boast of their supposed 'maturity', but cannot accept it when one of theirs crosses over to another team in the EPL. I remember how much they booed Ashley, then The 'flying dutch man', and now, it's Fabregas. This is in sharp contrast to Chelsea fans who have shown nothing but utmost respect and appreciation for their own when they leave. Chelsea may not want the move to happen initially, but if it eventually happens, they move on. I remember Frank, who deceived us into thinking he was leaving for the MLS, only to secure a loan move back to our title rivals, man city. Chelsea fans never disrespected him, even after he scored against us at the etihad. When he returned to the bridge, he received a hero's welcome. We also witnessed the same with regards to Petr. For every crucial save he made on Sunday, as much as the blue fans at wembley wished he hadn't, they applauded him. This makes you wonder where the much talked about spirit of sportsmanship and 'maturity' of the Gunners actually is...

rubbish letter. op absolute no need for that. Chelsea are not worth it. they have no history. they are just a team lucky enough to have Abrahamovich buy them some trophies. they built nothing with their sweat.

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