Category: Football

Guns N’ Roses

Navigating the hopes and frustrations as an Arsenal fan

One from the archives- outside the Emirates

I have been a Gunner for almost thirty years now. My maternal grandmother gifted me a radio in the mid 90’s after I did well in an examination. Those were the days of no computer or mobiles- it became a ritual to tune into BBC Sports Roundup on Saturday evenings and listen to the live EPL commentary. Wenger was just starting to create his charm then and the ‘Invincibles’ season soon followed- it was easy to fall in love with the Arsenal team.

I have been a Gunner right through and experienced the downs after those heady days- with Henry making way for Van Persie, Fabregas, Sanchez, Ozil, Aubameyang over the years to now Saka and Odegaard. Arteta came and gave us hope but there’s still more frustration than hope as a club fan.

I do think that it’s not all gloom and doom- coming second in the current EPL table and third in the Champions League revamped first round format is not a bad starting point.

Arsenal has a young squad- they surely have the DNA around which they can rule England and Europe for the next ten years. The team age average is amongst the lowest in EPL. Also, the way that the team was fully resurrected by Arteta when he came in was praiseworthy- all the deadwoods were driven out with agility- Aubameyang, Lacazette, Ozil and the shambolic defence. We brought in youth to revitalize the team. We also possibly have the best defence in Europe- the Gabriel and Saliba partnership is easily the most solid going around. You win a match with a good attack, but good defence wins you titles! The defence very often does not just get us clean sheets but they have also made Arsenal ‘set piece monsters’- with Arsenal scoring the most goals from set pieces so far this season. Watching Gabriel score from corners has become a common sight in Arsenal matches– so much so that the set piece coach Nicolas Jover has a mural in Emirates already to recognize this new found prowess. The ‘Next Gen’ are also coming through so well- not just the Sakas but this season has seen the emergence of Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly- truly showing the possibilities for the future. Our performance with the other biggies in the EPL- the so called Top 6- has also been super! We have won or drawn against the Top 6 for 15+ matches now- gone are the days when we folded under pressure in big matches!

But it has also been 5+ seasons of lot of hope under Arteta but a lack of final results- Arsenal fans are becoming impatient and not ready to wait anymore. Arteta became the Gunners head coach in December 2019 and we won the FA Cup that year but it has been all expectations and no end result after that. The second place in 2022-23 was surprising but after leading the league for 90% of the time, we should have sealed it. The 2023-24 performance was gritty- we kept chasing Manchester City till the end but dropping points against lower teams hurt us. With City dropping their level this year, this could and should have been the year of the Gunners- but it has been a repeat of all too familiar story again. So, what ails us?

The biggest one to me is the ‘cost avoidance’ mindset vs. an ‘investment’ mindset- we have strengthened the team but still don’t have a squad that can win big titles. The EPL is unforgiving- even the 20th team can surprise the table toppers- you need a deep squad to seal the deal. The biggest gap in the team is obvious- we do not have a no.9. Arsenal has been rumoured to be in talks for a transfer with many a name- Gyokeres, Sesko, Isak, even a Cunha! Till the time we have a good no.9 who can score 20+ goals in a season, we can forget becoming champions. Last week was so illustrative- when Liverpool was chasing the game vs Brentford, they brought in Nunez from the bench. When Arsenal were chasing the game vs Villa- they brought in Sterling as a sub! I rest my case. Man City have already got Haaland to sign a new ten year deal and have brought in Omar Marmoush to replace Alvarez- but Arsenal are still contemplating. Arteta needs support from the board to spend on a good finisher. Having said that, our transfer strategy in general, has not been up to the mark. We kept buying defenders and midfielders without strengthening our forward line. Arsenal also does not have decent back-ups in key positions- with a good team of around fourteen players but with gaping holes in the second team- Saka played week in and week out and it was almost a case of ‘when the next injury will happen, not whether’- and now we are without our most influential player for three months. This also explains how we do so well against the big teams (when the adrenaline gets you over the line) but consistently drop points against weaker oppositions (when the tired legs give way)- we have become the ‘Robinhood’ of EPL.

Under Arteta, Arsenal seems to have also developed a ‘complaining’ mindset vs a ‘winning’ mindset- always bickering about the VAR decisions and the ‘could be’s’ as opposed to focusing on their circle of influence and closing down games. The style of play has also evolved- from the free-flowing style we so loved (check out this special goal by Wilshere– one of my most favourite ones in the Wenger era) to a boring style overly dependent on set plays. Getting a good no.9 now will help us move back to the attacking style we Gunners fans so adore!

So, quite a few good things are happening for the Arsenal team, but equally a lot of quick and big fixes needed to move from a good team to a great team that wins big titles again.

Arsenal is the rose that we Gunners fans love- but it comes with the thorns which prick us. But all said and done- Love it, or hate it- we are Gunners for life!

Dus Ka Dum (Ten of the Best)

The ten most memorable sporting moments from 2024

Pages from my 2024 Scrap Book

How fast has this year passed by? We were just in January the other day and in a flick, the year’s gone! I am quite an old school guy. I still make my own sports scrapbook- cutting pictures and putting them on a diary. As I was putting it up for 2024, quite a few of the best sporting moments of the year flashed by me.

So, these are my top ten sporting moments from 2024.

The year started with the West Indies cricket team visiting Australia. The Caribbeans have lost their mojo over the years. Gone is the aura of the 80’s- now they are better known as ‘Callypso Collapso’. So they were meant to be pushovers. But in GABBA- they created history by knocking over the Aussies. Defending a little over 200 in the fourth innings- Shamar Joseph would bowl unchanged for 10+ overs with a broken toe to take a 7-fer and script the biggest upset win of the year. Loved it!

Staying on cricket- the Indian cricket team has long been the most consistent team without winning the finals. In fact, lately,  they have become quite the chokers when it comes to the big moments- back-to-back WTC finals, ODI World Cup Final loss at home in front of 130,000 crowd- the list of heartaches is indeed long. So, when India finally managed to put it across the Proteas to win the T20 World Cup, it was the stuff of dreams. India played well throughout the event, but the final was the real deal. Kohli came good at last to give India a respectable total but with Klaasen going mad- all South Africa needed was a run a ball in the last five overs of the chase. Enter Boom Boom Bumrah- with impeccable line and length, he created the pressure. Hardik held his nerves to apply the choke further and when Surya took that crazy boundary line catch in the last over- India had finally won a World Cup after 13 long years!

While I love wearing the Blue, I have quite a soft corner for Purple too- not just because of Cadbury but because that’s the colour of my favourite IPL team- the ‘Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo’ became a big hit this year with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) being so dominant. Rollicking starts from Narine and Salt, playing fearless cricket, cameo endings from ‘Russell Muscle’, excellent all round bowling performance capped by dream starts by Starc in the two most important knock out games- KKR were relentless this year. The back-end staff- Gambhir, Pandit and company did a stellar job in motivating the team and building the aggressive mindset- so when Shreyas Iyer lifted the IPL trophy, it almost seemed like it was a foregone conclusion.

India has long been a story of lots of optimism before the Olympics begins but lots of disappointment after the event is over. This year was a mixed bag- we did not win any golds but got six medals in all. Manu Bhaker’s achievement of winning two bronze medals really stand out- shooting has been one of those fields where we over promise and under deliver every time, but for the ‘young gun’ to stand up when it really mattered was really something! She actually missed another medal as she was a close 4th in her third category. Well done Manu! India is proud of you.

The other Olympics achievement that was memorable was Djokovic finally completing the set. This year has been passing of the baton in tennis with the ‘Next Gen’ Alcaraz and Sinner winning all the slams- but what stood out for me was Djoker’s resolve and tenacity as he mastered Alcaraz on the Roland Garros clay- he sacrificed a lot of smaller events and even had a surgery just before the event- but then to make a comeback and win the Gold was epic! ‘Nole’, easily the GOAT (Greatest of all Time) of tennis!

Talking of tennis- it was a sad moment for all the fans as Nadal ended his illustrious career in ’24. Rafa’s tenacity and his prowess on clay makes him another serious contender for the GOAT- but that’s for another day! Blighted by injuries- it wasn’t the best way to call it a day with the Davis Cup swansong where he ended with a loss and Spain exited early. But what we will remember is the friendship and the rivalry with Federer, that amazing Australian open final with Djokovic which lasted 6 hours, fourteen French Open wins (yes, that’s not a typo), the quirks and the bandana. Thanks Rafa- for the memories!

Rafa is a big football fan and he would have been proud of what the Spanish national team achieved this year. Before the Euros started, there were other more favoured teams- England were singing loud ‘It’s Coming Home’, Germans as hosts were quietly confident, while France with Mbappe are always there or thereabouts. No one quite gave the young Spanish team much of a chance. But the power of youth has the power to transform. Nico Williams and the prodigee Lamine Yamal were outstanding with the stable Rodri holding fort at the centre- Spain kept going from one peak to another and finally putting to rest England’s ambitions through a late goal in the final.

Staying on football- the AFCON (African Cup of Nations) was held in ’24 and Ivory Coast’s win was quite a roller coaster. They were the hosts and the expectations were hence quite high. The land of Didier Drogba always does well in football. But the start was so bad that they actually fired their coach after the group phase. They struggled and stuttered in the knockouts also but somehow survived. So, when Sebastian Haller scored a late winning goal in the final against arch-rivals Nigeria- it was an unbelievable achievement. Made sweeter as Haller was actually making a swift comeback after recovering from cancer. What a story!

In the African context, one more 2024 highlight was the continued dominance of the Springboks (South Africa Rugby Team)- they are the reigning World Champions having defended the title in Paris last year, but they upped their level this year. The Springboks won the Rugby Championship this time after five years- this is an event where the best southern hemisphere teams participate- South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina. Their biggest rivalry now is when the Springboks play the All Blacks. In fact, just to see the Haka before the match adds to the experience before any All-Blacks match. While SA won five of the six games, the match at Ellis Park vs NZ was easily the best. The All Blacks led for almost the for the entire duration of the match, and by 10 points going into the last quarter. But the Springboks always manage to make a late surge, and that they did again. Coming back from the dead against the biggest rivals to cap a memorable win!

The last one in the list is actually just from yesterday. A twelve-year old had a dream- to become the youngest world champion in chess. They say you should have a big ambition- if you do, then actions follow, and results after that! Fast forward six years, Gukesh actually made it happen- becoming the World Champion in chess beating Ding Liren in Singapore to become the latest and youngest ever to do so, and the first Indian after Vishwanathan Anand. To see him cry with joy after the win warmed the hearts of all Indians.

Cricket, Olympics, tennis, football, rugby, chess- quite a diverse list for me as I think of the top ten sporting moments of the year. What about you? What would you add to this list?

Million Dollar Baby

What makes the fantasy sports format such madness!

Recent reports indicate that a growing number of sports fans are hooked on to their laptops or mobiles just before 8 pm IST. Surveys indicate that it will stay this way for the next month and a half. Source: Anonymous.

Well, it’s the season of fantasy sports and none is bigger than IPL, India’s great cricketing extravaganza. For the uninitiated, fantasy sport is a game where you are a virtual manager with a budget (say a million dollars) with your baby that is a team of players who get points for actual performance in the game. It is a format that is currently in India $ 20 Mm in size with a 10X growth in last two years, as per reports. Dream XI and Fandromeda are some of the most popular ones though the official websites (IPL, EPL, etc.) have their own versions and are just as popular.

The early days of Fantasy sports in India were in the early 2000’s when ESPN Super Selector was big. I remember the craze during my MBA days. In the 2003 cricket World Cup, there was as much cheer when Vaas took a first over hat-trick vs Bangladesh (for someone who had Vaas as his fantasy team captain!) as when Sachin hit a six off Shoaib Akhtar at Centurion. It was pure joy when the Mirror newspaper would carry your name when they published the daily leaderboard for the 2006 Football World Cup. A Nokia phone as a gift for winning a fantasy tournament was a prized possession. Thierry Henry would be my permanent captain in my fantasy EPL team during the glory Gunners era and he would always deliver!

So what makes the fantasy sports format so special?

To begin with, the Indian sports fan always has a unique point of view. ‘Why promote Vijay Shankar when you have DK?’. ‘Who gives the last over to Vinay Kumar?!’, and so on and so forth. Well, fantasy sports gives a great chance to the passionate fan to be the couch Harsha Bhogle and create a team of players who they think will do well.

In psychology during my MBA days, I had read about the n-ach motivation- there is this latent need for achievement and managing success with a finite budgets versus a competitive peer set gives you a pure high.

Fantasy sport also provides a great platform to a hardcore sports fan for an evolved engagement level. So it’s not just the KKR matches for the Kolkata fan, but you have to follow the other games too- as there is a need to see where the next fantasy points are going to come from.

In a way, this format is also an extension of your personality. There are people who ‘play safe’ and go for middling picks whereas the entrepreneurial types would go for more ‘lateral picks’ and risk it all.

Lastly, whether it’s an office or an alumni group, it’s a super way to stay connected through a passion point which is sports. So who gets the bragging rights as the winner? Whose leg can you pull as he is the bottomer? Such banter is all that matters, sometimes much more than the prize money. Some fun to spice up your day.

And now to the million dollar question, how to succeed in fantasy sports?

Well, there are no set rules, but there is always some method in the madness. So, sharing some tips.

The fantasy sports format is like a stock market. You need to plan well when you want to buy and sell a player. You do not want to follow the market all the time. So being proactive and buying before a big performance is the key. Like Guptill gave average returns in the World Cup 2015 format till he hit 237 in the Quarters vs Windies. Someone had Guptill throughout the cup and dropped him for just that match while someone else bought him for the first time in the Quarters. Guess who had the last laugh?

It pays to think like an economist as the resources are scarce. Everyone would want to pick all the big players but with a finite budget, one has to pick and choose. The trick is to maximize the return/ price ratio. So a Kohli purple patch will be important, but a good performance from a rookie who is cheap (like Unadkat in last IPL) is almost gold dust!

It always pays when you do your research. So a Nadal always does well on clay court, Rohit Sharma performs well in Eden Gardens and Kohli is mind-blowing in chases. Past trends can be a good indication of what may happen in the future. An eye on the fixtures and how scheduling patterns are also help you to move ahead in the fantasy table.

You can do all your preparations, but there can be no substitute to gut feeling. So kudos to those who picked Pennetta in the 2015 US Open (when she entered the tournament as the 26th seed), or the one backing Fakhar Zaman as power player in the Champions Trophy final. Good hunches are critical to fantasy success.

Lastly, it’s just a game- so important to enjoy the bragging rights and leg pulls along the journey because that’s why we play the game in the first place.

So, the alarm clocks and calendar invites have been set. Here’s to the next 8 pm deadline!

To end, as one great man once said, ‘Fantasy game is 90% luck and 10% skill. But don’t try it without that 10%’!

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Arrey O Samba

Memorable moments from an ardent Brazil football fan

It’s the break of dawn. The IPhone alarm chimes but is swiftly stopped on one ring- a quick dash to the TV room to see the poetry in motion. 90 minutes later, Brazil completes a stroll in the park against Paraguay. Three goals orchestrated by the kingpin Neymar and ‘The Selecao’ become the first team to qualify for Russia ’18. They also reach the no.1 FIFA ranking with this win.

As the final whistle goes, and I do an imaginary high five, I go back in time.  Our middle class joint family in Kolkata was united by football- it used to be a month long celebration during World Cup years. A small black and white TV used to be the most prized asset of the house during those single screen household days. We were united by the love for Brazil. How can I ever forget the Zico penalty miss which knocked us out of the Mexico 86’ World Cup- when there was so much of expectations but it ended as a teary eyed night for us all.

My dad is an ardent Brazil fan and from him have I inherited the Samba genes. He always spoke of how Brazil played ‘Joga Bonito’- the beautiful game. There were stories of the 1970 final with the Carlos Alberto goal capping a memorable win- with Pele and company retaining the Jules Rimet Trophy for keeps. The ‘Class of 82’- the best ever team not to win the World Cup. Brazil played with the soul. It was always the heart over the head, art over science. These stories created a lifelong Samba fan in me.

In this post, I pen down some memorable moments as a Samba fan, through the ages…

To start with, penning a few which took my breath away.

The 94 World Cup was the first one in Uncle Sam’s country. Late night outs and early morning alarms to manage the challenging time zone. Romario was in full flow. I remember the Bebeto cradle celebrations, that last gap Branco free kick against the Netherlands. To top it all, the nerve wracking tie breaker in the final when Baggio wept and Dunga roared to take Brazil to #4.

Cut to the 2002 final- the first one in Asia, jointly hosted by Japan and Korea. Brazil started as an underdog in the cup after a tough round of qualifiers. But once the tournament started, they began to do the Samba. The 3 R’s (Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho) created a sweet symphony. We bunked MBA classes to see Ronaldinho’s audacious chip to beat Seaman in the hostel common room. We jumped with joy when Ronaldo finally managed to put it across Oliver Kahn in the finals as we watched in the class auditorium on big projector screens, with face paint et al.

There’s one from the recent past also- when Neymar buried the ghost of the Maracana by scoring the winning goal in the penalty shootout vs Germany in the Olympics final last year. It was the same venue where Uruguay beat us in ’50 against all odds. Neymar broke a long curse and liberated a generation.

And then, there were few I would rather forget.

First, the mind goes back to Italia ’90, where Brazil ended up clashing with Argentina in the last 16 itself. The family was equally divided- half of us Samba loyalists and the other half cheering for Maradona’s army. Brazil dominated the match and how. They toyed with the Argentines but did everything but score. I still remember one sequence of play where Careca and company hit the post twice in the same move. But as the match went deep, it needed one deft touch from that dreaded left foot to open up the defense and set Caniggia free to douse all hopes. Brazil out in the second round- unthinkable!

Next was the 98 France World Cup- the TV had been set in the common area and all of us would huddle at night and cheer for our favourite team. Brazil was having a dream run, but the curse struck just before the final. Ronaldo had a fit attack and he and the team never recovered. Zizou was the cynosure of all eyes as ‘Des Blues’ won the World Cup for the first time by humiliating Brazil 3-0 in the finals.

Fast forward to 2014 and the World Cup was back to the ‘Home of the Game’. We had organized a family reunion in Kolkata with folks pouring in from all parts to watch the matches on a big projector screen in the drawing room of our ancestral home. Neymar and company made a nervous start but they were chugging along till the quarters when a Colombian knee put an end to Neymar’s cup dreams. I watched in disbelief as a Neymar-less Brazil was like a ship without a captain out in the stormy sea. The Sambas didn’t know what hit them that night. They were numbed by the Germans, the match ending with a scarcely believable 1-7 score.

It seemed like the 2014 debacle will be the end of an era. But like a true phoenix, the Selecao have risen again. The Olympic win at Maracana was part retribution, but the brilliant run under Tite gives me renewed hope. It is up to Neymar and company to add a 6th Star to the jersey next year. Long live ‘Joga Bonito’. Russia- here come the Samba!

Comfortably Dumb

The debate is on- “In Arsene We Trust” vs “Arsene Out”. A passionate Gunner’s prophecy on the ‘Professor’

An ode to Arsene- from a winner to a whiner!

I was an avid football follower as a kid- but interest would generally peak in the World Cup year. There weren’t a plethora of TV channels those days. So my love for club football was fueled by a small radio I got as a birthday gift. Saturday evenings changed forever- holding that archaic device close to the ear- following Sports Roundup on BBC and soaking in the EPL spirit.

Brazil is the team I support (no, worship!). So it was no surprise that I began rooting for the club whose playing style most resembled the Sambas- Arsenal. One big reason was also the manager- a misfit ‘Professor’ who had plied his trade in Japan before making the big move to Highbury. Good matches are made in heaven, but imagine the coincidence when the name of the manager also matches with the club he leads- so no surprise that Arsenal flourished under Arsene.

When Arsene ‘numb’ed us….

Here was Wenger- a visionary who looked much beyond the game itself, into other aspects of sports fitness- on eating habits and training methods- ages before his times. There was also a sense of magic the way the team played- slick passes, one touch play- so easy on the eye and different from the long ball game of the Brits. And the fierce determination and passion he drove among the players. Here was a team who could ‘wow’ you with their skills but also rough out 1-0 away wins on ice cold December evenings.

Wenger created a legacy by leading ‘The Invincibles’ in 2003/04 to an unbeaten EPL run- a feat which may go unmatched in history given the fierce rivalry in the league these days. Wiltord’s away goal at Old Trafford to clinch the EPL title, that glorious run into the Champions League final in 2006- those were the days!

He stayed the course and led the ship well even during troubled times when Arsenal moved from Highbury to the Emirates. With an eager eye for spotting talent early and using a shrewd ‘Money-ball’ approach, Wenger would buy early, buy smart and manage the club remarkably well during tough financial times.

There were many heart-warming moments during the ‘Comfortably Numb Days’- but I am sharing a link of a goal which best embodies Wenger’s philosophy- A Wilshere goal vs Norwich city.

When Arsene ‘dumb’ed us….

As an Arsenal fan, I am in minority these days- there are a few of us left and we are worried we will be extinct soon!

And I start reflecting on why this happened? When Wenger moved- from numbing us to ‘dumbing’ us.

A good friend once said, ‘You are only as good as your ambitions. Set high ambitions, actions follow’. Well, I guess no one told this to Arsene. In the last five years, he is like the lazy employee in the office who is happy with an ‘Achieved Expectations’ rating every year. A fourth place in EPL and a ‘Last 16’ spot in the Champions League seems to make him happy, with an occasional FA Cup win thrown in- while the fans hope for more, much, much more.

The Emirates move meant we had to manage our financial books very tightly for some time- but Arsenal under Arsene got engulfed in this ‘Money-ball fallacy’- when the bottom line became more important that the ‘trophy line’. From a buying club, we became a selling club- why else will you sell your best players- the likes of Van Persie to your closest rival in the league? When you pay peanuts, you get monkeys! Or, you may get a Walcott, Ramsey, or Ospina- nothing better.

They say, ‘It’s foolish to do the same things again and again- and expect different results’. Arsene has been doing just that for the last few years, so no wonder Arsenal have stagnated.

There are a few who have mastered the ‘Art of Leaving’- some went ahead of time like Borg, some timed it perfectly- like Dada and MSD. But some are just too unwilling to let go- Arsene has created this club brick by brick in the last 20 years- his managerial stay more than the combined experienced of the other 19 EPL managers put together! So the swansong is indeed difficult. But when you stop inspiring, it’s the clearest sign that you have to go.

Another EPL season draws to a close. A season which promised so much for Arsene and Arsenal, but we flattered to deceive again.

The debate is on- “In Arsene We Trust” vs “Arsene Out”. He has given us wonderful memories, shaped a generation, so bidding adieu is tough. But the time has indeed come now.

So Au Revoir Arsene- thanks for numbing us!

From,

A Passionate Gunner