No room for any more false dawns

BY DECLAN VARLEY

In the past, the post-coital glow of a Cup win was absorbed in the May sunshine of an Islington Sunday — a warm feeling of satisfaction on a season well-ended. A Sunday waking on the goodliest of mornings, replacing a memory of wet Tuesdays at Stoke with the heat of sunshine on the Wembley pitch.

This week it is so different — not merely because of the absence of an afternoon parade or the lateness of the summer, but because of what this win can represent. Perhaps a last open opportunity to return our club to competitiveness.

2014 was the breaking of the duck, the relief that the nine years of hurt had come to an end. But it was a crawling over the line against Wigan and Hull that secured it. And with all due respects to those two clubs, overcoming them is never really a sign of impending greatness.

2015 seemed similar — the Cup Final against Villa was a stroll that did neither side any good, even if it did create wonderful pictures of our beautiful away kit at Wembley once again.

2017 seemed a stolen moment. A bonus footnote to a disappointing season. When the Gods smiled on us, when we denied Chelsea a double and when we had the talents of Alexis and Ramsey to spoil their party.

Before Mertesacker equalised against Wigan late on in April 2014, the thought of any trophy as a kickstart for renewed glory seemed distant, but four years later, we had won three of them — and not one generated the acceleration that the club needed.

However, of the three, 2015 was the one that got away. The decision to not purchase any outfield player seemed foolhardy at the time, and reckless when later on Santi got injured as we chased Leicester.

Admittedly trying to create a new dawn when it was well past sunset for many players, the manager, and the club administration would prove difficult, but it did rank as a chance wasted — an inevitable result of different people moving in differing directions within the club.

And here we are again — but this time there is a fantastic momentum. From that wonderful winning goal, when Auba’s swing of the hips would have swayed a non-absent crowd behind the goal, to the emotion shown by Martinez at the end, to the sight of Sokratis handing out medals and not taking one for himself. This was a victory to enjoy in our own different ways away from the stadium.

However, this victory was a welcome reprieve from from the potential shipwreck of a season, where we reached the port of safety, and discovered sunken treasure on the way home. This is not a time for resting on laurels, for applying a sticking plaster to a gaping wound.

The time for false dawns is over.

Three times we have felt a new beginning might arise and on each occasion, we were let down. So much has changed though, since 2017. The personnel has a new visage. Sanllehi, Edu, Mikel et al see a legacy opening up — and so do the fans. A once in a generation opportunity to create a familial Arsenal again, made up of people who bleed red and white, whose heart is at the centre of the club.

In 2017, we did not know that an era was about to begin that would see Liverpool harbour notions of invincibility, that would see laughingly see Tottenham within 90 minutes of being European Champions, or that we would have a season with THREE different managers, one of whom would contract a killer disease that would result in the entire league being shut down.

In 2015, we allowed the complacency of a cup win to not make the changes that would have seen us win the title that Leicester eventually did. 

We need to celebrate this latest win, but not let it play any part in the plans for the restructuring of this Arsenal squad into one that will, at a minimum, compete for Top Four places.

But we are where we are with an opportunity to plan how we can get where we want to.

Saturday evening’s victory should focus the minds on what can be achieved if we have a productive transfer window in which we can:

— Improve our solidity at the back (Saliba’s arrival and Luiz and Mustafi’s renaissance means we are already halfway here with that. One other top class addition would be wonderful.

— Ensure protection from midfield for that back four. 

— Secure the necessary creativity to shape the chances that Auba and Eddie and Gabi can prey upon. 

Arsenal’s cup win will have been noticed around the world as well. To quote Mark Twain, rumours of its death have been greatly exaggerated. 

The victories over Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool have proven the decline of one of the world’s great football clubs can be halted by the right tactical approach and the elimination of the soft underbelly which has emboldened our opponents for more than a decade.

There is a saying from a Greek philosopher (not Sokratis) that blessed are the men who plant trees under whose shade they will never sit. 

And so it was on Saturday when our own Greek and Sead came on to probably play their last game for us, to give everything for the cause. There are many players in this squad who may depart in the next few weeks and their part in the start of the revival under Arteta should not be forgotten.

The plans for this transfer window were probably set in stone back in March — the subsequent months will have made planning for it more complicated, but our club has the attraction, the brand, and the newfound financial nous to get in the players who can give us a new steely edge.

If you thought Project Restart was eventful, then fasten your seat belts for the next eight weeks as Project Rebuild takes shape.

Enjoy the ride and see what lineup we have back at Wembley for our next game in four weeks time.