This ain't something new! I have had innumerable discussions about a topic which has become cliche and still dusted out of the cob-webs to play with again! What do you prefer? Football that brings you trophies, awards, medals or football that is simply beautiful. If we take a real-life example, we have Chelsea football club producing the former brand and Arsenal Football Club showing off with the later. (But, this year it is a different story with Arsenal, they are producing breath-taking football as well as leading their group in UEFA Champions League and topping the table till now in domestic league, i.e. the Barclays English Premier League)

When I talk or chat or argue with fellow football enthusiast, in recent times, (I have developed a strange kind of arrogance in me(And sorry, I can't help it...I know a little too much about the game, so u see the arrogance has come naturally)) I tend to take them or kind of 'brainwash' 'em to enter my domain, to accept my footballing views, to press a 'OK' on my book of footballing thoughts! And yet, there are people(friends) who stand up to their views and i do respect their opinions(I didn't say 'agree!' ;-) ). Lets leave the rambling apart and come to the point.

The football that i love to watch must be eye-catching, some showboating (Yeah, Hleb, Ronaldo does provide me those!) must be instilled into the game. I love short-pass games with plenty of possession and waiting for that 'oh-dat-was-cool-how-did-he-find-a-space' killer through ball that finally adds a numerical to the scoreboard. At the end of the day, when you go to sleep, you feel proud to support such a team and feel 'good' about it. Arsenal gives me that kind of pleasure. In the past two seasons, they didn't get home a single silverware, but still i thoroughly enjoyed their game! You can never bat an eye-lid when Wenger unleashes his men(or boys rather) into The Emirates green and they play such rhythmic football. Every pass is played with perfection, every shot is taken with a label of class stamped on it. (At least, The Invincibles of the 2002-03 team knows exactly about this! There was nothing wrong about 'em! Oh boy, I miss Thierry, Patrick and Pires, but wth, Wenger has again started moulding 3 his boys into those 3 stalwarts i mentioned!)
Another brand of football would be the one shown day in and day out by Chelsea or Bolton Wanderers. They would be very strong in the defence aspect but attacking-wise, these teams prefer long balls bombarded into forwards and expecting some 'magic' to be done! I absolutely loathe such football, they may win you trophies, but not 'hearts'! :)

At the end of the day, when those 60,000 'tired' fans reach home and their wives and children ask 'em, "Who won, dear?"...the retort should be "The game of football won!" *with a smile*

PS: This blog was written to just 'dust off' a period of 'no-writing', so basically its 'please-forget-it-blabbering'! Arsenal won their recent CL game, 7-0 (well, thats another reason! :D )

PPS: The opinion expressed in this blog is completely mine and I mean no offense to great football clubs like Bolton or Chelsea!

A Beautiful Dream


The excessive 'cheer/jeer' sometimes plainly 'deafens' u! 1998, a 15 year old Sounak gets ready to be 'tested' by an elated and confident Arsene Wenger.
Its the 'derby' match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur! A 63rd minute injury to Emanual Petit 'forced' Wenger to 'try' me on the pitch. I looked 'up' for a silent prayer and some blessing.
**I could see fairies in denim blue jeans and 'surf white' tops dancing to the tune of Shakalaka boom boom, rubbing mine eyes vigorously i looked down**

The referee took my hand to check if there is anything 'illegal' that i am carrying!
**I felt like kicking him there, then jumping on him flat and grabbing his collar and shouting 'i wanna marry ur daughter', but no i didn't do that**

Touched the ground, prayed and entered Highbury (this was Arsenal's old home ground) amidst rapturous welcome from the 'Gunning' crowd. I was quite unaware of this 'euphoric' mood as i was quite 'new' to the crowd (and even to my team-mates)
**maybe they saw a sticker on my back saying 'Kick me hard, i am a fool',those old cheap pranks played on school kids**

Though Wenger had asked me to play as a Left Attacking midfielder, i went right ahead and played as forward, he kept on shouting at me, 'Kid what the cufk are u doin?'
** I yelled back, u old drunk French hermaphrodite!! Now, go to hell, i won't listen to you, say whatever u want to!! Mocks at him!!**

I gathered a lovely 'thru-ball' from Patrick Vieira and instead of shooting it past the goalkeeper and to the utter amazement and disbelief of the crowd, i started running towards my goal. Every Tottenham soul looked in disbelief and my team-mates looked in horror! i dribbled past David Seaman (Arsenal Goalkeeper) and 'smashed' one into my goal.

**as i ripped my shirt, and started waving aka 'Ganguly-ishtyle-in-Lords', i got smashed/hit by tomatoes and potatoes and even big cabbages, damn, what happened???Why booos??Why aren't anybody coming and congratulating me? I love you people!! I just looouuuveeee u!!! Come, look i have 'scored'!**

**Patrick, my captain comes and slaps me! What have u done, kid?? i slap him back and start running towards the dressing room and i can visualize the whole team escorted by a 'bloody-eyed' Wenger running after me and yes half the crowd is following them**

Child P.S: I can see 13 fingers of mine, while typing and my watch is showing 13 o'clock!

Father P.S: I didn't mean to 'hurt' the shhhentiments of any french lunatic, any Nosal Heshammiya doter or any bengali fan of Dada!!

Grandfather P.S: All (c) Denim Copyrights preserved in a refrigerator! :)