Arsenal Makes You Stress But Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

For anyone who has been unfortunate enough to have had the @GoonerspherePod unleashed upon their unwitting eardrums and grey matter - you will no doubt be aware of the amount of times I lose my composure and become apoplectic. 

In this battleground we call modern life there is a plethora of incendiary items that are designed for the sole purpose of teasing that unappetizing vein that pops out on your forehead when you are vexed. Things that many people are unaffected by but when mitigating circumstances are obstructing you from a smooth passage through work and home - they can morph even the Saintliest into a frothing, seething ball of rage.

Being on hold for more than ten minutes. Irritating hold 'muzak'. Your favourite sandwich being sold out. Any idiotic action by other road users. Schoolkids. People of the older persuasion that walk slowly in supermarket aisles. Supermarkets. Anything that occurs before your first coffee. Pubes on the toilet seat. Pubes pretty much anywhere.  Finishing late at work.  Work colleagues recycling jokes you've heard at least 349 times. Pretending to laugh at jokes. Small talk. Finding Sky Plus has clashed and thus - the latest episode of the series you've been watching has been missed in place of a documentary on the mating cycle of the water vole. Taking your dog for a walk and your beloved canine decides the perfect time for morning ablutions is when you are talking to a neighbour. The Daily Mail. 

Just a smidgin - a dash of everyday TNT designed to ruin your mood. In all honesty it is pretty difficult to remain unscathed from these mental tortures and emerge at the end of the day with a wry smile. 

So you would think that with all the mental-fugue boobytraps that exist solely for your frustration that we would choose to leave the negligible and peripheral quibbling aside? A great book I have read put it more succinctly than I could ever hope to.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

The AGM took place recently. A thank you to all who tweeted the days events as they happened. For anyone who thought that we would receive thorough answers and come away from the experience enlightened though? Shame on your gullible self. The AGM is a PR exercise. Only Arsenal organise events of this magnitude and focus. It looks fantastic from a media point of view (the only view that counts remember) as it shows that the Club Hierarchy are willing to take time out of their hectic schedule and mingle with the riff-raff. They are there to show they care.

I may be erring on the harsh side. The event shows that the Club are more than aware of the fans and are willing to stand up in front of our criticism and attempt to give us the answers we so desperately seek. The problem though is that either the questions that are being posed are defunct and easily avoided or that Gazidis, Keswick and Company have finally passed their GNVQ Intermediate - Politician Answering Skills Course.

Arsene came across very well and spoke with passion and verve. He was rather inspiring and whether or not you still have faith in him, you can take one thing to the bank. He is giving his utmost to succeed. Who knows whether he has too much clout in regards to the Clubs decision-making process? If he has - he certainly can handle it as aside from the last transfer window I think the Club has handled most things astutely. Just look at our ever-increasing profit margins.

The AGM and the arguments that were bred from it do not warrant being vexed. Nothing was going to change at one meeting. Nothing revelatory emerged. So why do the rumblings of discontent still exist? Do we simply need something to fixate on?

Is it because we still do not have the answers that we wanted? If that is the case then we can only blame ourselves as the meeting is an ample opportunity to floor these queries and make the power-men squirm. If we didn't do that then that is our bag of broken biscuits to contend with.

What about the 'story' that our fallen angel Mesut Ozil reportedly had an affair whilst still with Mandy Capristo - his current squeeze? 

For one - I couldn't care if he was having a threeway with a camel and Dot Cotton and neither should you. Another point is that the story originated from a filth-monger of ill-repute. It is just a page-filler designed to garner clicks and comments. For some of us nevertheless want our players to be polishing their halos and Prefect badges in their spare time. With the wages being paid and the lifestyles they no-doubt lead - I'm surprised that there aren't more of these yarns doing the rounds. Should we let it affect our mood?

There are so many reasons to generate a fugue nowadays.  Genuine occurrences or encounters that can negatively change your outlook. Just switch on BBC News24 and genuinely listen to it for ten minutes and you will have the Samaritans on speed dial.

The same goes for Arsenal. There are a smorgasbord of brow-furrowing things that can let-loose the worry-rat that nibbles inside your brain. I'll give you a wee taster.

Stan Kroenke's true intentions. Ticket prices. Chelsea and Man City's spending power. Has Arsene taken us as far as he can? Arsene's replacement. Can Jack do the business at CDM?

Just a few that are currently on my mental merry-go-round of terror. Faces whirling with a crazed expression. Mewling and sobbing as they beg to get off but I can't seem to stop focusing on them. 

Scream if you want to go faster.

The main worry currently on continuous loop in my mind? Our defensive situation. I have made peace with the fact that we didn’t reinforce in the window. I didn’t really have a choice to be fair. It is just that whenever you see a line-up consisting of Nacho in the centre of defence with Chambers on the right and you cannot help but lose yourself in the mire of fraught thoughts. I endeavour to harbour positive thoughts though so I’m of the opinion that the last two games can only breed confidence from the performances at the back.

Nacho has enough experience to see him through playing in the centre. I have no doubt he can perform to the standard required. 

My ultimate point I've been flailing and missing at is that there are so many obstacles and hazards with the sole purpose of upsetting the tranquil nature of the happy place in your minds eye. Don't let the puerile and the nonsense spoil it. Don't sweat the small stuff.

P.S - My happy place is the bum cleavage of Carol Vorderman. 

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