Sanchez Induces Christmas Morning Excitement....

I've just finished recording a rather frenetic Goonersphere Podcast. As we wrapped up discussing the usual mix of Arsenal, filth and baser instincts, we chewed the proverbial cud.We had discussed the potential signing of Sanchez but, due to the parasitic nature of the ITK Brigade, we had all been burned to such an extent that the only way we would believe a new signing had been clinched was to view them in our shirt or the beloved Sky Sports ticker.Lo and behold, a great light shone from my laptop as James, Daniel and Fonky set about once more verbally emasculating me. A high pitched squeal emanated from one of them. Then an exclamation of joy and shock. "Sanchez IN OUR SHIRT!!!". We all excitedly hurried to the picture.

It was just like all our dreams had foretold, but twice as glorious. His sunny disposition looked up at the lens, nay, my heart, and promised happiness fulfilled. Stood bedecked in our new training top, I felt my insides quiver. In regards to the pod group, I'm more liable to pour forth my feelings like a violent gushing of fluid and I did so as we all decided to record a bit more to cover what was a monumental occasion.

Twitter was awash, frothing with a buzz not felt since I electrified my junk with a toaster. All accounts, even the ones with a penchant for the negative, were enjoying the moment. Genuine excitement gets harder and harder to find as we grow older and more cynical, but the Ozil signing and THIS had caused everyone to post pics and humorous tweets that alluded to the butterflies currently moshing in their stomachs. I joined in and sent a flurry of complete nonsense. It was a hive mentality. We all knew there was a good chance he would join but the ITK germ has grown so much, grown so caustic, that it has affected the way everyone views what could actually be veritable news. 

The mind will not believe until the eyes see it. So the picture was a portent of not only joy, but of things to come. I, and I'm sure my Pod comrades will agree, felt slightly like I was a kid on Christmas morning again. The age where you realise that the thing you've wanted all year, the thing you've bugged your parents silly for, is somewhere amongst the wrapped objects under the garish tree. It's there. The slightly nauseous feeling in your stomach, the giddy feeling that garbles your thoughts. Sanchez was my Christmas present.

Ozil and Sanchez represent a change of tack from the supposedly obstinate Arsene. These players were not 15 year old goat herders from the Alsace. They were not works in progress, a semi-precious stone that has to be hewn by the masterful and careful strokes of Le Prof. They weren't the 'NEXT BIG THING'. They are already big. Gargantuan. Vanessa Feltz big. Proven World Class. These players can turn games on their own. This wasn't just squad filler. They will undoubtedly take us to another stratosphere.

Think I'm getting carried away? You may have a point, especially as I've spent all this time explaining to you all how I feel like a kid again. I offer you this point of view before you send me to the doctors with a severe case of frothing at the mouth. 

Arsene Wenger, Ivan Gazidis and others over our barren seasons always alluded, hinted toward a new horizon where the shackles of our stadium debt would dissipate and no longer would we be the Premier League equivalent to Fagin; relying on kids to do a job and scrimping an existence out whilst casting an envious eye over our moneybags rivals. 

There would be a time when we could look at a player and there wouldn't be guffaws when we expressed an interest. There would be a time when we wouldn't have to shop in the Transfer Window equivalent of Lidl. Eventually, if we kept our head above the rising tide of oligarch money and the dollar taking over football, then we could rise from our monetary incarceration and show everyone that Arsenal is a massive club with a huge draw for star players.

Rivals lapped it up like a lusty cat. The media used this as a stick to beat us with for many a year, I've mentioned the media stigma more than once, so has many of the people I follow. Even Sky Sports News used to lightly nibble at our situation. No more. 

We still have a part of the stadium debt, I didn't pore over every letter of the AST meeting notes so forgive me if I can't recall the exact amount. We do however, have the 8th highest income in European football according to the last Deloitte money league. That moolah is no longer primarily for debt repayment. It has lightened the noose around our neck and now we have been given the keys to the sweet shop. 

What about Arsene though? I thought he was unable to spend as he is too transfixed by his devious plan to unearth unknown gems and polish them to an extent that we win all in sight with a team of 17yr old french polishers? Wenger always said he would spend money on the right player. A lot of people thought that was just a soundbite. I started to doubt as well, seeing as our record buy was £16m before the almighty splurge of £42.5m. I needn't have worried, it would seem that all those words we thought were sugar coated in order to appease the baying fans were actually truthful. 

It's taken a while to reach this moment and a lot of work from Arsene. Not to mention forgotten man Dick Law and no doubt Gazidis for masterminding the mammoth PUMA deal which further bulge our coffers like a Sepp Blatter World Cup meeting. I think every Gooner has earned this. Enjoy it. Relish it, remember it. We have been through the trough, faced the jibes and the awful results. Even adjusting our lofty (and rightfully so, we are the Arsenal) ambitions. That hurt. Now the plaster has been ripped off and we are uninhibited. Who next? Khedira? Bender? No more Samba or Kalou links for us! Now THAT IS a cause for celebration!

So, here we are. I'm typing and still buzzing. I need to stop as I really should go to bed, Santa Wenger has been and I can't wait to see if he has brought me what I've always wanted.

@jokmanAFCTell us what you think! If you agree, or have a different view, please leave a comment in the comments section or why not write a response or your own article on YouWrite?

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