Stillmansphere is our regular Tim Stillman column. Tim is a well-respected Arsenal supporter and writer for various sites.
The transfer market has become a self-sustaining industry in its own right in recent years, to the point that the SSN driven soap operahas begun to pollute football analysis somewhat. A sort of swap meet is beginning to develop with elite coaches too. As such, the transfer market is so prevalent that it is often viewed as the one and only way for a team to improve.
There was a collective, knowing murmur inside the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, possibly the only time that any sort of negative vibe was allowed to penetrate the 90 minute wall of encouragement. Aaron Ramsey, who had already covered a quite astonishing 7438 metres, stretched one last metre to close down Bayern’s David Alaba. He immediately fell to the ground with a grimace, his hamstring tightening. Instantly, he glanced towards the bench and made the circular gesture with his index fingers indicating that his race was run. It will be six weeks before he’s back in the starting blocks.
There is a pretty permanent sense of ennui about the Arsenal career of Olivier Giroud, crystalized by the anguished expression that often permeates his handsome features. To type “Olivier Giroud grimace” into google images is to open a treasure trove of pained expressions, his face contorted into various states of woe. It is almost as rewarding an image search as “Jack Wilshere tongue” and “Alex Hleb gurn.” Giroud has been a mainstay of Arsenal’s starting line up for three years now and has played a starring role in two F.A. Cup victories.
