Hello, and greetings all! My name is Abby and I’m going to be one of (scroll down to see why I say that) your Arsenal bloggers here at the Offside. You may recognize me from my spot over in the Bundesliga- I’m the one typing all those words for Hertha BSC Berlin. Anyone who’s been reading that blog for a while knows that outside of the Bundesliga I’m a big Arsenal fan. In fact, right now (and normally when I’m writing my Hertha posts, even) I’m under my Arsenal fleece blanket on the couch watching Top Chef. I have some days off from work after spending my weekend working a trade show.

Arsenal are the team I’ve been a fan of for the longest, really ever since I started getting into football. It was a long process that involved Robert Smith of the Cure, shirtless pictures of Freddie Ljungberg, Nick Hornby, the neighborhood of East Finchley, and a boy from Manchester named Ian. I’m not the longest-term Arsenal fan. As an American in her twenties who never was into sports, it took a little while. My first memories are somewhat vague recollections of the Invincibles season. The first game I ever watched was the last trophy we won, the 2005 FA Cup final. I don’t recall much of the game, oddly enough, only the dressed-up and tense fans in the pub in London (I believe it was called Madden’s- it had ivy covering the front and was a block away from my host family’s house). But some things stick- I believe in the power of geography as relates to football. It was a slow process, but it’s fully entrenched now. To the point that I feel comfortable writing about them in a place other people can see it. There have been two Arsenal bloggers since I started with Hertha. They deserve better than that, I think. So I applied to step in and make sure things get written around here.

But I can’t do it alone- I have a full-time job and Hertha to focus on as well. I’ve come to love Hertha very much and have no interest in giving up or neglecting them. Fortunately for me, Daryl always intended this new incarnation of Arsenal at the Offside to be a cooperative. He’s reviewing applications now, but if you want to get in on it (and I’ll definitely need help), check out all the information at this post.

Until then, I’m holding down the fort. And there’s a lot to discuss right now.

Namely…four draws in the last four league games. Four draws in the last league games to teams such as Birmingham, Wigan, and Middlesbrough. No offense to fans of those teams, but those were supposed to be the games in which we consolidated our position as leaders and perhaps put some more distance between us and the rest so we’d have a bit of a cushion when we play our challengers next month. Instead, we drew four games and lost our lead. Hell, we’re now behind on goal difference to Man U. Depressing.

And we drew Liverpool in the Champions League, which means that we play them three times in two weeks. It’s not the worst of the British teams to draw, but drawing a British team was the worst. Me, I was hoping for Roma or perhaps Fenerbaçhe- Roma has a style that would suit us. A lot of Arsenal fans were wanting Schalke but I know enough about the Bundesliga to know that they’re the sort of team that we have problems with (remember PSV Eindhoven last season? I do, and that’s why I drink). But it’s all moot. We’re with Liverpool, with the second leg at Anfield, and we’ll have to deal with it.

But things are still possible. I’m an optimist. And in any case, it’s a lot better right now than it was at this point last season. Things will happen someday, I’m sure of it.

And I’ll be writing about it.