Arsenal: 7/10
Part of the reason that my score is as high as it is, is the simple fact that I have accepted Arsenal's new place in the football world. They are basically now Everton circa 2006 to 2013, a stretch in which Everton finished 5th through 8th every year, with a max of 72 points and a min of 54 points. The "big six" is a relic, a meaningless name at this point because Arsenal do not belong grouped with those teams. They are not going to win a title anytime soon, they are light years behind Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool. Manchester United have not been run particularly well in recent years, but they can use their money to paper over problems. Jadon Sancho is not an option for a team that cannot make Europe, like Arsenal.
In essence, finishing in the top-4 has become the highest goal. Achieving that is a magnificent season, a true fulfillment of potential. Yes, it is perhaps unfortunate that a former powerhouse has fallen a step behind, but I still love watching football, even if the expectations are tapered. Arsenal supporters can fairly criticize me, it is fine; I understand that most Arsenal supporters do not see the team this way.
The Joy of Youth:
I have always been a fan of prospects. They are unblemished, full of intrigue and possibility. They may amount to nothing, but for every allotment of young players that go bust, it only takes one Bukayo Saka to make it all worthwhile. Saka is not the best player in the world and never will be, but he came up through the academy, showed potential, eventually playing well in pre-season friendlies and Europa games, and I became a huge fan. Of course, I was also a huge fan of Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe and all of the other players around the same age from the academy, even though the quality varied greatly from player to player. I take immense joy in watching academy players make the first team, something about watching a young player achieve their dreams and capture the collective imagination of the supporters. Similarly, I am now excited by the prospects of Azeez, Balogun, and Taylor-Hart. Even though Arsenal finished 8th, I was more than content watching Saka and Smith Rowe grow as players and cannot wait to see what comes next for them. The season was not a failure when you get to see these types of players emerge.
I also enjoy having a young, first-time manager because, just like prospects, I see a ton of potential. He is young, thoughtful, passionate, and seemingly well-respected (by the players). There is the potential for him to be one of the good ones in the sport. Criticize his substitutions and prolonged belief in Willian, but I think he's learning. I am along for the journey.
The Baggage:
Things are not perfect. I wish they would stop signing old players (Willian, Luiz, Soares who seems an old 29, and maybe even Aubameyang) because they are an inefficient use of their increasingly dwindling resources (they do not have European money these days). I think there are signs that they may be wising up this off-season. Without Europe, the squad should be trimmed, leaving less bloat, and more of a streamlined obvious starting XI, hopefully, with a consistent bench. A lot of the problems really were left-over from the end of the Wenger era and those players are becoming increasingly rare as the contracts expire, and the players are sold or loaned.
The Summer, a Time to Dream:
I think Odegaard is going to slip through their hands, but there are two signings that I think are looking pretty realistic: Buendia (Norwich City) and Onana (Ajax goalkeeper). Buendia would be a ton of fun to watch; he's quite different from Odegaard, who is more subtle, but I think he'd introduce a new dynamism on the attack. Onana is a keeper I'd be happy to bring on, I just hope the suspension is shortened so he could play in games sooner. He seems to command the box pretty well and is capable of playing out of the back.
I have dreams of Arteta being able to play a 4-3-3 Arsenal next year with a midfield 3 of Bissouma, Partey, and Buendia. That may not happen (a lot of money for those two B's alongside Partey), but on the other end of the spectrum, I also can see potential in an Pep-esque attack-focused 4-3-3 with Partey playing as the holding midfielder alongside an adventurous, homegrown duo of Smith Rowe and Willock (I think Willock is a likely candidate to leave on a permanent deal).
Conclusion:
I love the sport. I'll happily watch a poor-form Arsenal play a match from here until the seventh tier. I'd rather watch Arsenal play Burnley on a random Saturday than watch a Red Sox World Series game. The sport is beautiful, truly aesthetically pleasing, and always generous with its time: an energetic 90 minutes, the brief respite of half-time, full of nearly constant motion otherwise.
Seeing the red-and-white of Arsenal against the perfect green grass at the Emirates is one of my favorite images. I'm simple to please. I'll watch the all of matches, read every article about the tactics and the drama, view Twitter videos of the academy players scoring beautiful goals in random scrimmages, and enjoy each second I devote to a team an ocean away from my home, a team owned by billionaires who do not care, a team fallen from grace, but my team, for better or worse.