Friends,
I'm leaving. No not permanently- much to the chagrin of some of you Liverpool stalkers. But I will be absent for the next month whilst I traverse the globe with my bride to be. I'm a mess of sorts. One part excited, equal parts nervous. To those of you that are married, you probably are all too acquainted with said feelings- and those of you that are not well, just use your powers of deduction to figure out what this might feel like. You neglect to realize the scope of change that awaits you when you make a commitment or decision of this magnitude. In the moment, and along the way, you rationalize it to feel comfortable. But on the edge of departure, a wave of emotions have taken a hold of my otherwise unruly cynicism, and I feel the need to share with you all some thoughts. Bear with me.
I've had the honor/privilege/and pleasure to work with Jack on this site for just a shade under a year now. It's been one hell of a ride- and fully affirmed my otherwise unhealthy obsession with all things Chelsea as not only warranted, but merited. Writing for the blog, offering what would otherwise be considered a horribly-biased, narrow interpretation on club proceedings has been an undeniable blast. I've had my fair share of controversial thoughts, incendiary sentences, and the occasional post that whips the comments section into a frenzy. I realize this. Whether you agree or disagree with the ideas I've expressed over the last year, I sincerely hope at the very least all of you have appreciated the fact that for better or worse we try and always pick a side to stand on in all discussions. It's the healthy dialogue, the back and forth, and yes the witty banter, that we appreciate most. There are days when it seems like an impossible ask for any of us to get something up on this sight, but time and time again, we find the resolve to post more information, more nonsense, more of what you as readers have come to expect.
As our club turns its attentions to a difficult Monday night confrontation with the Citizens of Manchester, I can only offer the following perspective/thoughts on the current state of affairs. Good- not great. Improving- but not there yet. Different- and better. Transitioning. That's about it. There have been some incredible results, and some dismal ones this season. It's been one heck of a roller coaster thus far, and we've all been on suicide watch at least one watching our mighty blues run the gamut of performances. But it's been tremendous fun covering this season in particular, and it's offered so much in the way of depth, intrigue, tactical debate, and player conversations, that as a blogger you'd only dream for stuff like this. It makes our job that much easier when the club produces as much 'controversy' as ours has- although I wish the stories were more about victories and less about press releases- the fact remains that we're quite spoiled as fans of the famous CFC. No, we're not spoiled. We're blessed. We have an outstanding benefactor for an owner, a young and aggressive manager, a hierarchy that's fully supportive of the new regime, and a few marquee players both young and old to build around. On paper, everything's coming up Milhouse.
I realize there are good and bad days in any fandom, and certainly ours is no different. As we enter a stretch of holiday matches, I would only hope that everyone can keep a level head, perspective, and an understand that we're still a work in progress. It will be a long time before we can safely say we've arrived at our final destination. But in the meanwhile, don't lament. Appreciate the evolution as it happens before your very eyes. The times they are a-changin', and it's something worth viewing as it happens. To all of you, please be safe and have a wonderful holiday season with family and friends by your side. Just know that whether or not it's noticeable in the moment, I genuinely appreciate each and every one of you. Especially the haters. Your venom further fuels our conviction to continue writing, posting, sharing, commenting, and offering insanely-skewed op-ed columns that rile your feathers. Though it sometimes might not be noticeable, I want all of you to know that it's your presence on this blog that gives us the necessary validation to press on. On behalf of Jack and myself, thank you.
Until next year then friends. Carefree, Up the Chels, Keep the Blue Flag Flying High, and please, no more major crisis whilst I'm out of pocket for six matches, please?
Cheers,
Devin