PATRICK MAYR
SPORTS EDITOR

How did you become an Arsenal fan?

I have always been a football fan. I have been watching the Premier League since I was young. Arsenal was always a club that stood out to me and I loved to watch them play. A few years ago, my dad was offered a job at Arsenal, and we moved to London. This allowed me to truly get involved, attending matches, and following the club avidly.

Who is your favorite current player and why?

I think my current favorite player to watch is probably Santi Cazorla. I love his technical ability and the way he is able to find and play passes with excellent precision. He is a great player to watch. I also have always liked Sagna. I admire his devotion to the club as well as his work rate on the pitch. He is able to go forward with the attack amazingly, and well as run back to be a critical part of the defense.
What is your most cherished moment as a fan?

My most cherished moment as a fan was probably when we won the gold premier league trophy during “the invincibles” run. This was when I was very young but I remember being impressed that they went through the entire season unbeaten. In more recent years I think one of my favorite moments was when we beat Barcelona 2-1 at home, even though we lost 4-3 on aggregate.
What is your worst moment?

My worst moment has to be the 8-2 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford, for obvious reasons.

Have Arsenal’s ambitions declined over the past year?

I don’t think that Arsenal’s ambitions have declined over the past year. We have had some tough times, but I don’t think that is due to a lack of ambition. We are always challenging for trophies, but we have still been competing at the
highest level. We have finished in
the top four, and made it into the knockout stages of the champion’s league every year. Although we have not managed to win a trophy in several years, our ambition remains to challenge and compete at the highest tier of football, and we succeed in doing that.

Is it tough to watch some of the club’s best player leave each summer?

It is tough to see some great talents leave, but it is also exciting to see new players join and step up. I
will always miss the likes of Fabre-
gas. We have lost two great players this summer, van Persie and Song, but we have also made some great signings [such as] Cazorla, Giroud, and Podolski. Along with these three, we also have Wilshere back who is finding his way back into the squad, and looks to be a critical player for us this year.

If Arsenal could sign one player during the January transfer window who would it be?

I would like us to bring in a creative striker; for me this would be Edinson Cavani. He is great on the ground, making things happen in the box, as well as being an aerial threat. A solid defensive midfielder would also be something that I feel we need.

What do you think of the club’s bad start to the season?

I think that the start to the season has been disappointing and it is upsetting to see Arsenal in 10th after 15 games, but I think that we will come back; we are only fivepoints off the third place spot. The season has been rough I think, not because of the lack of talent, but rather a lack of squad depth, due to an injury prone team, as well as lots of new players who are just now finding their place in the squad. For example, Olivier Giroud had a rough start, he went a few games without scoring, but has recently found his form and is playing fantastically.

As a fan, do you think that Arsene Wenger’s assertion that 4th place is a trophy in itself, is accurate or satisfying?

I think that fourth place in not a trophy, but Arsene Wenger was not being stupid when he said that it was like a trophy. Being able to finish in the top four allows us to compete in the Champions League with some of the biggest clubs in the world. This is extremely important for the club. When two clubs are interested in a player, the player will not look at who has won the league cup most recently, but who is playing champions league football. I would personally take a top four finish over the league of FA cup any day.