It's life. Thank GHod.
It is better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all...take the passion out of it and we can jut give up.
Been burned too many times to apply that principle to football in this current day and age anymore. Especially after my belief that Bale would stay, which stretched over most of the summer up to yesterday. Surely he'd stay. We love him, the Madrid fans won't. He has a baby, he's settled. All his mates are at the club or live in Cardiff. He can leave next year for a reasonable fee, after giving us one more shot.
But, it didn't turn out that way.
Of our current squad, I have an affection for Verts, Lloris, Daws, Kaboul, Walker, BAE, Carroll and most obviously Sandro. Yet I'm also very, very hesitant to extend that affection any more than it already extends, because to do so would be opening myself up to another round of fruitless agonising as the likes of Lloris and Verts bugger off to Barca or Madrid when they gleefully come knocking again, in all probability after angrily skipping training and leaking 'unhappy and upset' stories to make a point.
Therefore, I unreservedly love only Daws and Sandro. Daws because I'm confident he'll stay here no matter what, and Sandro because despite my reservations the guy's too enthusiastic and evidently attached to our club to keep at arm's length.
Other than those two, the only person I have complete faith in, the only person I'm confident will always fight for and protect the interests of this club first and foremost, is Daniel Levy.
If that's taking the passion out of it, then I'm happy to be a sour, emotionless sort of cove when it comes to most of our current squad. I'll save my unreserved adoration for the next Ledley, Freund, Perryman, Hoddle, or, hopefully one sunny day, Bill Nicholson. Everyone else, thank you for your service, carry on up the Khyber and shut the door on your way out.