The Arsenal Thread XXIV

We can't wait till we're officially "not a big club" i.e. we don't buy titles, we bring through players with the desire to perform, we don't whine about the refs etc.

Reply 6383

ClockEnderAFC

17

Idiots on twitter saying Leicester are only top because of refereeing incompetence (namely @_The12thMan) make me laugh. They're top because we have been piss poor all season. End of.

Reply 6384

Original post by ClockEnderAFC

Idiots on twitter saying Leicester are only top because of refereeing incompetence (namely @_The12thMan) make me laugh. They're top because we have been piss poor all season. End of.

I blame Twitter for giving idiots those voices.

Reply 6385

Lúcio

19

Original post by ClockEnderAFC

Idiots on twitter saying Leicester are only top because of refereeing incompetence (namely @_The12thMan) make me laugh. They're top because we have been piss poor all season. End of.

I agree that in a "typical" season, Leicester wouldn't be anywhere near the top, however no season is really typical is it? :tongue:

I think it's right to applaud Leicester because they've been the most consistent team and haven't cracked under pressure as of yet. Maybe they've been fortunate with a lack of injuries and some refereeing decisions, but things like that always go up and down for teams season to season.

The fact is that Leicester have been great and nobody else bar Spurs has performed at the expected level.
Next season will be very different, but for now it's refreshing to see an underdog story like this. Nobody really hates them so it's not like it was for us a few years ago.

Reply 6386

Original post by fallen_acorns

so in spurs difficult run:

Liverpool - 2pts dropped
Man united -
Stoke -
(westbrom)
Chelsea -

They will drop atleast another 4-6pts for me out of those 3 games.

2nd should be ours, unless we bottle that too..

Yea I think the title is out of reach for Spurs/Arsenal (especially if Spurs fail to beat Man Utd next weekend) but Arsenal should be confident about finishing above Spurs.

Reply 6387

^ And Wenger will hail finishing second (for the first time in 11 years) as "progress".

Reply 6388

ODES_PDES

18

2nd?
Third more likely

Reply 6389

leinad2012

15

Would put us as favourites for 2nd. Spurs have a tougher run in; Chelsea, United, Soton home and then stoke away. We have City and West Ham away which will be tough, probably only 1 or 2 points. They're the only top half sides we face. Our only problem is that we face the current 16th 17th and 18th sides, all of which are in relegation battles, but only Sunderland is away out of those. They'll be unpredictable, but we should win them all comfortably to ride us through to the summer in high hopes as normal.

The real question is, will it be Giroud or Walcott who goes on a mad one to stop Wengs signing as forward and which CM will go on a mad one out of Wilshere and Ramsey to show to Wenger we don't need to buy a replacement for Cazorla?

Reply 6390

Nah. Wenger being as thrifty as he is now, would bring Toral, Akpom, Hayden through. They'll have a mad pre season and convince the old hag not to buy

Reply 6391

Manchester United

18

Mad talk about a late title charge for the Arsenal. You'll probably close the gap on Leicester, and might even pip Tottenham to 2nd, but you simply can't win it because you'll find a way of bottling it. That's Arsenal, you're a good, fair team that is always in contention, but as soon as the heat is turned up you melt like Flora butter.

Not gonna lie, it would make my year to see Arsenal throw the league away on the final day by losing to Aston Villa at home.

Reply 6392

Original post by shawn_o1

^ And Wenger will hail finishing second (for the first time in 11 years) as "progress".

In a weird way, isn't the fact that Arsenal have maintained top 4 - the only traditional big club to do so this year - a sign of progress?

You look at the fact that Chelsea and Liverpool are struggling mid-table and then Man City/Man Utd struggling to secure 4th at the moment.

I understand it's painful as an Arsenal fan since it always looks like you are just one step away from really kicking on but any Liverpool fan will tell you that it can be so much worse.

Come next season, Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea will all again have new managers. I don't expect Arsenal to lose any key players this summer and again you have plenty of cash to spend. No reason why you can't have another title challenge next season.

In any event, see T20 final yesterday where anything can happen in a sporting context :colondollar:

Reply 6393

qwerty_mad

13

Original post by leinad2012

Would put us as favourites for 2nd. Spurs have a tougher run in; Chelsea, United, Soton home and then stoke away. We have City and West Ham away which will be tough, probably only 1 or 2 points. They're the only top half sides we face. Our only problem is that we face the current 16th 17th and 18th sides, all of which are in relegation battles, but only Sunderland is away out of those. They'll be unpredictable, but we should win them all comfortably to ride us through to the summer in high hopes as normal.

The real question is, will it be Giroud or Walcott who goes on a mad one to stop Wengs signing as forward and which CM will go on a mad one out of Wilshere and Ramsey to show to Wenger we don't need to buy a replacement for Cazorla?

Last year it was Walcott so this year it's gotta be Welbeck or Giroud!

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Reply 6394

One other question I have for those who want Wenger gone - don't you worry about half your squad wanting to leave once Wenger goes? A lot of players signed for Arsenal because of Wenger and a number will probably move on once he goes. You then lose the quality in the squad (my view being that Arsenal just lack 2-3 star players for the first XI rather than squad players).

Reply 6395

fallen_acorns

20

Original post by Zerforax

One other question I have for those who want Wenger gone - don't you worry about half your squad wanting to leave once Wenger goes? A lot of players signed for Arsenal because of Wenger and a number will probably move on once he goes. You then lose the quality in the squad (my view being that Arsenal just lack 2-3 star players for the first XI rather than squad players).

Depends entirely on who comes in..

If its a complete unknown or someone largely dissapointing (Moyes etc.) then sure, I can see some players lurred by wenger to leave..

But if we can get someone who inspires confidence, then I cant see it being a huge problem.

Certainly it will be offset by the massive amount of players that we should be able to sign, but dont end up doing so currently because wenger doesnt like them.

Reply 6396

Original post by fallen_acorns

Depends entirely on who comes in..

If its a complete unknown or someone largely dissapointing (Moyes etc.) then sure, I can see some players lurred by wenger to leave..

But if we can get someone who inspires confidence, then I cant see it being a huge problem.

Certainly it will be offset by the massive amount of players that we should be able to sign, but dont end up doing so currently because wenger doesnt like them.

Yea I suppose but there isn't exactly a long list of great available managers at the moment. Chelsea have just appointed Conte and Man Utd are still struggling/will appoint Mourinho.

Maybe De Boer but I can't see him attracting the big names? The problem is that a lot of squad players have a great relationship with Wenger and no doubt thinks he is fair to everyone (including all the promising youngsters). Very easy to unsettle players.

Turnover of squad players is not a position you want to be in. Liverpool have been doing it for years and it's terrible. You rarely make any progress forwards from it either.

Reply 6397

e aí rapaz

16

Original post by Zerforax

Yea I suppose but there isn't exactly a long list of great available managers at the moment.

Problem is that people have been saying that for the last few years. And then Pep, Mourinho, Ancelotti, Klopp and Conte have all moved/will move to new clubs this year.

It's the same people who come up with the :dolphin:

about there being no decent players available to buy and defending Wenger's lack of movement in the transfer market, while they watch 400k Mahrez destroying the league every saturday night on MOTD.

Reply 6398

e aí rapaz

16

Let's just appoint Löw and get him to bring the whole German team with him.

Reply 6399