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Roo said:
Bearing in mind that it's so early on, I think it's very hard to tell.

Arsenal have only played 2 of the top 6 of last year away from home, getting 1 point. They've also played chelsea at home and lost.

we've played 4 out of the top 6 away and chelsea at home, where we also lost.

The fact that we've also been riddled with injuries since the summer, yet we're on the same amount of points as them, is good reading for us. Especially as we've got a new boss with new ideas.

I think it's too early to say whether arsenal are the better team at the moment.

I'd also disagree that we've looked better against "lesser opposition". we've had poor results against Norwich, West Brom and Wigan at home, only picking up 2 points out of 9.
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But you've also had good results against Villa, Southampton and Reading.

When Kaboul comes back you'll tighten up defensively. In fairness to Arsenal they've had as many if not more injuries to key players as Spurs have.
 
District Line said:
Kaboul and possibly BAE aside who else would get into the current Spurs first XI?
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You haven't been paying attention have you, Parker is out, Ade and Dembele have only just come back, at one point we had 5 'first team' out, once again having pointed out you nor anyone else has seen our 1st 11, you've avoided answering that with this rather unnecessary tangent.

How can you possibly come out with that when you've seen no evidence of half your argument. Don't start DL!
 
District Line said:
But you've also had good results against Villa, Southampton and Reading.

When Kaboul comes back you'll tighten up defensively. In fairness to Arsenal they've had as many if not more injuries to key players as Spurs have.
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are you mad,more injury's than us,i don't think so,thier first 11 have played nearly every game.
 
District Line said:
But you've also had good results against Villa, Southampton and Reading.

When Kaboul comes back you'll tighten up defensively. In fairness to Arsenal they've had as many if not more injuries to key players as Spurs have.
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with no disrespect to either of those 3 sides you mention, a club challenging for a top 4 finish has to beat those teams, home and away.

can you please name all these players, DL?

I've come up with Szczesny, Sagna and Wilshere so far. - however, I'm sure there's more if you say so. But regarding two of these in particular, JW has been out for ages and that was known before the season started that he wouldn't be fit. Same goes for Sagna. - they could have got reinforcements, knowing this could be an issue.

We have had Kaboul, Benny, Parker and Ade out for most of the season of which Benny, Kaboul and Ade were injured after the season began, which completely ****ed us in the arse. We then Lost Dembele for about 6-7 weeks, who was a replacement for someone who'd left.

I'm interested to see the arsenal players you mention. I had no idea their's was as bad as ours.
 
District Line said:
Arsenal and Spurs are going to be close all season but it's hard to deny Arsenal are the better team right now.

Spurs have looked impressive against lower half opposition, Arsenal the opposite.

Arsenal should finish above Spurs but as YV points out it's not a given and if it's the height of their ambitions these days then that's disappointing.

If Arsenal can get out of January level, above or at least within touching distance of Spurs they'll finish above them but that by no means guarantees top 4 given the form of Everton and WBA.
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For what it's worth, I still think we will finish above you guys as well, and I've been spot on so far with my predictions on the timing of RDM's sacking and your defensive performance...

Chelsea for years had the most solid defense in the league, and one of the most clinical attacks and they've lost both overnight, just to gain a slightly more fluid midfield. The early points flattered you considering the performances, and I wouldn't be surprised if you fail to make top 4 again this season.
 
gent said:
For what it's worth, I still think we will finish above you guys as well, and I've been spot on so far with my predictions on the timing of RDM's sacking and your defensive performance...

Chelsea for years had the most solid defense in the league, and one of the most clinical attacks and they've lost both overnight, just to gain a slightly more fluid midfield. The early points flattered you considering the performances, and I wouldn't be surprised if you fail to make top 4 again this season.
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i think you may well be disappointed
 
District Line said:
Everton always do better against the top sides anyway.

If you can beat,outplay and keep a clean sheet against United you can beat anyone.
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They also normally do poorly in one half of the season. They also played United on the first day of the season when not team are at their best so that's a bit misleading

So as I say, this run of fixtures will be a test of whether they can keep in the thick of things or if they start to drop to the periphery of any top 4 battle. If they drop points at home to us and Arsenal and fail to pick up wins in some other tough games that are around them to make up for it they will quickly find that they will need to finish the season very strongly to get back up there. Unless, as I said, us and Arsenal don't improve much.
 
Chesney, Rosicky, Diaby, Sagna, Gibbs, Wilshere all with lengthy lay offs.

I'm not AVB but Parker wouldn't get in the side ahead of Dembele nor Sandro if I was manager.

No need to bite my head off, both sides have had a number of injuries but Arsenal have been hampered just as much with the loss of Diaby as Spurs have with Dembele. The loss of Chesney practically cost Arsenal the game against Chelsea.

All I was saying is if I had to pick an XI of Spurs, Arsenal and Everton players more Everton players would make my XI than Spurs or Arsenal, but as I've highlighted Spurs and Arsenal have far more strength in depth.
 
gent said:
For what it's worth, I still think we will finish above you guys as well, and I've been spot on so far with my predictions on the timing of RDM's sacking and your defensive performance...

Chelsea for years had the most solid defense in the league, and one of the most clinical attacks and they've lost both overnight, just to gain a slightly more fluid midfield. The early points flattered you considering the performances, and I wouldn't be surprised if you fail to make top 4 again this season.
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I can't see it. At the end of the day we've played Arsenal, Spurs, United, City, Liverpool & WBA and are only 5 points off 1st. It's clear our attack isn't as good due to fatigue. There's just no way this current Arsenal side has the quality to put the kind of run together Chelsea did from August-October.

Benitez or Benitez I fully expect us to beat Fulham tomorrow and Arsenal to drop points leaving the gap at 7/8 points with us playing no side in the top half until 30th December.

I'm fairly confident we will finish above Arsenal and Spurs. Once we get out of December, the fixture list is a lot kinder to us and we always do better post-Christmas whilst Arsenal traditionally do worse


Yid Vicious said:
They also normally do poorly in one half of the season. They also played United on the first day of the season when not team are at their best so that's a bit misleading

So as I say, this run of fixtures will be a test of whether they can keep in the thick of things or if they start to drop to the periphery of any top 4 battle. If they drop points at home to us and Arsenal and fail to pick up wins in some other tough games that are around them to make up for it they will quickly find that they will need to finish the season very strongly to get back up there. Unless, as I said, us and Arsenal don't improve much.
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It's still tight either way. I genuinely think they'll only be about 6 points from 4th-8th this year.
 
District Line said:
I can't see it. At the end of the day we've played Arsenal, Spurs, United, City, Liverpool & WBA and are only 5 points off 1st. It's clear our attack isn't as good due to fatigue. There's just no way this current Arsenal side has the quality to put the kind of run together Chelsea did from August-October.

Benitez or Benitez I fully expect us to beat Fulham tomorrow and Arsenal to drop points leaving the gap at 7/8 points with us playing no side in the top half until 30th December.

I'm fairly confident we will finish above Arsenal and Spurs. Once we get out of December, the fixture list is a lot kinder to us and we always do better post-Christmas whilst Arsenal traditionally do worse
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We have also played all those sides, except for Liverpool, who we could swap with Newcastle (who we have played) as a similar replacement. Again, we've played United, City, Arsenal and Newcastle away out of that lot. Some of the players in your team are players we could never afford, yet we're still only 5 points behind you with a new manager in place and a hell of a lot of injuries. For me, that's positive and just shows how difficult anything is to hard to call right now. We also have quite a decent set of fixtures throughout Dec and Jan on paper. With the exception of Everton away and United at home which will be tough, the rest are all winnable games, which include Villa, Sunderland, Reading and QPR.

To also say that Arsenal can't put a run together is a massive statement. Their team is full of quality players. For all we know right now, arsenal might have had their bad patch already and could be on the start of a good run since beating us.

On the other hand, you guys aren't on the best of form, have sacked yet another manager, have brought in a new manager that the fans are already booing and could easily see things turn sour. - it's just too early to call.
 
Spurlock said:
We did make top 4 last year <ok>
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He was talking to DL <ok>

District Line said:
All I was saying is if I had to pick an XI of Spurs, Arsenal and Everton players more Everton players would make my XI than Spurs or Arsenal, but as I've highlighted Spurs and Arsenal have far more strength in depth.
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I'd love to see that 11? For me;

Lloris

Sagna (Walker would get in on last season's form)
Vermaelen
Vertonghen
Baines

Fellaini
Wilshere
Dembele

Mirales
Giroud
Bale

3 Everton
4 Spurs
4 Arsenal
 
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