This sums it up pretty well. There used to be an opinion on here that Wenger should walk if we didn't win anything, but I think people have realised that it's counter productive to simply sack the manager if he doesn't win anything. As long as we're buliding, improving and moving in the right direction, then the trophies will come again, but with the huge spending power of city, chelsea and utd, that doesn't simply happen overnight.
I will be happy to finish close to the big guns.... I have not checked what the deficit was, conservatively I will say 20points or thereabouts, this has been a recurring theme over the past 4 seasons (at least!). We seem to be going further and further behind, i.e. the gap between the top of the table and 3rd/4th appears to be widening. To mount a serious challenge, we would have to make up this deficit! We can hope the changes at the top 3 clubs negatively affects them, I don't share that view. At the end of the day, it is the players that make the difference. Chelsea have had a different manager every year (sometimes 2 in a year!), it has not adversely affected them. Spuds changed manager at the start of the season, as it was last season, we finished 1 point above them. As Gunnerbwright said, I will be happy with an FA cup and getting closer to the eventual champions.... There is just too much ground to make up, what is required is some serious investments, I cannot see that happening.
The reason why we've gone backwards is essentially because we've sold our best players and not replaced them with like. IF we buy proven quality, we can challenge. Not rocket science. There simply HAS to be investment in this team and it must happen this summer. And on a side note, I see some spud-wannabe window licker has been reading this thread. No prizes for guessing who
I think we have a pretty solid team nowadays. Last season and the start of this one there was a huge, unsightly gap between our midfield and our defensive line when we lost possession or our opponents attempted a counterattack, it hasn't been the case for a while now. We are a hard team to beat these days. The main area in which we need to strengthen is attack. I wouldn't describe Giroud and Poldolski as flops but we lost the best striker in the league and didn't adequately replace him. If we had some genuine clinicism and penetration up front I think we could compete with the top three. A prolific goal scorer is what we should be looking at.
Realistic expectations? How about an improvement on this season! Specifically: 1. An improved team, which means buying a better striker and a defense-minded midfielder to replace Diaby. I think we can expect that at least. A bonus would be a left-winger, center back, right back, and goalie too. 2. No embarrassing Cup exits to teams in lower divisions; and a decent run in these tournaments. Either the final of the Carling Cup, or semis in the FA Cup (at least). 3. Last 16 of the Champions League (at least), and without a horrendous defeat in the 1st leg. I don't mind going out, I just ask that we compete for the entirety of the tie. 4. Top 4 in the league, and within 10 points of the winners. It would be nice to finish somewhere other than 3rd or 4th for a change. 5. Competing better against the big teams in the league. 6. Giving away fewer silly goals.
Being realistic, i think 2nd place is on the cards next season. ManUre and Citeh are both throwing managers in at the deep end, but Chelsea are bringing in Mourinho, and Mourinho+unlimited money=trophies. If we finish 2nd behind Chelsea, i'll be reasonably happy. The areas that need work are definitely striker and CM. I've said it before, and i'll say it again, but we should break the bank for Robert Lewandowski. He is the perfect Arsenal CF. For CM, i'd just bring in some depth, Arteta is a sfe pair of hands, he's done nothing to warrant being replaced, and Ramsey and Wilshere can fight to start Alongside Arteta. Which means we need a 4th choice CM to replace Diaby. Maybe a winger too, someone to compliment Theo, so defences don't focus on him too much.
I always start the season with an expectation that we will win. Well, perhaps not an expectation, but more than just a hope. Perhaps it is more correct to say that I fancy our chances every year. I want us to win something because I think the club and the players deserve it. I don't care how the improvement comes, in some ways I would prefer the players we have to mature and improve, than we just buy our way to success. I don't see any reason why Szczeny, Giroud, Ramsey, Walcott etc., can't keep getting better. I don't need another invincible team, but I do want a team I can be proud of. I was proud to support them this year, as I have been every year.
I couldn't possibly set any expectations until I know who's going to be stepping out onto the pitch in September. However, with our rivals all undergoing managerial changes, this is our best shot at being competitive.
I would definitely have a season ticket but I don't live in the area of the British Isles so it's impossible.
I agree, the main reason we have have regressed is the amount of quality we have sold and not replaced. Some fans feel we have not regressed and some feel the reason for our decline is the financial doping at clubs like Citeh and Chelsea. Others lay the blame at Wenger solely. It is difficult to tell what is going on at our club, but one common denominator is that every close season, we lose quality players and do not replace them with players of the same calibre. I cannot imagine Wenger will be happy to grow players like Nasri/Fabregas etc etc and sell them on, just when he was meant to reaping the rewards of his endeavours. I am happy to hold my counsel and see who/what quality the club brings in. I will not hold my breath however. Our decline has been slow, I do not believe it is something we can fix in a transfer window, (net transfer dealings of 9Mill in the past 10yrs says it al), we can at least show some intent by bringing some quality in this term. We have a mountain to climb with respect to challenging for major honours, I really do not know whether it is a case of lack of quality, mental fortitude of our players to deal with pressure, paucity of ambition or a combination of all 3. How does one explain losing heavily to Milan and playing like we did in the reverse fixture, the same could be said about the Bayern game. So many big games this season, we only started to play, when we are a goal or 2 down. Question why do we seem to play when there is no pressure, nothing to lose?
Our last few transfer windows have be catastrophic as far as keeping our best players and building the team together. For Wenger it must have been unbelievably frustrating to see his best players leave after developing them - and yet despite all of that chaos, Wenger has still steered the club through a rocky patch and forged a team that has finished in the top 4, every season. If we do actually spend some proper money this summer, then I think Wenger is still the ideal man to take the club back to the level we've all been crying out for. I said it 2-3 years ago and the same is true now, we are not that far off challenging for the title - it's been so frustrating seeing us being able to beat any team on our day, but equally being so fragile that we could also lose to anybody too. For me, the difference there comes down to those 1-2 players of extra quality that make the difference consistently. The expectation is there now for us to put in place all of those things that we've highlighted as having been lacking over the last few years, and I agree - the proof is in the pudding, so let's see what we do this summer
Depends on who we bring in really. We can all have a wish list - and it's not just as easy as plucking out the players we want and they're instantly ours. But he has to show real intent to bring in the 1-2 'top top quality' players that he has been talking about for the last 2-3 years.
You didn't answer the question. If he doesn't bring in those 1-2 top quality players, will your faith evaporate?
As the question is posed, the answer can only be 'no'. However, if he chooses not to buy, then it would be a 'yes'.
I don't know. I suspect you and I have different views of what f*cked up transfer window looks like. As far as I am concerned we won the last 1/4 of the year. That means that we are really close to having the right team and we are not going to know if he has f*cked up the transfer window, until 10 games into the season. I doubt I'm going to lose faith in anyone, in any case. I support Arsenal regardless of how they do. If we get a new manager, I'll support him (and have faith in him) just the same.
