I keep hearing this, but I'm curious as to which team we are so far behind. We were only 2 points behind Chelsea and 5 behind City, so United then?
We played 69 games and changed managers. With relative stability we should get 10 more points this season. When was the last time Arsenal looked like getting 80 plus points and challenging united: 07/8? It is now 2013/14.
What does changing managers have to do with anything? You do it every season and it ends up with you winning something, rather than disrupting your season. If anything, relative stability seems to have an adverse effect on Chelsea. The truth is with Torres and Ba up front you won't be winning the league title and the top strikers you keep getting linked with are starting to run out.
I have never said we would win the league but I hope we at least Put in a decent challenge this season. Re Torres and Ba. Correct. But the transfer window has not closed yet. And only had Ba for half a season last year. last season instability did not help us, and we struggled for months under Rafa, ceding 20 points to united in three months
Well we got points this season. And I bet had we played like we did at the end of the season as we did in the beginning we'd have 80. We've found a system that works and one that, barring injuries, won't be disrupted. Tge gap between us and United and City isn't as vast as its made out to be
If we do add a TOP striker like Higuian or Suarez I'm pretty sure we will challenge. Add a physical presence like Fellaini or Bender. Hypothetically if we landed the two players we have bid for already this Summer.. I think we would be more than a match for Chelsea/ United. --------------------Sczezney------------------- Sagna----Merts---------Kos-----Monreal -------------Bender------Arteta----------- -------------------Wilshere-------------------- Walcott---------Suarez--------Carzorla-
Of course, you will definitely put in a challenge with or without signings but I don't think Roman wants a challenge, he wants to win it. Will you accumulate 10 more points than last season? I strongly doubt it, not necessarily because I don't think you are good enough, more because with extra television money to midtable clubs, the quality of the league is only going to strengthen and points will be harder to come by. Call me bias but I really believe our problems are easier to rectify than Chelsea and especially City, it's just a case of 1) can Wenger see them? and 2) will he fix them? That is all that is standing in the way of Arsenal and success, when it comes to Chelsea, although you guys win trophies for fun, I just get the impression there is something fundamentally wrong with the set up of your team. You have world class players, want to play exciting attacking football but can't control the tempo of a game, that is something that takes a lot more than 1 signing to change. Don't get me wrong, you can definitely compete for and win trophies but I just don't think you have the consistency to win a 38 match campaign.
Fair enough but Jose can change that balance very quickly back to counterattacking transition play. If we tighten up at the back and the pivot I think 80-85 points is very achievable. If we get some quality strikers maybe 83-88.
That is the thing really, 3 of the top 4 clubs have new managers this season and I believe the manager that provides the biggest impact is the one that will end up champion at the end of the season. You look at Arsenal, we already have our 'identity'. A conservative approach where our first aim is to retain possession and take less risks, wait for and punish errors, and then hurt teams with our pace. That is all well and good for us but I feel we really need 3 world class players to help us compete against the top teams, as we saw last season, Arsenal's only win against a top 6 team was vs 10 man Spurs. United have always been known for their 'entertaining attacking football' but that is a load of bollocks, they don't go out trying toentertain, their game is based on nullifying the opposition and pinning them back with their wingers. But Chelsea don't really have an identity, they are not the defensive machine they used to be and they can't dictate the tempo of the game enough to always seem in control of a match, what they do have however are world class individuals who can win a game by themselves, which is why in cup competitions they always seem to come out on top but over 38 games find it difficult to compete. With Jose that may or may not change, that is basically what it is down to with Chelsea, if Jose can help them find their identity again then you will more than likely be the safe bet for most punters because you definitely have the individual talent (providing a top striker is signed).
Do you really think a team with Hazard/Mata/Luis is going to adapt to that system so easily? Also Torres is no Drogba.
That REALLY doesnt sound like Arsenal at all. We may be conservative in the transfer market but our football certainly is'nt. Conservative is one word I would'nt use to describe our style of play. We push up with a dangerously high line - the main aim being to retain posession/or win the ball back high up the pitch. Move the ball around with pace and make the position chase us. That's the basic premise.
That was before we lost to Spurs. Since then we have actually abandoned the high line, to an extent. We don't push up as high as we used to and have placed Cazorla out on the left to help pack the midfield to aid us win the ball back and retain it better, if you look at the stats from WHL onwards, nobody won possession more times than Cazorla. Often I have found our style of play almost painful to watch but it is definitely effective and was the first time all season I felt we looked an actual team, and not a group of individuals. With the addition of some top quality players to replace Giroud, Rosicky and Ramsey then I think we will be even more effective and less painful to watch.
I managed 3 days without checking sports news, I can't take it anymore!!! End of week two of the transfer window and sweet FA apart from an underage french crock on a free. Sort something out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
