Even then I don't see their starting XI as better. They have the better GK, our defense is better (or at least had the better defensive record), our midfield trumps theirs, and they only beat us in attack because they have Bale.
Not arguing about the first part, agree. But we are closer, one point is one dodgy referee decision away from being a draw. Be interesting to see how all the new signings affect things, Paulinho, Chadli, the return of Sandro and Kaboul. Equally on your side we'll see how that French bloke from the second tier over there and, erm,......?
For one Jack will start the season. Our 1st choice GK will start the season. We'll continue the double pivot system that saw us go on an unbeaten run near the end of the season. BFG + Kos combo will be used so Verm won't be making **** ups. Giroud and Pod have acclimatized. And I'm not even counting any potential signings we could make.
We have money to spend, we have been linked with a higher calibre of player than previously and Wenger has said that quality wise Suarez, Rooney and Higuain are all realistic targets for the club. There is some real quality available this transfer window and it cant all be snapped up by the handful of mega rich clubs. The club and Wenger have sounded confident to me around the topic of signings and i think there is something quite big in the pipeline. Spurs have been closer to us over the last couple of seasons but we have a better squad overall and don't rely on any one single player. Without signings i'd say it'd be a close run thing again, with a couple of additions to this Arsenal squad i dont think you will bother us next season. It also depends if Spurs manage to land a top striker. We will have to wait and see what has happened by the end of August! But Arsenal have the experience of playing in the CL whilst maintaining a top 4 spot. Wenger and the club know what is required to be at that level and have the experience of dealing with the pressure and still being there come the end of the season. Unlike many who every season write us off and insist it is the year we will drop from the top 4, i am confident that we will stay at that level and if anything improve considering the healthy position the club is in. I think Spurs have more chance of knocking one of the other big 3 out of the top 4 considering manegerial changes.
It got us results. Sure it wasn't pretty but it worked. Rather a scruffy 1-0 win tgan us to outplay the opponent and not get tge points
No matter how you spell it out, there are always a few spuds who still cling to the notion. There was an infamous thread last season on the spuds board about Spurs becoming the new kings of North London whilst Arsenal continued to 'spiral down the table'. The author of that article went into hiding when it came back to bite him on the arse, although that was pointed out to him right from the start I'm not resting on my laurels about our position, we need to strengthen and we need to be catching up our proper rivals, Utd, Chelsea and City. Spurs have only been allowed to get so close to us because we've had a shaky few seasons. But even then at their best and us at our most fragile, they've still not been able to overtake us and if it weren't for Bale hauling their arses out of trouble, they would have finished behind Liverpool.
That's been said before too. I remember last summer you guys were totally unconcerned about us as you couldn't possibly start the season that badly again, yet there we were running you close again at the end of the season. It's a long way to go until the end of the transfer window, let alone the end of the season and the speculation at this point is likely to be as accurate as predicting coin tosses.
Except we started the season well and it our our form in the middle part that deserted us and many were very worried seeing as we sold RvP and Song. Thrre was a certain poster here who hoped we'd be relegated so the board would do something
Exactly why it's a mistake to think you can just keep your best form going and rid yourselves of a bad patch. Every team will dip in form at some point in a season, if it were as simple as just taking end of season form through to the following season then Wigan wouldn't have been in a relegation battle and Everton would've had some more top 4 finishes.
The difference being though that last season, we had Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla all coming into the team and with Walcott, Ramsey and Gibbs all cementing their places and working out that Kos and Mert were our best CB pairing, it took the best part of the season for us to hit our stride. Not saying we won't have a dip, but the team all look a lot more settled this time around. If we can make the top quality additions in one or two areas that we've been crying out for, then I think we're on for a serious shot at the title.
You can argue that Spurs will be more settled this time round because it is AVB's 2nd season and they won't have the same bad luck with injuries that they had last season.
I don't think you "ran us close" last season. You were almost out of sight at one point before we ran you down.
I've said it before but there are a number of similarities between us and Tottenham, the main difference is that we had the vision 15 years ago and they're now only just considering their expansion options. They're caught in a catch 22, they have a huge asset in Bale and could collect big bucks for him then go shopping in the sales hoping they'll find a bargain or two (as we did for years), or they could keep him and increase their chances of success but accept that their long term growth plans can't/won't progress until they find ways of financing the project. As a club who have operated similar to us, which I believe to be the correct way, I do have some sympathy for them...
But it is of course assumed that Bale will be just as good this coming season as he was last year. We have a lot more players who are still young and have a good chance of getting better, Spurs, not so much.
Or they'll do what they normally do and plateau at a level where they're decent, but not world beaters.
Well it's been pretty close 2 or 3 seasons running now. With both teams at least trying to be positive (for once) in the transfer market, it looks like being even closer again this time round. Another season of yelling, cursing, raging (and hopefully) cheering approaches....
Yes maybe so, but we do usually get 1 or 2 coming through every season. It may not be worth the investment (that is another debate) but it does seem to produce a steady stream of players. THey all get constant abuse as they come into the team, but Walcott, Wilshire, Ox, Szczeny, Gibbs, Jenkinson, Ramsey are slowly improving and becoming cemented in the squad. This year it may be Gnabry, Eisfeld, or just Ox becoming a regular starter, but it will lift us.
