Exactly. This is a different Arsenal precisely because we've fixed the defensive areas at the back and in midfield as well as having enough squad personnel to last the whole season, something we've missed for many years. Granted others have strengthened and have quality managers, but winning the league will come down to very little margins. Wenger's experience as well has having a more established team will see us challenge right through till the end. I'm usually dismissive of our chances but this will be our best chance yet.
It all comes down to opinion. You can talk about the last 12 years but in reality Wenger did well between 2006-2012 just to keep Arsenal in the running. The truth is we were outperforming sides on a tiny budget. It's only the last 3-4 Seasons Wenger has actually had a normal sized transfer chest to compete with. In that time we have finished: 4th, 3rd and 2nd respectively. (with two FA Cup wins) Every year we have seen improvement. I'm not saying we will win it but for sure we will be close.
As much as I hate to say it, I tipped Chelsea from the start of the season to be champions. Main reason being they have to EU commitments and Conte will get them work their bollocks off. Our win over them was a pleasant surprise but their form right is no surprise to me. Liverpool is the only team I can see possibly whooping them when they meet again.
Not really true though if you look at it objectively. The large budget has only allowed him to win a couple of FA cups. There's no other year on year improvement that I can see: 2015/16 2nd - 71pts, +29GD, (10pts off the top) and no trophies 2014/15 3rd - 75pts, +35GD, (12pts off the top) and 1 FA Cup 2013/14 4th - 79pts, +27GD, (7pts off the top) and 1 FA Cup 2012/13 4th - 73pts, +35GD, (16pts off the top) and no trophies 2011/12 3rd - 70pts, +25GD, (19pts off the top) and no trophies 2010/11 4th - 68pts, +29GD, (12pts off the top) and no trophies 2009/10 3rd - 75pts, +42GD, (11pts off the top) and no trophies 2008/09 4th - 72pts, +31GD, (18pts off the top) and no trophies 2007/09 3rd - 83pts, +43GD, (4pts off the top) and no trophies There's no trend there that I can see, not one that would be deemed significant anyway. Finishing second once last season when City, United and Chelsea had possibly their worst seasons ever coinciding together is not really a trend as our 2nd place relied on them being poor and finishing well below us just as much as us being 'good enough' to finish 2nd. There's some pleasing years (2013/14 in particular being vaguely close to the title winners and getting a trophy), and some not so good years (2008/09). But there is not year on year improvement in the league and more often than not we are double digit point tallies away from the league winners. This year I could see us finish anywhere from 1st to 5th given Chelsea, Liverpool, City and Spurs looking like they could win a lot of points. Wenger did very well to keep us going in the lean budget years. But given that he hasn't seemed to be able to achieve a great deal more than that in the league with a bigger budget, is he really the man for a big budget team?
Firstly, point total doesnt tell us much. Because you cant use that to objectively assess the quality of the teams around you. This year the league is the strongest it's been for quite a while so its going to be a tough challenge regardless of whether we are better than last year. The last 3-4 Seasons do show marked improvement for a number of reasons. 2 Trophies (Ok only FA Cups) but thats a 200% increase than the four years prior. The other thing is the bringing in of big money players (Ozil, Sanchez, Xhaka etc..) Whereas in previous Seasons (2007-2012) we would sell our best assets and replace with youngsters. Also finishing 4th,3rd, then 2nd is an improvement in placing. The other key indicator is squad strength - we do have a deeper squad than previous Seasons. We arguably should have won the league last year and without that terrible November we probably would have. We didn't win a single match during that month and lost several players to injury. (Lost 5-1 to Bayern, then drew with Tottenham, lost to West Brom and drew with Norwich City). Wenger needs to make sure that doesnt happen again. My concern is that despite the deeper squad he is often reluctant to rotate even against weaker opposition.
But I haven't just given total points, I've given a whole load of other things too? Going from none to two is not a 200% increase, it's an infinity % increase. But anyway, we didn't win a trophy last season so in 2015/16 we won an infinite % number of trophies less than in 2014/15. So are you going to say last season represented a drastic downward trend? You can't have it both ways. If you're going to acknowledge winning a couple of trophies as a significant upward trend, rather than just fluctuation, then you also have to acknowledge not winning them as a significant downward trend. Well, yes we have. But we've been down this road before. If they don't help us achieve anymore then does it matter? Even then I suppose you could argue that 'yes it matters because they play more aesthetic football and help us maintain our standing'. So if we finish 3rd this year will you think that we've got worse? Again you can't have it both ways. if you think that trend is significant rather than normal fluctuation then we'll just have to disagree. Agreed. I don't think our first XI is any stronger though but we have more and higher quality backups than before. But the strength of the squad has not been proven yet. If it doesn't help us finish higher in the league or get further in the CL then is the squad actually any stronger? We won't know until the squad have done something. Oh jeez come on, that's absurd not arguable, you sound like a Liverpool fan now. We would have won the league if we'd won more games? I'm sure 19 other clubs in the premier league could say that. Leicester deservedly won the league. Wenger has needed to make sure lots of things have and haven't happened over the years and he hasn't done a lot of them. But no-one's perfect and no team can win everything every year. But similarly no team with our budget and players should go through every season and never properly challenge. Our home performances this season, bar Chelsea, have been poor.
Form in November is nothing. Form in April is everything. When (never IF) Jose beats you comfortably, Manu will be 3 pts from you. Manu has played utter ****e and you have played your best. But only 3 points separate?
We haven't even remotely played our 'best'. We do however always seem to have a bad patch in November. We will finish above United and we will finish above Chelsea.
But he does make a very valid point. Manure have been utter garbage but aren't very far off. We have been one of the more in form teams in the league but have dropped quite a few points at home. It's hard to ignore that fact and IT WILL bite us on the backside when things get tough for us. To win the league you have to be consistent away and win the bankers at home. We've shown good form away but worryingly dropped points at home. We need to be better.
That would be very bad indeed and shows us up as nothing has changed,sonheres me saying we definitely wont be losing to Man United the coming week.
Will we even have sanchez back? Nothing works in out favour,he will pack the bus and settle for a draw and we will look not fall behind the top 3,if we are at our fluid best then nayne we can get a goal in the first half and change the game...so its upto us to comeout firing on all cylinders while not being caught out defensively. I would have preferred ibra who seems to start due to his star status in every premiership game,if youbare counter attacking,you would prefer pacy forwards and now they would have someone like rashford or even martial down the middle.
Hopefully Sanchez will play, we'll need him. Take your point about Maureen parking the bus. And yes we need to come out and score first to force Utd to play. If they score first, Maureen will simply shut up shop
He will play for a draw,frustrate and irritate us,create a drama and take the win if there are any chinks in our armor.
you meant finish above Spuds & finish above Spuds? That is the only given & maybe 4th spot under Arsene. This year 4th spot will be in real danger for you given the field of top teams. I am just making some logical observations. No Wumming.
United still have enough quality to make life difficult which Maureen will do with his strategy. I can't see Wenger doing anything different so it'll come down to the player's on the day. If we play well then we can force a win. Anything else can see us a lose points.
