Give them the following : http://www.skysports.com/football/competitions/premier-league/tables Plenty of scope for them to keep their FACT/STAT lives going.
The surprising thing is that Arsenal fans got drawn into believing that a team still containing Mertesacker, no holding midfielder and an overload of similar attacking midfielders had changed
To his credit, Wenger did also stress that Soton were the better team and simply wanted the win more. I thought he'd forgotten good grace and humility back in 2008 but I stand corrected. Once again, Arsenal conspire to be their own worst enemies. There really is nothing much standing between arsenal and the title other than...arsenal.
I think it's a bit disrespectful to suggest it's Arsenal's to lose...what have they done to merit such backhanded praise? Apart from being the biggest bottlers in the league and CL on an annual basis? I don't think the league is poor either like the sky4 snobs usually like to suggest when their team is not doing so well. It's a case of other teams are catching up, simple as that for me. Look at the quality of Palace, Watford and Stoke...absolute joy to watch...with a front 3 or 4 Ossie Ardiles would have been proud of. Anyway let's get ready for the latest bottle job by the Nomads...and whoever wins the league will have earnt it and it won't be due to Arsenal being ****.
It could, just as easily be claimed, that the league is ours to lose, the way we're playing. Of course, being Spurs, if it's there to lose, that's exactly what we will do!
I had my 'neutral fan' hat on when I wrote that Dona, but criticism accepted and I shall sit on the naughty step for 10 minutes. I guess we disagree in that I see this season as a combination of what you've mentioned - the 'little' teams punching well above their weight thanks to TV money and the astute spending thereof, plus what has been without question a shockingly bad season for multiple 'big teams'. United and Chelsea seem stuck in some private competition amongst themselves as to who can have the crappest season, Liverpool - contrary to the w*nkfest in the media - look far from convincing, as do City whenever Aguero and Kompany are injured. Of the teams that more or less challenge for or win the title on a regular basis, you're more or less left with Arsenal as the only 'big' team who have produced consistently winning football this season...until yesterday Could Leicester win it? Of course they could, and it would be a triumph for football if they do. But again, I will still argue that their success wasn't just about their own brilliance, it was as much if not more to do with the crap being served up by the big guns.
It's a shame that Southampton haven't really got the credit that they deserve for that performance. Koeman realised what was wrong against us, changed a few players and got a much, much better shift out of his team. Pelle was awful against us, while Long worked his arse off and caused constant problems yesterday. Cedric switched off completely for our second goal, while Martina came in, looked solid at the back and scored a wonder goal. Tadic offered very little, so Ward-Prowse came in instead and they looked a lot more competitive in the midfield. The manager switched the system a little too and they looked like a completely different side. Far more hunger, fight and threat throughout the game, rather than a decent start, followed by utter capitulation. Instead of highlighting that, all we're seeing is about how poor Arsenal were. They were bad because the opposition worked bloody hard to shut them out and got their tactics right. That seems to be the case across this division every week, yet it's being pointed out as a lack of quality, for some reason.
Absolutely correct. Very good post. I think from an Arsenal supporters' perspective though, you can somewhat understand why we as fans see it as being as poor on our part, in addition to Southampton being superb. We're one of the richest clubs in the world, consistently finish in the top 4, have more resources than most clubs and have one of the most experienced managers in the world. To then get tactically outshone by a team that hadn't won in 6 games and were struggling for goals is just not good enough. Chelsea have been diabolical this season, yet even they've not been hammered like we were yesterday. The point you make about Southampton being able to switch their players is certainly a valid one. But we don't have that luxury because we didn't sign any players in the Summer who can do the job when other players are injured/fatigued. This is where the frustration starts to kick in because the problems that we've had defensively and injury wise could and should have been sorted in the Summer. We've started the same team for the last 4 games in a row, so there is an element of tiredness, but even I knew Flamini and Ramsey would be overran in midfield by Wanyama and Clasie. Any team that has a physically imposing, dynamic central midfield is a team we will always struggle against.
Oh, I can totally understand Arsenal fans focusing on their own team, BG. That's the same with any supporter, I think. You work out where your own side went wrong and what can be done about it. I think that the pundits and journalists should provide a more rounded response, though. I think that Wenger made the classic Premier League mistake in the summer. It's the one about being like a shark: keeping move forward or you sink. He needed to trim the likes of Flamini, Arteta, Rosicky and probably a few more and bring in fresher, more dynamic alternatives. It's fine being happy with your first XI, but they're not all going to stay fit and firing. Having capable, hungry replacements who'll push them for their places is a must and I don't believe that he addressed that adequately.
Koeman on Wenger's complaints about the goals: "Only the first three? Did he not say anything about the fourth? That's strange..." Not strange at all. The <standard> Wenger response is applicable here : I did not see it.
"Could Leicester win it? Of course they could, and it would be a triumph for football if they do. But again, I will still argue that their success wasn't just about their own brilliance, it was as much if not more to do with the crap being served up by the big guns." Their form to date is solely due to playing well and the "tails up" effect that winning brings. As for the "big guns" , the Goons get perpetual PL top 4 by making hay against the so-called lesser teams. Nobody says they only do so because of what you said above.
