For the first time in a long time, a summer will come and we will not be losing key players, so what that means is we can improve on the good we have to actually move forward and make progress. If you look at our form since December, it's been top quality, especially the last 3 months, we had a small slight dip in January, but overall, our form has been up there with United. What this shows is the team has finally gelled together, our major inconsistency in the first half of the season could be put down to the fact that we largely had a new team and we were still getting over RVP, but once that was sorted out, we've managed to go on a very good run, and that's why there's good hope for the next season, because all the key players involved in the run are going no where, instead, they're going to get additional reinforcements to make us even better. I think irrespective of whether we even end up 5th, next season will still have a lot of hope for progress, ending up 5th on Sunday will be down to our bad inconsistent form from the 1st half of the season due to a new team, rather than us completely being sh!t. There's an upward trend with this team seen in all statistics, especially the statistic that counts, which is the form guide, and when it comes to our recent form guide, it's been right up there with United. A win on Sunday would be excellent, and would just cap off our excellent form, and a great way to head into the new season, the same team still there, with new soldiers to back em up. YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Good to read some positive stuff I think this summer will be a big test of the board's assertion that we can now spend big, but of course that all depends on who is available and whether we can do a deal, but it does seem that the last 8 years of austerity are about to pay off. The stadium is all but paid for, so we no longer need to sell our top players and we have a core of young british players that are starting to really gel. You're right to point out how good our form has been, since Jan I think only Utd have got more points. We need to finish the job off on Sunday, but all the signs are for a very positive summer and for next season.
I have been optimistic every season, but I do think that next year there are more signs of hope then previously. Although new managers sometimes win in their first year, it is less likely and our top 3 rivals all have new managers. We do have some spaces opening up in the roster Our website currently has 24 players listed as in the first team. Squillaci will be gone, and Diaby will not be included next year. Sagna looks set to leave and it looks like Coquelin will be sold also. Coquelin is considered one of our Home grown players, so he will have to be replaced from inside the development squad, or with a young player, because home-grown superstars are overpriced, but we will have 4 signings to make. Apart from possibly Sagna's replacement, I don't think that they can make us worse, given that their predecessors did not really feature in the side this year. If we splash out on 3 decent targets you have to figure that at least one or two will be really useful. I say 3 decent signings, because I think one of the 4 signings/promotions will be a #4 CB, so that one probably will not be a upgrade, and I'm not sure we have a CB ready to step up out of the youth set up. We can also, I think, reasonably expect improvement from Ox, Wilshere, Giroud, and Podolski. For now I will leave it at that, because I have been prophesizing an Arsenal resurgence every year since God knows when.
I'm aiming for third next season. Citeh will spend big time in the window, and Pellegrini is a damn good manager, and Chelsea will have Mourinho and money, so must be favourites to win the league. I think we can beat Manure though, they're a declining side, and no longer have Fergie to bail them out. As long as we keep Santi, and sign a decent CF, we can give Citeh and Chelsea a challenge, we won't beat them, but we may run them close. Also we'll head into the season with a settled CB pairing, and an established captain in Arteta, so leadership and mental strength won't be an issue this time.
Not to put a downer on your uncharacteristically buoyant mood... but we finished last season really well too.
I'll be cynical here and say that we have no world class players left for chequebook clubs to want. Slightly unfair I know but, and it's still a big but, if we don't qualify for CL our ability to attract players that will improve our team reduces, so we could enter next season with the same squad that was good enough for no better than 5th this year. I genuinely think our star man, Jack, will be a 'lifer' (if they exist these days) and no doubt his injuries this season will have put clubs off, but a fully fit season of high level performances and failure to reach CL and both he and the clubs resolve would have been tested with a serious bid. That said, I think there are one or two deals that will definitely happen but I wouldn't run away with the idea we'll win it all next season, but CL qualification may be a little less stressful...
I think we need a top CF and would replace Arteta in the first team if we can get a top CM/DM. I noticed the OP put that we have been better in the last 3 months which is pretty much exactly when Ramsey has found some form which is why I wouldn't drop him. His workrate is essential for the team to perform well. If you look at the last few months he is always pressuring the opposition when they have possession and when we do he always provides an outlet and is involved in most attacks at some point. Add to that if the rumours that Podolski has not been fully fit all season but will be sorted with the surgery due in the summer, Wilshere having a season under his belt, Ox being a year older, Gnarby will probably make the breakthrough to the squad to replace Arshavin and then a few squad places up for grabs and its quite an exciting prospect next season.
But that's the point I made, last summer was a repeat of others, we ended on good form, but sold our 2 best players at the time, RVP and Song, this time we're not losing any key players, which is why I'm optimistic, for the first time in a long time, we're keeping to keep the team together to move forward.
I'd say a good list of big clubs would be happy to buy Cazorla, Wilshere, Koscielny, I'm sure we could even make good money off Vermaelen if we wanted to get rid of him.
I'm not saying we're going to win everything next season (yes we are) but I do think we will be making a lot of good progress, certainly much better things than we've seen this and last season.
Selling Vermaelen would be a mistake in my opinion. He's a good CB, he's just had a crap season. We'd be seriously light again at CB if we sold him and it would be madness to allow that to happen just after we've got that position sorted out.
Big/chequebookk clubs only buy players that will improve their team and very few will want a 28 year old midfield playmaker when there are equally good players much younger (remember money is of no concern), Jack as I said has Arsenal blood running through his veins so he's a different case but it's his health/fitness that will put most off despite him clearly being a serious talent, and Kos has had a good season yes but he's not going to improve a top class defence. TV5 can't get into our side at the moment so I'm not sure how much interest top clubs would have in buying a CB that's isn't, on presentr form, considered good enough for Arsenal. I agree we shouldn't sell him though, to compete we need a squad and his experience (plus talent when on top form) would be invaluable over a season...
We didn't really finish last season well... we lost and drew quite a few of our games towards the end and only escaped thanks to Fulopgate... this season we have strode towards the finishing line and will hopefully complete the job on Sunday. I believe we will.
Well Cazorla is a proven made premier league play maker so comes with less risk, so I'm sure if United could have him, they'd take him. Don't forget, United had already signed a 29 year old RVP.
What part of Utd is a declining side exactly? Won the league this year by a huge margin, lost it last year on goal difference... Different manager yes, but the same players. Impossible to judge what impact Moyes will have until he actually takes over but to suggest we are in decline is laughable! If you hadn't noticed we too have a strong group of young players coming through (Jones, Smalling, Cleverley, Rafael, De Gea, Welbeck etc). Doesn't sound like the basis of a declining team to me... All this talk of next year is our year... you guys beginning to sound like Liverpool
