already I can see the 'it's in our hands' talk
then it will be well we have to play city so in our hands
we're ****ed.
and no coincidence the media have been over hyping us for months. all by design if we fail they'll have the time of their lives.
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already I can see the 'it's in our hands' talk
then it will be well we have to play city so in our hands
we're ****ed.
and no coincidence the media have been over hyping us for months. all by design if we fail they'll have the time of their lives.
Meh, win against Wolves and back to 7 points before City play next.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pat Vegas
Indeed. Always disappointing reflecting after the game but it wasn?t an easy opponent. A point was better than none and City have a tougher run in with potentially, plenty of points still to be dropped.
I?d like to caveat that by adding, it?ll be easier if they drop points next, before we do. :rubchin:
Have a look at their upcoming fixtures. A good City side walks those games.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7sisters
We are banking on them being **** :-(
Could happen. I just cannot get away from the fact that this squad of players is capable of producing much better performances than we have been seeing this season. And coming to the conclusion that the 3 month period post Dubai two years ago was the aberration. The rest of the last 2 and a half years is the norm.
This is what Arteta wants. **** knows why :-(
The fact that City could just and go and throw ?100m+ in January on fixing their issues is a joke. Both players a massive upgrade on what they had.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter
and the 115 charges either exonerate or punish them, just ****ing get on with it.
Agreed on all fronts. But we can only control what we control. And we are not really progressing.Quote:
Originally Posted by PSRB
I've felt exactly the same since the 0-0 at home to Liverpool. At that stage we could have shown our quality and determination and built a little momentum; instead we played like a limp dick and got more than we deserved from the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pat Vegas
We just tend not to play very well far too regularly. Which suggests that we're not actually that good.
I wish we could go back to playing beautiful football wnd finishing 4th :-( That was at least enjoyable to watch.
We looked much better when Hazertz started against Sunderland but he's broken, again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
We always seem to be missing that final piece but at some stage you have to ask what role the manager plays in making it all click.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter
The money spent on Eze and Gyokeres looks a poor deal up to now. How long do we persevere with Martinelli and an ageing Trossard etc
There are a lot of background questions surrounding the form of Saka & Odin but I?ll go with form is temporary for now. It hasn?t helped that lanky bollox keeps breaking down either.
It should be a question of balance for Josh. Does he see a return on all of the outlay, or at least the potential to get the return, or does he bite the bullet at the end of the season and clear the decks.
The interesting thing is we are constantly told that we face low blocks and it is so difficult to break it down. Yet our home form is generally excellent, our away form disappointing.Quote:
Originally Posted by PSRB
I think we generally do better against low blocks. It gives us control (which we love) and means we can generate constant pressure- and, of course, win corners.
Arteta needs to have a long think about why our approach to games is so stifling to our creative players. We've seen them all struggle. Odegaard is a shadow of the player he was, Martinelli has struggled over the last couple of years. Now even Saka is struggling.
I'm afraid that this style of football has hit a ceiling. I dont think you can get much better from here without a fundamental change.
It's not that we're short of one player though, is it?Quote:
Originally Posted by PSRB
We're just not good enough.
Strange recruitment too imo. Arteta had his idea for his system. we seem to purchase players and play them in different roles.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
we've definitely had the money to spend. just don't think it's been that wise on occasion.
I didn't enjoy watching us be out of the league in January year after year and knowing that at some point in the season we will get absolutely pasted by 4 or 5 goals by a top four side.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
I didn't enjoy that at all, and I hope we never go back there.
How do you equate this view with our success in the CL? 8 wins in 8 games including comfortable wins over Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid? Great games to watch, as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter
If what you say is true, how did this happen, Peter?
On this, I agree. Challenging until January and then getting ripped to pieces at Anfield, Stamford Bridge and even Everton. That was NOT fun at all :-(Quote:
Originally Posted by WES
It?s a privileged moan though. Objective within Arsenal circles but we could be Spurs etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by WES
It only becomes more focal when the pots are actually in sight. Liverpools title defence has been a disaster, United are marginally happier but that?s coming from a low place. Villa & Chelsea stuttering and Newcastle just not pushing on.
Our fourth place trophy has been supplanted by a second place one. At least that?s some sort of progress, not that I?m subscribing to the thought that we should be happy with our lot.
The two big wins there were at home. We generally do well at home. Some of the teams we have beaten were absolute ****.Quote:
Originally Posted by WES
Also bear in mind it was group stage. Remember playing PSG in the group stage last season? Very different to the side we faced in the knockout rounds. The big sides gather pace as the tournament progresses. Let's see what happens when it gets serious.
I'm not saying we are ****. Clearly we are not. But we are not quite good enough, and we are not getting better. Our league record demonstrates that pretty clearly. The squad gets bigger and better, but our performance levels don't.
You have to ask why. And maybe they will prove me wrong over the next 12 games. But nothing, literally nothing, about the past 18 months suggests they will.
Absolutely. God almighty, we are so much better than when Arteta arrived, and he has done a great job.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7sisters
But we have hit a ceiling. We are missing serious opportunities to win stuff and those opportunities don't come along very often when you are facing at least three sides that can hugely outspend you.
This squad can play better than this. We've seen them do it, with a smaller squad. That has to be said, and has to be addressed.
We still have a 4 point lead. Also, beat Inter away in CL. I'm not going to doom and gloom it just yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter
I agree with a lot of your points, Pedro, but you are being a bit impatient, I think. We did not have the squad depth to win the league despite all the improvement over the past few years. Saliba being injured cost us the league a few years back, we have much better cover now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter
The answer is probably far more complicated than many of us want to think. Some combination of negative opponents, injuries, new players adjusting and Arteta still learning.
It should also be pointed out, again, especially to those who have concluded that we aren't good enough, that after 26 games we are 4 points clear at the top of the league.
You might also add to the list above the tendency for a lack of perspective on this place whenever we drop points.
Beer and fine wine is the answer here, I think :-)
Yes, we lacked squad depth. But when we did, we performed better than we are doing now. Points totals higher, more goals. That is the point I am making.....Quote:
Originally Posted by WES
And on the subject of perspective, you have to at least admit I am consistent. I have been saying this all season, like a stuck record. From the very first game at Old Trafford, to Anfield, and on. And I said it all last season as well.
I complain when we win, clawing our way over the line 1-0 against a **** team. And I do it because I know those performances are not good enough, and that if you keep producing them you are going to come unstuck.
The 98 double team won the league with 78 points. The Munichs won it with 79 points the next year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter
We're on a pace for 83 points, you're being slightly harsh, I think
Right. But when we fell apart in 2022/3, we finished on 84 points. In 2023/4, 89 points. In 2024/5, 74 points.Quote:
Originally Posted by WES
We are currently four points ahead of where we were last season. The drop is fairly clear.... even if we reach 83 points (and I don't think we will), it is still worse than three seasons ago where we had a paper thin squad.
And I know we won it with 78 points in 98. That just doesnt happen now.
Probably also worth noting that in the last 10 games, Brentford have accumulated the same number of points as City and 1 fewer than us. They are bang in form.
No question they are playing well, and are a decent side.Quote:
Originally Posted by PSRB
But does anyone actually think we played well last night? You have to admit that a lot of those errors were unforced....
A fit Kai, playing at his best?Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter
A wouldn't have said either side set the world on fire last night and they're 2 of the top form teams :shrug:Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter
You can't explain that change in terms of one player. A prime Henry would not have this side knocking 5 and 6 past teams. He'd be making a series of runs, getting hugely frustrated, and spending most of his time dropping into his own half to try and carry the ball with him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult
No question, Kai helped. But he was fully fit in the first half of last season and we were ****e then as well.... and we have some magnificent creative players who have really, really struggled in the last 6-12 months. They haven't suddenly become bad players.....
This is the way. We're never going to beat Manchester City using conventional methods and we're never going to be better than them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter
And it's hard enough trying to keep up in terms of results; we simply do not have resources to also deal with mystical elements like momentum and performances. Even controlling the underlying metrics will remain beyond us.
We merely want to win the league, we are simply not interested in being the best team and xg and playing well and winning every game.
We could play better but we'd get worse results.