Arsenal Thread 2013/14

[JoeMercer'sWay]

If they don't get out of their CL group, they have even more of a chance to make a big push for the league.

not really as if they don't make it they'll def finish 3rd and head into the Europa, and their confidence will be battered.

If they overlook the Europa League (which I think they would to focus on their first real chance at the league in years), then yes really.

I think by Europa comes around Arsenal will have been caught in the league and therefore will channel their efforts into Europa because of a) needing to be top seeds so their co-efficient has to stay high, plus it's a chance at silverware that will appease their fanbase.

Their owners don't care as long as they get their revenues so CL qualification and co-efficient maintained by the Europa will suit them.

 

[AwayDay]

I'm an arsenal fan and I would be stunned if we won it,. I have never seen anyone jump from 4th to first in one season, city may have done it but that wouldve been with huge investment.

I said from the summer that if manchester city click, they can run away with it. I would still make you favourites with chelsea second, if we do win it, this would be a bigger achievement than the invincibles unbeaten season as it would have come out of nowhere. Even being involved in a title race would be a huge step up. I can see why people are getting excited though, it has been a long time since we have played good football, regardless of the results.
People say we always play good football but that is a myth, last couple of seasons its been painful to watch at times. It has defenitely improved this season.

 

[AwayDay]

I think by Europa comes around Arsenal will have been caught in the league and therefore will channel their efforts into Europa because of a) needing to be top seeds so their co-efficient has to stay high, plus it's a chance at silverware that will appease their fanbase.

Their owners don't care as long as they get their revenues so CL qualification and co-efficient maintained by the Europa will suit them.[/quote]


We would only concentrate on europe league if we are out of the title race and guaranteed a top 4 finish, I am not sure that is possible the way the league is so bunched up now.

 

[City Raider]

Yet Arsenal have a remarkably consistent record over those 3 seasons, the same manager and the trends, although not indicative of how their season will pan out, are enough to rein in their wild and over the top optimism because of the good run they've been on.

If Arsenal's team this year is going to challenge then they are going to have to improve on the weaknesses in previous seasons that this run hasn't been tested against.

yep, you win the league when your not playing well - do you still pick up points. This has been Arsenal's problem and the test is still to come this season.

You can also win the league if every one else isnt playing well, that's how united won it last season, after losing their first match, and this season is following a similar pattern so far, I kept waiting for united to collapse because looking at their team I didnt see anything special, but other teams never got their own houses in order, and there are similarities so far this season.

Agreed but Arsenal's biggest test will be how they respond to a run of bad form.

I've seen all this before. Glorious football, media raving and then at the first sign of adversity, total mental breakdown eg following defeats in recent years at Utd when unbeaten record went (how does a team unbeaten in 40 odd games only win 2 of next 7?!) and the Birmingham game.

They've done nothing to disprove this soft underbelly and a signing like Ozil does not give you more mental fortitude.

It's in the DNA of the club, that's why I'm not in the slightest concerned 'yet' at your start to the season. Arsenal always play well for a large chunk of the season but not normally for long enough or under pressure.

Of course this year could be different - we'll see.

 

[AwayDay]

yep, you win the league when your not playing well - do you still pick up points. This has been Arsenal's problem and the test is still to come this season.

You can also win the league if every one else isnt playing well, that's how united won it last season, after losing their first match, and this season is following a similar pattern so far, I kept waiting for united to collapse because looking at their team I didnt see anything special, but other teams never got their own houses in order, and there are similarities so far this season.

Agreed but Arsenal's biggest test will be how they respond to a run of bad form.

I've seen all this before. Glorious football, media raving and then at the first sign of adversity, total mental breakdown eg following defeats in recent years at Utd when unbeaten record went (how does a team unbeaten in 40 odd games only win 2 of next 7?!) and the Birmingham game.

They've done nothing to disprove this soft underbelly and a signing like Ozil does not give you more mental fortitude.

It's in the DNA of the club, that's why I'm not in the slightest concerned 'yet' at your start to the season. Arsenal always play well for a large chunk of the season but not normally for long enough or under pressure.

Of course this year could be different - we'll see.

It depends what standards you measure teams with, for me a team that goes 40 games unbeaten (49) can not really have a soft underbelly.
But obviously this current team wont do that, it isn't as good, as for the team that lost to man utd after the long unbeaten run, it still finished above man utd that season, and got 85 points , and won the fa cup(by beating man utd)...
That team in 2005 was coming to an end of an era where they won 3 titles and 4 fa cups in 7 years. Some clubs don't win that in their entire history, which is not bad for a club with weak DNA and a manager that never aims to win trophies.
Since then we have overachieved by finishing top 4 with an average squad while selling our best players(still got to a champions league final) , this season we have improved a lot.
Still don't think we'd win the league this season, but its because we have the 3rd best squad in my opinion, and 1 of the other 2 should win it. It has nothing to do with underbellies DNA and mentalities, more to do with having 1 striker while teams like city have 4.

 

[City Raider]

You can also win the league if every one else isnt playing well, that's how united won it last season, after losing their first match, and this season is following a similar pattern so far, I kept waiting for united to collapse because looking at their team I didnt see anything special, but other teams never got their own houses in order, and there are similarities so far this season.

Agreed but Arsenal's biggest test will be how they respond to a run of bad form.

I've seen all this before. Glorious football, media raving and then at the first sign of adversity, total mental breakdown eg following defeats in recent years at Utd when unbeaten record went (how does a team unbeaten in 40 odd games only win 2 of next 7?!) and the Birmingham game.

They've done nothing to disprove this soft underbelly and a signing like Ozil does not give you more mental fortitude.

It's in the DNA of the club, that's why I'm not in the slightest concerned 'yet' at your start to the season. Arsenal always play well for a large chunk of the season but not normally for long enough or under pressure.

Of course this year could be different - we'll see.

It depends what standards you measure teams with, for me a team that goes 40 games unbeaten (49) can not really have a soft underbelly.
But obviously this current team wont do that, it isn't as good, as for the team that lost to man utd after the long unbeaten run, it still finished above man utd that season, and got 85 points , and won the fa cup(by beating man utd)...
That team in 2005 was coming to an end of an era where they won 3 titles and 4 fa cups in 7 years. Some clubs don't win that in their entire history, which is not bad for a club with weak DNA and a manager that never aims to win trophies.
Since then we have overachieved by finishing top 4 with an average squad while selling our best players(still got to a champions league final) , this season we have improved a lot.
Still don't think we'd win the league this season, but its because we have the 3rd best squad in my opinion, and 1 of the other 2 should win it. It has nothing to do with underbellies DNA and mentalities, more to do with having 1 striker while teams like city have 4.

disagree, your problem is never lack of goals, it's being soft under pressure

 

[AwayDay]

Any team that fails in its objective can be called soft under pressure. like Manchester city through out last season, especially in the cup final . I even heard people saying Manchester city are used to hard luck stories, its the only reason they exist, they cant handle success , they thrive on getting close and failing and having false hope followed by despair.... its ridiculous. Usually there is more a tactical/personnel reason why teams fail to reach their targets and once that is corrected the results change, experience also plays a part.

 

[City Raider]

Any team that fails in its objective can be called soft under pressure. like Manchester city through out last season, especially in the cup final . I even heard people saying Manchester city are used to hard luck stories, its the only reason they exist, they cant handle success , they thrive on getting close and failing and having false hope followed by despair.... its ridiculous. Usually there is more a tactical/personnel reason why teams fail to reach their targets and once that is corrected the results change, experience also plays a part.

we're not talking about city - good deflection effort

 

[AwayDay]

I am pointing out that your point can be said of anyone, because you can not measure softness of football teams. Bayern munich were soft because they lost 2 champions league finals with last minute goals/pens , then they signed the right players and won the treble.

 

[City Raider]

I am pointing out that your point can be said of anyone, because you can not measure softness of football teams. Bayern munich were soft because they lost 2 champions league finals with last minute goals/pens , then they signed the right players and won the treble.

exactly, that's my point - ozil in my opinion doesnt address this problem