Arsenal Thread 2013/14

[The_Mo]

It is great to see an English club get a big result in Europe, especially against a German side. As long as it isn't the Rags! I must say I was shocked by the result. Dortmund seemed to have picked up in recent weeks. Arsenal still face a tough away game in Naples but they do not have to go there and win now. I wonder if people are starting to sit up and take notice. I just cannot shake the feeling that Arsenal will fall short in every competition as per usual. They have an abundance of midfield options with pace, skill, technique and their style of play is fantastic. But in both attack and defence they lack strength in depth. Should they win at the swamp maybe I will give them more respect, but I cannot see them winning anything still. Their football is perfect for Europe. They pass and move and work hard as a team but can they win the Champions League? In the Premiership they lack that strength in depth and physicality over the season to win the league in my opinion. But their form certainly suggests they will be in the top 4 and I didn't expect that to be the case. Ideally the game on Sunday is a draw. Arsenal dropping points is what we need to bridge the gap, but still never want the Rags to win.

Their strength in depth is already being tested. Podolski, Walcott, Wilshere and Chamberlain are all out injured.

 

[Stoned Rose]

We really should give Arsenal credit and consider them a title threat this season.

Although they won, Dortmund were the better side. I remember Arsenal having one chance (their goal) and Dortmund having several which they fluffed.

The credit for me has to go to the way Arsenal did the 'dirty' side really well. It was very resilient and mature stuff, and very 'uncharacteristic' of them as usually they shit themselves in the big games.

They showed grit, determination, focus and organisation. All just as important as playing pretty football.

Before this week I had them in the 'maybe' category, but beating Dortmund away and Liverpool in one week is pretty fucking impressive in my book. If we did that we'd rightly be very confident.

If they do Utd at OT then surely no one with any brains could still not consider them a threat?

 

[The_Mo]

We really should give Arsenal credit and consider them a title threat this season.

Although they won, Dortmund were the better side. I remember Arsenal having one chance (their goal) and Dortmund having several which they fluffed.

The credit for me has to go to the way Arsenal did the 'dirty' side really well. It was very resilient and mature stuff, and very 'uncharacteristic' of them as usually they shit themselves in the big games.

They showed grit, determination, focus and organisation. All just as important as playing pretty football.

Before this week I had them in the 'maybe' category, but beating Dortmund away and Liverpool in one week is pretty fucking impressive in my book. If we did that we'd rightly be very confident.

If they do Utd at OT then surely no one with any brains could still not consider them a threat?

Completely agree with you. Although Arsenal did have a couple more very good chances directly after they scored. Football is a game with two faces. It's no good playing the fancy stuff if you choke when the opposition are pressing hard. Hopefully once Kompany comes back, we will also be able to weather the storm and then hit back on the counter. We are improving exponentially from our performances earlier in the season, hopefully we will take Bayern at the Allianz arena. If Arsenal can do it, then so can we.

 

[AwayDay]

I am more impressed with us winning when we are not the better side. Finding a way to win is what great teams do. Definitely impressed with how we handled the pressure, the home fans, the atmosphere and the team that was meant to be the blue print for English football going forward last season.
This arsenal team is unrecognisable from last season even, on so many levels.

 

[supercity88]

It is great to see an English club get a big result in Europe, especially against a German side. As long as it isn't the Rags! I must say I was shocked by the result. Dortmund seemed to have picked up in recent weeks. Arsenal still face a tough away game in Naples but they do not have to go there and win now. I wonder if people are starting to sit up and take notice. I just cannot shake the feeling that Arsenal will fall short in every competition as per usual. They have an abundance of midfield options with pace, skill, technique and their style of play is fantastic. But in both attack and defence they lack strength in depth. Should they win at the swamp maybe I will give them more respect, but I cannot see them winning anything still. Their football is perfect for Europe. They pass and move and work hard as a team but can they win the Champions League? In the Premiership they lack that strength in depth and physicality over the season to win the league in my opinion. But their form certainly suggests they will be in the top 4 and I didn't expect that to be the case. Ideally the game on Sunday is a draw. Arsenal dropping points is what we need to bridge the gap, but still never want the Rags to win.

Their strength in depth is already being tested. Podolski, Walcott, Wilshere and Chamberlain are all out injured.

Not in terms of defence it isn't.

 

[r.soleofsalford]

impressed with the result against dortmund,



but what do i want this weekend,


my head tells me to want a united win to damage our biggest threat but as much as i have a dislike for the tarquins who support Arsenal, i want to see those rags bastards in pain, we can hopefully sort out Arsenal ourselves. and pile on the agony for those slimy **** from Trafford in the next derby

 

[supercity88]

impressed with the result against dortmund,



but what do i want this weekend,


my head tells me to want a united win to damage our biggest threat but as much as i have a dislike for the tarquins who support Arsenal, i want to see those rags bastards in pain, we can hopefully sort out Arsenal ourselves. and pile on the agony for those slimy **** from Trafford in the next derby

A draw would be ideal. Rags with another draw which makes their record so far look even worse. A loss to Liverpool and us away and a draw at home to Chavs and Arse. Plus Arse dropping points is good.

 

[AwayDay]

This was meant to be the week were we get found out, beaten Liverpool , beaten Dortmund, kept 2 clean sheets, and now onto the toughest of the tests for me, not on quality but on history. This is a huge game on Sunday, not just for us but more so for man utd, if they go 11 points behind I don't know how they can deal with having to adjust their aims to become top 4 chasers. I cant see many of their players who have won it all bothering too much with chasing a champions league place, the fall out of a comprehensive defeat could last for years. I imagine once the match kicks off, all Manchester city fans will forget about league tables and get fully behind us, utds confidence is very fragile now, if we can give them a serious footballing lesson and send them firmly into midtable obscurity it could be the final nail in their coffin.

 

[r.soleofsalford]

This was meant to be the week were we get found out, beaten Liverpool , beaten Dortmund, kept 2 clean sheets, and now onto the toughest of the tests for me, not on quality but on history. This is a huge game on Sunday, not just for us but more so for man utd, if they go 11 points behind I don't know how they can deal with having to adjust their aims to become top 4 chasers. I cant see many of their players who have won it all bothering too much with chasing a champions league place, the fall out of a comprehensive defeat could last for years. I imagine once the match kicks off, all Manchester city fans will forget about league tables and get fully behind us, utds confidence is very fragile now, if we can give them a serious footballing lesson and send them firmly into midtable obscurity it could be the final nail in their coffin.

people were asking the question whether you could beat a big team and rightly so. you look like genuine contenders with us and chelsea.


i promise not to cry if you beat the scum 6-0

 

[Ronuja]

United was always the game, that gave me the shits, especially at Old Trafford. I think it speaks volumes that I don't have the shits going into this weekend.

This was meant to be the week were we get found out, beaten Liverpool , beaten Dortmund, kept 2 clean sheets, and now onto the toughest of the tests for me, not on quality but on history. This is a huge game on Sunday, not just for us but more so for man utd, if they go 11 points behind I don't know how they can deal with having to adjust their aims to become top 4 chasers. I cant see many of their players who have won it all bothering too much with chasing a champions league place, the fall out of a comprehensive defeat could last for years. I imagine once the match kicks off, all Manchester city fans will forget about league tables and get fully behind us, utds confidence is very fragile now, if we can give them a serious footballing lesson and send them firmly into midtable obscurity it could be the final nail in their coffin.

If we could be the team that dispatched Man U. to mid-table obscurity in one fell swoop I would be over the moon, and much as I wish it could work out like that i think there's just too strong a base at that club in terms of how they are set up commercially for that to happen.