Arsenal Thread 2013/14

[Prestwich_Blue]

4th place.....you not think we might sneak 3rd?!

Wenger should be sacked if you finish below 3rd this season. My criticism of Arsenal was always that they simply didn't have a decent spine to the side from back to front.

But Szczesny has improved tremendously, Mertesacker & Koscielny have formed a great partnership, Flamini has done a good job in front back four, the youngsters have made the grade and your midfield & forwards are scoring. But you've got four tough away games to come and given that you've not won the two up in Manchester, how you do in those could well determine where you finish. Unless you screw up spectacularly then I can't see Everton or Spurs catching you.

 

[Bilboblue]

I reckon the top 3 will be

1. Chelsea
2. City
3. Arsenal

Unless Arsenal sign a striker I can't see them winning it but anything could happen and I think there won't be much more than 6 points between all three sides.

 

[The_Mo]

They only need a striker really now. They have a great midfield and defence. Maybe some cover for their CBs. They also seem to be leading the race for Draxler too! Him and someone like Costa or Martinez would make them a considerable force.

 

[r.soleofsalford]

I reckon the top 3 will be

1. Chelsea
2. City
3. Arsenal

Unless Arsenal sign a striker I can't see them winning it but anything could happen and I think there won't be much more than 6 points between all three sides.

city by 4 points or more
2nd chelsea
3rd arsenal

 

[GunnerGer]

Ooft, not been on for a few days guys, not sure if its safe to make an appearance after reading the last few pages! :-)

Anyway, how are we all? Not much has changed, all 3 teams at the top getting the results they needed at the weekend, this will defo be tight at least until the tough double header in February Arsenal have against Utd and Liverpool.

I'm hoping for Utd to get a draw in this weekends game, but I highly doubt. Isn't it just like Chelsea to play Utd when they don't have Van Persie or Rooney. Could have done with them playing Hull after they signed Jelavic and Long as well.

Speaking of Chelsea, I'm sorry to admit to you guys that in my league winners swingometer, the pendulum has Chelsea as slight favourites at the moment. Some of you might like the fact that someone hasn't said its City's to lose or any other phrase that's been banded about recently. I just think looking at the remaining fixtures they could have the edge, Matic could give them a boost as well.

1 date stands out for me more than most though, its not the game for them at the Tihad, its not the game against us at Stamford Bridge, for me, Liverpool v Chelsea, 3rd last game of the season. Wouldn't it be ironic for a Chelsea team under Mourinho to 'lose' the league at Anfield?!!

-- Thu Jan 16, 2014 11:17 pm --

I wouldn't lose sleep about us winning the league.

Sitting on top the league in January and instead of strengthening properly, we are now going to have to swallow the bitter f**king pill of no proper investment in the team.

Ozil was a mistake. Madrid snatched the money out of their hands before they realised what they'd agreed to.

Normal service is resumed.

We are going to settle for the joy that is f**king 4th place AGAIN.

Inter are bidding 13million euros for Morata and we are getting George N-f**kng- Tep a Ligue 2 striker, that's barely championship level.

http://news.arseblog.com/2014/01/french-press-ntep-to-arsenal-is-very-close/

For all I know he could be the next Henry but if he was he wouldn't still be in Ligue 2 at 22. More likely he's the next great sh*te hope to come out of Auxerre since Stephan Guivarch......remember how crap he was.

4th place.....you not think we might sneak 3rd?!

i dont know about you but i keep wondering who will blink first between you, us and them. everytime we beat a team you and chelsea are still there

The Xmas and New Year period has definitely felt like that. I feel we need a gap going into February / March to have any chance, and I look at the away games hoping that points are dropped but we've all been very consistent over this period. It really would be terrible tense and exciting if 3 teams could stay all the way to the final weeks, I can't really remember that happening before!

As The 49ers has said though, it might well be your firepower up front that sees City pull away. I think any of your front 3 just now would be first choice starter for both us and Chelsea. That's not me trying to downplay our chances, that's a fact that most nuutrals would agree with. In fact, Jovetic aside because of injuries, its actually great credit to City how well all there recent forwards purchased have performed, and shows good decisions in the market, in terms of that area anyway.

As for us, I'm intrigued by our situation. Lots of talk of N'Tep, but is paying £7M for a Fench 2nd division what we need? We've a few squad players like that of similar age, Joel Campbell doing well at Olympiakos, Sanogo etc?
It's the same with this Draxler situation. No one knows what Wenger is thinking, will he go for him again? Is he thinking about converting him RVP style to a forward? Would it not be better to spend that money on a player who is already an out and out forward if he is?

Sometimes we seem to shoehorn players into positions instead of saying 'Right, we need a striker, lets buy the best striker available that we can afford'!

 

[City Raider]

there's no point forecasting results based on games to come; pressure does weird things to good teams and seemingly easy games suddenly become very tough

how arsenal react having not been in the situation for so long will be interesting, it may suit them to be chasing rather than being there to be shot at

march and april are when we'll find out, games at the moment are light sparring

 

[The_Mo]

there's no point forecasting results based on games to come; pressure does weird things to good teams and seemingly easy games suddenly become very tough

how arsenal react having not been in the situation for so long will be interesting, it may suit them to be chasing rather than being there to be shot at

march and april are when we'll find out, games at the moment are light sparring

A lot of people were saying at the start of the season that Arsenal would fall off at christmas. Well, they're still here! Now i really do wonder if they actually will make it to the finish line. As you said though, there is absolutely no point in forecasting results as anything can happen in any game because this is the Premier League.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

there's no point forecasting results based on games to come; pressure does weird things to good teams and seemingly easy games suddenly become very tough

how arsenal react having not been in the situation for so long will be interesting, it may suit them to be chasing rather than being there to be shot at

march and april are when we'll find out, games at the moment are light sparring

A lot of people were saying at the start of the season that Arsenal would fall off at christmas. Well, they're still here! Now i really do wonder if they actually will make it to the finish line. As you said though, there is absolutely no point in forecasting results as anything can happen in any game because this is the Premier League.

They've got a tough run of away games from now to mid-April. If they're going to drop off the pace it's going to be in those you'd imagine.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

the only way Chelsea are failing is if their lack of strike force suddenly gets thwarted by relegation threatened backs to the wall defensive efforts and they stop winning away in those games, hopefully our recent title experience will pay dividends in the run-in where the cockneys may fail.

 

[foetus]

 

[aguero93:20]

there's no point forecasting results based on games to come; pressure does weird things to good teams and seemingly easy games suddenly become very tough

how arsenal react having not been in the situation for so long will be interesting, it may suit them to be chasing rather than being there to be shot at

march and april are when we'll find out, games at the moment are light sparring

A lot of people were saying at the start of the season that Arsenal would fall off at christmas. Well, they're still here! Now i really do wonder if they actually will make it to the finish line. As you said though, there is absolutely no point in forecasting results as anything can happen in any game because this is the Premier League.

They've got a tough run of away games from now to mid-April. If they're going to drop off the pace it's going to be in those you'd imagine.

This run?

Premier League

Liverpool

V

Arsenal

Sat 8 Feb 12:45
Premier League

Arsenal

V

Man Utd

Wed 12 Feb 19:45
Champions League - Champ Lg Round of 16

Arsenal

V

Bayern Munich

Wed 19 Feb 19:45
Premier League

Arsenal

V

Sunderland

Sat 22 Feb 15:00

March 2014
Competition
Show
Premier League
Stoke

V

Arsenal
Sat 1 Mar 15:00
Premier League

Arsenal

V
Swansea
Sat 8 Mar 15:00
Champions League - Champ Lg Round of 16
Bayern Munich

V

Arsenal
Tue 11 Mar 19:45
Premier League

Tottenham

V

Arsenal

Sat 15 Mar 15:00
Premier League
Chelsea

V

Arsenal
Sat 22 Mar 15:00
Premier League

Arsenal

V

Man City

Sat 29 Mar 15:00

April 2014
Competition
Premier League

Everton

V

Arsenal

Sat 5 Apr 15:00

 

[more lazy than useless]

I did say I wasn't an apologist for Arsenal or Arsene for that matter. I merely pointed out the fact that Arsenal couldn't compete in the money stakes with City. That's a fact. Of course, Arsenal therefore of necessity have a different financial model to City.

That's a fair point, you did.


Those who suggest that Arsenal, because of their different business model are somehow morally superior are talking bollox. We are not debating moral philosophy here and I don't see moralising as an appropriate form of comparison when looking at the way football clubs are run.
Unfortunately, there have plenty of Arsenal fans who don't share your beliefs or reasoning and have been very vocal about it. Many have even been on here to point out why we are wrong and evil.

I never really had a problem with Arsenal or their fans until the past few years, but the shite we have had to put up with from many within the club and the fans has tainted that. Fortunately, there have been a few fans who have been more sensible and less venomous and have kept me from thinking that everybody connected with Arsenal must be a t**t.

There are now a few good posters on here who are redressing the balance, so hopefully I will be able to ignore the arseholes a little easier. You seem like a good poster Gillespie, I hope you stick around too.

Can't see Arsenal not being in the mix at the end, but also can't see them winning it. Its going to be very tight whatever happens.

 

[City_Sean]

I have to admit I fucking laughed

 

[Crouchinho]

I reckon the top 3 will be

1. Chelsea
2. City
3. Arsenal

Unless Arsenal sign a striker I can't see them winning it but anything could happen and I think there won't be much more than 6 points between all three sides.

city by 4 points or more
2nd chelsea
3rd arsenal

Agree City will win the league they have a fantastic team. Agree with the top 3. Think Liverpool may do it this season for fourth. Either way it's all very tight up the top

 

[Ronuja]

I can taste your tears, they are bitter and salty but nothing ever tasted better.

Quite xenophobic too. Too bad that he's a gunner but I guess all clubs have some proportion of unsavories supporting them?

Is he a TH fan

Does TH mean Tottenham Hotspur? By 'he' are you referring to me? If so, no, I'm an Arsenal fan.

I have to admit I fucking laughed

Yeah I had to chuckle a little bit too. It felt kind of bad, but funny is funny.

 

[davymcfc]

Well arsenal have won again. They certainly have staying power.

City have been immense over the last two months so the fact we still haven't been able to catch arsenal is saying something for how consistent they have been.

 

[SWP's back]

Well arsenal have won again. They certainly have staying power.

City have been immense over the last two months so the fact we still haven't been able to catch arsenal is saying something for how consistent they have been.

We have caught them up, what were they before? 8 or 9 point ahead

 

[Blue Haze]

They've got a tough run beginning now. Southampton away, Crystal Palace, then Liverpool away, rags at home, and then Bayern

Hopefully they drop 7 points or so.

 

[davymcfc]

Well arsenal have won again. They certainly have staying power.

City have been immense over the last two months so the fact we still haven't been able to catch arsenal is saying something for how consistent they have been.

We have caught them up, what were they before? 8 or 9 point ahead

Yes we have made up a lot of ground but after we beat them it seemed imminent that we would overtake them but they have done well to hold us off. In the same way that Chelsea have stuck with us as well. You have to give them both credit.

 

[Arshavin23]

I have a gut feeling we won't be winning anything this season. City's form is insane right now, and we still haven't signed a striker. Our consistency will most likely end when we get battered by Bayern. Being linked with Ligue2 garbage like Ntep really doesn't bode well at all