2016/17 Season Review

[Aevi]

Some questions to put forward...

How did you guys feel about the season?
What were some good moments?
Where did it go wrong?
What can be improved on?
What players really shone through?
What players disappointed?
What were some of our best games?
What were some of our best goals?
Does the FA Cup make up for the league and CL performances at all?

 

[Aevi]

Here's something tasty to start off with

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

1. More angry and less hopeful as the season went on than seasons before.

2. Good moments .Chelsea win. The last 8 games or so. FA Cup win.

3. I think you could see it very early that the same Arsenal of previous seasons showed up this season. Can' t remember exactly the game but it was early. Then Everton and City happened both games where we got the first goal but couldn't finish the job.

4. We can improve on how we defend space and how we deal with pressure of other teams.

5. Sanchez, Özil and maybe Chamberlain. Shone through.

6. Coquelin, Mustafi and maybe Giroud. Disappoint.

7. Chelsea home and in FA Cup were our best games.

8. Özil in CL was our best goal.

9. I loved winning the FA Cup but would have wanted to be in CL also!

 

[grange]

Started off with missing a good chance to beat Liverpool to open the season, I thought. Kinda weird injury crisis to begin the season then the club really hit their stride in the fall by beating Chelsea 3-0 and were looking very strong then winter happened and...yeah... Ending the season strong throughout May and with a FA Cup helped a little. I was happy and relieved for the players and manager for that win. It was good to release the built up disappointment.

That was one of the roughest seasons for me since I've been a fan (about 2008-2009 area, I live in the US). This was really a season where I lost interest in it and Arsenal just gave me a bitter feeling whenever weekends came around. First time I've actually skipped watching matches or following along through text feeds like I have to do when I'm at work for CL games. Getting battered by Bayern put me in a foul mood.

Özil's goal in CL was great. Giroud's scorpion goal to start 2017 off proper was probably the goal of the year and should be goal of the year for the PL. Has that been voted on yet?

As for the good, the bad, and the ugly in terms of the squad's performances, I'm not somebody who wants a player sold when he has a bad month nor do I claim a player will become world class. I give the transfer guys a season before judging them harshly. However, I think Xhaka, Mustafi, and Holding all showed enough positives to fit into the first XI regularly going forward. I won't guess what any of their ceilings are but they all showed they're capable players.

 

[Sanchez11]

First 12 games title contenders
middle 12 games relegation material
last 12 games title contenders

 

[Dynamic]

First 12 games title contenders
middle 12 games relegation material
last 12 games title contenders

Sounds like a typical Wenger-Arsenal season.
Btw you are 2 games short.

 

[YeahBee]

Sounds like a typical Wenger-Arsenal season.
Btw you are 2 games short.

those are the games we didn't turn up to at all

 

[Toast]

This season was pretty much the same as seasons past.

An early winning streak, the November slump, bouncing back December/January, the February/March collapse and the end of season surge to finish around 75 points.

Nothing we haven't seen before. The only difference this season was that our competitors improved to the point where our late season surge to 75 points was no longer good enough for top 4. Other than that, same ****, different season.

 

[bingobob]

It's really been a hard to take season. We got more points than last season we beat United and Chelsea in the league, beat City and Chelsea in the cup semi and final while topping our CL group that included Psg. If that statement was made in August you'd think rightly we were going to have an outstanding season.

Some how the wheels fell off. We should be lauding an outstanding season instead once again we are left asking what if and what else can we possibly do.

 

[Mudi]

How did you guys feel about the season? Big disappointment as it was the same as previous years (got trashed in CL and no title fight)

What were some good moments? Win against Mourinho

Where did it go wrong? Don't let me start on that one

What can be improved on? To start with, change of ownership and management
What players really shone through? Alexis brought it to another level. Hands down player of the year and maybe best in EPL.

What players disappointed? Wenger, Wenger and Wenger

What were some of our best games? Chelsea at home and FA Final

What were some of our best goals?

Does the FA Cup make up for the league and CL performances at all? No hell no!

 

[asukru]

How did you guys feel about the season?

Disappointing to say the least but not surprised.

What were some good moments?
Beating Chelsea in the league and in the FA cup final, Giroud's scorpion goal, Özil's goal in the CL.

Where did it go wrong?
Oh jeez...

What can be improved on?
Well focus on the new formation, buying world class players rather then ones who have "potential"

What players really shone through?
Ox, Alexis, Per LOL

What players disappointed?
Not really sure - the team as a whole lacked

What were some of our best games?
Chelsea

What were some of our best goals?
Mentioned earlier

Does the FA Cup make up for the league and CL performances at all?
NO!

 

[BobP]

How did you guys feel about the season?
Terribly disappointed.

What were some good moments?
The FA Cup win.

Where did it go wrong?
Where it always does. A couple of defeats completely derail our season, and our form and confidence is left shattered. If we're lucky enough the team will 'bounce back' in time to snag a CL spot. This season we weren't lucky enough.

What can be improved on?
Above all, the management of player fitness. For example, you can't be fielding an aging, injury prone Cazorla against Ludogorets when you have a fresh Xhaka. Despite Wenger's shortcomings, I think we would have a good crack at the title if we were able to put out a consistent lineup. I've said this before, it's no coincidence that the two times Chelsea have won the title in recent years, they've basically been able to put out the same lineup each week.

What players really shone through?
Holding, Ox, Monreal, Xhaka towards the end of the season.

What players disappointed?
Bellerin, Coquelin, Walcott.

What were some of our best games?
1st half against Chelsea, and the FA Cup final.

What were some of our best goals?
Özil's goal, absolutely disgusting.

Does the FA Cup make up for the league and CL performances at all?
Lol, we lost in the CL by a scoreline which looked like something out of the 1950s, nothing makes up for that.

 

[Makingtrax]

Usual season. Wenger's medical staff can't keep this squad fit for a whole campaign.

Beginning and end were very good, where we looked like we could be champions. But when the midfield fell apart we lost it for a period. Wilshere loan, Xhaka suspensions, Cazorla injury, Ramsey injury, ElnenyAFCON.

A losing mentality then sets in, but as usual Wenger steered the ship back on track.

By the end we were so good we trounced Chelsea in a superb cup final for neutrals.

Nothing will change until we sell our injury prone 1st IX players and buy in stronger players. We need a season like Chelsea and Sp**s with few injuries so we an sustain a run. Sell Ramsey, Walcott, Ox in particular and splash the cash.

Xhaka a big positive, when he calmed down and settled in. We need to keep Sanchez and Özil come hell or high water

 

[Rimaal]

****ty season.

 

[{reed}]

First 12 games title contenders
middle 12 games relegation material
last 12 games Top 4 contenders

FTFY

 

[karl]

The season felt like the last decade did to some extent, but a little more exaggerated this time. There is bags of talent in the team as usual, but not enough forceful and strong characters to drag us through the difficult times.

A team with such fragile confidence will not succeed. Watching the FA Cup final was enjoyable, but painful at the same time, because it just highlighted what we could do with the right application.

Petty though it is, my favourite memory from the season was seeing Alexis handball the goal in the final. I guess he wanted it more than Chelsea, just like Alonso on Bellerin. Justice at last.

 

[karl]

Oh, I forgot. The other highlight was The Spuds having their best season since 1961 and still getting one less trophy than us

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

Disappointing season in the league and CL. Finishing 5th and being spanked 10-2 on aggregate by the Bavarians was vomit inducing.

However, there was a fair bit of promise.

-Chambo finally came of age. Posted good numbers and demonstrated consistency I was beginning to think he wasn't capable of.
-Nacho was excellent.
-The Özil and Sanchez linkup is genuinely elite.
-Our new signings all did well, particularly Holding for just £2M.
-Winning the FA Cup and in the process ruining Chelski's double hopes. We battered them ffs.

 

[KROENKE SUCKS]

1) Not a bad season overall but we haven't won the league in 13/14 years which isn't acceptable. Very hopeful by the way it ended. Think we have most of the players we need to play 343 well. Worried that the board will dither in transfer negotiations again and not get us the final one or two players we need to win the title with this formation, just like every other time we've looked like when we've come close (07-08 when we lost Hleb and flams, 10-11 when we lost Cesc and Samir in the summer instead of keeping them and strengthening the team, 11-12 when we lost RvP instead of keeping him adding Cazorla and winning the league). Its the same **** all over again; we still haven't tied up Özil and Sanchez and we might fail to get that world class attacker that we desperately need.

2) Tonking Chelsea twice including the FA Cup final. Winning a record 13th FA cup.

3) When Wenger realised that we didn't have the fitness to keep on playing the way we did after the Chelsea win, forcing him to change formation and costing us the season until we were able to successfully implement the 343.

4) World Class attacker to complement Sanchez and Özil. Keeping our best players for once would also be nice. No point in Wenger putting all that effort into helping Sanchez improve his game only to have some other club reap the rewards. Getting rid of some of the players who dont fit the formation (Giroud, Walcott, etc). Bringing in one or two who do (Kolasinac seems like a good fit). Hopefully we extend Wilshere as well. Also get Wilshere to see the horse placenta woman.

Gazidis needs to hurry up and get us some new sponsorship deals to keep up with the big boys. Or Kroenke needs to pump his money into the club. Or he needs to bring Usmanoz on board and give him a seat on the board if Usmanov will put some money into the club together with Kroenke in a 60-30 split between Kroenke and Usmanov in that order.

5) Sanchez, was prolly player of the season. Ox had his first good full season. Xhaka seems to have settled well, expecting him to push on next season. Think 343 will work well for Mustafi and we might see more from him next season as well. Think Per could not only extend his stay but reach another level in 343 as his weaknesses are very well nullified in 343. Holding has impressed when given the chance as well. Ospina was pretty good when called on as well. Monreal has looked great in 343. Losing his pace hasn't affected him as much since the switch. Bellerin looked like he improved his crossing towards the end which is very important in 343 Imo since it makes the wide players more dangerous and more difficult to defend.

6) Walcott doesn't fit the 343. Mustafi was great when we started the season with the system where he was allowed to defend on the front foot. Once we switched up a couple of games after Chelsea he wasn't as impressive. Hopefully 343 will give him the opportunity to play more towards his strengths.

7) Chelscum at home and of course the FA Cup final. Man City in the semis.

8) Özil against Ludogarets. Girous Scorpion kick.

9)**** NO!!!! Not winning the league for 13 years is unacceptable. The countdown is out for Mr Kroenke. If we dont win the league then I think a Kroenke out movement needs to be instituted.

I hope everyone understands what answering yes to the last question will mean to anyone collating this data.

 

[Rimaal]

Completely agree with Honigstein.