Premiership 09/10- Our race.

[Feanor]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

One douche bag has picked us to finish first...IF we sign a world class defender and CM....HA!...he's having a laugh.

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Premiership 09/10 - The race for 4th

2 subtitle choices:
1) AKA the Wenger farewell tour?
2) AKA Wenger's last hope?

I actually hope we're wrong and we do win the title and our team just miraculously morphs into a winning squad...what? That's Wenger's plan right? Hope is all I got right now.

 

[ibby]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

I can't be bothered to start a new thread so I'll ask in here. What will be the absolute minimum for success this season? 3rd? 2nd? FA Cup winners?

 

[otfgoon]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

I can't be bothered to start a new thread so I'll ask in here. What will be the absolute minimum for success this season? 3rd? 2nd? FA Cup winners?

If we're not winning the tittle then at the very least I want a prolonged challenge, if we manage that then whether we finnish 2nd or 4th doesn't really matter.

Anything can happen in cups so I'm reluctant to say we have to win something, but yeah, it is about time.

 

[USArsenal]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

Not at all.

People like Lagos and Biggus genuinely believe we'll finish fourth; certainly no higher than third. I mean in the last four seasons those are the positions we've finished in.

Since we haven't really improved, why would we finish any higer?

Others have gotten worse.

the 3 ahead of us might have gotten a bit weaker, but not enough to make up the 15 point difference (and we have gotten weaker too)..

and others have gotten stronger... (i.e. Citeh)

 

[Alfonso]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

I can't be bothered to start a new thread so I'll ask in here. What will be the absolute minimum for success this season? 3rd? 2nd? FA Cup winners?

4th and winning the Carling Cup. Yes, that is how far down we have gone. I would take finishing out of the top 4 if it meant we won the FA Cup.

 

[USArsenal]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

One douche bag has picked us to finish first...IF we sign a world class defender and CM....HA!...he's having a laugh.

<a class="postlink" href="http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9929724/Everything-you-need-to-know-for-the-Premier-League" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9 ... ier-League</a>" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Premiership 09/10 - The race for 4th

2 subtitle choices:
1) AKA the Wenger farewell tour?
2) AKA Wenger's last hope?

I actually hope we're wrong and we do win the title and our team just miraculously morphs into a winning squad...what? That's Wenger's plan right? Hope is all I got right now.

HAH.. I expect more from Bobby McMahon...

 

[gooner_singh]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

Two words - F*CK OFF.

No way Arsenal will be fighting for the 4th position, and no way they will finish 4th. Remember the time when optimisn used to fill the arsenal supporters, sad to be honest.

LOL where have you been the last few years? 1st season as a Fan? LMAO.

I have been on this forum for atleast for years, I am not going to argue or discuss with you my time as an arsenal supporter.

However, I genuinely believe that Arsenal will not finish fourth, call it blind faith or silly optimism but I am positive Arsenal will be challenging for the title


1 Manchester United (C) 38 28 6 4 68 24 +44 90
2 Liverpool 38 25 11 2 77 27 +50 86
3 Chelsea 38 25 8 5 68 24 +44 83
4 Arsenal 38 20 12 6 68 37 +31 72


07-08
1 Manchester United (C) 38 27 6 5 80 22 +58 87
2 Chelsea 38 25 10 3 65 26 +39 85
3 Arsenal 38 24 11 3 74 31 +43 83

06-07
Pos Club Pld W D L F A GD
1 Manchester United 38 28 5 5 83 27 +56 89
2 Chelsea 38 24 11 3 64 24 +40 83
3 Liverpool 38 20 8 10 57 27 +30 68
4 Arsenal 38 19 11 8 63 35 +28 68

Following this trend and not the seasons before it show that it can be possible for Arsenal to challenge, you can say what you want and be as pessimistic as you want because my support for Arsenal is not tied to the mainstream view. I have arsenal as the premiership winners at ladbrokes, so maybe I can share some of winnings.

 

[otfgoon]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

the 3 ahead of us might have gotten a bit weaker, but not enough to make up the 15 point difference (and we have gotten weaker too)..

and others have gotten stronger... (i.e. Citeh)

We started last season without Eduardo or Arshavin, individially both are better than Ade, combined we're much better off up front.

Kolo was horrific in the first half of the season, I find it hard to believe Varmaelen won't be any better.

Song was horrible in the first 2/3 of the season, we clearly have a better player now in the DM position even if we don't sign anyone.

We're stronger this year.

 

[number_0]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

The optimist ones in here should view finishing forth as a prize, while the pessimists would look at it as an absolute failure.
Pick your side.

 

[ibby]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

We started last season without Eduardo or Arshavin, individially both are better than Ade, combined we're much better off up front.

Kolo was horrific in the first half of the season, I find it hard to believe Varmaelen won't be any better.

Song was horrible in the first 2/3 of the season, we clearly have a better player now in the DM position even if we don't sign anyone.

We're stronger this year.

Added to that the likes of Fabregas, Diaby, Denilson and co can't possibly perform any worse this season.

I think we're gonna be in for a little surprise this season.

 

[irishgunnerz]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

the 3 ahead of us might have gotten a bit weaker, but not enough to make up the 15 point difference (and we have gotten weaker too)..

and others have gotten stronger... (i.e. Citeh)

We started last season without Eduardo or Arshavin, individially both are better than Ade, combined we're much better off up front.

Kolo was horrific in the first half of the season, I find it hard to believe Varmaelen won't be any better.

Song was horrible in the first 2/3 of the season, we clearly have a better player now in the DM position even if we don't sign anyone.

We're stronger this year.

Shhh you should no better than to put forward a logical argument here when there's a witchhunt in place!!

 

[thegame24]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

My heart says we will win the league, my head says we will win nothing again.

 

[lagos]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

The optimist ones in here should view finishing forth as a prize, while the pessimists would look at it as an absolute failure.
Pick your side.

It doesn't work that way

 

[USArsenal]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

the 3 ahead of us might have gotten a bit weaker, but not enough to make up the 15 point difference (and we have gotten weaker too)..

and others have gotten stronger... (i.e. Citeh)

We started last season without Eduardo or Arshavin, individially both are better than Ade, combined we're much better off up front.

Kolo was horrific in the first half of the season, I find it hard to believe Varmaelen won't be any better.

Song was horrible in the first 2/3 of the season, we clearly have a better player now in the DM position even if we don't sign anyone.

We're stronger this year.

Shhh you should no better than to put forward a logical argument here when there's a witchhunt in place!!

already injured:

Bendtner
Djourou
Theo (maybe?)
Nasri
Rosicky


how long before others get injured as well? with our luck - in training or in the first match.. that'll kill the optimism real quick..

i applaud the optimists, but I tend to fall in the "realist" group.. expect the worst but hope for the best...

 

[Webdesignlab]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

I love 4th I do. It's so bloody sexy.

Can't wait to get the Earn 4th pay for 10th Trophy that Hill Wood and Wenger so love.

It does exist right?

 

[xcdude24]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

loving the thread title

get in!

 

[go49oner]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

An so it begins.....

This thread should be another epic one

 

[HollandGooner]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

Biggus is right is simple as that every gooner will admit it and will see it in a painfull way ofcourse we all do.

 

[Original_AAA]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

We won't finish 4th this season. At the very least we will finish 3rd. A Liverpool that has lost Alonso and overly dependent on Gerrard and Torres won't have a season as good as last so I'm certain that they will be behind us come May. I also think that a lot of people are dismissing our squad and our players far to easily.

As a matter of fact, I'm certain that we will win something this year.

 

[outlaw_member]

Re: Premiership 09/10- the race to 4th.

*WARNING- Long post

I honestly think we will perform much better next season, and the reasons are quite evident. Admittedly, it is based on many external factors and theories, but that is what makes a prediction. It is the start of a brand new season, and everyone will begin from the same position. Alot has changed since last season, and let me add extra emphasis on alot.

Let me start with Arsenal. We've replaced Toure with Vermaelen, fixing the problem that so many fans have complained about over the last few years. Gallas and Toure didn't work as well as we had hoped, and Wenger has finally fixed the problem. We have bought a player who will complement Gallas, as opposed to pairing two players that haven't worked together for 3 years now, bar a 7 month period. Let's be honest, Toure has been sub-par since returning from the ANC a year and a half ago. He picked up some form, but for the age and experience he possesses, he never really asserted his dominance on the defence. He even put in a transfer request in January, and is far from the player that he was in 2004 and 2006. He is 28 years old, and a large part of his game is based on athleticism. He is far from the brilliant defender we have all come to love, and best of all, his replacement was already at the club. Anyone who thought there was even a possibility of Vermaelen having been intended to start from the bench, really don't know Wenger. The Belgian CB is an unknown quantity, but he has the tools that we sorely lack in the defence. His aggression and commitment on the pitch is one of his most talked about assets, and that is exactly the type of player we want to see. The late season also saw Kieran Gibbs break into squad, finally providing much needed backup to Clichy, as opposed to using Silvestre like last season.

The midfield has still remained the same, despite changing to a 3 man midfield in an attempt to strengthen the center. Song and Denilson can't possibly be any worse than last season. Song has come a long way since then, where he was often a liability on the pitch. He is far better in every department, and is now more competent at doing his job. Denilson is a questionable one for me, but he has had one year of experience at the deep end. Surely, he will be a better performer this time round. Last of all, Diaby has so many injuries, you wonder whether he will ever progress any further. Whichever way you look at it, we are not starting the season with 3 complete rookies, who have had almost 0 experience at the top level.

We have also removed one of the biggest obstacles to the free flowing football we have usually seen at Arsenal. Adebayor was partly responsible for the decline of our technical football, the quality of which will largely determine how good we could be. Adebayor has many strengths and is a quality striker, but he isn't good enough to be the furthest outlet for a team who attempts to play pure attacking football. He has been responsible for so many attacking moves than have broken down, but he was able to compensate, largely through actions which were un-Arsenal like. When you are the main striker, your ability will largely determine how great any given attack would look. Adebayor did not have the first touch, dribbling, or vision to be the ideal lead striker in a possession based Arsenal team.

In his wake, Arshavin has fully settled into the league and will play a part throughout the whole season. There aren't many players who could inherit the vacant best PL player crown, but the Russian attacker is certainly one of them. Eduardo has also returned from that injury he suffered against Birmingham, and he is definitely sharper than he has ever been before. His finishing ability is absolutely outrageous. In the first 2 friendlies he played in this pre-season, he scored with his first shot in both games. His ability to stay onside, movement, first touch, dribbling and finishing is better than Adebayor's by quite a margin.

Last of all, we are using a formation which suits the squad, as opposed to forcing players in unnatural positions. Many people have been quick to lament our showings with a 3 man midfield in the past, but they fail to consider this one very important point. If your using a 4-4-2 throughout the season, and than change to a 4-2-3-1, 4-5-1 take your pick, when the big games arrive through necessety, do you not think that it is unrealistic to expect the players to win in a formation which they have rarely ever been used in? Now compare that to playing the whole season in a 4-5-1, 4-3-3 take your pick again, do you not think that the players and team will be far more versed in the functions of the formation, and as such become better at executing said formation in the big games? Now I am not saying that we are perfect, and I really do want to see a CB, DM and FW sign for the club. However, we are clearly in a better position now, and I can definitely see us challenging for the title.

Now lets look at our rivals. Liverpool losing Alonso is akin to Milan losing Pirlo, or Arsenal losing Cesc, or Barcelona losing Xavi. You can replace them, but at least in the short term, there will definitely be a downturn in results. The passing patterns, team function, and both offensive and defensive balance is compromised when the main central midfield playmaker leaves the club. Not to mention the changes that will be made in order to accomodate the new players strengths and weaknesses. It's one thing losing the creator in a regular season, but last season was Liverpool's best ever PL campaign. Under such circumstances you absolutely do not want to lose any key players, especially not your best performer. Liverpool set high standards for themselves, and the only way to improve that last 5% is to add to the squad. Losing 2 first team players(Arbeloa and Alonso) is not how a team who only needed a little bit of improvement, should go about making that last step. They only needed one more step to the title, but losing Alonso has put them back a notch. Aquilani could reduce the impact of his departure, but he'd have to hit the ground running if Liverpool want to start the season at the same level of last season. It's a mighty ask, which I can't see materialising. They have also lost Arbeloa who was one of their most improved players, replacing him with Glen Johnson who can't defend to save his life. Alright, that's a bit harsh, but defensively the Spaniard was significantly superior. At least momentarily, Liverpool will be weaker for it.

What has happened at Man Utd this summer, wasn't even possible in my dreams. They have lost both C.Ronaldo and Tevez and have replaced them with Valencia and Owen. That is a player who scored 90 odd goals over the last 3 seasons that has left their club, not to mention another attacker who was responsible for many key goals. Honestly, could anyone have envisaged such replacements? People mention how the defence is still there, but what they fail to realise is that the ability of their triumvirate(C.Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez/Berbatov) allowed them to keep many players back, thus maintaining defensive solidity. Those players were able to score goals by themselves, therefore reducing the need for extra support. As a result, the midfielders were able to sitback and the right fullback didn't have to support much either, as there was simply no need. Now that 2 of the 3 attackers have gone, Man Utd will no longer be able to attack with so few players. The attackers will require more support from the midfield and fullbacks, as they won't be able to win games with little support like in the past. Thus, ensuring that the Man Utd team will open up and send more support forward, resulting in the team becoming more prone to conceding. It was the quality of their attack that allowed them to be so strong defensively thanks to the extra defensive support, but the attack quality has now decreased, which means having to send more supporting players, equalling less defensive stability. I've never seen a Man Utd side under Ferguson that has started the season with so many question marks surrounding them. If there is one thing you would say about Fergie's players is that they are reliable, but this year they will be depending on many unknown quantities such as Nani, Anderson, Valencia, Rooney in his new role, Berbatov, Owen etc. Surely, Ferguson's going to sign someone... In saying that, I expect the new system to bring the best out of Rooney and at his best he could become a lethal player.

That leaves me with Chelsea, who is the one team I am not so sure about. They haven't lost any players, and have strengthened in some areas. The positive is that their squad is another year older, and that there are serious question marks regarding Ancelotti's temperement. He is known to do some daft things, and hopefully Chelsea are his staging ground. As I conclude this torturing post, I have shown with betting several friends(3 Man Utd and 2 Liverpool that we will finish ahead of them) that I truly believe what I have written. Knowing Arsenal, it could all go pear shape starting with Saturday, but the events so far has been nothing but warming.