Race for the Top 4 - 2018/19

[Colonel Dax]

And yet they are 2 points better off than when they had Wenger at the Helm. And a point worse off than the season before. Who knows how they will fair in the second half of the season. They are putting a lot of effort in now. Will they be able to sustain it? It’s just way way too early to be either confirming or dispelling how good they are. And my final point is that they smashed us last season at the emirates. Yes the score line was different but the game was almost identical. And it was also sandwiched in between so pretty big games from our side.

I agree it's too early to make bold predictions about how this Arsenal team will fare over the season and as I said they may well have a tailing off again. My point is that there are different variables at play this season, and in my view they're a bit better equipped. Here's hoping they have their usual collapse.

 

[shelfboy68]

well due to no draws this season, I'd have to go back over the 2 previous seasons, but I'm sure one of our 1st disagreements was over us drawing too many.

it might be very close at the end of the season, but at the moment I feel we can compete even if we need strengthening.

to be totally honest I can't wait for the season to finish this season, though going home might spark me into life

I have disagreements with lots of people so you could be right but on a serious note yes we do compete to a degree but only to a certain point, I mean can you honestly see the club being league champions again because I can't.
The team and the manager do the best they can and for that I applaud them but they can only get us so far, the rest has to come from serious investment which the club have no real desire to do so.

 

[slartibartfast]

 

[bat-chain]

This month we have away games at Leicester and Everton, two wins in these be absolutely massive as outside the other top 5 they are probably our toughest remaining fixtures.

 

[Lighty64]

I have disagreements with lots of people so you could be right but on a serious note yes we do compete to a degree but only to a certain point, I mean can you honestly see the club being league champions again because I can't.
The team and the manager do the best they can and for that I applaud them but they can only get us so far, the rest has to come from serious investment which the club have no real desire to do so.

nope don't see it with the money City can chuck about. only hope will be them and Chelsea finally suffer regulations that curb their spending. we missed our best chance when Leicester won it

 

[Gb160]

Right on cue, a funny rating from laughing boy aka @Gb160

I find your relentlessly negative outlook funny.
Apologies.

 

[shelfboy68]

nope don't see it with the money City can chuck about. only hope will be them and Chelsea finally suffer regulations that curb their spending. we missed our best chance when Leicester won it

Agree the year the top teams had a season off so over to the best of the rest spurs and well no not to be that was our moment gone and captured in time.

 

[shelfboy68]

Right on cue, a funny rating from laughing boy aka @Gb160

Listen mate @Gb160 does it to many people on here including myself it's only his opinion and sometimes I don't agree with him and have given him the laughing rating, but in all honesty he is a good poster who brings his slant to things whether right or wrong and I actually think he is an alright fella imo.

 

[Colonel Dax]

I find your relentlessly negative outlook funny.
Apologies.

Relentlessly negative? Don't think I am, but whatever.

Anyhow you dish out funny ratings all over the shop on here. I'd love to live in your world. Full of fun and hilarity.

 

[Colonel Dax]

Listen mate @Gb160 does it to many people on here including myself it's only his opinion and sometimes I don't agree with him and have given him the laughing rating, but in all honesty he is a good poster who brings his slant to things whether right or wrong and I actually think he is an alright fella imo.

Cheers mate I’ll bear that in mind

 

[Gb160]

Listen mate @Gb160 does it to many people on here including myself it's only his opinion and sometimes I don't agree with him and have given him the laughing rating, but in all honesty he is a good poster who brings his slant to things whether right or wrong and I actually think he is an alright fella imo.

Well people get all arsey when you dish out negs on here, so anything I find daft or boring just gets a funny these days.
You do like a moan, but you can also be quite upbeat so you kinda balance things out.

If I had my way there would only be one rating on here.

 

[Colonel Dax]

Well people get all arsey when you dish out negs on here, so anything I find daft or boring just gets a funny these days.
You do like a moan, but you can also be quite upbeat so you kinda balance things out.

If I had my way there would only be one rating on here.

You should change your avatar to a funny rating pic

 

[Doctor Dinkey]

Arsenal are a different proposition this season though. Good manager who has got the team motivated, couple of reinforcements to their squad which has helped with depth (Torreira, in particular) and no toxic Wenger out campaign.

They may well tail off in the 2nd half of the season but personally I think it's slightly wishful thinking to predict a collapse like in seasons past. They're a pretty good team now unfortunately.

I agree. They are a very serious proposition and with their new manager and renewed attitude, I simply can’t see them falling away like last year. And in Aubemyang they have a world class striker in terrific form.
My feeling is it will be very hard to finish above them this year. Our best bet of getting CL will be finishing above Chelsea I reckon.

 

[dricha1]

in the G4G I have us as 6pts better off

Probably down to how we substitute relegated and promoted teams?...

 

[Lighty64]

Probably down to how we substitute relegated and promoted teams?...

a shame I never had them different

the 3 promoted and the 3 relegated
Wolves - Swansea (1st -best loser)
Cardiff - Stoke (runner up - 2nd bottom)
Fulham - WBA (P/Off - Bottom)

if I'd had Wolves in place of WBA we would actually be 11pts better off

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Probably down to how we substitute relegated and promoted teams?...

It’s done quite simply with third from bottom last season replaced by championship winner, second bottom replaced by runner up and bottom replaced by the playoff winner. We are, game for game, 6 points better off than the equivalent matches last season. Plenty of last season’s draws have become wins and we lost both home to Chelsea and away to Utd last season, while Liverpool home is the only big negative swing.

 

[shelfboy68]

I agree. They are a very serious proposition and with their new manager and renewed attitude, I simply can’t see them falling away like last year. And in Aubemyang they have a world class striker in terrific form.
My feeling is it will be very hard to finish above them this year. Our best bet of getting CL will be finishing above Chelsea I reckon.

Or winning the Europa league

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

I agree. They are a very serious proposition and with their new manager and renewed attitude, I simply can’t see them falling away like last year. And in Aubemyang they have a world class striker in terrific form.
My feeling is it will be very hard to finish above them this year. Our best bet of getting CL will be finishing above Chelsea I reckon.

Really ? I think their defence and their goalkeeper are absolutely pants. They were fired up against us for 20 minutes at the beginning and in the second half we self imploded due to stupid individual errors, don’t for one second confuse that with thinking they are better than us because they aren’t. We will finish at least third and the two other London clubs will fight it out for fourth.

This place will feel very differently in 8 days time when we pull off one of our most famous ever victories at the Nou Camp.

 

[Timberwolf]

I agree. They are a very serious proposition and with their new manager and renewed attitude, I simply can’t see them falling away like last year. And in Aubemyang they have a world class striker in terrific form.
My feeling is it will be very hard to finish above them this year. Our best bet of getting CL will be finishing above Chelsea I reckon.

Really ? I think their defence and their goalkeeper are absolutely pants. They were fired up against us for 20 minutes at the beginningand in the second half we self imploded due to stupid individual errors, don’t for one second confuse that with thinking they are better than us because they aren’t. We will finish at least third and the two other London clubs will fight it out for fourth.

This place will feel very differently in 8 days time when we pull off one of our most famous ever victories at the Nou Camp.

I think the truth lies somewhere in between.

We didn't just lose because they were more fired up and we made individual errors. We lost because Emery had our number tactically and even though we couldn't keep the ball or get into the game, Poch didn't make any changes. Arsenal played well but we essentially hung ourselves out to dry. It was basically the Chelsea game in reverse.

I also don't think it will be very hard to finish above Arsenal. We have a great team, a great manager and great mental fortitude. Man for man we're better than them. However we also have dodgy fullbacks, a very patchy midfield and a tendency to shit the bed tactically against big teams. Over the course of the season we have every chance of finishing above Arsenal and/or Chelsea because our strengths outweigh our weaknesses, but we really need to sign a midfielder and hope Poch learns from his mistakes.

 

[Mr Pink]

Arsenal havn't been as good as people are making out. Yesterday they were, in a Derby at home in their biggest game of the season, but I plenty of other games they simply havn't been, lucky to beat Bournemouth last week.

It's how funny how opinions change so dramatically after ONE game lol.

They're improved no doubt but we're still the better team, and the league table will most definitely reflect that by the turn of the year.

We had a huge week that took it's toll whilst they had a breeze in comparison.

The energy levels looked poles apart and that's why it was quite an alarming watch.

We'll be back above them soon, probably Wednesday night, and they'll be in our rear view mirror for the rest of the season.