Citeh A Weds 26th Apr KO 8pm

[John F]

So the dream ends tonight as many of us feared it would and some on here (no names) hoped it would!
Funny how they went missing on here when we even had the TV pundits convinced we could win it!
We've had a fantastic season!
Anyone on this forum whilst absolutely gutted, who can't be proud of the team this season, then , you need to take a reality check!
And to those (no names) who are delighted by tonights result AND YES YOU FUCKING ARE!
Just fuck off from this Arsenal Fans forum!
You know who you are !
And in case you don't !
Ah fuck it! I won't lower myself!

I have mixed feelings about Arteta. It is a credit to him for getting us to challenge in May. There have been some fantastic football played by this team notably the way we demolished the swamps in the first half at their place but I felt Teams worked out how to play against us and began to expose the inverted left-back tactic. Arteta either was reluctant or just could not counter that. His team selections and in-game management recently have been poor. I can tell you I am really pissed off about the last four games. I allowed myself to dream.

[SteveO 35]

Just like the Wenger days when Maureen saw him off time and time again, we'd bring up the old FFP nonsense

Well - all I can say is that the same people praying Chelsea would be hit 15 years ago and Ciry now, will be saying the same thing about Newcastle in 3-5 years time. Not one of those clubs will be restricted or punished

[BobbyPires7]

I remember people praying for years that Chelsea would get punished for years of blatantly ignoring the FFP "rules". They didn't and City won't. They've never been legally enforceable and never will be.

The gutless c.unts who run our game would rather deduct Rochdale a couple of points for fielding an illegible player, or relegate the likes of Rotherham, Luton and Derby by deducting them 20 odd points for being in financial distress

They will never ever do anything to City. Give up any hope of that happening

I agree but if they don’t do something City will win the League for 10 years in a row minimum.

That still won't stop the FA doing something....and in any event they won't because by financial rights they should have won every league since 2012. United, Chelsea, Leicester and Liverpool have all found a way to ensure that didn't happen

Their project was built over a decade or so. They are untouchable now. They were still on their journey to domination when they lost the odd title. Since Pep has been in situ for a few years they are literally untouchable apart from when Liverpool got the inhalers out.

[BobbyPires7]

Our only chance in this title was to retain a big enough lead to be able to lose away at City. We fucked it before last night. The players know that too. Arteta should have played experienced players but he doesn’t have any experience in management himself. I really hope we buck up because I can’t see where the next result is coming from.

[John F]

I'm a big believer that in tough away games against top sides, you need a real 'beefy' central midfield pairing.

City's midfield is probably the best in Europe and we had an off form Partey trying to stop them almost single handed. Does Arteta really think that Odegaard, Zinchenko and Saka/Martinelli are going to stop that midfield? FFS it's pretty basic stuff to see
You can't have a LB who is never in position and who cannot tackle anyway! You can't play a piece of Swiss Cheese ANYWHERE!

Arteta is as much of a problem as he is the driver of our rise (and fall) this season.

It crossed my mind during the game how would Vierra (man-sized one) and Petit have got on against this City side.

[augie]

5 additions right up the spine is what’s needed in the summer - 2 centre backs, 2 central midfielders and and a striker with a physical presence in an opposition box.

If that happens, then I'm presuming we are saying that the current players all need to be kept on in those positions as cover, otherwise we will be back to the same old shit. Jorginho and Partey can pick up the pieces in domestic cups and when the pressure is off, if Caceido and Rice joined. Likewise Saliba and Gabriel, and Jesus.

If they don't then as soon as any of the new signings get injured you're back to the likes of Holding, Elneny etc and the cycle continues

Exactly what made me think getting knocked out of the EL was a bad thing. Take the chances when they come. Win something. This squad will be entering a competition they have zero chance in

The elephant in the room in any discussion on future signings, is that the players who are not good enough and need to be replaced in the starting 11, are the players that arteta bought THIS SEASON (plus xhaka obviously) - does anybody realistically expect the basque fool to hold up his hands and admit that he bought the wrong players ?? Tierney will go and a left back will be brought in to replace him as back up to zinchenko, a centre midfielder will be brought in to replace partey and play alongside the swiss c.unt and odeargod, and we might buy a right back to back up white, and of course another winger to replace nelson Will any of that help us bridge the gap to city ??

[BobbyPires7]

You can’t compete with City. Hence my thread. What is realistic for us? I don’t think we can win anything with City around. They are going to get better and better and hoover up everything. That’s why something may be done about it.

[SteveO 35]

Our only chance in this title was to retain a big enough lead to be able to lose away at City. We fucked it before last night. The players know that too. Arteta should have played experienced players but he doesn’t have any experience in management himself. I really hope we buck up because I can’t see where the next result is coming from.

City's next 3 games are Fulham, West Ham and Leeds. There's 9 points hand served, so come 6th May they'd have 82 points from 34 games. We will have made the ever losing, ever conceding Chavs look like they've made a miraculous recovery by drawing to them, so would have 76 from 34. City might get bored at that point and drop points at Everton but we won't beat Newcastle or Brighton....so when it's all gone we will slap Forest and Wolves by 4 or 5 in each game. Its a perfect Wenger ending

[wibble]

Well that went as expected. Entirely predictable. So much so that I wasn’t even that bothered about the game which is ridiculous for a supposed ‘title fight’.

The games that did bother me were the fuck ups against West Ham and saints. Win both of them as we should have done and we’d still be 6 ahead of city even after they battered us.

Ah well. We have played some great football this season and have some great young players. Hopefully we tank chelsea next up

[SteveO 35]

You can’t compete with City. Hence my thread. What is realistic for us? I don’t think we can win anything with City around. They are going to get better and better and hoover up everything. That’s why something may be done about it.

You can't compete with City if you've got total wimps. Liverpool competed with City for 3 seasons because they bought winners like Van Dijk, Allison, Sarah, Mane etc and had a manager who was brave enough to boot out players who weren't up to standard. Partey, Xhaka, Gabriel wouldn't have lasted a minute under Klopp. When they missed out by 1 point having accumulated 99 points they went at it again hard, and got there. We are already talking about how we'll we've done and we will get nowhere near that points total

[cameron326]

Still possible Man City might seriously have the book thrown at them. Not only do they deserve it for their financial shithousery but it’s seriously in the PL interests to teach them a lesson which will also have the knock on effect of stopping the Premier League turning into a one team shitshow like the Bundesliga … how many more points to secure 2nd place?

[BobbyPires7]

You can’t compete with City. Hence my thread. What is realistic for us? I don’t think we can win anything with City around. They are going to get better and better and hoover up everything. That’s why something may be done about it.

You can't compete with City if you've got total wimps. Liverpool competed with City for 3 seasons because they bought winners like Van Dijk, Allison, Sarah, Mane etc and had a manager who was brave enough to boot out players who weren't up to standard. Partey, Xhaka, Gabriel wouldn't have lasted a minute under Klopp. When they missed out by 1 point having accumulated 99 points they went at it again hard, and got there. We are already talking about how we'll we've done and we will get nowhere near that points total

I’m a realist. We have shit the bed and because we shit the bed against Wham and Saints we were never getting anything but a hammering tonight. Because I set it out on a page I am apparently a fan of one of our rivals. I can see it. You can see it. Anyone with half an ounce of sense can see it. So why do we have to be optimists? Why can’t we call it out? This was so utterly predictable from the point we hung on for dear life against Liverpool. The whole season fell in on itself. We have no experience pros to stop the rot. We were living on momentum this season. It was a one off. A chance in a decade. We blew it and instead of believing we will kick on and go better next season people need to realise we are going to regress from 2nd (if we hang on for 2nd). I take no pleasure in this despite a few numpties saying I do (those numpties never setting foot in the ground themselves).

[cameron326]

It would be quite amusing if we now totally capitulate, finish about 15 points behind the oil state but 1 point ahead of Man Utd and are then awarded the 2022/23 PL title in August.

[BobbyPires7]

It would be quite amusing if we now totally capitulate, finish about 15 points behind the oil state but 1 point behind Man Utd and they are then awarded the 2022/23 PL title in August.

[Gunner Rob]

Only hope is that City keep on winning and winning EvErYtHING because then something will have to be done.

The Premier League can no longer keep up the pretence of a competitive league. - it is a one team domination, the like of which we haven’t seen before. scary