As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Robin_L wrote:Everton were hugely impressive, credible title challengers for me.
this one will look hilarious by march/april
Exactly. Everton are playing at more or less 100% at the moment, they certainly don't have another gear to move up to in terms of performance. Yet they're still 7 points off us, behind the Mousers and behind Citeh and Chelsea neither of whom have played to anywhere near their potential yet. Jesus for all Everton suddenly being the modern-day version of Cruyff's Dutch team they're 1 point ahead of Spurs who have been dreadful this year.
They're a well regimented team with a few very good footballers. Title challengers? Absolutely ludicrous, sustained top 4 challenge would surprise me.
Yea. I also dont get where some are coming from when they describe Everton at home as one of our "bigger games" and Everton as a "top side".
Possibly it was one of our "bigger games" because of the games to follow against City and Chelski?
But surely Chelsi and City should be the "top sides" and those are our "big games" not Everton at home? (Absolutely no disrespect to the toffees. I thought they played us very well and I for one underestimated them)
It's possible of course, with the exceptions of Fulham and the spuds, that we don't play a team above us in the prem again this season. Even not winning it ourselves it is still possible not to play a team above us at any time.
If we did win it and managed not to play another team above us from now til then, how the fcuk would we know we were the best?
Robin_L wrote:Everton were hugely impressive, credible title challengers for me.
this one will look hilarious by march/april
Exactly. Everton are playing at more or less 100% at the moment, they certainly don't have another gear to move up to in terms of performance. Yet they're still 7 points off us, behind the Mousers and behind Citeh and Chelsea neither of whom have played to anywhere near their potential yet. Jesus for all Everton suddenly being the modern-day version of Cruyff's Dutch team they're 1 point ahead of Spurs who have been dreadful this year.
They're a well regimented team with a few very good footballers. Title challengers? Absolutely ludicrous, sustained top 4 challenge would surprise me.
I agree with that but I have one quick question........have we got another gear to move up ? I honestly don't believe that this team/squad, as it currently stands, can do any better (points wise) than it currently is - are we expecting ramsey and giroud to continue scoring at the rate they have done to this point ? To this point we have been very lucky as regards the fitness of our KEY players - if Chesney, BFG or giroud were injured for any length of time then we would be in serious bother imo
Of course we don't know what, if any, business we will do in January but doesn't the same apply to everton and the rest of the teams at or near the top ? Of all the teams in the league, everton had far and away the best transfer business in the recent transfer window and I feel that Martinez has always been canny in the market. At a conservative estimate it appears everton made a profit of at least 10m in the last window and that takes some doing when you bring in the players they have so I would assume that they still have funds to invest if the right players are available
I'm not expecting everton to be genuine title challengers but, in a year where no team seems ready to take control of the league, I am expecting them to be in the shake up for top 4. Instead of us dismissing or disrespecting them, I think they (the club and the chairman) deserve massive credit for keeping the club as competitive as they have in recent seasons, especially considering that they have been on a very tight budget. Some of us are old enough to remember when Everton were one of THE big clubs in the English game and personally I would love to see them return to those days and when that day returns we will all enjoy piss taking the victims as they continue to be merseysides 2nd club
Steve_I wrote:Guess a top side is a team at the top?
It's possible of course, with the exceptions of Fulham and the spuds, that we don't play a team above us in the prem again this season. Even not winning it ourselves it is still possible not to play a team above us at any time.
If we did win it and managed not to play another team above us from now til then, how the fcuk would we know we were the best?
Steve_I wrote:Guess a top side is a team at the top?
It's possible of course, with the exceptions of Fulham and the spuds, that we don't play a team above us in the prem again this season. Even not winning it ourselves it is still possible not to play a team above us at any time.
If we did win it and managed not to play another team above us from now til then, how the fcuk would we know we were the best?
Easy. It is a footballing axiom as old as father time that the team that finishes with the most points in the division is therefore the best team that season. You are welcome.
augie wrote:[I'm not expecting everton to be genuine title challengers but, in a year where no team seems ready to take control of the league, I am expecting them to be in the shake up for top 4. Instead of us dismissing or disrespecting them, I think they (the club and the chairman) deserve massive credit for keeping the club as competitive as they have in recent seasons, especially considering that they have been on a very tight budget. Some of us are old enough to remember when Everton were one of THE big clubs in the English game and personally I would love to see them return to those days and when that day returns we will all enjoy piss taking the victims as they continue to be merseysides 2nd club
Completely agree Augie, thats what I was trying to say
2nd only to us in the longevity in the top flight AND they still have a Latin motto in their badge thats just about makes them tops for me
I've always liked Everton yet it's funny how the media never go on about the length of time they've gone without a title or even a trophy. Makes our barren period seem like a tea-break!!
Robin_L wrote:Everton were hugely impressive, credible title challengers for me.
this one will look hilarious by march/april
Exactly. Everton are playing at more or less 100% at the moment, they certainly don't have another gear to move up to in terms of performance. Yet they're still 7 points off us, behind the Mousers and behind Citeh and Chelsea neither of whom have played to anywhere near their potential yet. Jesus for all Everton suddenly being the modern-day version of Cruyff's Dutch team they're 1 point ahead of Spurs who have been dreadful this year.
They're a well regimented team with a few very good footballers. Title challengers? Absolutely ludicrous, sustained top 4 challenge would surprise me.
I agree with that but I have one quick question........have we got another gear to move up ? I honestly don't believe that this team/squad, as it currently stands, can do any better (points wise) than it currently is - are we expecting ramsey and giroud to continue scoring at the rate they have done to this point ? To this point we have been very lucky as regards the fitness of our KEY players - if Chesney, BFG or giroud were injured for any length of time then we would be in serious bother imo
Of course we don't know what, if any, business we will do in January but doesn't the same apply to everton and the rest of the teams at or near the top ? Of all the teams in the league, everton had far and away the best transfer business in the recent transfer window and I feel that Martinez has always been canny in the market. At a conservative estimate it appears everton made a profit of at least 10m in the last window and that takes some doing when you bring in the players they have so I would assume that they still have funds to invest if the right players are available
I'm not expecting everton to be genuine title challengers but, in a year where no team seems ready to take control of the league, I am expecting them to be in the shake up for top 4. Instead of us dismissing or disrespecting them, I think they (the club and the chairman) deserve massive credit for keeping the club as competitive as they have in recent seasons, especially considering that they have been on a very tight budget. Some of us are old enough to remember when Everton were one of THE big clubs in the English game and personally I would love to see them return to those days and when that day returns we will all enjoy piss taking the victims as they continue to be merseysides 2nd club
Here here, well done Messrs Kronke and Wenger
But seriously they're 4th at the moment and my point is they can't really hope to play any better than they have been, crudely put that's about the sum of their ambitions and imo it's unlikely they'll sustain anywhere near this level as they nearly always fade away and they're one or two injuries away from mediocrity.
I don't think we do have another gear to move up but then neither do we need one - if we were able to maintain our current level of performance consistently across the season AND produce it in the big games that would be enough to win the league.
No doubt about it, this season is going to hurt - badly.
I'm already in damage limitation mode by not allowing myself to get carried away now. But when (and unfortunately, it is when) we fuck it up, this place is going to go fucking apoplectic
