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.
it is shaping up to be almost a replica of 2007/08 where we will lead going into March and then a winless run of games which will see us down to 3rd/4th and then a late run of wins by which time the title will have already been lost
I hate comments like that. It has absolutely nothing to do with this season. You could say it is shaping up to be like the 03/04 season when we won it, given we ar eone point behind the Invincible side. Just look at this season, not previous ones.
This team has proved since Feb 2008 time and time again that it doesn't have the bottle when it comes to the crunch. 2008 title race? Blew it. 2008 CL vs Liverpool? Panicked. 2009 CL semis? Eviscerated. 2009 FA Cup semi? Brushed aside. 2011 Carling Cup final? Humbled. Nearly every game at Old Trafford? Absent. Vast majority of games against Chelsea? Overpowered. FFS we haven't won a league game at the Scum in that time and have managed to surrender 3 2-goal leads against them in that time.
If Wenger proves me wrong - as I sincerely hope he does - I will be delighted to admit that I was well off the mark. If, as most on here predict, things go pear-shaped again this season will you do the same? Or will you be trotting the same lines in 10 or 11 months time before burying your head in the sand again?
northbank123 wrote:
This team has proved since Feb 2008 time and time again that it doesn't have the bottle when it comes to the crunch. 2008 title race? Blew it. 2008 CL vs Liverpool? Panicked. 2009 CL semis? Eviscerated. 2009 FA Cup semi? Brushed aside. 2011 Carling Cup final? Humbled. Nearly every game at Old Trafford? Absent. Vast majority of games against Chelsea? Overpowered. FFS we haven't won a league game at the Scum in that time and have managed to surrender 3 2-goal leads against them in that time.
If Wenger proves me wrong - as I sincerely hope he does - I will be delighted to admit that I was well off the mark. If, as most on here predict, things go pear-shaped again this season will you do the same? Or will you be trotting the same lines in 10 or 11 months time before burying your head in the sand again?
I dont think you'd need to admit being well off the mark. In fact you're right on the money.
Its a perfectly legitimate position to hold given our track record.
as much as I agree with NB's sentiments did we have such an assured keeper in '08 with chesney? our back four these days is much more solid and organised. The communication and maturiy between BFG and kos is far superior than between gallas and toure. I totally agree that we'll most probably get run down in the end and finish third or fourth but it won't be such a fiery capitulation as in previous years. We could easily win at anfield and beat united at home, by then of course the agenda from wenger will be "a top 4 finish would be success" and the emirates faithful will start to lower expectations accordingly, but I still think we have come on in that time.
One thing I'm 100% sure of is that our lot will give it a bloody good go. That's all you can ask for. The rest is on Wenger and the question of a lack of a top quality striker will arise should we fail at the last hurdle.
LeftfootlegendGooner wrote:16 games to go so of course we can do it, shitty do look good at the moment though, just hope their away form stays inconsistent.
Chavski are grinding out results like us so can't see them winning it.
DEEEEEEEELOOOOOOOODIIIIIIIIID. unless you mean we're gonna win the Steve0 trophy
1989 wrote:One thing I'm 100% sure of is that our lot will give it a bloody good go. That's all you can ask for. The rest is on Wenger and the question of a lack of a top quality striker will arise should we fail at the last hurdle.
Genuine question....what do you define as giving it " a bloody good go" ? I'm assuming the timid performances at manure and Napoli don't qualify but does the performances v Cardiff, Fulham and villa (2nd half) come into that class cos they were woeful
it is shaping up to be almost a replica of 2007/08 where we will lead going into March and then a winless run of games which will see us down to 3rd/4th and then a late run of wins by which time the title will have already been lost
I hate comments like that. It has absolutely nothing to do with this season. You could say it is shaping up to be like the 03/04 season when we won it, given we ar eone point behind the Invincible side. Just look at this season, not previous ones.
This team has proved since Feb 2008 time and time again that it doesn't have the bottle when it comes to the crunch. 2008 title race? Blew it. 2008 CL vs Liverpool? Panicked. 2009 CL semis? Eviscerated. 2009 FA Cup semi? Brushed aside. 2011 Carling Cup final? Humbled. Nearly every game at Old Trafford? Absent. Vast majority of games against Chelsea? Overpowered. FFS we haven't won a league game at the Scum in that time and have managed to surrender 3 2-goal leads against them in that time.
If Wenger proves me wrong - as I sincerely hope he does - I will be delighted to admit that I was well off the mark. If, as most on here predict, things go pear-shaped again this season will you do the same? Or will you be trotting the same lines in 10 or 11 months time before burying your head in the sand again?
it is shaping up to be almost a replica of 2007/08 where we will lead going into March and then a winless run of games which will see us down to 3rd/4th and then a late run of wins by which time the title will have already been lost
I hate comments like that. It has absolutely nothing to do with this season. You could say it is shaping up to be like the 03/04 season when we won it, given we ar eone point behind the Invincible side. Just look at this season, not previous ones.
This team has proved since Feb 2008 time and time again that it doesn't have the bottle when it comes to the crunch. 2008 title race? Blew it. 2008 CL vs Liverpool? Panicked. 2009 CL semis? Eviscerated. 2009 FA Cup semi? Brushed aside. 2011 Carling Cup final? Humbled. Nearly every game at Old Trafford? Absent. Vast majority of games against Chelsea? Overpowered. FFS we haven't won a league game at the Scum in that time and have managed to surrender 3 2-goal leads against them in that time.
If Wenger proves me wrong - as I sincerely hope he does - I will be delighted to admit that I was well off the mark. If, as most on here predict, things go pear-shaped again this season will you do the same? Or will you be trotting the same lines in 10 or 11 months time before burying your head in the sand again?
In what sense is the 2008 team "this team"?
Substitute it with "this club" if it makes you happier. Point is that the same core failings that trumped us then have run through the club ever since without being addressed:
1) A lack of sufficient strength in depth
2) Setting the bar far too low
3) Not turning up on the big occasions time and time again.
Players may have nearly all changed and we have been heading in the right direction for the last 12 months or so but I haven't seen anything to convince me that any of those points above have been addressed since 2008.
it is shaping up to be almost a replica of 2007/08 where we will lead going into March and then a winless run of games which will see us down to 3rd/4th and then a late run of wins by which time the title will have already been lost
I hate comments like that. It has absolutely nothing to do with this season. You could say it is shaping up to be like the 03/04 season when we won it, given we ar eone point behind the Invincible side. Just look at this season, not previous ones.
This team has proved since Feb 2008 time and time again that it doesn't have the bottle when it comes to the crunch. 2008 title race? Blew it. 2008 CL vs Liverpool? Panicked. 2009 CL semis? Eviscerated. 2009 FA Cup semi? Brushed aside. 2011 Carling Cup final? Humbled. Nearly every game at Old Trafford? Absent. Vast majority of games against Chelsea? Overpowered. FFS we haven't won a league game at the Scum in that time and have managed to surrender 3 2-goal leads against them in that time.
If Wenger proves me wrong - as I sincerely hope he does - I will be delighted to admit that I was well off the mark. If, as most on here predict, things go pear-shaped again this season will you do the same? Or will you be trotting the same lines in 10 or 11 months time before burying your head in the sand again?
In what sense is the 2008 team "this team"?
Substitute it with "this club" if it makes you happier. Point is that the same core failings that trumped us then have run through the club ever since without being addressed:
1) A lack of sufficient strength in depth
2) Setting the bar far too low
3) Not turning up on the big occasions time and time again.
Players may have nearly all changed and we have been heading in the right direction for the last 12 months or so but I haven't seen anything to convince me that any of those points above have been addressed since 2008.
Agreed. And I'd also add (in addressing LDB's question) a two word answer; Arsene Wenger.
I personally think we've been performing at 100% capacity for the last 3 months minimum. We are punching above our weight in many ways and while it's great to see, if Wenger doesn't get SOMEONE in to support this side and make a statement that we are going to give it a damn good go, I don't see us being top for much longer.
I really, really WANT to believe and be optimistic but too much has happened since the last time we won the league and the pressure is immense now. I'm taking it game by game and hoping we turn up in the big ones as well (hope being the operative word).
I don't think we'll be at the top of the table again between now and the end of the season. We're a good team but I don't see the arabs slipping up at all. Their best results appear to be against the better teams and they're scoring for fun at the moment.
no way will City lose the title now.
the only way we could have kept in touch was by beating Southampton and hope that City dropped points at Spurs.
the reverse has happened.
just think City are AHEAD of us before we go into our difficult period of games.
we will be lucky to finish within 10 points of them.
