Don't misunderestimate Man City

[Bendtners Drinking Buddy]

You and Swale miss the point.

The point is City now have unlimited money just like Chelsea. I had this same argument with Arsenal fans five years ago.

Chelsea - said they - will never finish above Arsenal ( they based this on the fact that it had happened yet !). True it hadn't but if you have an unlimited spend sooner or later - and it tends to be sooner - you acquire the sort of players who do make up the ground on the teams above you. Now Chelsea are clearly above us and on a regular season by season basis.

As I said above 5 into 4 won't go.

We may well strengthen very soon. I certainly hope so !!!! And that will assist our cause. But City can now outspend us by £100 to every £1 we spend.

So the fight is really on.

Then surely this a reason to be even more behind Wenger's vision. If you think that money is the most important factor then we should be thankful that he has put in place a structure throughout the club that we can (hopefully) start producing large numbers of our own players from the youth sides.

Exactly, we have a fantastic youth policy with players who play fantastic football, and thats down to Wenger. Who knows how good some of those players will become.

[Bendtners Drinking Buddy]

THE STARK REALITY IS WE FINISHED ABOVE VILLA

That is the blind luck of last season.

And it's that kind of blinkered statement that cannot allow you to see past the failings of the club right now. Given a similar situation next year I imagine with 25 games gone and if we lie in fifth you'll be on here spouting how it's a 38 games season and what not.
My man, it is not a good thing to be in that kind of position no matter what the final outcome. Will you only see that if we come in fifth one year? Cos it'll be to bloody late by then pal.

If you look at my posts I can see where we need to improve pal, I dont make any concessions to the fact we are not currently good enough to win the league. I agree, we should not have been in that position, but we were and we had to react, hopefully it wont be the case next year with some good adittions to the squad.

It is your blinkered statements that cannot allow you to see that all is not as bleak as you make out.

[Gunnersaurus]

Oh wake up mate, the same young team finsihed 4th but when it came to the crunch they were completely outclassed.

I agree with what you say but it will only get the club so far.

[Number 5]

Exactly, we have a fantastic youth policy with players who play fantastic football, and thats down to Wenger. Who knows how good some of those players will become.

Oh dear god, did you watch many Arsenal games this season just gone?

We were fucking laboured most of the time and the fantasic football only came in fits and starts. Some of our football was awful to watch at times. CL Semi at Old Trafford being the absloute stand out prime example of it, closely followed by FA Cup Semi.

[Gunnersaurus]

This is exactly it, every year teams catch up, with that sort of spending power they are gonna catch up and maintain it quicker then the Fulhams, Villas and Evertons in the league.

For them it's not about buying the Kaka's of the world, it's about buying the Barry's, Given's and Bellamy's that know the drill, they are doing that and to think that they will be mid table because they were last year or the year before is just foolish.

Had Villa had City's spending power and bought in Jan then we would be looking at the Europa now.

Its hypothetical again though isn't it, if we had won every game 10-0 we would have won the league. It didn't happen though did it.

Yes naturaly but you are talking about a situation plucked out of the air, I'm talking about a situation that actually happened to show where we got away with it and that we might not be so lucky next time.

[Andrey's Tongue]

Oh wake up mate, the same young team finsihed 4th but when it came to the crunch they were completely outclassed.

I agree with what you say but it will only get the club so far.

Which is exactly what Swale, BDB and myself have been saying. In the end we were easily good enough for 4th but not good enough to challenge. Therefore some changes need to be made to be able to do this, we all have different views on how we should do this (2 good centre backs is mine) but it probably minor tweaks we need, not drastic surgery!

[Bendtners Drinking Buddy]

The point is Gunnersaurus is that in the long-term, when City may have the ability to make the jump , we will have players coming through and players established of very good quality.

Money doesnt assure you of anything, Chelsea had a very good manager and their most consistent performers i would argue (Terry and Lampard) were not bought for millions and millions but they have the ability, talent and attitude to succeed - that is what we need to make sure we have going forward.

[Number 5]

THE STARK REALITY IS WE FINISHED ABOVE VILLA

That is the blind luck of last season.

And it's that kind of blinkered statement that cannot allow you to see past the failings of the club right now. Given a similar situation next year I imagine with 25 games gone and if we lie in fifth you'll be on here spouting how it's a 38 games season and what not.
My man, it is not a good thing to be in that kind of position no matter what the final outcome. Will you only see that if we come in fifth one year? Cos it'll be to bloody late by then pal.

If you look at my posts I can see where we need to improve pal, I dont make any concessions to the fact we are not currently good enough to win the league. I agree, we should not have been in that position, but we were and we had to react, hopefully it wont be the case next year with some good adittions to the squad.

It is your blinkered statements that cannot allow you to see that all is not as bleak as you make out.

You point to a tiny part of the problems as reason to say you are not blinkered? Where is the admission that Wenger fucked up with tactics, substitutions, formations? No, I'm afraid I see a much bigger picture, I can see the team has potential if the right players are picked in the correct positions with a decent formation.

[Gunnersaurus]

Oh wake up mate, the same young team finsihed 4th but when it came to the crunch they were completely outclassed.

I agree with what you say but it will only get the club so far.

Which is exactly what Swale, BDB and myself have been saying. In the end we were easily good enough for 4th but not good enough to challenge. Therefore some changes need to be made to be able to do this, we all have different views on how we should do this (2 good centre backs is mine) but it probably minor tweaks we need, not drastic surgery!

But you are assuming that no one under will improve which is clearly not the case.

Mark my words if this club stands still in the Summer then it is going to be a long season.

[Bendtners Drinking Buddy]

Exactly, we have a fantastic youth policy with players who play fantastic football, and thats down to Wenger. Who knows how good some of those players will become.

Oh dear god, did you watch many Arsenal games this season just gone?

We were fucking laboured most of the time and the fantasic football only came in fits and starts. Some of our football was awful to watch at times. CL Semi at Old Trafford being the absloute stand out prime example of it, closely followed by FA Cup Semi.

All of them mate, and a good number of them live thankyou. if you read my post i was referring to the youth team!

We all know the squad needs improvements, but it doesnt need a complete overhaul as people suggest.

[Number 5]

The point is Gunnersaurus is that in the long-term, when City may have the ability to make the jump , we will have players coming through and players established of very good quality.

Money doesnt assure you of anything, Chelsea had a very good manager and their most consistent performers i would argue (Terry and Lampard) were not bought for millions and millions but they have the ability, talent and attitude to succeed - that is what we need to make sure we have going forward.

Wrong again, Lampard cost about £11 million 5 odd years ago. And that was a lot then, god knows what ot would be in today's market.

[Gunnersaurus]

The point is Gunnersaurus is that in the long-term, when City may have the ability to make the jump , we will have players coming through and players established of very good quality.

Money doesnt assure you of anything, Chelsea had a very good manager and their most consistent performers i would argue (Terry and Lampard) were not bought for millions and millions but they have the ability, talent and attitude to succeed - that is what we need to make sure we have going forward.

Wrong again, Lampard cost about £11 million 5 odd years ago. And that was a lot then, god knows what ot would be in today's market.

BDB I get what you are saying about the kids but in fairness the kids are not being intergrated into a team with Bergkamp, Henry, Vierra etc like when Cesc started playing, the new crop are getting intergrated into a young team that are still finding their own feet.

While the youth set up is impressive, when you look at it like I've pointed out then it's more a hinderance then a plus.

[Bendtners Drinking Buddy]

THE STARK REALITY IS WE FINISHED ABOVE VILLA

That is the blind luck of last season.

And it's that kind of blinkered statement that cannot allow you to see past the failings of the club right now. Given a similar situation next year I imagine with 25 games gone and if we lie in fifth you'll be on here spouting how it's a 38 games season and what not.
My man, it is not a good thing to be in that kind of position no matter what the final outcome. Will you only see that if we come in fifth one year? Cos it'll be to bloody late by then pal.

If you look at my posts I can see where we need to improve pal, I dont make any concessions to the fact we are not currently good enough to win the league. I agree, we should not have been in that position, but we were and we had to react, hopefully it wont be the case next year with some good adittions to the squad.

It is your blinkered statements that cannot allow you to see that all is not as bleak as you make out.

You point to a tiny part of the problems as reason to say you are not blinkered? Where is the admission that Wenger fucked up with tactics, substitutions, formations? No, I'm afraid I see a much bigger picture, I can see the team has potential if the right players are picked in the correct positions with a decent formation.

often referred to them in other posts and your last statement sums it up, and i agree with it - we do need some tweaking on certain things, but to say we are a team in crisis is wide of the mark IMO.

[Bendtners Drinking Buddy]

The point is Gunnersaurus is that in the long-term, when City may have the ability to make the jump , we will have players coming through and players established of very good quality.

Money doesnt assure you of anything, Chelsea had a very good manager and their most consistent performers i would argue (Terry and Lampard) were not bought for millions and millions but they have the ability, talent and attitude to succeed - that is what we need to make sure we have going forward.

Wrong again, Lampard cost about £11 million 5 odd years ago. And that was a lot then, god knows what ot would be in today's market.

BDB I get what you are saying about the kids but in fairness the kids are not being intergrated into a team with Bergkamp, Henry, Vierra etc like when Cesc started playing, the new crop are getting intergrated into a young team that are still finding their own feet.

While the youth set up is impressive, when you look at it like I've pointed out then it's more a hinderance then a plus.

100% agree, but as ive said before Wenger will hopefully address this - but you have to remember that team was unique and we cannot judge any other Arsenal team to that standard yet. Although I do hope we can reach that sort of level again. We do have some experience in the sqaud, its quality players in defensive positions i feel is holding the team back.

[Andrey's Tongue]

THE STARK REALITY IS WE FINISHED ABOVE VILLA

That is the blind luck of last season.

And it's that kind of blinkered statement that cannot allow you to see past the failings of the club right now. Given a similar situation next year I imagine with 25 games gone and if we lie in fifth you'll be on here spouting how it's a 38 games season and what not.
My man, it is not a good thing to be in that kind of position no matter what the final outcome. Will you only see that if we come in fifth one year? Cos it'll be to bloody late by then pal.

If you look at my posts I can see where we need to improve pal, I dont make any concessions to the fact we are not currently good enough to win the league. I agree, we should not have been in that position, but we were and we had to react, hopefully it wont be the case next year with some good adittions to the squad.

It is your blinkered statements that cannot allow you to see that all is not as bleak as you make out.

You point to a tiny part of the problems as reason to say you are not blinkered? Where is the admission that Wenger fucked up with tactics, substitutions, formations? No, I'm afraid I see a much bigger picture, I can see the team has potential if the right players are picked in the correct positions with a decent formation.

At last the answer, Number 5 for manager, how have we missed this!