Match Reaction - Newcastle and all remaining games.

[Niall_Quinn]

You can't be that naive, NQ. It's a game full of mercenaries. Scapegoated because he can't do it on his own but in a season where we're out our lowest, people are now saying he's performing better than ever? Why? It's not a mystery.

No, the people who scapegoated him are saying he's performing better than ever. There's a difference. He was never as poor as those people make out. But when he smacks it into the net then suddenly he's performing well. It's a failure to appreciate his whole game and a desire to dwell on highlights, that's how some people judge performances. Even with Alexis, he's giving the ball away a lot so people are saying he's no use and should be dropped. Well maybe. But who are you going to replace him with? Who is going to make the runs he does? Who is going to be able to retain possession on the flanks and try (whether he succeeds or not) to get the ball into the danger zone as opposed to tamely tap it backwards? Ozil is the same. At least when he gets the ball there's some hope it might go forward. There's a hope he might try to make something happen, rather than panic. These accomplished players are vital to use, whether on form or off it, because they are a level above the rest of the team. Do we need them? Of course we bloody do, and more like them. It's amusing watching the praise being heaped on Wilshere - and good luck too him, it's good he's back and he remains one of our better players. But all he's doing is what Ozil and Alexis have been doing all along. Adding positive play and direction to what otherwise would be a total washout. Now if only Jack could to less of the diving in and harebraining around the place and focus more on his passing and movement, like Ozil does, he'd be a bigger asset.

It's this league that has led some many down the garden path on judging players. Sterling, for example. Believe it or not he's supposedly a great player. In that case, sure, Ozil doesn't charge all over the place and randomly thrash his boot at the ball. Alli, another worldbeater. I guess Ozil doesn't go in two footed enough? Or elbow enough opponents. Or dive enough.

Cut away all the hype and nonsense and Ozil is one of the few players holding this otherwise very average team together. It's his calmness and composure we need more than ever, but that's what he's getting slaughtered for. Not enough PL huffing and puffing and way too much culture. It's silly.

[Power n Glory]

No, the people who scapegoated him are saying he's performing better than ever. There's a difference. He was never as poor as those people make out. But when he smacks it into the net then suddenly he's performing well. It's a failure to appreciate his whole game and a desire to dwell on highlights, that's how some people judge performances. Even with Alexis, he's giving the ball away a lot so people are saying he's no use and should be dropped. Well maybe. But who are you going to replace him with? Who is going to make the runs he does? Who is going to be able to retain possession on the flanks and try (whether he succeeds or not) to get the ball into the danger zone as opposed to tamely tap it backwards? Ozil is the same. At least when he gets the ball there's some hope it might go forward. There's a hope he might try to make something happen, rather than panic. These accomplished players are vital to use, whether on form or off it, because they are a level above the rest of the team. Do we need them? Of course we bloody do, and more like them. It's amusing watching the praise being heaped on Wilshere - and good luck too him, it's good he's back and he remains one of our better players. But all he's doing is what Ozil and Alexis have been doing all along. Adding positive play and direction to what otherwise would be a total washout. Now if only Jack could to less of the diving in and harebraining around the place and focus more on his passing and movement, like Ozil does, he'd be a bigger asset.

It's this league that has led some many down the garden path on judging players. Sterling, for example. Believe it or not he's supposedly a great player. In that case, sure, Ozil doesn't charge all over the place and randomly thrash his boot at the ball. Alli, another worldbeater. I guess Ozil doesn't go in two footed enough? Or elbow enough opponents. Or dive enough.

Cut away all the hype and nonsense and Ozil is one of the few players holding this otherwise very average team together. It's his calmness and composure we need more than ever, but that's what he's getting slaughtered for. Not enough PL huffing and puffing and way too much culture. It's silly.

I don't care about replacing players at this point. Losing Ozil looks bad because he's a huge signing and it represents a step backwards for us. But unless the manager goes, the replacements won't matter.

As for the rest...I won't start with the whole back and forth thing with Ozil. It's all been said before.

[Niall_Quinn]

I don't care about replacing players at this point. Losing Ozil looks bad because he's a huge signing and it represents a step backwards for us. But unless the manager goes, the replacements won't matter.

As for the rest...I won't start with the whole back and forth thing with Ozil. It's all been said before.

They won't matter in terms of us mounting a real challenge. But they'll matter in terms of us collapsing into a deeper pit, both in terms of the reputation of the club and what we can produce on the pitch.

I agree, the round and around is pointless while this manager is here. Everything has been said and the remedy is so obvious there's no point saying Wenger Out anymore. Of course he should be out. Now. Today. It's a sick joke. Nothing can happen, nothing means anything, everything is a big fat nothing while that guy hangs on.

[Özim]

A narrow win against a side struggling for points, whoopedeedoo. If this is the best we can muster, we're in trouble.

and we thought last season was bad, the decline from top dogs and being the amongst the best around continues, we're not even the best of the rest anymore.

Wenger

Wish all jobs paid as well for such mediocre performance, if they did everyone would be driving around in sports cars and going to work on yachts.

[Letters]

Wenger

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

A narrow win against a side struggling for points, whoopedeedoo. If this is the best we can muster, we're in trouble.

and we thought last season was bad, the decline from top dogs and being the amonst the best around continues, we're not even the best of the rest anymore.

Wenger

Wish all jobs paid as well for such mediocre performance, if they did everyone would be driving around in sports cars and going to work on yachts.

Or more practically everyone at the club is on performance related pay

Wenger would have to file for bankruptcy

[selassie]

Or more practically everyone at the club is on performance related pay

Wenger would have to file for bankruptcy

[Cripps]

A narrow win against a side struggling for points, whoopedeedoo. If this is the best we can muster, we're in trouble.

and we thought last season was bad, the decline from top dogs and being the amongst the best around continues, we're not even the best of the rest anymore.

Wenger

Wish all jobs paid as well for such mediocre performance, if they did everyone would be driving around in sports cars and going to work on yachts.

Not declining

Slow rot

[selassie]

Whilst I think it’s embarrassing and a sign of how an arrogant, foolish and prevaricating old man assumes too much responsibility at the club, I don’t think in of itself apart from getting nothing for them that the departures themselves are too damaging as long as Wenger goes out the door with them in the summer. Along with a few other players.

We would require root and branch change of the squad regardless of the situation of those two. I’m still minded to try and keep faith with the likes of Wilshere, Bellerin, Mustafi, Kolasinac and even Iwobi. Lacazette goes without saying, but other than that it would be a case of the manager deciding who is salvageable and who isn’t.
I have no doubt to a man that almost every single player at the club would perform better under a new regime, but for some obviously there is just no rehabilitation and they will have to go.

I think there is going to be a shake up of the squad this summer regardless of whether Wenger stays or goes and it won't be because Wenger wants it but more a case of because many players are simply fed up.

We know that Ozil and Sanchez are 100% gone, the likes of Bellerin, Giroud, Walcott and Mustafi will most likely follow them out the door this summer.

Under a competent manager who has a plan I would be worried about the above but would have trust in him to at least go someway towards building a new team/squad, with Wenger in charge I am absolutely dreading this summer, if we think the past 10 years have been bad then this summer is going to be a trainwreck, it will be absolutely horrible watching our stars and a couple of useful first team/squad players leave only for them to be replaced internally or with totally unsuitable players, this is 100% what will happen with Wenger in charge, if anything he should be fired before any of these decisions are made because the long-term damage could be catastrophic.

[Letters]

and we thought last season was bad, the decline from top dogs and being the amongst the best around continues, we're not even the best of the rest anymore.

Actually... Our points, position and points off the top over the last 10 years has been:

2017 33 5th 19
2016 37 4th 9
2015 36 2nd 2
2014 30 6th 15
2013 39 1st 0
2012 30 4th 13
2011 33 5th 12
2010 35 2nd 3
2009 38 3rd 4 (but we had a game in hand that year)
2008 31 5th 8

Our average points at this stage over the last 10 years is 34.2, we are under than by 1.2 points but over 18 games it's not significant.
And while we have fewer points than we had at this stage for the last 2 years it's more than we had 3 years ago.
The only significant difference is the points off the top and I'd suggest that is more about City going mental than anything else.
In 2011 we had the same points, were in the same position and were 12 points off the top.

As I said previously, the real decline was a sharp one between 2004 and 2006, since then we've pretty much bumbled around going nowhere.
There really is no clear trend over the last 10 years apart from maybe enjoyability of the football.

It's certainly possible that we are in another period of decline now but it's not possible to say that for certain right now.