All or Nothing

[Letters]

Hasn't this man been hired to mount a proper title challenge, or is this no longer Arsenal FC?

Obviously that's the ultimate aim - well, it should be. But that has to be somewhat tempered by the reality of where we are right now and where we've come from.
Last year the top 2 were in their own little world. We were mixing it with everyone else and better than most but ultimately we finished 24 points off the title.
That feels like one hell of a bridge to gap in one season. If either or both of those sides is close to as good again, I can't see us seriously challenging them and I don't think that should be the criteria

The base criteria for success must surely be, at least, being in the hunt for the title during the last few weeks of the season, avoiding the usual catastrophic collapse that crushes all hope of serious competition, utilising the squad properly so we don't have to hear all the usual excuses about injuries, etc, etc. That sort of stuff that so signifies a string of seasons since the last real challenge.

I'd agree with all of that bar the first for the reason I outlined above.
You can't base your expectations on our best ever seasons, they have to be based on where we are now, and where we've come from in the last few years which is:

2019/20 - 8th 56Pts
2020/21 - 8th 61Pts
2021/22 - 5th 69Pts

There has been a bit of year on year progress and I think we've made good signings, but I don't believe this year a title challenge is realistic. It would be nice, obviously, but it's not the sole criteria I'd judge any Arsenal manager on this season given the last few years.

Why would scraping 4th with the usual margin between us and the eventual champions, followed by an embarrassing and inept showing in the Champions League be considered progress?

It wouldn't.

[fakeyank]

Are you being serious here or sarcastic?

Hopefully it's the latter but, if not, how would securing the fake achievement that brought the club down in the first place be grounds to retain the manager responsible? The Top 4 Trophy again? No, you can't possibly be serious.

Hasn't this man been hired to mount a proper title challenge, or is this no longer Arsenal FC?

The base criteria for success must surely be, at least, being in the hunt for the title during the last few weeks of the season, avoiding the usual catastrophic collapse that crushes all hope of serious competition, utilising the squad properly so we don't have to hear all the usual excuses about injuries, etc, etc. That sort of stuff that so signifies a string of seasons since the last real challenge.

Why would scraping 4th with the usual margin between us and the eventual champions, followed by an embarrassing and inept showing in the Champions League be considered progress? Because we finished 6th and put in embarrassing performances in the Europa League?

Is it possible to set the bar any lower?

Title challenge is unrealistic considering how far off the top 2 we are.. to me, a successful season would be finishing no less than 4th, playing good attractive football, not getting steamrolled against big teams (ex: 5-0 against City last season) and a FA cup or Europa league deep run.

[Letters]

Title challenge is unrealistic considering how far off the top 2 we are.. to me, a successful season would be finishing no less than 4th, playing good attractive football, not getting steamrolled against big teams (ex: 5-0 against City last season) and a FA cup or Europa league deep run.

Holy shit, I agree with FY about something.
And yeah, all that should be possible...assuming no FY visits to The Emirates of course...

[Niall_Quinn]

Title challenge is unrealistic considering how far off the top 2 we are.. to me, a successful season would be finishing no less than 4th, playing good attractive football, not getting steamrolled against big teams (ex: 5-0 against City last season) and a FA cup or Europa league deep run.

What, 3 years at a supposedly big club, a free hand, allegedly decent players already in place, and more money than the yanks ever gave Wenger or Dick?

Yeah, I forgot about the attractive (euphemism for competent if you ask me) football. Definitely add that to the list. It's something I've given up hoping for tbh. Certainly Arteta isn't capable of providing it, that much is painfully obvious.

Do you know, I'm having second thoughts about Wenger. Yes, he was fucked beyond all recognition by the time he was booted. But, for all his flaws, he had a lot of respect for the game as it should be played and that actually cost him against the horrible, cynical, cowardly bastards that call themselves coaches these days. Yes, Wenger was a man out of his time, but his time was better and the abject shite that managers like Arteta serve up today. They might beat Wenger in the league table but they'll never beat him in terms of providing what we all used to understand as football. Entertainment. Passion. Tribe. Our players used to fight in the tunnel, not kneel on the pitch and mince around in pink. Everything was blood red. Deadly as sharks we were, and just as vicious. Not this dead, gutted fish flopping around with fireworks exploding behind it and pampered fucks demanding a 10% share in the club just to turn up.

It was sad that Wenger eventually accepted 4th place as a trophy. That was his downfall. But it's criminal for the club and any fans dumb enough to buy into it to repeat that bullshit and then sell it as success.

Anyway, I don't watch it. So ignore me.

[HCZ_Reborn]

What, 3 years at a supposedly big club, a free hand, allegedly decent players already in place, and more money than the yanks ever gave Wenger or Dick?

Yeah, I forgot about the attractive (euphemism for competent if you ask me) football. Definitely add that to the list. It's something I've given up hoping for tbh. Certainly Arteta isn't capable of providing it, that much is painfully obvious.

Do you know, I'm having second thoughts about Wenger. Yes, he was fucked beyond all recognition by the time he was booted. But, for all his flaws, he had a lot of respect for the game as it should be played and that actually cost him against the horrible, cynical, cowardly bastards that call themselves coaches these days. Yes, Wenger was a man out of his time, but his time was better and the abject shite that managers like Arteta serve up today. They might beat Wenger in the league table but they'll never beat him in terms of providing what we all used to understand as football. Entertainment. Passion. Tribe. Our players used to fight in the tunnel, not kneel on the pitch and mince around in pink. Everything was blood red. Deadly as sharks we were, and just as vicious. Not this dead, gutted fish flopping around with fireworks exploding behind it and pampered fucks demanding a 10% share in the club just to turn up.

It was sad that Wenger eventually accepted 4th place as a trophy. That was his downfall. But it's criminal for the club and any fans dumb enough to buy into it to repeat that bullshit and then sell it as success.

Anyway, I don't watch it. So ignore me.

Whilst you do seem to live in the world of what should, or at least what you think should. The rest of us have to live in the world of what is instead of saying “I’m not playing today” and digging through the couch cushions for the bottle of Chivas Regal you think is hidden there.

Progress is a completely relative term. And whether or not we should be challenging for the title given the money Arteta has spent is a topic worthy of debate, the fact is we are where we are. I don’t think Arteta is the guy to take us forward, he has no personal skills, no charisma and the worst thing of all he’s governed by hubris. Tactically he is id say very astute but when you a) are about as likeable as Andy Murray and b) either you are clearly bringing in the wrong players or you have no influence over the transfer process and Edu is bringing in the wrong players which begs the question of why you’d call yourself a manager….this undercuts any tactical understanding.
But the nuts and bolts of it is, to challenge for the title we would have to go berserk in the transfer market…you’d be looking at minimum of 500 million spend to make us competitive.
Whether Arteta should be sacked for not incrementally making a team that is competitive in the time he’s had is an argument I guess, and whilst I think we should have done a lot better….I think it’s important to be realistic. Manchester City and Liverpool are not only the two best sides in England, they are the two best sides in club football currently (arguably with Bayern Munich a close third)
When these two sides are routinely winning well over 90 points, it becomes almost impossible to keep up with them.
Liverpool, whilst their fans are in total delusional mode about how much their club spend on transfers (they seem convinced they’ve done it without financial doping) aren’t quite as severe as City with it and with an ageing midfield they could be vulnerable to falling out of the top two but this would pre suppose Tottenham are in a position to take advantage.
City the only hope you have is that they have an off season once every five years (like they did when Liverpool won in 2020) because otherwise they are untouchable.
I think if we sign a central midfielder and a winger we could finish third, despite Arteta and his Aspergers….to win the league in the next few years we’d have to have a) a player of Salah like quality up front b) a player of van dijk quality at the back and c) City to have a ropey season. If all of these unlikely happenings occur….I still don’t think we could win the title whilst Arteta is coach and that might be another reason to sack him.
But ultimately Top 4 is a more realistic barometer of what to expect from him this season

[fakeyank]

Holy shit, I agree with FY about something.
And yeah, all that should be possible...assuming no FY visits to The Emirates of course...

I will be around Ireland/Northern Ireland first week of September aka around our game with Everton. I couldve shortened time in Ireland to be in London for the game but I didnt want to fuck up our chances anymore.




Now, if we are looking good come February/March, then I might just come down to say hello

[Niall_Quinn]

Whilst you do seem to live in the world of what should, or at least what you think should. The rest of us have to live in the world of what is instead of saying “I’m not playing today” and digging through the couch cushions for the bottle of Chivas Regal you think is hidden there.

When I read that I rushed off to the couch. Toss up between holding nose and bolting shitty drink or holding nose and reading words of wisdom from self proclaimed realist. I'm sure whatever you said delights you though, so it didn't go to total waste.

[fakeyank]

What, 3 years at a supposedly big club, a free hand, allegedly decent players already in place, and more money than the yanks ever gave Wenger or Dick?

Yeah, I forgot about the attractive (euphemism for competent if you ask me) football. Definitely add that to the list. It's something I've given up hoping for tbh. Certainly Arteta isn't capable of providing it, that much is painfully obvious.

Do you know, I'm having second thoughts about Wenger. Yes, he was fucked beyond all recognition by the time he was booted. But, for all his flaws, he had a lot of respect for the game as it should be played and that actually cost him against the horrible, cynical, cowardly bastards that call themselves coaches these days. Yes, Wenger was a man out of his time, but his time was better and the abject shite that managers like Arteta serve up today. They might beat Wenger in the league table but they'll never beat him in terms of providing what we all used to understand as football. Entertainment. Passion. Tribe. Our players used to fight in the tunnel, not kneel on the pitch and mince around in pink. Everything was blood red. Deadly as sharks we were, and just as vicious. Not this dead, gutted fish flopping around with fireworks exploding behind it and pampered fucks demanding a 10% share in the club just to turn up.

It was sad that Wenger eventually accepted 4th place as a trophy. That was his downfall. But it's criminal for the club and any fans dumb enough to buy into it to repeat that bullshit and then sell it as success.

Anyway, I don't watch it. So ignore me.

I disagree that we play shit football under Arteta. I think for the last 1/2 to 3/4 of last season, we played pretty good football with forward passes rather than sideways BS. So far, this preseason and also the game against CP, we looked to be always pushing from the front and making forward passes.

About Wenger, again, I disagree.. entertainment, passion you say?! Sorry, dont remember any of that under the last decade of Wengers career with us. And whats wrong with kneeling on the pitch or wearing pink? Besides kneeling on the pitch and wearing pink is not up to the managers or players. I quite frankly think that pink kit is fire! If I hadnt purchased the black away kit, I would have definitely bought that one.

[Niall_Quinn]

I disagree that we play shit football under Arteta. I think for the last 1/2 to 3/4 of last season, we played pretty good football with forward passes rather than sideways BS. So far, this preseason and also the game against CP, we looked to be always pushing from the front and making forward passes.

About Wenger, again, I disagree.. entertainment, passion you say?! Sorry, dont remember any of that under the last decade of Wengers career with us. And whats wrong with kneeling on the pitch or wearing pink? Besides kneeling on the pitch and wearing pink is not up to the managers or players. I quite frankly think that pink kit is fire! If I hadnt purchased the black away kit, I would have definitely bought that one.

Maybe everything has transformed since I last endured it? Good, if true. But I'm suspicious, especially at the claim we play forward passes. That seems highly unlikely, like men getting pregnant or "women" with beards and balls winning swim titles. Or actual men wearing pink kits because some woke marketing dick thinks he can appeal to woke dickless fans.

I'm talking about Wenger's core philosophy. His terrible decisions and compromises meant he had to sell out his principles in order to stem the trouncing at the hands of robot units programmed by the likes of Pepbot. He dug his own grave, not denying that. But he was never willingly abusive to the spirit of the game, except maybe in that cup final vs Utd.

It used to be a man's game but now it is something else and something far less engaging. It's okay of people like whatever it is now, it's just I don't. Personal preference and higher standards.

[The Wengerbabies]

I quite frankly think that pink kit is fire! If I hadnt purchased the black away kit, I would have definitely bought that one.