Reasonable Expectations

[Letters]

What are we expecting this year? I get the impression from some people that they feel Wenger will have failed if we don't win the league. I don't see it that way. At the start of the season it didn't even cross my mind that we would be anywhere near the title. The last 2 seasons we've just about crawled into the top 4 on the last day, last summer's transfer window seemed like a fiasco and although the 11th hour signing of Ozil was a good one I didn't think it would be enough to help us have a serious title challenge. The issue at the start of the season was whether we could stay in the top 4, not whether we could win the league.


We're competing with teams who have infinite resources and not only are we competing with them, we're actually ahead of them at the moment. Not bad for a bumbling idiot who gets called every name under the sun on here. This season has been remarkable so far and while I'm still not convinced we'll stay above the billionaires there's a clear improvement this year. Enough to make me content with the direction the club are heading in.


It has to be said that some of Wenger's decisions are baffling, we clearly need more up front and all we do in the transfer window is sign a midfielder who's injured :lol:. But for all the times I want to strangle him, he's built another very good side who are up there competing with the best of them. I don't think winning the title should be the only criteria for success.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Anything short of world domination is unacceptable.

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[Xhaka Can’t]

In all seriousness, I don't know how Wenger is doing it, but as of right now, he is. You may not like what happened in the transfer market, but I fail to understand how people can't get behind him and be happy about what this team has done to date. We are literally miles ahead of all the real football clubs in this league.

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[Letters]

Anything short of world domination is unacceptable.

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Your face is unacceptable <_<

[Marc Overmars]

Just happy to be competing for the title again, would have laughed if someone said we'd be in this position back in the summer. As long as we take it to the wire I'll be content, I just don't want us to suddenly bomb like we have done when we've looked competitive in the past. Too many false dawns.

[Niall_Quinn]

Well, Wenger will definitely have failed if he doesn't win the title because surely that's what a club of our stature sets out to do each year. You can't call not winning it success. But it's also true there are reasons beyond his control why failure might be the end result. There are reasons within his control too, but we all know that.

My expectation is for us to go on and win the title. Why not? 24 games in and so far we're the best team in the league, the table confirms it. 14 games left in which to keep on doing what we have been doing. Even if the fans don't expect success I at least hope the players and manager do. If we don't win it but at least give it 100% until the end of the season then you hold your hands up and say you were beaten by the better team. If we don't give it 100% all the way then that's a massive problem.

[Niall_Quinn]

Just happy to be competing for the title again, would have laughed if someone said we'd be in this position back in the summer. As long as we take it to the wire I'll be content, I just don't want us to suddenly bomb like we have done when we've looked competitive in the past. Too many false dawns.

Sounds like Moyes at Utd, just happy to be there. We're top whether we expected to be or not and sure we're all happy about this unexpected surprise. But the media is doing enough of treating us like guests that have outstayed their welcome, no need for people connected to the club to be doing the same. We've played ourselves into the mix and deserve our spot at the top of the table. Just need to close it out now for a seriously remarkable achievement against the comedy duo chasing us.

[WMUG]

I still think we'll finish 2nd behind City, although our chances of winning the thing are much higher now that they've lost at home and there won't be that mental block over visiting teams going there. They're much more likely to drop points at home now, I reckon. Make no mistake, last night was a fantastic result for us.

We have a decent chance in the Cup as long as we beat Liverpool (obviously) given one of the two Scum clubs will be out and the rest, Everton apart, are pub teams.

CL-wise, doubt we'll get past Bayern, quarters at best IMO.

[Zerlathon]

As long as we gave it a good go, then I would not mind if we won nothing.

At the end of the day, only 1 Team can win... As long as long as I get the impression that our Team has actually given a sh*t and tried (which if we are being honest here hasn't really looked like it over seasons past) then I will quite happily cheer for them even if they lose.

Obviously I would love it if we won something, but come the end of the Season if we are scrapping it out for 1st Place then I will say we have come leaps & bounds from the last (which is more than enough to warrant a new contract fro Wenger imho).

Also, we are starting to see the fruits of the hard work from the past decade... To chuck the Man who was ultimately a major factor of this seems a little harsh to me.

[Power n Glory]

No idea what will happen from here on but our failure to strengthen in January really pisses me off. I know the players will give their all until the season is over but it would be nice if the management and staff could say the same. The last minute shop around for a crocked player is pretty unbelievable. We've seen the team really push on to stop repeating the same sort of mistakes during a match that would usually cost us points and we really need to see the same sort of effort from management.

One or two good signings and if would have been reasonable to expect a title push but I'm really not so sure now.

[fakeyank]

As long as we gave it a good go, then I would not mind if we won nothing.

At the end of the day, only 1 Team can win... As long as long as I get the impression that our Team has actually given a sh*t and tried (which if we are being honest here hasn't really looked like it over seasons past) then I will quite happily cheer for them even if they lose.

Obviously I would love it if we won something, but come the end of the Season if we are scrapping it out for 1st Place then I will say we have come leaps & bounds from the last (which is more than enough to warrant a new contract fro Wenger imho).

Also, we are starting to see the fruits of the hard work from the past decade... To chuck the Man who was ultimately a major factor of this seems a little harsh to me.

:gp: for the most part

Completely agree that I will applaud as long as we give a shit. Quite a few of the matches, I feel our players dont turn up. If they turn up, give their all, I will not complain.

Dont agree with giving AW a contract even if we win nothing part. I do not think he did his best in this transfer or the one in summer. I really hope some how the players come through... they deserve it!

[IBK]

Football isn't fixed in place. We have definitely exceeded expectations that we had at the beginning of the season. We have failed to show title winning aspirations, though, whatever our current league position. That's what frustrates. If we prevail I will be as amazed and happy as any Arsenal fan. But it will almost seem that we have defied expectations, and I challenge anyone to make a proper case otherwise.

[Syn]

I expect us to reach 84-86 points. If anyone gets more, fair play to them. If we fall short of that, it'll still be progress from last year but a little disappointing.

[KSE Comedy Club]

This is a difficult one to answer.

I would love, LOVE for us to win the title this year. It would piss everyone off especially Jose and the Arabs at citeh, then all the media twats that arse lick anything they do! But I wouldn't be calling for wengers head if we don't.

I'm with PnG on the transfer front. Wenger has taken the piss with another failed transfer window. Im not interested in what other clubs did or didn't do, who they bought or couldn't get - don't give a flying fuck. What matters to me and what I'm interested in is what Wenger and Arsenal do. In these two windows, he hasn't done enough.

However, if he manages to strengthen well in the summer and start next season with a stronger squad, then whatever happens this season, we will kick on from it and do even better next time.

It's a tough one to call over his new contract. Ultimately it runs out soon so something had to be done, but he can't go on forever, there wil come a time when he has to step down, but I'm not sure now is the right time when he is just starting to get a new lease of life with this current team.

Still, I would expect us to win something this year, if we don't then questions do have to be asked why, when we were in such a strong position to do so.

[Letters]

A lot of good posts on this thread.

I agree that if we go close but ultimately fail then I won't be too disappointed. Well, I'll be disappointed but I won't be calling for Wenger's head. If we are beaten by a team who have spent a billion quid blundering their way to success then fine. We could have done a bit more but whatever we do we'll never have their resources. A complete capitulation and collapse would disappoint me more.

[Xhaka Can’t]

I agree we could have done more in this window, but I don't think we could have done enough to match peoples expectations.

We are clearly a more competitive team now and we are clearly better organised and we are miles ahead of the other teams that aren't bankrolled with infinite amounts of money.

This is an improvement that has been sustained now for almost a year. Where there have been setbacks, we have recovered from them when previously we would have collapsed,

Additionally, we have players in our team that have grit and they have over the past couple of years morphed from a group of individuals, very few of whom I cared about to a cohesive group who I am proud to support.

I think we will push on in the market and we will do something in the Summer. But even with what for us is an embarrassment of riches, it is money that when spent has an opportunity cost. Perhaps spending on January meant we were to be restricted from executing plans in the Summer? Who knows for sure. But we could have done more IMO.

As for expectations. I think we will finish 2nd or 3rd. What I hope for is that we can maintain the challenge as long as possible and do well during crunch periods.

As for Cups, they always have been something of a crap shoot. Put out good teams for the FA Cup, and I am happy.

I'm proud of this team. After the last few years of at times feeling there is no hope at all, we've made great strides.

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[selassie]

I am pretty much with NQ on this. Reasonable Expectations are for us to win the League now given our current position and how we have fared this season.

Of course many of us didn't predict our current outcome but now we are in this position we need to do as much as possible to consolidate it.

Certain things like injuries are out of our control but squad strengthening isn't and I would have like Arsene to have done a whole lot more to strengthen the squad. He didn't and we are where we are.

Honestly, I would be disappointed if we didn't at the very least push for the title right up until the wire and reach a cup final. The team is good enough for this, we have a squad full of international players and it's about time we saw some silverware.

[Power n Glory]

I agree we could have done more in this window, but I don't think we could have done enough to match peoples expectations.

I expect a professional and whole hearted attempt to strengthen the squad when required. That Kallstrom signing says a lot about the way we operate. It’s like a kid handing in a sloppy piece of homework and you can tell it’s a last minute rush job. It certainly doesn’t help when Wenger complains about the transfer window each year and talks of having it scrapped. Does he have a genuine gripe with the window or are we too lazy to do the work? I think back to school days and the kids that would often put up a fuss about homework would often hand in the worst piece of work or not bother at all. It doesn’t look good. Our scouting network should be doing more to identify potential targets. We didn’t just have January. What’s stopping them from looking from as early as October?

Imagine if the players lost a match but we found out they’d been taking it easy in training, mucking around, failed to do any research on the opposition and just planned on winging it on match day. We wouldn’t accept that and we expect better from our players. The same must be applied to the scouting team and our transfer policy. It goes beyond the price tags. Something is wrong with the research, just as we saw this summer with that Luis Suarez phantom clause cock up. I hope to see an improvement next summer because it hasn’t always been this bad.

[Letters]

I still think we'll finish 2nd behind City, although our chances of winning the thing are much higher now that they've lost at home and there won't be that mental block over visiting teams going there. They're much more likely to drop points at home now, I reckon. Make no mistake, last night was a fantastic result.
:good:

We needed someone to get something there to show it could be done.

[selassie]

I expect a professional and whole hearted attempt to strengthen the squad when required. That Kallstrom signing says a lot about the way we operate. It’s like a kid handing in a sloppy piece of homework and you can tell it’s a last minute rush job. It certainly doesn’t help when Wenger complains about the transfer window each year and talks of having it scrapped. Does he have a genuine gripe with the window or are we too lazy to do the work? I think back to school days and the kids that would often put up a fuss about homework would often hand in the worst piece of work or not bother at all. It doesn’t look good. Our scouting network should be doing more to identify potential targets. We didn’t just have January. What’s stopping them from looking from as early as October?

Imagine if the players lost a match but we found out they’d been taking it easy in training, mucking around, failed to do any research on the opposition and just planned on winging it on match day. We wouldn’t accept that and we expect better from our players. The same must be applied to the scouting team and our transfer policy. It goes beyond the price tags. Something is wrong with the research, just as we saw this summer with that Luis Suarez phantom clause cock up. I hope to see an improvement next summer because it hasn’t always been this bad.

:gp:

Totally agree.

[Zerlathon]

Although I have to share the sentiments that you all have with regards to our "business" this January, I think it's worth bearing in mind that the World Cup is in the Summer...

Well, at least it softened the blow for me anyway. :P

[Xhaka Can’t]

I expect a professional and whole hearted attempt to strengthen the squad when required. That Kallstrom signing says a lot about the way we operate. It’s like a kid handing in a sloppy piece of homework and you can tell it’s a last minute rush job. It certainly doesn’t help when Wenger complains about the transfer window each year and talks of having it scrapped. Does he have a genuine gripe with the window or are we too lazy to do the work? I think back to school days and the kids that would often put up a fuss about homework would often hand in the worst piece of work or not bother at all. It doesn’t look good. Our scouting network should be doing more to identify potential targets. We didn’t just have January. What’s stopping them from looking from as early as October?

Imagine if the players lost a match but we found out they’d been taking it easy in training, mucking around, failed to do any research on the opposition and just planned on winging it on match day. We wouldn’t accept that and we expect better from our players. The same must be applied to the scouting team and our transfer policy. It goes beyond the price tags. Something is wrong with the research, just as we saw this summer with that Luis Suarez phantom clause cock up. I hope to see an improvement next summer because it hasn’t always been this bad.

I think we will push on in the market and we will do something in the Summer. But even with what for us is an embarrassment of riches, it is money that when spent has an opportunity cost. Perhaps spending on January meant we were to be restricted from executing plans in the Summer? Who knows for sure. But we could have done more IMO.
..

[I am invisible]

Seeings how we haven't strengthened in January, my expectations for the rest of this campaign are simply that the players and the manager give it their best effort, right up until the end, even if we ultimately don't have enough to win something. If we show the same attitude and focus, and go on the same kind of consistent run that we did in the tail-end of last season, then I'll be pretty pleased with our progress as a team, even if I'm left with that feeling of what could have been if we'd done something big in January. Having said that, I do still expect us to finish AT LEAST in the top 3, and without a vast points gap between us and the winners (hopefully that'll be us though).

Again, expectations for the summer and next season are pretty simple: add the players (of sufficient quality) that we lack to the squad, start adding a bit more flair and a few more goals to the consistency and stability we've worked hard to build, for the manager to continue to show that he's willing to adapt and change if/when he has to, and to keep pushing the big spenders - I'll stop short of saying I expect a trophy, but I do expect us to be right up there from now on...

[AFC Leveller]

3rd would represent progress whichever way you look at it. However, having lead the league for about 20/24 games so far, you cant help but get your hopes up and look at the big prize as a realistic target.

However, our limitations upfront our common knowledge and the teams competing with us are stronger and have strong backs ups so for me, 2nd would be a great season and third good but disapointing.

[I am invisible]

I'm using the eventual points gap as my yardstick - anything less than winning the league will obviously be disappointing given how close we are, and how long we've led for, but if there's only something like 3-5 points between 1st and 3rd by the end of the season, then I think we can call anywhere in that top 3 a good effort (especially given the competition)...

[RomfordPele]

Not wanting to be a gloom merchant, but what if we have a dreadful February and March and slip back to 4th (Scousers would only be five behind with a win at the weekend, and have a fairly easy set of fixtures coming up). Would the consensus then be that Wenger should go at the end of the season? Or do you think a good 12 month run is enough to give him the benefit of the doubt?

[Özim]

Expectations after 8 years with nothing is for us to win something, whilst progress is great this January transfer window for me is evidence of things to come and the main reason why I think Wenger's days are most likely behind him.

Sure we've done well this season (though it has to be said our football has been comparatively dull, it's certainly not title winning football stylewise and has been efficient rather than impressive), but we need more than that, we need evidence we're actually committed to being successful and that for me involves signing players you need when you need them.

If we come 2nd/3rd this season then what? For me we'd need to strenghten and sign players in the right areas this summer, none of this last minute scramble for anything we can find as we always seem to do, planned approach for a list of players we want and deals conclude promptly.

Won't happen of course and IMO I don't see us winning anything either as I think we've missed a trick by not signing what we needed when well place in January. In the end the tough games and injuries will catch us up and we'll come unstuck as we have for as long as I can remember, not the players fault, the management for not planning for the run we knew we were going to have.

There lies the problem for me, whereas most managers will go out and find the players they think they need, we don't we sit there seemingly forever waiting for something to happen, sometime going after players who are basically never going to move and wasting weeks/months on a fruitless pursuit, we never seem to alternatives line-up.

We were top a few years back of course, arguably with a more cavalier approach, but in the end we lost our way and we didn't build on what we had, that's noone but the manager's fault IMO, due to the way he approaches the game.

[Xhaka Can’t]

That post is so lacking in context.

[Niall_Quinn]

Here's some of the shit we've had to put up with so far this season.


http://youtu.be/D807eXv94mg

[Syn]

Here's some of the shit we've had to put up with so far this season.


http://youtu.be/D807eXv94mg

:lol:

I was thinking about that before actually - that even though our games have seemed quite dull, our goals have usually been very easy on the eye. Obviously you'd take a goal in any context but we've finished off moves in style.

[Syn]

Also, from that video, Ramsey is fucking awesome.

[Niall_Quinn]

Also, from that video, Ramsey is fucking awesome.

And fucking injured. But of course. Would have loved to see if he could have kept that form going for a season.

[Özim]

That post is so lacking in context.

Whatever you say grandad.

[Syn]

And fucking injured. But of course. Would have loved to see if he could have kept that form going for a season.

He would've. Without wishing to sell him short, he basically kills opponents in the second half because he can out-run anybody. Incredible stamina.

[Özim]

Here's some of the shit we've had to put up with so far this season.


http://youtu.be/D807eXv94mg

Yes the goals have been good, but most of our matches have been fairly dull to watch, it's not champagne football that's for sure, as has been mentioned before by other posters we're probably the least entertaining of the top teams.

Using youtube videos isn't very credible either, they make even the worst footballer look good on there.

[Niall_Quinn]

Are you saying all those goals were photoshopped? And we're less entertaining than the chavs? Nope.

[Özim]

Incidentally, the game I enjoyed the most was when we beat Spurs in the cup, that was proper football for me, pacey, incisive and brilliant.

[Özim]

Are you saying all those goals were photoshopped? And we're less entertaining than the chavs? Nope.

Not to sure about the Chavs, but they've been far more open this season attacking wise, Hazard is a beast of a player as well. I can only go from watching our matches, personally I don't find us entertaining at all most of the time as our game isn't very free flowing, it's full of short passes and played at a generally slow pace (something I don't like).


Yes we do pass a lot and when it comes off it looks nice, but intricate moves like that come off occasionally and only form a small percentage of an entire match.

[Niall_Quinn]

I often think we are playing boring shit, and then I watch another 90 minutes involving Liverpool or chavski or just about any other team in this league. It's football in this country in general that has become negative and boring, it's far from just us and at least from time to time we can produce some genuine class. The chavs have bored the shit out of everyone for the majority of the season. One good game against the gypos doesn't erase all those bus tracks in stadiums around the country.

[Letters]

Yes the goals have been good, but most of our matches have been fairly dull to watch.
How would you know?


:coffee:

[Xhaka Can’t]

Incidentally, the game I enjoyed the most was when we beat Spurs in the cup, that was proper football for me, pacey, incisive and brilliant.

Nah, Spurs played shit.

[Xhaka Can’t]

So,if we play this boring shit and finish top, what's the verdict?

[fakeyank]

So,if we play this boring shit and finish top, what's the verdict?

Dont care tbh.. we could club the opponents to death every game and I could care less, if we won the title! 1-0 all day err day!

[Niall_Quinn]

we could club the opponents to death every game

Wenger out - Pulis in.

[Xhaka Can’t]

I reckon we'll finish on 84 points.

[Niall_Quinn]

92 points

[Xhaka Can’t]

88 it is. :good:

[Özim]

So,if we play this boring shit and finish top, what's the verdict?

If we stay stop, given the run we have coming up it will be some achievement, perhaps not the best title win as it came without the great football, but a very good achievement nonetheless.

Can't see it though.

[Maestro]

So,if we play this boring shit and finish top, what's the verdict?

that would be the sweetest title win ever for me, would piss off the pundits, critics and media scum even more. would hand wenger a fat new contract to boot.

just win the damn thing any which way, especially against the russian mafia money & arab petro dollars

[Özim]

Not for me, our 98 title win was probably my favourite.

[Letters]

Not for me, our 98 title win was probably my favourite.

I thoroughly enjoyed that one tbh, clawing back Utd's lead with that 10 game run, winning at OT.
Awlsome :patrice:

[fakeyank]

Not for me, our 98 title win was probably my favourite.

I would disagree on that.. but to each, their own. I think winning the title despite the fact that what Chelsea and City can do (and have done) in the last few years would be monumental. It'll just be a win for the 'good guys' against the evil scums. In 1998, I do not believe there was such an unlevel playing field.

[Özim]

I thoroughly enjoyed that one tbh, clawing back Utd's lead with that 10 game run, winning at OT.
Awlsome :patrice:

Yes, I remember us winning 3-2 at Highbury as well against them, great game. Our football was awesome as well and we had a few big wins on the way (4-1 away to Blackburn where we score 4 goals in 20 mins I think it was).

[Özim]

I would disagree on that.. but to each, their own. I think winning the title despite the fact that what Chelsea and City can do (and have done) in the last few years would be monumental. It'll just be a win for the 'good guys' against the evil scums. In 1998, I do not believe there was such an unlevel playing field.

In 98 no one really believed we could win the title, Man U were the side to beat and the way we came back together with the style was amazing. Wasn't that the one when Adams scored a belter against Everton as well?

[Niall_Quinn]

that would be the sweetest title win ever for me, would piss off the pundits, critics and media scum even more. would hand wenger a fat new contract to boot.

just win the damn thing any which way, especially against the russian mafia money & arab petro dollars

I think you may be forgetting what the media and pundits were like in 88/89, nothing will ever top "It's up for grabs now..." and then going into a northern pub packed with blokes bawling their eyes out. And it wasn't even a gay bar.

[Letters]

I think you may be forgetting what the media and pundits were like in 88/89, nothing will ever top "It's up for grabs now..." and then going into a northern pub packed with blokes bawling their eyes out. And it wasn't even a gay bar.

It was when you went in.

[Niall_Quinn]

It was when you went in.

No need for me to fuck them all when the team had done it 20 minutes earlier.

[KSE Comedy Club]

No need for me to fuck them all when the team had done it 20 minutes earlier.

:rimshot:

[Ollie the Optimist]

if we win the league this year, it would be Arsene's greatest achievement.

and to now be moaning about our style of football right is now is just plain stupid. how many years have we spent moaning about how we always try to score the perfect goal, don't like it rough, can't grind out results yet now we are doing that, suddenly its not good enough as the football isn't great.

who cares? we are scoring goals, keeping clean sheets and our top of the league.

[Niall_Quinn]

Our style of football is really poor this year.

[Ollie the Optimist]

of course we have played better football, but over the last 8 years we have played some fantastic football yet what have we to show for it? nothing. this year, we are playing good football, solid, efficient with some outstanding moments too, but it might not be pretty but suddenly we are top of the league and seriously challenging for the title. after 8 years of no trophies, the season we finally challenge, it would be stupid to moan about how

[Niall_Quinn]

I don't like how we are challenging.

[KSE Comedy Club]

I don't like how we are not man citeh enough this year

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

I don't like how we aren't unbeaten this season.

[Xhaka Can’t]

I dunno, sometimes I like a good beating.

[Letters]

I wondered why the staff room suddenly had a dungeon theme <_<