Match reaction v Watford away

[Chippy]

Pretty happy that we got the win and scored three goals. However, we could have easily fucked that up. Onwards and upwards.

[Marc Overmars]

Closer than it needed to be but we played very well for most of it and scored some lovely goals.

Leicester and Liverpool at home to come. Bring it on.

[I am invisible]

Delighted with where it’s going. Defence looked a bit shaky at times, but we know they’re a strong unit who will only get better with age an experience - we haven’t rotated the keeper or central pairing much this season, so maybe they’re starting to feel it a bit now, but we’ve already got a new keeper and big Bill Saliba coming in next season, so that should keep them on their toes, and obviously Tomi is a big miss atm.

Really happy with the attack though - all the questions at the start of the year were about style and identity, and whether we could we play good football in more than 30 minute bursts every 3-4 games? And since Christmas they’ve all been about where the goals were coming from? Well the style of play has gone from strength to strength, we’re sustaining it across 90 minutes and consecutive games, and the goals are coming from everywhere except CF - quite the turnaround from when they only came from Aubameyang.

As I said in the other thread, the fact that the team and squad depth is still imperfect should be cause for genuine excitement, not worry, because we’re already playing some lovely stuff even as we are.

[selassie]

Important win and a big step forward given 2 of our rivals slipped up. I thought we looked decent going forward and could and should have scored more. We were sloppy defensively today, looked vulnerable pretty much the entire game and they caused us problems. That is to be expected, but we will not get it so easy when going to places like Villa, Southampton etc

Another big game next week, they all are now, we definitely need to be aiming for pretty much maximum points in the remaining home games.

[Mac76]

listened in the car on the radio and watched the goals this morning

great goals and a lot of good stuff but Arteta got too defensive at the end - not for the first time - and it nearly costs us two points

[Marc Overmars]

We’ve been better defensively but Watford are fighting relegation so you had to expect some kind of pressure from them.

It was a game we should have won by 4 or 5 but we don’t really have a +1 merchant to kill things off. The goals were picture perfect but that was probably the only way we were scoring.

[WMUG]

We’ve been better defensively but Watford are fighting relegation so you had to expect some kind of pressure from them.

It was a game we should have won by 4 or 5 but we don’t really have a +1 merchant to kill things off. The goals were picture perfect but that was probably the only way we were scoring.

We should've had a pen at 3-1 which would've put it to bed.

We should also have an alternative to Xhaka who wouldn't have given the ball away with a needlessly risky crossfield pass, then failed to do the bare minimum to defend it afterwards.

Oh well, summer's coming.

[I am invisible]

Collectively we have plenty of goals in this side, and I think we now have 4 or 5 players who are also capable of moments of magic - what it feels like we're lacking is fill-your-boots forward who is greedy for goals. At the moment, everyone seems quite content with just getting 1 per 90 for themselves.

Like WMUG says, though, there's nothing we can do about it until the summer so I guess there's no sense in worrying about it.

[Chippy]

Important win and a big step forward given 2 of our rivals slipped up. I thought we looked decent going forward and could and should have scored more. We were sloppy defensively today, looked vulnerable pretty much the entire game and they caused us problems. That is to be expected, but we will not get it so easy when going to places like Villa, Southampton etc

Another big game next week, they all are now, we definitely need to be aiming for pretty much maximum points in the remaining home games.
Straight fight between us and the Spuds.
They have the easiest run in. Going to be difficult IMHO.

[WMUG]

Straight fight between us and the Spuds.
They have the easiest run in. Going to be difficult IMHO.

NLD's gonna be crucial.

And the home team usually wins those.

:(

[LDG]

Problem for us will be squad depth. We’re only an injury or two away from trouble.

Case in point is our unsettled fullbacks. The continuing changes theres have led to goals conceded, case in point their first the other day.

We know cedric isn’t top top top quality, but KT isn’t 100% at the moment.

[I am invisible]

Problem for us will be squad depth. We’re only an injury or two away from trouble.

Case in point is our unsettled fullbacks. The continuing changes theres have led to goals conceded, case in point their first the other day.

We know cedric isn’t top top top quality, but KT isn’t 100% at the moment.
True, although we talk about this like it’s some looming disaster that we’re yet to face, when we’ve actually been relying on our depth at RB for a couple of months now, and KT arguably hasn’t been at 100% all season. And do you know what? It hasn’t been that bad. There’s been a noticeable dip in quality and solidity in those areas, but we’ve also just chained together 4 straight wins and are taking big chunks out of our rivals whenever they stumble - it’s not always perfect, but we’re getting it done (and doing it with a bit of style).

Sure, we can keep piling on ‘what ifs’ until we break - what if Cedric also gets injured? What if we lose KT or Gabriel or White? What if we lose Partey? But that’s just life for most clubs - unless you can afford two £50m players for every position then that breaking point will never be too far away. Spurs, Wolves and West Ham will all be in much the same boat. Man U might have some depth, but they’re a total basket case who’s players don’t care and aren’t that good. As with the goal-scoring “issue”, this might not be as big a problem as we’re fearing.

Having said all of that, Tomiyasu’s return can’t come soon enough for me! Cedric hasn’t actually been that bad, tbf, but Tomi just balances the team beautifully, freeing up the LB and giving our CBS less to worry about.

[Letters]

Just had a look and we are 14 points better off than we were at this stage last year. Top 4 or no, that's a pretty encouraging improvement so far.

[selassie]

Straight fight between us and the Spuds.
They have the easiest run in. Going to be difficult IMHO.

Yeah I am thinking the same, as inconsistent as they are I have a feeling they are going to go on a bit of a run now. We have points on the board and games in hand but we should treat our current situation as no room for error. I don't want to have to be going to Chelsea or even Shite Hart Lane knowing we have to win to finish 4th.

The next couple of months are going to be stressful but I would rather we are in this position than scrapping it down in 8th with the likes of Wolves and Southampton!

[selassie]

NLD's gonna be crucial.

And the home team usually wins those.

:(

Even though we are more likely to lose than win I am a lot more confident this season going into the NLD away than I have ever been. What I won't be confident with is having to go there and beat them in a straight shoot out for 4th place, I am hoping by then we will be in a very strong position where a loss or a draw won't be too damaging.

[selassie]

Just had a look and we are 14 points better off than we were at this stage last year. Top 4 or no, that's a pretty encouraging improvement so far.

Aye, we have massively improved this season. We have developed a style now too and are quite pleasing on the eye to watch. I think we are 2 or 3 players away from genuinely being a very good team.

However I will add that if we manage to blow 4th and the Spuds clinch it, even though Arteta has done well this season there will be no coming back for him from this.

[Letters]

I will add that if we manage to blow 4th and the Spuds clinch it, even though Arteta has done well this season there will be no coming back for him from this.
That would be harsh IMO. The metric is whether we're heading in the right direction. If we agree we are - whether we finish 4th or not - then he surely deserves more time to continue that progress.

[selassie]

That would be harsh IMO. The metric is whether we're heading in the right direction. If we agree we are - whether we finish 4th or not - then he surely deserves more time to continue that progress.

I kind of agree, he is doing a good job and progress is being made but I don't think a majority of our fanbase will see it that way if we blow up and finish behind them given we have a bit of a points cushion and games in hand.

I certainly didn't expect us to be in this position so I am pleased with the progress and I am pleased with Arteta implementing a style of play. We are not soft touches anymore either, the improvements are clear to see.

[Marc Overmars]

I’ve not been much of an Arteta fan but there has been progress this season and I feel comfortable with the direction we’re heading in. We’ve got a young, hungry squad with players who want to play and have everything to prove. Beats having deadwood who’ve used Arsenal as a final big contract before retirement.

Playing behind closed doors probably kept Arteta in a job because there’s no doubt it was terrible at times and if there was a crowd they would have put a lot of pressure on the club.

As for this season, top 6 was the target so to be in with a shout of 4th is testament to the progress made.

Our games in hand on United are Liverpool H, Spurs A and Chelsea A.
The Liverpool match is also the game in hand on Spurs.

We will probably need to get results in all those games to finish 4th. So while the table makes for encouraging reading, don’t let it fool you into thinking it’s ours to lose yet. There are some huge games coming up and we’ve been falling short in a lot of those under Arteta, so let’s see how it goes.

[Chippy]

That would be harsh IMO. The metric is whether we're heading in the right direction. If we agree we are - whether we finish 4th or not - then he surely deserves more time to continue that progress.

I kind of agree Letters, but not getting fourth has so many implications.

It could mean the difference of a much bigger transfer kitty.
Saka has stated that he wants CL football.
It will attract better players to the club.

It could actually be make or break whether we like it or not :(

It is the sign of the times unfortunately.

[selassie]

I’ve not been much of an Arteta fan but there has been progress this season and I feel comfortable with the direction we’re heading in. We’ve got a young, hungry squad with players who want to play and have everything to prove. Beats having deadwood who’ve used Arsenal as a final big contract before retirement.

Playing behind closed doors probably kept Arteta in a job because there’s no doubt it was terrible at times and if there was a crowd they would have put a lot of pressure on the club.

As for this season, top 6 was the target so to be in with a shout of 4th is testament to the progress made.

Our games in hand on United are Liverpool H, Spurs A and Chelsea A.
The Liverpool match is also the game in hand on Spurs.

We will probably need to get results in all those games to finish 4th. So while the table makes for encouraging reading, don’t let it fool you into thinking it’s ours to lose yet. There are some huge games coming up and we’ve been falling short in a lot of those under Arteta, so let’s see how it goes.

Yep I agree with this and also realise our games in hand are absolutely brutal. In fact from now on till the end of the season we have some really tough away games outside of the ones you have listed, West Ham Away, Villa Away, Palace Away, Newcastle (in their current form) away, lots of possible dropped points there. The games above you have listed, Liverpool is a write off for me, but I think we are capable of picking up a point in either or each of the Spurs and Chelsea games if we put in a good performance, we have to go there and really put in professional displays. United at home is a bit of a lottery, we are just as capable of given them a good beating as they are us, even the current United in their crappy state.

The momentum is with us now and you can see how badly the players want CL so I think we will be ok, though it will no doubt be very stressful viewing!

[I am invisible]

Having a clear, coherent strategy has really helped (well… for everyone except Gary Neville, apparently). When you build around a group of young academy players, and all of your signings are 21-23 year olds, then you immediately start to look at targets and milestones across a 2-3 year period rather than expecting everything now. When you lower your wage bill and only buy players with resale value then you know there’s a contingency plan in place and it isn’t this or bust. When your recruitment plugs obvious gaps and compliments what you already have then it makes it easier to understand what we’re trying to build, how it might work, and what everyone’s individual and collective responsibilities are. It makes it far easier to set expectations and judge what we’re seeing, and stops panic setting in after every setback - if we can see the plan clearly then we know when we’re still on track and when we’re not, and that calms everything right down.

Better communication of the strategy also makes the fans feel included instead of feeling like outsiders and bystanders who understand what they’re seeing and can only watch on in confusion.

[IBK]

Yep I agree with this and also realise our games in hand are absolutely brutal. In fact from now on till the end of the season we have some really tough away games outside of the ones you have listed, West Ham Away, Villa Away, Palace Away, Newcastle (in their current form) away, lots of possible dropped points there. The games above you have listed, Liverpool is a write off for me, but I think we are capable of picking up a point in either or each of the Spurs and Chelsea games if we put in a good performance, we have to go there and really put in professional displays. United at home is a bit of a lottery, we are just as capable of given them a good beating as they are us, even the current United in their crappy state.

The momentum is with us now and you can see how badly the players want CL so I think we will be ok, though it will no doubt be very stressful viewing!

Yes - it's good to observe that there is the confidence in our team right now for the players to feel that they can beat anyone. We need to remember that when the Chavs beat us at home at the beginning of the season, we were still a bit of a basket case. They won't find it so easy now. In our current 'form' we deserved to get a point at least from Citeh; drew at Liverpool with 10 men in the Cup and are on better 5 match form than Chelsea or Spurs. I kind of think that both fans and players need to believe more in our team to assist/compliment our current development. Without belief then we don't deserve top 4.

[selassie]

Yes - it's good to observe that there is the confidence in our team right now for the players to feel that they can beat anyone. We need to remember that when the Chavs beat us at home at the beginning of the season, we were still a bit of a basket case. They won't find it so easy now. In our current 'form' we deserved to get a point at least from Citeh; drew at Liverpool with 10 men in the Cup and are on better 5 match form than Chelsea or Spurs. I kind of think that both fans and players need to believe more in our team to assist/compliment our current development. Without belief then we don't deserve top 4.

Yep, right now there are two teams in the league head and shoulders above us, City and Liverpool. Chelsea are a better side than us, with better players and they are more consistent than us, but I don't fear going into games with them like I do City and Liverpool, I think we are good enough to get something in the game at Chelsea, not necessarily a win, but a draw is definitely achievable.

On current form and throughout the season so far we are better than both United and Spurs, but there isn't a great deal in it, we are all in the third group below the top two and Chelsea.

[Chippy]

Even though we are more likely to lose than win I am a lot more confident this season going into the NLD away than I have ever been. What I won't be confident with is having to go there and beat them in a straight shoot out for 4th place, I am hoping by then we will be in a very strong position where a loss or a draw won't be too damaging.

We had a good weekend by beating Leicester and obviously the Spuds lost.
I am also hoping that by the time we play them at the shit hole, we are a bit more comfortable points wise.
The annoying thing is that I am believing we will get fourth...bloody optimism :banghead:

[selassie]

We had a good weekend by beating Leicester and obviously the Spuds lost.
I am also hoping that by the time we play them at the shit hole, we are a bit more comfortable points wise.
The annoying thing is that I am believing we will get fourth...bloody optimism :banghead:

Me too mate, I think we are in a strong position. We have some difficult games coming up but our current form and performance level is very good so if we keep it up we will be ok.

[I am invisible]

I'm pretty relaxed about it all right now, tbh. I'm sure we've got a couple of slips in us still, but crucially I just don't think any of our main rivals for 4th are capable of putting together the kind of winning streak they'll need to take advantage of it - they're very much WLWLWL, and I don't see that changing any time soon. United have a fundamental mismatch between the players they have and the kind of philosophy and culture Rangnick wants to implement to contend with, and half of that spurs team will know that Conte doesn't rate them (esp. after his many outbursts) and will try to ditch them as soon as the window opens. I just can't see either set of players really digging deep and pulling it out the bag for their respective managers when they know that success for those managers could put their own positions at risk.

[Chippy]

I'm pretty relaxed about it all right now, tbh. I'm sure we've got a couple of slips in us still, but crucially I just don't think any of our main rivals for 4th are capable of putting together the kind of winning streak they'll need to take advantage of it - they're very much WLWLWL, and I don't see that changing any time soon. United have a fundamental mismatch between the players they have and the kind of philosophy and culture Rangnick wants to implement to contend with, and half of that spurs team will know that Conte doesn't rate them (esp. after his many outbursts) and will try to ditch them as soon as the window opens. I just can't see either set of players really digging deep and pulling it out the bag for their respective managers when they know that success for those managers could put their own positions at risk.

I wish I was relaxed about it.

Missing out on Top 4 would be bad. Missing out on Top 4 to Spurs would be unbearable :(

[LDG]

Problem for us will be squad depth. We’re only an injury or two away from trouble.

Case in point is our unsettled fullbacks. The continuing changes theres have led to goals conceded, case in point their first the other day.

We know cedric isn’t top top top quality, but KT isn’t 100% at the moment.

Hmmmm

[LDG]

Hmmmm

Uhuh

[Letters]

Drunk LDG :bow: