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:lol: Not getting too carried away but we're top of the table. It's encouraging to see Iwobi, Perez, Walcott and Ox all stepping up in recent games. When we lost to Southampton I was disappointed none of fringe players stepped up. But it looks like they all got the message. Something to be positive about.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters to Santa
It's certainly thw strongest squad we've had for a long time. Genuine star players plus lots of others making important contributions.
However we've been here before and I won't get too carried away until we can prove to challenge across an entire season. I've doubted our ability to win it again under Wenger, would love to be proved wrong.
Some well taken goals. Good pass from Sanchez to release Bellerin out wide and difficult finish from Theo. 100 career goals. Was unlucky not to get a hat trick. Mustafi's passing is underrated. Great through ball to Theo but keeper denied the goal. Shame he's injured.
Ozil continuing to make those runs in behind Sanchez and scores another. Great pass from Ox and a cheeky header from Ozil. Defenders had eyes glued on Sanchez as comes short for the pass but slip, not seeing Ozil's run. It's great movement from the pair but Ox plays the perfect pass.
A bit of luck for Iwobi's goal but great anticipation from the kid to pick up the ball whilst Sanchez is getting fouled. Dirty cunts. Great finish. Wenger will be pleased with that.
I think, in terms of winning the league and taking away our past inadequacies, it's difficult to look past chelsea. I hope I'm wrong. I was wrong about Manchester City winning it at a canter a few weeks back, after all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters to Santa
For those scumbags to play only once a week, have as few injuries as they do, and to somehow muddle through a game like they've had today (a match we'd inevitably have drawn), I'd say fortune favours the Scum.
It'd be interesting to see how they'd handle being without Hazard or Costa for a while; it does seem they are overly reliant on those two for goals and creativity. Mind you the same thing could be said about us and Alexis & Ozil.
I wouldn't put any money on us but while we're in the mix I'll think we've got a chance.
Agree that Chelsea not having any European games to worry about gives them an advantage.
We've only got two more games left in Europe anyway ha ha ha
Did you see a few weeks ago Mourinho was complaining that Chelsea have an easier run as they don't have european football.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters to Santa
Hmm, I wonder why that is, Jose.
Chavs are certainly the biggest threat considering they have been playing once a week all season.
IMO we have the strongest squad in the league, we have a host of players stepping up to the plate this season and the goals are flowing. I feel we've been good enough for 2 maybe 3 seasons now but we're eaten alive by the pressure and fear that comes with the business end. If we can overcome that we will go very close, however it's a problem that has plagued us regardless of how strong our squad had been. I feel so far we've done as expected, not been exceptional but we've done enough to haul ourselves into the mix as we normally do.
You say " it's a problem that has plagued us regardless of how strong our squad had been" but I don't think our squad has ever been this good, well not in the Emirates era.
The trouble is there are a lot of good teams this year. Right now it's looking like us and Chelsea are the strongest but there's a long way to go.
For now we're in the mix and right now that's all you can ask.
Apparently we've employed some New Zealand psychiatrist this season. He worked with All Blacks national team from 2011-15 where they won back to back World Cups having not won the thing for 20+ years. Maybe that plus the softer training pitches and new physio staff are helping with our injuries too. We've come from behind fives times this season and picked up points we'd normally not get at all. Wenger said he felt he had a group of 'men' in the squad again for the first time since the Invincible era and I think that is showing. Ox is having his best season to date, Feo is back on form, Iwobi is adding goals to his game, Perez is scoring, goals from the bench with Giroud and the team selections have been good. All looking positive at the moment. It feels like there is something different about them this year but we are all rightfully cautious to get too carried away given how we've been stung in the past.
This thread reminds me of that scene in Jerry Maguire where the sister watches on helplessly as her lovestruck sibling heads blissfully into disaster. It also reminds me of the scene where that bloke jumps up and down screaming, "Show me the MONEY!" If we sign Draxler for 30mill this January then I'll climb aboard.
We'll be back to normal come Christmas. Bemoaning how we're cloaked in failure. :lol:
https://herinklings.files.wordpress...._500.jpg?w=620
You seem to be in the final stages of ZD where you actively want us to fail and just can't wait for us to so you can have another moan.Quote:
Originally Posted by Noel_Quinn
No one has any illusion of us winning this competition. In all likelihood we won't come close to winning the premier league either. The last three games have been enjoyable but there's no sense in pretending we weren't playing rather obliging sides.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters to Santa
I know there are things that defy logic, like a very average manager in Claudio Ranieri doing the unthinkable and winning the title with Leicester City. But it would be an even bigger jump in my mind that a man like Wenger who seems to make the same mistakes season after season would suddenly be able to do what he has been for so long unable to do, and the squad is probably the best we've had for years but these aren't players who arguably have enough about them to win the title totally independent of the manager.
So of course this season can only be judged in hindsight, but there is nothing that suggests so far this season will be any different to the failures of seasons past.
Yep, guilty. I'm lapsing into chronic realism. At least that makes me immune to Goldfish Syndrome.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters to Santa
If you'd bothered to read the whole post, I said, "Show Me the MONEY!" If we actually do something this January to consolidate what we have so far then we might get a different result. Draxler is begging to come, his club want rid of him. He'll be relatively cheap at £30mill. That sort of a shot in the arm is exactly what we need, it will show the players already here we are making a serious bid this year and are prepared to back that bid with the necessary resources. OR, we can go around the wheel again, taking it game by game, putting in these average performances and hoping to ride it all the way to the finish line. We know how that ends. Well, most of us do.
I can't see us signing another winger / forward in January.
With Theo, Ox, Iwobi, and Perez all producing, and Welbeck due back soon, I think Wenger will stick with what we have.
Wenger has been known to push the boat out if it's a player he really wants. I can't see it happening either but it's not beyond the realm of possibility.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gooner23
So do I. And that will be a repetition of the same mistake he always makes, assuming we have enough. This is the time to do something different and there's more at stake than a title. The club needs to send a clear message to the players we already have here and signing quality in January would be a great way to do that. It's not a bad deal, £30mill for a player like Draxler and potentially the retention of Alexis and Ozil. I think Ozil will stay, but I'm not so sure about Alexis. Get Draxler in, make the statement, introduce him slowly and take advantage of the fact we have plenty of options. That's the move I'd make as I think it could pay off in many ways. And at least it would be trying something different, to see if we can get a different outcome.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gooner23
£30m for Draxler? Is it worth it? I can't see him having an impact on the season.
I can. He's a level up from Theo, Perez, etc. The more talent we have at the club the more chance we have of winning something. And these days £30mill is sofa change.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
Do you watch him in Bundesliga? I've only seen him at International level in the recent Euros and wasn't really impressed. Looking at his club stats he hasn't scored or set a goal up this season and he's been starting games. He might be won for the future but he's not a step above Perez and Walcott as things stand today. I don't see Wenger making that move. Not for a project player. Ox is having his best season so far and Iwobi has been doing well also. I'd prefer a more experienced player with a proven track record.Quote:
Originally Posted by Noel_Quinn
Not this season, but 3-4 seasons prior and in Europe. He's one of those few players with that step up in technique that sets them apart. He's a massive step up from Theo and, albeit on limited evidence so far, a big step up from Perez. I'm still not sure on Ox, I think there's a world beater hidden in there. Iwobi is great, young still but heading in the right direction. But I'd ditch Theo and Perez in a heartbeat if it meant getting superior quality in. Not that we'll need to do that because we haven't had our main injury crisis yet. There will always be room in this squad for additional players, particularly players of Draxler's quality. And it's not just where and when he'd play. It's the statement. The timely reinforcements to make things better. Anyway, the point was, if I see Wenger doing something like this I'll believe he's making plans, trying something different, really giving it a go this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
I do wish we had more options wide, but at the same time i think Ox has proven at the very least deserving of a run in the side. He still needs to improve his decision making, but certainly from earlier in the season his performances are markedly improved and he is showing signs of being the player we all hope he could be.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
The chances of us buying anyone in January are slim to nil, I think someone like Draxler might be bought only if Wenger was convinced he was going to lose Ozil and i think he'd be more inclined to play him in that CAM role rather than wide.
We could always have better players in the squad, however my immediate concern would be improving the weakest area of the squad and that's at full back particurlarly left sided. Monreal for me is substandard and Gibbs is not good enough to be anything more than a squad player, and we need someone who can fill in for Bellerin at right back as Debuchy is gone now, Jenkinson is useless and Gabriel performed ok there but hasn't got the pace.
I don't think we'll buy in January, I don't think we need to.
Our squad is good enough to win the title. Doubts about mentality and ability to do it at the business end will persist till we actually go and win it.
Theo has 10 goals and 2 assists from 18 appearances this season. I think the season with Draxler you're talking about was when he scored 13 and set up 7.Quote:
Originally Posted by Noel_Quinn
I hear the argument about technique but we really need end product otherwise it results in possession without goals.
No action taken on Adam.
The FA are not fit for purpose.
Hughes crying about Wenger getting special treatment after apparently shoving the 4th official. :lol:
Hughes still crying after 17 years?
Uhuh.Quote:
Originally Posted by Donald J Trump
4.
At least they didn't ban Xhaka for some made up reason this time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Donald J Trump
What did he do this time?Quote:
Originally Posted by Donald J Trump
Nothing, same as last time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie
Stamped on Alexis. Mind you, every team does that now, when they aren't shoving him into pits.Quote:
Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie