Summer Transfer Speculation and Shit.

Would you not agree though Letters that it is easier to match a team stride for stride as you put it when we are no longer in a position to challenge?.

Personally I think last season is not a good blueprint going into this season, only scored more than two goals twice away from home and comfortable victories were made nervy by the side coming back into the game to half the deficit, came no where near beating Chelsea when we played them at home, and failed to score in three consecutive home games for the first time in six years when we had second place up for grabs.

Whilst last season wasn't a disaster by any means, it's a season to improve upon rather than a launchpad, the squad is settled, if we use our squad well and utilise the training methods of Shad Forsythe we can keep injuries to a minimum. And whilst getting more goals from our non strikers is not a mitigation for a need for a top striker, I think it's a definite necessity.

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Originally Posted by Letters

After 12 games with our awful start we were something like 15 points behind them.
We finished about 15 points behind them (Maybe closer? Upsettingly my favourite site to check this sort of thing, statto.com, is no longer with us)
So yeah, I know you have to take the season as a whole but after our awful start we got going and matched them for over two thirds of the season.
We have to do it for a whole season, obviously.

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Every season it's the same we either have a disastrous start and recover strongly or start well and stumble at the end, don't see why it would be that different this year, essentially bar one player we have the same squad.

We beat Man City 3-0 in the Charity Shield last year as well after winning the cup so I don't see a huge difference between now and then, we were short then and we remain short now having signed just a keeper.

I'm frankly amazed that after last season and ending up miles behind the eventual winners and getting knocked out by Monaco in th CL a goalkeeper suddenly makes us serious title contenders, that's the trouble this is exactly what Wenger thinks, he looks at a short run of results as confirmation that we're the muts nuts, the fact is we had a poor start and that can't be ignored.

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Originally Posted by Letters

After 12 games with our awful start we were something like 15 points behind them.
We finished about 15 points behind them (Maybe closer? Upsettingly my favourite site to check this sort of thing, statto.com, is no longer with us)
So yeah, I know you have to take the season as a whole but after our awful start we got going and matched them for over two thirds of the season.
We have to do it for a whole season, obviously.

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That's not stride for stride. It’s just another statistic that looks good. Stride for stride implies a neck and neck race and we were never in that race. That’s the difference. This season we have to be in the race and put the pressure on our opponents so it’s us out pacing them. That consistent run you talk of needs to happen when we’re top of the table or just a few points off the top. I can’t take much solace in the run we put together last season. What’s the use in setting the fastest lap time if you can’t finish top of the podium? I want to see how the team reacts when the pressure is on and we have an aggressive opponent on our tails. That’s the test.

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Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory

No it doesn't. He was never going to get game time this season.

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You are correct.

I forgot about Welbeck.

Oh, Wilshere is injured again. Just in case you haven't heard. We need to have a lucky break with the injuries this season. We can't afford long term lay offs to too many key players.

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Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory

Oh, Wilshere is injured again. Just in case you haven't heard. We need to have a lucky break with the injuries this season. We can't afford long term lay offs to too many key players.

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Still think we should have sold him to City, then again I'm biased against both him and Ramsey

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Originally Posted by Özim

he looks at a [B]short[/B[ run of results as confirmation that we're the muts nuts

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It's not a short run though, is it?

As for what is different this year, it's the same squad of players but that squad was good enough to challenge last year, they just made a right hash of the start of the season.
There does seem to be a different mentality about the squad now, it's hard to define but some of the games we won last year - especially those two games in Manchester - we wouldn't have won those a few years ago. And I do think Cech will make a difference.

I'd be happier with another striker but there should be plenty of goals in this team and I don't think we'll be far away come May.

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Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory

Oh, Wilshere is injured again. Just in case you haven't heard. We need to have a lucky break with the injuries this season. We can't afford long term lay offs to too many key players.

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We won't steer clear of injuries, we never do and when we haven't brought in much over the summer we'll end up paying for it.

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Originally Posted by Letters

It's not a short run though, is it?

As for what is different this year, it's the same squad of players but that squad was good enough to challenge last year, they just made a right hash of the start of the season.
There does seem to be a different mentality about the squad now, it's hard to define but some of the games we won last year - especially those two games in Manchester - we wouldn't have won those a few years ago. And I do think Cech will make a difference.

I'd be happier with another striker but there should be plenty of goals in this team and I don't think we'll be far away come May.

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They didn't challenge, they made of hash of it yes, but we've seen that many time before as well, with squad after squad, I don't see why that will magically change when we really haven't invested much in the squad over the summer.

We have the same players who couldn't perform last season and when I say that I mean they failed to challenge for either big trophy, we might start well this season but history tells us we'll then probably finish badly, it pretty much always seems to be that case, injuries will no doubt play a part as well.

I think they way you make things change is by making a few solid signings who add to what you had before and give you a real reason to believe it could be different.

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Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie

Would you not agree though Letters that it is easier to match a team stride for stride as you put it when we are no longer in a position to challenge?

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Hmm. Maybe. I dunno. I don't think so for most of the season, actually. Maybe in the last 10 games it is - if you're close. That's when the pressure starts to built. Till then I don't think it makes too much difference.

Agree with the rest of your post.