Midweek Fixtures (18/19/20 Oct).

They don’t especially worry me, but it was inevitable they would look like getting their act together at some point. I think ultimately that a) they don’t necessarily have a team that can consistently score goals and b) still have a bit of a toxic dressing room with Ronaldo there…might hamper them being a competitor for top four this season. I thought United were good value for the three points but I think that was much about Spurs being passive.

Liverpool still don’t seem at the races, could have easily dropped points last night. Chelsea didn’t seem to really do much as an attacking force until mid way into the second half when Brentford had started to tire.

Newcastle look very tough to beat but seem to struggle with goals

Just seen a few highlights from last night. Looks like Spurs barely laid a glove on them.
Spurs :pal:

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Originally Posted by LDG

Utd are gonna be a problem

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Yep I agree, I think they have a good chance of making top 4 this season TBH, they were really good yesterday, totally dominated Spurs.

Ten Haag is a good manager and will have the funds to build the team he wants, I think if they stick with him they will be back up challenging for titles in the next couple of seasons.

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Originally Posted by selassie

Yep I agree, I think they have a good chance of making top 4 this season TBH, they were really good yesterday, totally dominated Spurs.

Ten Haag is a good manager and will have the funds to build the team he wants, I think if they stick with him they will be back up challenging for titles in the next couple of seasons.

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This is not personal mate, but I do find that this fear of our potential competitors leads to double standards at times.

Everything you say could equally apply to our own team - who happen to sit 8 points above the team that we are concerned about - after 10 games - and already have the young players in place that represent a much better and promising foundation (with additional room for development/improvement) than Manure's.

A lot of people have said that Sp*rs have been playing poorly while getting results, well last night exposed them - and we also dominated them (and Manure BTW although we lost that game).

Yet we talk up Manure; Chelsea; Sp*rs and Liverpool (who we also beat) while talking down our own prospects of top 4.

I get that Gooners are scarred by recent history, but a little faith in our project wouldn't go amiss ;)

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Originally Posted by IBK

This is not personal mate, but I do find that this fear of our potential competitors leads to double standards at times.

Everything you say could equally apply to our own team - who happen to sit 8 points above the team that we are concerned about - after 10 games - and already have the young players in place that represent a much better and promising foundation (with additional room for development/improvement) than Manure's.

A lot of people have said that Sp*rs have been playing poorly while getting results, well last night exposed them - and we also dominated them (and Manure BTW although we lost that game).

Yet we talk up Manure; Chelsea; Sp*rs and Liverpool (who we also beat) while talking down our own prospects of top 4.

I get that Gooners are scarred by recent history, but a little faith in our project wouldn't go amiss ;)

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Hey IBK, I hear you and I have not taken it personally.

Most definitely we could say that about our team, as it currently stands, we look the most credible challenger to Man City given our results and performances so far this season.

Honestly, I am more concerned or invested in us keeping up our current level of performance and churning out the results, if we keep doing that then we will finish in the top 3 irrespective of what our rivals do. I believe in our project and both Arteta and Edu are consistently making the right choices and decisions, if we keep up with what we are doing then we are firmly in that group that will be challenging for the big prizes too.

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Originally Posted by selassie

Hey IBK, I hear you and I have not taken it personally.

Most definitely we could say that about our team, as it currently stands, we look the most credible challenger to Man City given our results and performances so far this season.

Honestly, I am more concerned or invested in us keeping up our current level of performance and churning out the results, if we keep doing that then we will finish in the top 3 irrespective of what our rivals do. I believe in our project and both Arteta and Edu are consistently making the right choices and decisions, if we keep up with what we are doing then we are firmly in that group that will be challenging for the big prizes too.

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Yep - I think top 3 is a realistic aim for us - although I want the players and manager to believe we can top the league. Better to aim high - albeit that realistically we will have a dip at some stage. But bar Citeh I believe that our 'rivals' will do too. All we can do is keep accumulating points, and lets face it we have done as well as we possibly could so far :good:

We could finish high up the table, but need to add depth to the squad in January or I think even top 4 will be a struggle

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Originally Posted by Mac76

We could finish high up the table, but need to add depth to the squad in January or I think even top 4 will be a struggle

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Yep, this.

I honestly don’t see a scenario where we don’t revert to type and fall away. However top 4 is the goal and we’re looking good for that even if we do have some bum results, which let’s face it is probably inevitable. I just hope those results don’t come before the World Cup. 3 of the remaining 4 league games being away isn’t ideal.

Post-World Cup, January looks solid too with Brighton, Newcastle, Spurs and United. So I think by Feb we’ll have a pretty good idea of how good we are and where we’re likely to finish.

Ronaldo dropped for this weekend. :haha:

That must be the end of him? They’ll surely get rid in January or even terminate his contract before then.