Match Reaction. WBA2-1 Arsenal 21/11/15

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fakeyank

That sentence is exactly why I dont agree with you much. You find the bad run of other clubs to justify why we are doing poorly.. I look at us missing opportunity after opportunity to drive home the advantage and show the rest that we are going for the title. Why dont you look at us and think "Why cant my team be like Chelsea last season where they grabbed the league by the scruff of the neck right from the start?".. we had an opportunity to do exactly that. Instead we are here saying "Hey, everyone is fucking up, so we are not that bad!"

I'll let you decide which attitude makes you a winner, and which attitude makes you the average joe.

---

We haven't missed opportunity after opportunity, you're ignoring the opportunities we have taken. Off the top of my head Utd at home which saw us leapfrog them, Leicester away when City had dropped points - still Leicester's only league defeat.

Of course we should have won yesterday but the fact remains we're only a point off the other credible contenders. We cocked up but other teams do too, we'll mess up other games but so will others. We don't have to win every game and never mess up to be champions, while we're still in touch I'll believe we have a chance.

If we had taken the league by the scruff of the neck and were well clear at the top right now I bet you plenty on here would be predicting we'd just collapse anyway. Stop pretending your belief we have no chance of the title is anything to do with our results so far. Results so far show we're in the mix. I understand people's skepticism about our chances and recent form is a worry. As I said, let's see where we are after the City game. I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet. I don't really think anyone with a winner's attitude would do that when only one point behind...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Globalgunner

Its only recently that we weaned him off prowling for grammatical errors as English/spelling slip-ups mean you obviously dont know what you're talking about.

---

"It's", and "don't"

:sulk:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Letters

We haven't missed opportunity after opportunity, you're ignoring the opportunities we have taken. Off the top of my head Utd at home which saw us leapfrog them, Leicester away when City had dropped points - still Leicester's only league defeat.

Of course we should have won yesterday but the fact remains we're only a point off the other credible contenders. We cocked up but other teams do too, we'll mess up other games but so will others. We don't have to win every game and never mess up to be champions, while we're still in touch I'll believe we have a chance.

If we had taken the league by the scruff of the neck and were well clear at the top right now I bet you plenty on here would be predicting we'd just collapse anyway. Stop pretending your belief we have no chance of the title is anything to do with our results so far. Results so far show we're in the mix. I understand people's skepticism about our chances and recent form is a worry. As I said, let's see where we are after the City game. I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet. I don't really think anyone with a winner's attitude would do that when only one point behind...

---

You dont become winners when you take 2 opportunities and then miss 2 opportunities. I am not forgetting that we have had good performances but we have had some horrible performances too. As for being one point behind a credible contender, I have a sneaky feeling Liverpool will be up there very very soon.

And I am not throwing in the towel yet and neither should you, but like I said, you can see the train wreck coming.. we are just praying and hoping that the driver of the train (Wenger) can see that he needs to change tracks. But knowing him, you know he will take the same track to destruction.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fakeyank

You dont become winners when you take 2 opportunities and then miss 2 opportunities. I am not forgetting that we have had good performances but we have had some horrible performances too. As for being one point behind a credible contender, I have a sneaky feeling Liverpool will be up there very very soon.

---

Not sure about Liverpool. Maybe. As I was saying at the start of the season though, you don't win the title in the first 10 games, but you can lose it as we did last year. This year we're in touch and for now that's enough. It would be nice to be 5 points clear, or whatever, but would that make anyone on here feel confident we'd last the distance? We've had some very good results and a few really poor ones. But, for now, we're in the mix. And, for now, that's enough.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fakeyank

And I am not throwing in the towel yet and neither should you, but like I said, you can see the train wreck coming.. we are just praying and hoping that the driver of the train (Wenger) can see that he needs to change tracks. But knowing him, you know he will take the same track to destruction.

---

Unfortunately I think our train is stuck on the tracks - I don't see how he can change them now unless he makes an impressive signing in January and I think that's unlikely. We're stuck with the squad we have and if we fail to challenge because of injuries and a lack of squad depth then Wenger should be sacked. The next few games will tell us a bit more about our credentials. We messed up the first 'easy' game but we have a few more before the City game.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Letters

Do I really have to explain how what a potential rival for the title does is relevant?
We cocked it up yesterday, so did City. If the argument is we can't win the title because we cocked up then that logic should also apply to City.

---

Well no because they've won the title recently and have shown they can, we haven't for over a decade and have collapsed like a house of cards more often than we care to count.

I don't care what has happened in the past. For the last couple of years we've been signing the sorts of players who can win you a title.
Last year we started getting the sorts of results in big games which win you trophies, we've already won 2.
This year we need to push on for the bigger prizes, so far we're in touch and right now that's good enough.
We wouldn't have won either Utd game - away in the Cup last year, home in the league this year - a few years ago.
If you don't believe we have any chance then fine, stop watching - what's the point? While we're in the mix I'll believe we have a chance, as I've said the next few games will tell us more about our title credentials.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Letters

I don't care what has happened in the past. For the last couple of years we've been signing the sorts of players who can win you a title.
Last year we started getting the sorts of results in big games which win you trophies, we've already won 2.
This year we need to push on for the bigger prizes, so far we're in touch and right now that's good enough.
We wouldn't have won either Utd game - away in the Cup last year, home in the league this year - a few years ago.
If you don't believe we have any chance then fine, stop watching - what's the point? While we're in the mix I'll believe we have a chance, as I've said the next few games will tell us more about our title credentials.

---

My stance on things is that if we can keep 90% of the squad fit then we can and will challenge strongly for the title, the issue we have now and have had over the past 4 or 5 seasons is the squad is decimated with injuries. If the injuries don't ease up and we don't have a relatively fit squad by January then we can wave goodbye to the title, I'd go as far as to say we will be in a real scrap for top 4 if injuries don't ease up because I think Spurs & to a lesser extent Liverpool are starting to show real signs of improvement.

Despite all that, I think when we had a relatively injury free squad earlier on in the season we at times did look like the real deal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by selassie

My stance on things is that if we can keep 90% of the squad fit then we can and will challenge strongly for the title, the issue we have now and have had over the past 4 or 5 seasons is the squad is decimated with injuries. If the injuries don't ease up and we don't have a relatively fit squad by January then we can wave goodbye to the title, I'd go as far as to say we will be in a real scrap for top 4 if injuries don't ease up because I think Spurs & to a lesser extent Liverpool are starting to show real signs of improvement.

Despite all that, I think when we had a relatively injury free squad earlier on in the season we at times did look like the real deal.

---

If I was being picky I'd tell you that decimate means "to remove one in 10", so that would be 90% of our squad fit ;) :coney:
But basically, I agree. IMO we're good enough but the injury problems are building up again and that is looking like it may cost us.
If so then #WengerOut, 'cos this has been a problem for years and he hasn't found a solution.
But while we're in touch I'm going to keep believing we have a chance. We have a good run in, if we're there or thereabouts with 10 games left I think we've got a shot.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Letters

Unfortunately I think our train is stuck on the tracks - I don't see how he can change them now unless he makes an impressive signing in January and I think that's unlikely. We're stuck with the squad we have and if we fail to challenge because of injuries and a lack of squad depth then Wenger should be sacked. The next few games will tell us a bit more about our credentials. We messed up the first 'easy' game but we have a few more before the City game.

---

I dont think signings are the issues. My first post on this thread was about the lack of urgency in our game. I do not know if you watched this game or not, but the players didnt even look bothered till the 85th minute. There was no hustle, no busting a gut, just piss poor non-penetrative football. This was no Bayern Munich against who we couldnt touch the ball.. this was West Brom FFS!

I have mentioned this before as well.. My main grievance with Wenger is not primarily his signings. It has always been about his tactics and man management. While he could have and should have done better in the transfer window, he is very poor in tactics and motivating a team. The same mental frailties are a trademark of his teams. Yesterday's game was just plain horrible.. no motivation, no energy, no plan B. Gutless!

I don't disagree about Wenger's weaknesses, but he's always had those. It didn't stop us winning titles back in the day. And the next guy, he'll just have different weaknesses. It sounded like a bad day at the office all round on Saturday. Those happen to every team. We can't afford too many though, it's the first really bad league result for ages so let's see how we react. If we have a nightmare few weeks which sees us fall out of the title race then I'll probably catch ZD too. Hopefully not the Stage 3 Brain Death kind though.