Seasons' comparisons

Hi everyone,

It has been a while since I have posted on here. Anyway, I have been keeping my Seasons' Comparisons tracker running and here is what it looks like with 10 or 11 games to go.

Chelsea 63 pt (1)
13/14 3
12/13 14
11/12 17
10/11 15
09/10 2
08/09 8
07/08 7
06/07 3

Man City 58 pt
13/14 -5
12/13 -1
11/12 -8
10/11 8
09/10 8

Arsenal 54 pt
13/14 -5
12/13 7
11/12 2
10/11 -3
09/10 -4
08/09 5
07/08 -11
06/07 -1

Man U 53 pt
13/14 5
12/13 -18
11/12 -14
10/11 -7
09/10 -7
08/09 -12
07/08 -11
06/07 -16

Liverpool 51 pt
13/14 -8
12/13 9
11/12 9
10/11 12
09/10 3
08/09 -7
07/08 -2
06/07 -2

Spurs 47 pt (1)
13/14 -3
12/13 -4
11/12 -6
10/11 0
09/10 1
08/09 18
07/08 15
06/07 11

Interesting that we're actually reasonably consistent. Only 5 points off where we were last year. Only 2007/8 is significantly different.

Stagnation :bow:

I will put up the complete figures early next week but I have say that today's result means that Arsenal have the same number of points as last season and behind only 2 seasons in the previous 8 seasons.

It has been quite a run to get us here. Overall the performances could have been better, but today, it looks like things were really gelling.

Here are the Arsenal figures:

Arsenal 63 pt
13/14 0
12/13 7
11/12 5
10/11 1
09/10 -4
08/09 5
07/08 -4
06/07 8

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bob Loblaw

It has been quite a run to get us here. Overall the performances could have been better, but today, it looks like things were really gelling.

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It's games like this and Utd away which make me think the 'maybe next year' thing. And yes, I know we've been here a million times before but this is the first time for ages I've felt we've got a squad that can genuinely challenge. And these are the sort of games which we 'always' lose, this year we're not losing them. There are a few signs that things might just be different this time. The only question that remains is can we sustain this sort of form for a whole season.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Letters

It's games like this and Utd away which make me think the 'maybe next year' thing. And yes, I know we've been here a million times before but this is the first time for ages I've felt we've got a squad that can genuinely challenge. And these are the sort of games which we 'always' lose, this year we're not losing them. There are a few signs that things might just be different this time. The only question that remains is can we sustain this sort of form for a whole season.

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Nope, just a calendar year.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bob Loblaw

Nope, just a calendar year.

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In the first Wenger referendum thread you defined the sort of games we 'always' lose,
Today and Utd away fall under that definition.
Does that not show anything?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Letters

In the first Wenger referendum thread you defined the sort of games we 'always' lose,
Today and Utd away fall under that definition.
Does that not show anything?

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It was a joke.

But as you bring it up, this run is coming despite Wenger. His subs today (other than the one forced on him) were shocking.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Letters

In the first Wenger referendum thread you defined the sort of games we 'always' lose,
Today and Utd away fall under that definition.
Does that not show anything?

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Wenger tried his very best to fuck today up. The players kept their discipline and won despite him. That's what today tells us.

Wenger is responsible for our results. He gets stick when results are poor, deservedly so, so he must be given credit when results are this good. You don't win 17 games out of 20 by dumb luck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Letters

Wenger is responsible for our results. He gets stick when results are poor, deservedly so, so he must be given credit when results are this good. You don't win 17 games out of 20 by dumb luck.

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He's a stubborn old goat who doesn't maximise his considerable resources and doesn't learn from his lessons. He's painfully predictable. That's what he is. He could have cost us big today with his negativity. On the other hand he has signed some great players and these kept a grip on the game today despite Wenger's bumbling idiocy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bob Loblaw

It was a joke.

But as you bring it up, this run is coming despite Wenger. His subs today (other than the one forced on him) were shocking.

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When I saw Ozil being subb'd off just after 70 mnutes, I wondered whether Wenger is finally doing what Real Madrid used to do in order to keep Ozil fresh: play him for about 70 to 75 minutes and then bring him off before his energy levels drop off.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

He's a stubborn old goat who doesn't maximise his considerable resources and doesn't learn from his lessons. He's painfully predictable. That's what he is. He could have cost us big today with his negativity. On the other hand he has signed some great players and these kept a grip on the game today despite Wenger's bumbling idiocy.

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:lol: 17 wins out of 20. What a bumbling idiot

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Toronto Gooner

When I saw Ozil being subb'd off just after 70 mnutes, I wondered whether Wenger is finally doing what Real Madrid used to do in order to keep Ozil fresh: play him for about 70 to 75 minutes and then bring him off before his energy levels drop off.

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Wondering what Wenger is doing is becoming a national pastime. If Wenger was a film director David Lynch would find him weird and unpredictable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Letters

:lol: 17 wins out of 20. What a bumbling idiot

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You can apologise for his bullshit today (and on so many other occasions) but these players are doing the job themselves, despite the manager. And I think maybe this isn't the first time this has been the case. Wenger sees things others don't, not in a visionary way but in a mental ward way.

We won 4-1. I don't need to apologise for anything, nor does Wenger.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Letters

We won 4-1. I don't need to apologise for anything, nor does Wenger.

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You're trying to hide Wenger's bizarre performance behind the result. The result was down to a good team performance. Certainly in the first half, definitely in the second following Wenger's moronic substitutions. The team had to be strong to counter the manager today but they did it and deserve great credit. Which I have given them.

Not the manager though. I've had enough of him and his stupid antics.

I don't need to hide anything.
Wenger is responsible for our results, good or bad.

Ultimately, that is true.

But his in-game management has been shockingly bad and over the course of numerous seasons it has cost us.

He has no match savvy IMO.

However, what he does have is an innate ability to manage a team regardless of the combinations of players, to the same performance level each season. That is impressive and he deserves credit because consistency is not easy to achieve.

I get it.... There are times when his decisions question belief but I don't think we should be calling for his head.....I hear the OZil sub was a question mark on this game.....but weren't we far enough ahead or did Ozil not like the idea (will watch the game in a mo)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CBwQk5QW0AAB_B6.jpg

LOL what? We are the form team, and we're the ones who are are going to miss out?

Why are these idiots paid for their opinions?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Emirates Gallactico

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CBwQk5QW0AAB_B6.jpg

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:haha: :haha: :haha:

Stop it your killing me!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Japan Shaking All Over

I get it.... There are times when his decisions question belief but I don't think we should be calling for his head.....I hear the OZil sub was a question mark on this game.....but weren't we far enough ahead or did Ozil not like the idea (will watch the game in a mo)

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We were 3-0 up when Ozil came off and he looked knackered to me. Welbeck came on for him so that wasn't a negative substitution and Welbeck did pretty well. Not sure what the fuss about that is for tbh.

Ozil is rarely taken off when playing badly, yet he had a blinder today and went off. WUMger at his best.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Emirates Gallactico

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CBwQk5QW0AAB_B6.jpg

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That article was published a day early.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Ozil is rarely taken off when playing badly, yet he had a blinder today and went off. WUMger at his best.

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We were 3 nil up and he looked knackered when he came off.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that substitution.
You really are digging deep to find something to complain about after a very good performance and result in a game we needed to win to keep a team snapping at our heels at bat

Nobody needs to be 'digging deep'.

There is ~ ten years of material to choose from.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Emirates Gallactico

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CBwQk5QW0AAB_B6.jpg

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Because in Hong Kong, I've got the Premier League Channel, he actually said that on an analysis about a couple of weeks before the article, and it was like "Yeah, Arsenal is the inform team, but they won't make it into the CL", I was watching it and it was like what's the logic?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

He has no match savvy IMO.

However, what he does have is an innate ability to manage a team regardless of the combinations of players, to the same performance level each season. That is impressive and he deserves credit because consistency is not easy to achieve.

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But to be honest, he never really had match savvy, it's just before, we were winning, winning, winning, we just used to laugh about it. Where as now, we haven't won it for so long, it's no longer something we laugh at.

I don't like Wenger's subs. Not his subs today, yesterday or tomorrow but his philosophy to them. He has pretty much admitted to determining them primarily on energy and fitness levels.

The subs are not necessarily a requisite or even a wholly releavnt part of winning a game though.....and mostly, the good mangers make the subs an irrelevance. Wenger didn't get away with a dodgy sub today any more than per and Koscielny got away with Sterling and Markovic clowning around in front of goal having had our back line ripped open.

I didn't have too much issue with Ozil coming off. The game was mentally won and 3 nil was always going to be hard for them to over turn at that stage. I had more issue with Flamini coming on than Ozil coming off. We tend to hammer Wenger when he over plays players. Ozil had a massive hand in winning us the game and he has run further than anybody in the team since January so taking him off before 90 minutes was up is nothing to lose sleep over.

Lest we forget we will probably need to play this Ooorible lot again this season in a game that will be of even more significance.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bob Loblaw

Nobody needs to be 'digging deep'.

There is ~ ten years of material to choose from.

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All the more reason not to make up new stuff from a game we comfortably won against a side who, had they beaten us, would have been snapping at our heels. The very sort of game you identified (with some justification, I guess) as one we always fail in.

It is "interesting" to read the comments here. If Arsenal had lost yesterday then the cries for Wenger to be fired would have been almost instantaneous and vociferous. Even with a pretty convincing win, the praise has been very muted from many, and that disappoints me.

Things could be very tight at the end of the season. Here are the "top" teams each club has to play:

Chelsea: Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool
Arsenal: Chelsea, Man U
Man U: Man City, Chelsea, Everton, Arsenal
Man City: Man U, Spurs, Southampton
Liverpool: Chelsea
Spurs: Southampton, Man City, Everton

I have included Southampton and Everton because their history rather than current form. Southampton are still looking for European football.

Looking at those lists, I believe that Man U are most at risk in the current top 4.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Toronto Gooner

It is "interesting" to read the comments here. If Arsenal had lost yesterday then the cries for Wenger to be fired would have been almost instantaneous and vociferous. Even with a pretty convincing win, the praise has been very muted from many, and that disappoints me.

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Unfortunately we are scarred by mistakes of the past.

This run of form is brilliant but it also leaves me scratching my head. The difference between the first half of the season and second half is night and day. Why? This is a squad that should be challenging but for one reason or another fell stupidly short in Europe again and lost any realistic chance of the title before Christmas. We are experts in late season surges that leave us wondering "what if". We're performing at par but the difference this season is that 2nd-4th is extremely close and we're in no danger of finishing lower than that, which maybe provides us with a different perspective even though points wise we are the same as last year.

The wins over the big sides have been awesome though. Wenget definitely deserves credit for those.

great win yesterday but we are 7 points ahead of 6 place and the same behind the top spot (with chelsea having a game in hand) which is why people aren't ecstatic about our position. We have spent a lot recently and wenger has been given a lot of time to win the title since he last did which is why the fans aren't thrilled right now.

It's perfectly reasonable to look back at other false dawns and be wary of this run, but there are a few reasons to think this could be different

The calibre of players we're signing now we have the new financial deals in place - people like Ozil and Sanchez - are making a difference, they are pushing us to a higher level. Early season (I agree that it's bemusing how poor we looked back then) Sanchez was carrying us a bit but now we've got him, Ozil and Carzola in midfield all looking fantastic - it's a pretty formidable midfield. For the first time in ages I feel we've got a squad that can compete, not just a first 11.

We won a trophy last year - we finally got that monkey off our back.

We're back in the semi-final this year and while Liverpool are still around we showed yesterday there's no reason we shouldn't be able to beat them should be be an Arsenal vs Liverpool final. If we do win two cups in two years then it will get some momentum going.

We're winning some of the 'must win' games against the big sides. Not sure City away was an example but it was a great win, yesterday was definitely an example and Utd away was fantastic. There are signs that the mental block in these games is lifting and the squad are starting to believe in themselves in these games. If we beat Chelsea then it will be another psychological boost (because Mourinho is such a genius they will come for a draw in that one, they'll probably bore us into submission and get one, too).

Also, this run isn't just a good few games, it's 17 wins out of 20 in all competitions. When was the last time we went on a run like that?! The big question that remains is can we sustain it for a whole season? If we do then we'll be champions next year, or go very close. It's a very big if of course.

Like it or not Wenger is going to be our manager next season so we might as well enjoy it while it lasts, hope we can finish the job in the Cup and keep some momentum going into next season.

Wenger has pissed me off for the past few years, but he has to be given credit for this run. I dont believe that the players when we were playing poorly every week just thought "oh well, this is what he wants" and carried on regardless. But then just thought "oh we have our own minds, lets play however the hell we want and win". Credit for the wins has to go to the manager.
Letters said about the better quality players we have now. 2-3 years ago I looked at our team and thought when playing the top sides and thought that not one of them would walk into our rivals teams. But now thats all changed. We have players right through the squad that could get in Chelsea, Man U, Man City, Liverpool teams. We also have a much stronger bench now. Few years back in some games I looked at the bench and would think there was not one player that could come on as a game changer, or was actually any good!
Personally I feel the most positive I have about an Arsenal team for many years, and I think we have to stop being so negative over a 4-1 victory over a top team who are on a decent run of form. Its petty to argue about Ozil coming off. Much better to protect your top players when you can. The game was won, and its the type of game where a player from the losing team dives in a bit late and we pick up a late injury. Good management imo.