Better season

[Toronto Gooner]

So, the 2014/15 season is now officially over for Arsenal. Let's take a quick "poll" on whether this was a better season than last.

Tangible facts
Arsenal won the FA Cup in both seasons
Arsenal got 4 fewer points than last season (but still the joint 3rd best over the last 9 seasons)
Arsenal came 3rd rather than 4th
Arsenal were knocked out in the round of 16 of the CL (but the team was not as good as last season)
The addition of a second world class player to the squad

Intangible factors
Best team in the Premier League in 2015
Established a record for winning the FA Cup
Established a record for a manager winning the FA Cup
Retained the FA Cup
The addition of a second world class player to the squad

Personally, I say this was a better season than 2014/15 but others might disagree.

[alexander]

I think we have moved on. OK, we are third not fourth, but the actual team seems less fragile. We are not a finished article, but its as close as we have been for some time. as this season has progressed, I have had less thoughts of "oh we are playing a top 5/6 team, we are are going to get our arses handed to us on a plate". I have had much more confidence of getting at least a point or three. Less scared of playing Manu/city, pool, chelsea than in any season for a while.

Im pleased with the season, and think we have a great basis to build on. There is much less dross in the team now, sometimes over the last few seasons I have looked at the bench and thought that if the starting 11 dont do it, nothing on the bench is a game changer. Now we have a riches of players (esp midfield) and we cant even get them all in the team.
I think there is much less panic needed in the transfer window. we do need some, but in previous seasons I think we have been here saying we need 2xCB, 1xRB, 1xDCM, 1/2xCF. Also, having not to go through the bloody qualifying for the CL in Aug will be a help for signing players and not picking up early season injuries.

Im happy.

[Marc Overmars]

I think the football we're playing is far more purposeful now and most importantly has the end product. So I'll qualify this season as progress based on that observation I guess.

Delighted with another cup triumph but we just have to challenge for the league next season, there really aren't anymore excuses. The squad is in place, money is available, everyone has had a taster of success, so lets do this shit.

[Penguin]

The typical pundit's view is: less points = got worse. For everyone else who isn't a moron you have to look at the whole picture.

1. Finished in a higher position
2. Strongest premier league team of 2015
3. We have Alexis fucking Sanchez
4. Ozil has stopped sulking and is coming good
5. Santi is a genius
6. We have a DM for the first time in... god know how long
7. Our young players like Ramsey, Wilshere, Ox, Bellerin and Coquelin are pushing on and playing well
8. Improved a lot against the big teams
9. Won the FA Cup again and in style
10. Our physio team are finally showing results and keeping players fit - touch wood...
11. We have Alexis fucking Sanchez... yeah he's that good he gets two lines

So yeah there has been improvement on last season. Is it enough to win the league next season? Probably not because the biggest obstacle, the manager, is still here. I don't think he'll make the right signings, and he restricts the potential of our squad with his tactics.

[Letters]

I'd be the first to admit I have previously looked at points as signs of progress and while it's a reasonable guide to how you're doing (clearly if you get 80 points you've had a better season than if you get 60), it is a bit simplistic. Arsenal did seem to ease off in the last 5 games after top 4 was secured and they had a Cup Final to think about. We got fewer points than last season but I don't think that's an indication of regression.
I think as a fan you get a feel for how the team is doing and right now I feel we're a better side than we were last season.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

It's swings and roundabouts

Personally I preferred this season to last (the second half of it anyway) as we produced the kind of results like beating Man Utd and City.

But there are still even in 2015 strong indications that Wenger's stubbornness and tactical deficiencies are holding us back. I know it was the end of the season and the champions league had been guaranteed but the home results against Swansea and Sunderland were totally unacceptable. The Monaco home game was an embarrassment, as was being totally dominated by Spurs at White Hart Lane, and whatever bollocks Wenger talks about cohesion, it's clear we need further player recruitment so we have the players to counteract Wenger's tactical paucity.
On the other hand although this was only Villa it's fair to say, he got everything right in that game, from getting Walcott and Sanchez to interchange on the left, to getting Szczesny to come out and claim or punch when the ball was crossed in.
This is the kind of thinking that will make us successful, we play to our own strengths whilst being mindful to nullify the strengths of the opposition, and that was the difference between a shaky 3-2 win against Hull and a 4-0 drubbing of what for me despite their league finish was a much stronger side in Aston Villa.

[Dein-machine]

I think we have had such a season & are a better team than last year purely because of Sanchez.
Santi has been a massive plus this year, Kos has been outstanding, Monreal has improved & Bellerin has impressed. Coq has improved us greatly at DM but I wonder if part of the reason he looks good to us is due to the absolute shite we had there with Arteta & Flamini.
On the other hand Rambo has been woeful in comparison to previous year, Giroud is too inconsistent & his lack of pace really affects the way we play. Ozil has good games but is still not stamping his authority on a regular basis. Jack, OX & Theo continuous medical cases. Can't choose between 2 mediocre keepers & Merts is getting ever slower.

Sanchez's goals, assits a workrate have been the difference. See what happens Wenger when you pay a little bit more to get world class.

[Power n Glory]

Sanchez had a storming season but we had games where we looked so unorganised and disjointed, which stemmed from the poor partnership of Wilshere and Ramsey, not even Sanchez could save our bacon all the time.

It's only until both Wilshere and Ramsey picked up injuries did we start to go on a winning run and look more fluid and confident in our play. It was a mess before. Furthermore, add Flamini and Arteta to the equation and injury list. Once Coquelin was playing as DM along with Cazorla as CM and Ozil playing as AM instead of on the flanks, we saw a difference in our play. A major difference and it took injures to see that difference. Once again.

i'm wondering what we'll do next season without the injuries. That's my worry. Will we try to force certain players in or revert back to playing Arteta instead of Coquelin? Will he force Rambo and Jack into the squad over Cazorla and Ozil, or force the latter players wide? So many questions and I hate the fact that we arrived at the right solution through injury again.

But it is what it is. Bellerin has had a storming season and I suspect Debuchy will get his place back but he can't afford to slip up because that young man will take his starting position.

Also, really good to see Monreal hold his left back spot. He's been another unsung heroe. I prefer him over Gibbs and hope the good run continues into next season.

No idea what next season will hold and can't say we've done better or worse. All will tell next season and for once, our poor injury record helped us out.

[Letters]

I think the season overall should be viewed as much the same as the last one, but I do somehow feel more optimistic of pushing on this time.
The new signings have made a difference, we've got some great away wins - and the performance in the final was superb, it has shown we can turn up in the big games.
I finally feel we have a squad that can seriously compete.

[Power n Glory]

All that can change over the summer. It depends on what our rivals do. Optimism was through the roof last season when we won the FA Cup.