I was thinking about how compartmentalized our form has been this season,
first seven games - win 2, draw 1 lose four
next eight games - win 7 draw 1
next seven games - win 2 draw 1 lose four
next seven games - win 6 draw 1 (7wins 1 draw if we win against villa Saturday)
Reminded me of Joseph's prophecy to the pharaoh about seven fat cows and seven thin cows, about periods of abundance and periods of famine.
I'm no Bible Basher I am an agnostic (or near enough) but found the comparison interesting, if we are to work to that pattern of seven shit games followed by eight good games et al then it would suggest we are to beat Villa this saturday and could indeed make QPR a very decisive fixture.
Arsenal under Arsene Wenger have always been a confidence team, we either can be unbeatable or unable to win depending on what the last result has bought us, recent Arsenal history is full of bad results begetting (religious terminology again sorry) dreadful runs of form. After QPR we play Man City and Chelsea within two weeks of each other and I have no doubt that a poor run of form would see us lose both of those games, I strongly believe therefore that QPR will be the litmus test for where we end up at the end of the season. A win at Loftus Road will give us the impetus to get the points we need to finish in our current position, a lose and a draw and a very different outcome could present itself.
It seems silly to say this but I do believe in these patterns of form (I don't believe they are coincidental or pre-ordained I think there is generally a good reason for them happening which without being at the training ground day in day out is hard to analyse) and if we win on saturday my block of four diagram above will be complete 7 shit games, 8 good ones, 7 shit games, 8 good ones.......
Of course it can be argued that the draw at home to Fulham and away to Bolton in the two blocks of good form would be a counter to my argument but I am taking the total points accumulation in those eight games and the fact that we remained unbeaten in these blocks.