We were largely sh*t in that run (performance wise) tbf, we got the results but rode our luck. In addition Spurs totally blew it from being 7 points ahead, it was a collapse of proportions we're familiar with.Originally Posted by Letters
So we did get the our fair share of luck along the way, if the rest of the league hadn't been so sh*t we'd have been nowhere near 4th place, we're just lucky it was last season.
Last edited by Özim; 18-07-2013 at 03:11 PM.
Again: P16 W12 D3 L1. It's pretty exceptional.
We were poor in some of those games but our defence was generally solid and saw us through. You don't go on a run like that by luck.
And if you look at Spurs' results in the run in they certainly didn't collapse, I posted some analysis of their run-in a while back. I can't be arsed repeating it but if you look at some of the fixtures they had and the results they got they hardly collapsed. Our run was just too good.
No it isn't if, you look at how we performed on paper it looks great but the reality is we weren't great and yet that run makes it look like we were in top form and brushing sides aside.
The league wasn't great quality wise last season, that much was clear so that helped us somewhat. At one stage we were miles behind and needed some sort of miracle and them miracle did somehow occur. Did anyone think we'd catch them from 7 point behind after losing to them? I doubt it and to do so we needed more than a little helping hand from them.
We know the team lacks quality, we also so how our standard of play has fallen, it was commented on many times last season and yet we ended up top 4. For a side of our quality to stay in the top 4 is impressive, but perhaps it paints a damming picture of the quality of the opposition as well that a side like us waltzed our way to 4th place.
That run looks like we were winning a lot of games. We were. It was the reason we finished in the top 4, you don't do it by luck.
I agree to an extent about the quality of the league and our quality but I don't see how that's relevant.
No, I didn't think we'd finish above Spurs after being 7 points behind them but then I didn't expect us to go on that sort of run. If you look at Spurs' run in game by game they only dropped points in one game you'd really expect them to win - Fulham at home. But that is somewhat mitigated by them beating City at home (who were on an excellent run) and drawing away at Chelsea (who dropped very few points at home last year). Their run-in results were excellent, ours were just better.
We hardly waltzed into the top 4, we snuck in there on the last day and only did so by going on the sort of run which if you extrapolate over a season is championship form. I agree we didn't look convincing but as you'd be the first to say it's all about results and we got them.
The problem with this run IMO, is as you've just highlighted it can be used to make things look fantastic. Wenger could easily point to this as a good reason why we don't really need transfers but the reality is it's a bit deceiving as the stats of that run really don't show how good a side we are. Looking at the figures alone we look like a fantastic side, which clearly isn't the case (your championship form comments reaffirms that and yet we're nothing like a championship winning team).
People have been saying you don't finish top 4 through luck, obviously it's not luck alone but there are lucky breaks along the way which certainly give you a helping hand and we've had our fair share over the years.
I literally don't think anyone, not even Ollie, thinks we're a fantastic side. But we're not that bad either. Riding your luck at times or no, you don't go on a run like that if you're that awful.
Over time we get some good luck and some bad. Over 38 games they say it generally evens out, certainly you can't keep finishing top 4 year after year by sheer dumb luck. If Wenger or the side were as bad as you make out we'd be nowhere near the top 4.
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