The 13 points is anomalous in reference to prior years. But it's future years we are speculating about. Certainly, we have a squad that should be doing much better than this. But they aren't. 7 away losses in a row is almost unbelievable. It represents a complete collapse on the road. Complete. And the manger has done nothing notable to turn the tide. He's pretty much stuck to the same policy of randomly rotating the line-up, playing players out of position, the slow tempo possession game and the catastrophically flawed zonal defensive "system" that has failed like clockwork. We already have a decent theory on why there might be such a divergence in results home and away. On the road our opponents come after us. At home they show us too much respect, probably because they remember what sort of team we used to be rather than see us for what we are now. Weak. With a negative mentality.Originally Posted by Letters
I've said it in the past and the evidence strongly favours the idea we win when the opposition suits us. When they mass behind the ball and let us tip and tap it around we generally find a way through against the weaker defences. But when the opposition presses or plays an effective counter attacking game we are almost sure to lose.
The question is, having seen this awful away form and given a summer to analyse the games (if so inclined) what's to say most of the managers in the PL would not reach the easy conclusion it is better to pressure us rather than let us play - home or away?
It's all moot anyway because Wenger is leaving. But, if he was staying and I had to bet, I'd put money on our home form getting worse with the away form improving (because it can't possibly get worse). I'd predict an 8th, 9th maybe 10th place finish with a handful of wins both home and away against the weaker teams. That seems more realistic than suggesting we'd hold up the home form and then significantly improve the away form too. And it all fits in with the evidence of steady decline.
Reply With Quote