Match Reaction v Spurs (Home - PL 16/17)

[selassie]

I don't know a Maureen led Utd will beat us at all. Nor did I think that before kick off Sunday. I knew it would be tough because of th type of team Spuds are now. He's past his peak and massively underperforming with that team, doing even worse than Van Fraud. The same was being said about Chelsea before we spanked them. It's very easy to look back in hindsight and say 'yes but they were rubbish or not the same team as now'. The point being, even when they were underperforming the thinking was we would struggle against them because we always do. It's the same reasoning being applied to the Utd game.

All I'm doing is taking it game by game and enjoying the good stuff. If we fail? So what. It's just football and back again we start next season. If people want to ignore patterns or hope for the best or have a different opinion, again, so what? Nothing apart from hope on a short term basis is lost. Those that go to games have a bigger decision to make because of their literal investment.

Always the voice of reason Kano

I hear you and I'll admit that I have enjoyed a lot of our football so far this season too, it's been positive and exciting. The performances over the past few weeks have been a cause for concern though, even the CL comeback game, we were a mess defensively.

I dunno...I just see us slipping back into bad old habits, Midfield for instance is a bit of a mess without Santi...we just look disjointed again.

I agree people are free to post whatever they want and whilst some of us will choose to bring up problems of the past, others will choose to ignore them.

[Özil's Panoramic View]

Once again Letters is on point.

You'll be telling us the same thing again next season, like you've been for past seasons now.

Unreal that you trot out the same silly lines every season during our mini runs, and utterly ironic that you're always quick to ridicule those who can identify the indicators that nothing has changed, and won't ever, under the stewardship your Lord and Master.

[Power n Glory]

It's not so much panic but more a case of applying logic to seeing the same patterns repeated season after season. I can't claim to know for certain if we are going to win the league or not but I can base my prediction off past performances.

It is also very debateable to whether this team IS in fact any better than the team of last season or previous teams, it's different, but claiming it is better off the back of a good run albeit against teams we have been EXPECTED to beat is extremely debateable.

Sunday was typical, we had a chance to go top and we didn't, it was classic Arsenal...a little bit of pressure and out come the handbrakes! We all knew we wouldn't win on Sunday, we all know that a Mourinho lead Man United will beat us after the international break, it's all very predictable and boring.

We’ve had so many yo yo moments with our form in the past, I’m beyond trying to sense predict where we’ll end up this year. But when it comes to recognising patterns, besides looking at isolated results, I can’t say I recognise anything significant that has set the alarm bells off. I mean in terms of Wenger being Wenger. If he’d have gone into that game with Giroud and Ramsey starting, I’d worry. Results will fluctuate throughout the season and we don’t have to beat our rivals to win the league. The real shift I want to see is in Wenger’s thinking and approach.

Has he adjusted and is he trying something new? So far, he’s kept Giroud and Ramsey at bay and he has spent money in the summer, and I’d say he’s overspent on Xhaka and Mustafi and we didn’t need Perez if he had decided on Sanchez playing as striker. That’s a shift in team selection and transfer policy. That’s a good sign in my book but that doesn’t vindicate Wenger. I’m still watching closely, but so far so good. That’s all he can do at the moment. I’m not expecting a complete tactical overhaul, but I hope the players step their game up and if they can’t, Wenger reacts to it.

I really have no idea if this team is better than last year’s but it’s safe to say the competition is a lot better. Liverpool, Chelsea, City and Spurs are showing good form and we can’t forget about Utd either. Time will tell. The draw against Spurs hasn’t really changed my view on the team overall.

[selassie]

We’ve had so many yo yo moments with our form in the past, I’m beyond trying to sense predict where we’ll end up this year. But when it comes to recognising patterns, besides looking at isolated results, I can’t say I recognise anything significant that has set the alarm bells off. I mean in terms of Wenger being Wenger. If he’d have gone into that game with Giroud and Ramsey starting, I’d worry. Results will fluctuate throughout the season and we don’t have to beat our rivals to win the league. The real shift I want to see is in Wenger’s thinking and approach.

Has he adjusted and is he trying something new? So far, he’s kept Giroud and Ramsey at bay and he has spent money in the summer, and I’d say he’s overspent on Xhaka and Mustafi and we didn’t need Perez if he had decided on Sanchez playing as striker. That’s a shift in team selection and transfer policy. That’s a good sign in my book but that doesn’t vindicate Wenger. I’m still watching closely, but so far so good. That’s all he can do at the moment. I’m not expecting a complete tactical overhaul, but I hope the players step their game up and if they can’t, Wenger reacts to it.

I really have no idea if this team is better than last year’s but it’s safe to say the competition is a lot better. Liverpool, Chelsea, City and Spurs are showing good form and we can’t forget about Utd either. Time will tell. The draw against Spurs hasn’t really changed my view on the team overall.

Fair play P'nG, can't argue with any of that. The Man Utd game away is a big test, if we can come out of that undefeated then it's fair to say some progress is being made. I'd actually take a point now from that game if offered it.

[Power n Glory]

Fair play P'nG, can't argue with any of that. The Man Utd game away is a big test, if we can come out of that undefeated then it's fair to say some progress is being made. I'd actually take a point now from that game if offered it.

Forget the test. That game is about pride. Wenger has to finally beat Mourinho. He has to. It's been too long and would love it even more if we could really crush them.

[Letters]

The draw against Spurs hasn’t really changed my view on the team overall.

I don't think a win would have changed anyone's either, and the usual suspects would have just waited for their next opportunity for a whine.
And maybe they're right, chances are they probably are. Personally I'd rather just enjoy how things are going which, so far, is quite well thanks.
While we're in the title mix I'm fairly content. Even if we'd won and gone top there would still be a suspicion we'll fluff our lines later.

If a new manager had come in and got the results we've got so far this season I don't believe they'd be getting stick for it.

[Power n Glory]

I don't think a win would have changed anyone's either, and the usual suspects would have just waited for their next opportunity for a whine.
And maybe they're right, chances are they probably are. Personally I'd rather just enjoy how things are going which, so far, is quite well thanks.
While we're in the title mix I'm fairly content. Even if we'd won and gone top there would still be a suspicion we'll fluff our lines later.

If a new manager had come in and got the results we've got so far this season I don't believe they'd be getting stick for it.

Our results haven't been bad at all. The derby was disappointing but I didn't really expect a massive reaction on here. Well, there hasn't really been a massive reaction in numbers. But I do get the sense that people are waiting on the next bad result to go ape. We're going to lose and drop points this season. But as said in my previous post, I'm looking more at what Wenger does and how he reacts.

[Kano]

Always the voice of reason Kano

I hear you and I'll admit that I have enjoyed a lot of our football so far this season too, it's been positive and exciting. The performances over the past few weeks have been a cause for concern though, even the CL comeback game, we were a mess defensively.

I dunno...I just see us slipping back into bad old habits, Midfield for instance is a bit of a mess without Santi...we just look disjointed again.

I agree people are free to post whatever they want and whilst some of us will choose to bring up problems of the past, others will choose to ignore them.

Just old age mate.

I see the defensive issues, some of the performances haven't been great but I also can't be arsed to over analyse anymore. There's too much of that and now every misplaced pass, shot or bad tackle is jumped upon too quickly. If I was paying to go to games as I did for a long time at Highbury, maybe I'd see it differently, I don't know. If it goes tits up again I'll be disappointed but not overly surprised as that was the prediction at the start of the season anyway. While we have our problems, so do all the teams around us, there isn't a stand out team, no matter how the shitty pundits try to spin it. It won't be a 5 horse race to the finish line as they always sell it in the early stages of the season, one or two will drop off after Xmas and the gaps will develop. I don't think it will be us scrapping for 4/5th and we'll be in the pack above and if the team surprises me and does better than that, then I'll be a happy fella.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I can see it from both sides, we are in the Mix, but i also think we have had far easier fixtures than Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool who are above us.

I haven't seen anything that convinces me that we are going to challenge for the title until the end of the season.

On the other hand for anything to be basing that belief on one result does seem somewhat kneejerk, i was unconvinced before the Spurs game i am no more convinced after it but no less convinced either, and i wouldn't be much more convinced had we sneaked a win.

[Power n Glory]

I can see it from both sides, we are in the Mix, but i also think we have had far easier fixtures than Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool who are above us.

I haven't seen anything that convinces me that we are going to challenge for the title until the end of the season.

On the other hand for anything to be basing that belief on one result does seem somewhat kneejerk, i was unconvinced before the Spurs game i am no more convinced after it but no less convinced either, and i wouldn't be much more convinced had we sneaked a win.

What game or what run of games would convince you?