Match Reaction vs The 'Ammers (away).

[Özim]

so we draw a game against a very good side (still maintain they are the best side we have faced all season, i didn't watch the city game so can't comment) and its the worst result in the world because sunderland beat them, yet city lose several games against crap teams but thats ok because teams lose away, its not uncommon. jesus

why are city and chelsea so far above us in your mind? chelsea would be close if they have a top striker? they don't, who's fault is that? we are above them in the league and they failed to even come close to beating us on monday, they played for a draw, just ike they have done in every big game so far this season. city spent millions yet only now have gone above us in the league but we have a game in hand. you keep saying they are the best team in the land yet they have an awful away record, for the best team in the land to get their second away win OF THE SEASON in december is pretty fukcing poor.

We were at home, top of the league and on form, if we can't beat an Everton side who have been starved of investment and have had to sell all their best players for as long as I can remember we're in trouble. The fact is home games against teams like Everton are games we should win, as I said when a new manager comes in there is a bedding in period, it's not that hard to understand surely? Away games are always harder anyway.

Why? Because they have a better squad and players who seem to be able to handle big occasions, we've shown that come the crunch matches we come up short, that's been the case for years now, we just can't beat the best sides in any meaningful game (or one that achieves something). Chelsea didn't sign a top striker but Mourinho has just taken charge, you can bet your bottom dollar, he'll address these issues, unlike Wenger he doesn't sit on his arse and expect things to fix themselves due to more experience etc etc, that's why I've said this is our best chance to win the title, next season it will be harder for sure.

Yes Chelsea played for a draw, but Mourinho wanted to get some clean sheets as they've been conceding too many, job done and once again Wenger failed to beat him, this despite the fact Chelsea really aren't playing well and will only get better.

As I said new managers for both clubs and it takes time for them to implement, their methods and mould the squads in their image, you keep harping on about City and yet they humbled us 6-3 and are right on our coat tails despite this horrendous away record you keep pointing to, what does that say about us if Chelsea and City have been so poor and we've been at our best and yet they are still a point or two behind us?

I was hoping to see something different this December when we faced the top clubs, all I saw in the end is the same old weaknesses, we looked lightweight and didn't seem to have the quality to beat these sides, it's one thing beating small clubs you can open up at leisure but quite something else beating teams who have weapons that can hurt you.

[Özim]

Drawing with Everton was a bad result because we were ahead and it was at home against a team we're better than. What Everton manage to cock up a few weeks later is irrelevant. Chelsea won't look at their point against us and say "oh, that looks even worse now, this lot lost at home to Villa!" Their assessment of the point, positive or negative, will be based on that it was us they played, not one off results that are clear aberrations.

That's a fair point, I felt the need to add this in due to the fact people kept harping on about how a draw with Everton at home was a good result, it wasn't and at no stage did I or would I think it is.

[Ollie the Optimist]

you are making excuses for chelsea and city yet hammer arsenal for the same pissing things. you say mourinho wanted to get a clean sheet because they had conceded to many and thats fine, yet AW did the same thing and you hammer him for it. contradict yourself much?

sunderland were bottom of the league when city played them, you are telling me that the so called best team in england get a let off for not winning that as away games are always harder and they had a new manager? bollocks, you'd call for wenger to be sacked if he lost there.

mourinho didn't sign a top striker, but he let one go. he let a striker who since the beginning of last season has scored more goals then all of chelseas strikers put together. thats him addressing the issue clearing.


fuck me, you are so deluded in your hatred for Aw that the things you accuse him of, you excuse city and chelsea for doing. its beyond pathetic. everton have lost 2 games all season i believe. at least at the time of playing them, they had only lost one game. they are a very good side who had beaten top teams, yet you are stuck in a world where because its everton, you expect them to be shit because of this new manager and lack of signings completely ignoring the fact that the signings they had made were superb for them and the new manager has actually made them improve a hell of a lot. you are just like half the pundits out there, stuck with views formed 3 years ago, refuse to change them and just assume any result that isn't a win is because of the opinion you have from 3 years ago. you clearly haven't been watching football this season.

[Özim]

you are making excuses for chelsea and city yet hammer arsenal for the same pissing things. you say mourinho wanted to get a clean sheet because they had conceded to many and thats fine, yet AW did the same thing and you hammer him for it. contradict yourself much?

sunderland were bottom of the league when city played them, you are telling me that the so called best team in england get a let off for not winning that as away games are always harder and they had a new manager? bollocks, you'd call for wenger to be sacked if he lost there.

mourinho didn't sign a top striker, but he let one go. he let a striker who since the beginning of last season has scored more goals then all of chelseas strikers put together. thats him addressing the issue clearing.


fuck me, you are so deluded in your hatred for Aw that the things you accuse him of, you excuse city and chelsea for doing. its beyond pathetic. everton have lost 2 games all season i believe. at least at the time of playing them, they had only lost one game. they are a very good side who had beaten top teams, yet you are stuck in a world where because its everton, you expect them to be shit because of this new manager and lack of signings completely ignoring the fact that the signings they had made were superb for them and the new manager has actually made them improve a hell of a lot. you are just like half the pundits out there, stuck with views formed 3 years ago, refuse to change them and just assume any result that isn't a win is because of the opinion you have from 3 years ago. you clearly haven't been watching football this season.

When did he do that? Our defensive record had been decent until City smacked 6 past us, we basically need to build up a lead to have a chance because we'll run out of steam, in March/April I expect us to drop points left right and centre given our recent history, we clearly haven't got the stomach for the fight when it comes to big games and thus we need to build up a healthy lead before those games come round to have any chance.

Like I said new manager and all that, you can't expect a new manager to get it right right away, there's a settling period that's normal, Wenger has been in charge since the dark ages, there's no more leeway for him, it's almost 9 years since he won anything, that's way too long.

He clearly thought Lukaku could use another season on loan, manager's make decisions and mistakes as well, but like I said he's just come back, he doesn't know most of the players or the club, he will address the issues though, he always does that why he achieves so much success at every club.

Sorry but the fact is we should have beaten them, no amount of lame excuses will change that, we played poorly got played off the park for 60 minutes at home (embarrassingly so) and then people came out and said "they're a good side", "they've beaten so and so", "they've only lost one game" etc etc as an excuse for our inability to beat them...sorry but no we were top on good form we should have won end of.

I can remember people saying we could beat City because they play an open game (might well have been you), well guess what when push came to shove we played them and they gave us a footballing lesson, despite that you still think we're as good as them for some reason.

[IBK]

That's a fair point, I felt the need to add this in due to the fact people kept harping on about how a draw with Everton at home was a good result, it wasn't and at no stage did I or would I think it is.

It clearly isn't if you have ambitions to win the league as opposed to getting top 4.

[Ollie the Optimist]

When did he do that? Our defensive record had been decent until City smacked 6 past us, we basically need to build up a lead to have a chance because we'll run out of steam, in March/April I expect us to drop points left right and centre given our recent history, we clearly haven't got the stomach for the fight when it comes to big games and thus we need to build up a healthy lead before those games come round to have any chance.

Like I said new manager and all that, you can't expect a new manager to get it right right away, there's a settling period that's normal, Wenger has been in charge since the dark ages, there's no more leeway for him, it's almost 9 years since he won anything, that's way too long.

He clearly thought Lukaku could use another season on loan, manager's make decisions and mistakes as well, but like I said he's just come back, he doesn't know most of the players or the club, he will address the issues though, he always does that why he achieves so much success at every club.

Sorry but the fact is we should have beaten them, no amount of lame excuses will change that, we played poorly got played off the park for 60 minutes at home (embarrassingly so) and then people came out and said "they're a good side", "they've beaten so and so", "they've only lost one game" etc etc as an excuse for our inability to beat them...sorry but no we were top on good form we should have won end of.

I can remember people saying we could beat City because they play an open game (might well have been you), well guess what when push came to shove we played them and they gave us a footballing lesson, despite that you still think we're as good as them for some reason.

what a load of crap.

AW said after the game that the reason he iddnt make any subtitstions was because he wanted to keep the defence settled after a bad few games. fair enough really, i don't blame him for that. yet you say thats fine for mourinho to do yet not wenger.

you are going to every length to make excuses for city and chelsea yet hammer wenger for the same things. a bit pathetic that really. it seems that your whole argument about the everton game suggests that unless its city or chelsea we should be winning every game which is downright stupid. you clearly haven't watched any football this season otherwise you would know that everton are a dam good side. they have beaten most of the top sides and had when they played us only lost to city. thats a form team and it was a hard fought point. we dint play well granted but we won't win every game.

i thought city would be there for taking as they have been pretty poor this season IMO, played some great stuff at home but shocking away. the reason i think we are as good as them is because the league is decided over a season, not which top four club wins the most top four games. city were behind was until today because they weren't as good as us. its not that hard to understand. yes they beat us comfortably (with some very dodgy decisions too) yet were still behind us.

mourinho didn't have success at madrid, everyone knows that, he failed big time there and its not really a new club. he knows all those players, yet they have been crap. if we had lost to stoke, sunderland, struggled to beat west brom at home etc etc you would be calling for wenger to be sacked yet you make excuses for chelsea. its quite sad really.


you have moaned and moaned about us thinking top four is a trophy and only going for that yet the one year we are well and truly in the title race, you are moaning and having a hissy fit.

[Özim]

what a load of crap.

AW said after the game that the reason he iddnt make any subtitstions was because he wanted to keep the defence settled after a bad few games. fair enough really, i don't blame him for that. yet you say thats fine for mourinho to do yet not wenger.

you are going to every length to make excuses for city and chelsea yet hammer wenger for the same things. a bit pathetic that really. it seems that your whole argument about the everton game suggests that unless its city or chelsea we should be winning every game which is downright stupid. you clearly haven't watched any football this season otherwise you would know that everton are a dam good side. they have beaten most of the top sides and had when they played us only lost to city. thats a form team and it was a hard fought point. we dint play well granted but we won't win every game.

i thought city would be there for taking as they have been pretty poor this season IMO, played some great stuff at home but shocking away. the reason i think we are as good as them is because the league is decided over a season, not which top four club wins the most top four games. city were behind was until today because they weren't as good as us. its not that hard to understand. yes they beat us comfortably (with some very dodgy decisions too) yet were still behind us.

mourinho didn't have success at madrid, everyone knows that, he failed big time there and its not really a new club. he knows all those players, yet they have been crap. if we had lost to stoke, sunderland, struggled to beat west brom at home etc etc you would be calling for wenger to be sacked yet you make excuses for chelsea. its quite sad really.


you have moaned and moaned about us thinking top four is a trophy and only going for that yet the one year we are well and truly in the title race, you are moaning and having a hissy fit.

What an idiot, we were at home the onus was on us to win the game not the other way around!

Like I said Wenger has had years at the club, the other two have only been there since this summer, Mourinho left Chelsea quite a few years ago and a lot has changed since then, he only knows some of the players and hasn't had enough time to put his team together. There's no excuses here, just fact, neither City nor Chelsea have played that well and yet they're very close to us, I think they'll get better over the course of the season and that's not good news for us.

Over a season City will beat us, they have a better squad and on the day a better team as well, that's been proved, I don't see how you can think otherwise looking at their squad and at the defeat they inflicted on us.

Mourinho won the league with record points, he didn't have it all his own way but knocking Barca off their perch was no mean feat.

I'm not convinced we're in the title race, we're doing well at the moment but as we tire more and then face the tough teams I think we'll come unstuck, not enough heavyweight players with that winning mentality and a squad that isn't strong enough.

If we made some quality signings in Jan I could change my mind however knowing Wenger I'm pretty sure we won't.

[Ollie the Optimist]

It clearly isn't if you have ambitions to win the league as opposed to getting top 4.

so basically from that statement we can conclude that the team who will win the league will be sunderland or manchester city because clearly if you can't beat with everton you won't win the league.


have you lot actually watched any football this season? everton are not a bad side, when we played them they were one of the form sides in the league who were very hard to beat. we are not going to win every game this season yet some are acting as if everton are the worse side to be in this league and anything less then a 10 nil thrashing is a sackable offence

[Ollie the Optimist]

What an idiot, we were at home the onus was on us to win the game not the other way around!

Like I said Wenger has had years at the club, the other two have only been there since this summer, Mourinho left Chelsea quite a few years ago and a lot has changed since then, he only knows some of the players and hasn't had enough time to put his team together. There's no excuses here, just fact, neither City nor Chelsea have played that well and yet they're very close to us, I think they'll get better over the course of the season and that's not good news for us.

Over a season City will beat us, they have a better squad and on the day a better team as well, that's been proved, I don't see how you can think otherwise looking at their squad and at the defeat they inflicted on us.

Mourinho won the league with record points, he didn't have it all his own way but knocking Barca off their perch was no mean feat.

I'm not convinced we're in the title race, we're doing well at the moment but as we tire more and then face the tough teams I think we'll come unstuck, not enough heavyweight players with that winning mentality and a squad that isn't strong enough.

If we made some quality signings in Jan I could change my mind however knowing Wenger I'm pretty sure we won't.

yeah but you told us all summer wenger would never ever spend 40 million pounds on a player. you got that wrong.

moruinho didn't knock barca off their perch as they then won the league the next season with a record points total and were about 18 points ahead of madrid by decemeber. sum achievement that from mourinho.

city i think have lost more games then us this season in the league, how does beating us prove they are the better team? in the year 2013, we have won the most points, no one can top our total, ok yes thats over two seasons but with the squad in the one calendar we have been the best and most consistent team. we keep up 2013 form into the rest of the season, we will win the league.

[Özim]

yeah but you told us all summer wenger would never ever spend 40 million pounds on a player. you got that wrong.

moruinho didn't knock barca off their perch as they then won the league the next season with a record points total and were about 18 points ahead of madrid by decemeber. sum achievement that from mourinho.

city i think have lost more games then us this season in the league, how does beating us prove they are the better team? in the year 2013, we have won the most points, no one can top our total, ok yes thats over two seasons but with the squad in the one calendar we have been the best and most consistent team. we keep up 2013 form into the rest of the season, we will win the league.

Yes I was but in the end he was pretty much forced to spend due to the fans revolting.

Like I said he didn't have it all his own way, but to call him a failure certainly is a long way from the truth.

Like I said you have to factor in the change of management and the learning curve and time it takes for a new manager to get to know his players and setup tactics etc., what we saw when they beat us is that they can outplay us as they have a better team, we've got nothing that can match the likes of Aguero, Toure, Kompany, Silva at the moment other than Ozil who isn't settled yet.

That stat is meaningless, it's meaningless because a season isn't played over a calendar year, we had a good run at the end of last season but we were out of everything, right now we've had a decent half season but we've come up short when playing the top sides.

Runs of results are all very good but at the end of the day what matters is ending up top, nothing how many good runs you have put together, if we stay top the pressure will be on and we've got a history of falling apart when the pressure is on.