I actually agree that is a weakness, but we've got plenty of players who can score goals, we haven't got a 30 goal a season player but we've got several 20 goal a season players.
IMO any of last season's top 4 could credibly win it this year but we've got as good a chance as any IMO and we've started to show a bit more steel in big games so there's no reason we can't hold our nerve if we're in the mix at the business end.
I know Dougie, we can't all be a football expert like you - no weaknessOriginally Posted by Douglas Reynholm
I don't think they could, I think United as they currently are, are as far away from winning the title as they were last year
I don't think it can be said that City have meaningfully strengthened either, like United they are in dire need of a centre half.
I think City look the worst of the top 4 to be honest.
NOTE: The location of this post has been moved and the thread title (which was previously Wenger is Leaving) has been manipulated by a notorious pro-Wenger moderator. What was previously a message that contained no profanity and made a comment on a real life event has now been manipulated by a deliberately provocative title. An old and crude propaganda and censorship technique.
City are contenders if they can be arsed, they're poorly managed - with their resources they should be right up there.
Utd - it depends how the new signings do.
We weren't good enough last year (and were quite a way behind, regardless of how were ended up being this far behind we were) and we've only added one player whilst others seemingly have brought in more.
Last season you didn't think we were good enough, so has it just taken one signing to change that?
I'm not convinced, I think up front we're far too wasteful and we lack steel in the middle and did have some shocking games last season too where old habits reared their head, we also have a tactically naive manager who just doesn't make changes when they need to be made.
With a couple more quality signings, I'd have said yes, but as it is we'll fall away when the pressure is on as we demonstrated when we played Monaco and got knocked out and when we fell from 2nd to 3rd, we just don't have the staying power and don't have a striker who will get us free points when we're not playing well.
The forward options we have should allow us to continue to finish top 3 or 4. We can score goals from other positions which is just as well otherwise we'd be competing for Europa places. In Europe, we are hoping to compete agaisnt the likes of Barca, Madrid & Bayern. Forgetting the Spanish attacking riches for the moment, Bayern can score goals through Ribbery & Robben but also have Lewandowski & Muller in the same starting 11. If we say Sanchez & Walcott can be our Ribbery & Robben, who is our Lewandowski & Muller?
Spotted the problem here.
yep - if Dougie "thinks" something - go for the opposite. They'll win it now.
It's not just about the signing although I do think that will help. Having a proper, world class 'keeper has to help the defence and that can only be a good thing.
I would have preferred us to do more in the window but Wenger has always valued stability - probably too much, but I think he's got a point right now. I do think we were good enough last year, we just got off to an awful start which made our task impossible almost as soon as the season started. We can't make that mistake again and I don't think we will. It is not valid to suggest that the same squad will perform the same from one season to the next just because they're the same players. The dynamic of a squad change over time, players get better understanding, get older and better (if they're on the upward curve and not getting on, which most of ours are)
It's interesting how your definition of pressure is 'games we lose'.we'll fall away when the pressure is on as we demonstrated when we played Monaco and got knocked out and when we fell from 2nd to 3rd
Was there no pressure on us in the quarter final at Old Trafford? Or the semi-final or final?
There is no great pressure on whether we finish 2nd or 3rd. Both qualify you for the CL, neither wins you a trophy.
We had a Cup Final to worry about, City didn't. We took our foot off the gas a bit when the title was gone (and only then, till it was mathematically impossible we kept going) but we picked up and did the business when it counted in the final, I can live with that.
There does seem to be something different about this squad, they've won 2 trophies in a row, they've been sweeping all before them in pre-season and while that doesn't necessarily translate into a good season it's always a good thing to be in a winning habit. They've shown they can go on long winning runs, they've shown they can turn up in the high pressure games - you can point to counter examples, you can do that with any team, but we won games last season we would not have won a few years ago. We've got enough world class players, and the mentality, to seriously challenge this year.
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