Match Reaction: Watford 1 Arsenal 3

[Marc Overmars]

I care because i want us to play in the top European competition, the attitude well we won't win it as long as Wenger is in charge depends on him being manager after this season.....and the fan base may be mollified short term but if this season goes like every other and the crowd turns ugly will it really be worth it for the owner to risk things financially by keeping this going for another three years?

Do i think he will be manager next season? yes because he does always seem to do enough to keep his job....but there is no guarantee....the people who want Wenger to stay seem long term seem to form a very niche minority now. And no talk of contract extension on the horizon.

I think he'll get another 2-3 years as well. As you say he always does just about enough to keep his job and frankly we've left it too late to find a suitable successor because all the candidates have been snapped up by rival clubs.

Whoever succeeds Wenger, I'm pretty sure it's going to be a very left field choice that no one saw coming.

[Kano]

Not sure Chelsea are really an unknown quantity. They largely have the same side that won the league a few seasons back and it looks like Hazard and Costa are back to their best. Kante was also a very good signing for them and Conte is a great coach IMO.

Chelsea's main area of weakness is CB, everywhere else they have lots of quality.

I'd be surprised if we finished above them. I think the best we can hope for this season is 4th.

That is true but whether this side is still good enough or their squad big enough, remains to be seen. Also their manager is an unknown quantity in this league. Good start but too many judgements are passed about the PL after a few games and most of them prove to be half-baked come the mid-way point. They could finish above or below us, no real way of knowing given how far they went off the boil last season.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I think he'll get another 2-3 years as well. As you say he always does just about enough to keep his job and frankly we've left it too late to find a suitable successor because all the candidates have been snapped up by rival clubs.

Whoever succeeds Wenger, I'm pretty sure it's going to be a very left field choice that no one saw coming.

I'm not sure leaving it too late to find a successor will factor into it, if things are like they were March/April/May time I'm not convinced the board would want him to carry on, and i'm not sure he will either.

[selassie]

That is true but whether this side is still good enough or their squad big enough, remains to be seen. Also their manager is an unknown quantity in this league. Good start but too many judgements are passed about the PL after a few games and most of them prove to be half-baked come the mid-way point. They could finish above or below us, no real way of knowing given how far they went off the boil last season.

[mastermind84]

Xhaka is really a sublime player

[GP]

I think so too.

In Xhaka, Mustafi, Holding and Lucas we have strengthened right through the spine of the team.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

The collapse of last season emanated from a putrid lack of options for a period that went on far too long in MIDFIELD rather than attack. It wasn't merely down to a lack of a world class striker so, the absence of one equalling no title challenge is simplistic or at least flawed.

Vardy isn't world class, a fact Zim has stressed to us all at the minimum....most don't believe Costa, Rooney or even Kane are either.

We have a keeper as good as any and more CB's than we actually need who are a good spread of top quality, experience and budding youth. We have an abundance of quality midfield options and depth. It isn't beyond the realms of possibility that we will challenge beyond Christmas, but each to their own.

We even have more options up front.

I will add for extra 'I told you so points' that I wasn't one of the many on here who before the collapse last season (namely post City win) was swept up in the overwhelming conviction we would win the league so I am not speaking from blind optimism.