We had a game this weekend, it was won by the home team. It wasn’t a surprise.
Have you looked at the PL table? It is possibly the most unusual in a few decades. To see one team so dominant that they are 16 points ahead of 2nd and likely to harvest the highest number of points in PL history (though they will lose 3 when we beat them at The Emirates).
City are a brilliant team, team being the operative word. They have fine players but unlike United they are not dependent upon individual skills. Me-rinho knows he cannot compete as a manager with Pep but he can spend a few hundred million buying players who can win a match on their own. It will get him 2nd or 3rd spot
Spurs and Liverpool are on season highs as ChelseaΒ plummet. If Spurs get 4th will it be considered a trophy π
And what of Arsenal. When Chelsea win tonight we will be 7 points off 5th and 8 off 4th. Realistically it is all over for the top 4 place.
Yet, we are also 9 points ahead of 7th place. We will finish 6th and in a league of our own. Had Arsenal a clue when it comes to playing away from home, this was a season when we could have finished much higher but our mysterious away form.
There is a problem arising in the PL. None of the teams below are going into the Top 6 in the near future.. Everton have spent a fortune, so have Leicester yet both of them are almost 20 points off top 4 and 10 points behind us.
Everton and Leicester are in competition with Bournemouth, Burnley and Watford for 7th place (Europa?).
Given our BoD’s decision to loosen the purse strings and buy our way back to the Top 4, 2019 will be exciting.
Strange Days.
written by Big Raddy
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Basically a Top 6 has emerged in the last 5 years with the emergence of Tottenham and the resurection of Liverpool.
Unfortunately – it seems that we are at the bottom of the Top 6 rather than at the Top π¦
Why? It all goes back to losing the Champions League final.
The stadium switch was a sound long-term investment IF we kept our level, which we are not…
We have failed to address for the last 10 years now:
– our defense issues
– our DM
– our Winger issues
We have relied upon creative skills in the middle of the park but you need creativity and steel throughout your team to win the EPL. Look at Man City – they have creativity and steel throughout. Even KDB and Silva have become ruthless midfielders
In
RC. That could have been a post π
Cheers, BR.
We are in a strange position in the league, it’s true.
A sort of purgatory, waiting for our slate of sins to be wiped clean.
In hindsight, with Arsene’s 2 year extension, this seems somewhat inevitable. Unless the owner envisages extending the manager’s contract even further, an extra 2 years was always going to be a period of limbo, waiting for a new chap to come in and establish some different patterns and fresh ideas.
This season, perhaps the game which turned things against us was losing to the red mancs at home. Two ridiculous pieces of defending early on in the game left us with too much to do, even though we dominated thereafter. Since then we’ve won only 4 games in the League (Newcastle, Palace twice and the recent Everton game), drawn 5 and lost 3; mid-table form at best.
Anyhow, to cheer myself up, I thought I’d take another look at Mesut’s match-winning volley against the Mags. π
Until we address our frailties – we cannot compete for the EPL
We need to heavily invest and ALSO REINVENT OUR DEFENSIVE SYSTEM
As for our line up with everyone fit:
Cech – Bello, Mus, Kos, Koli – Ramsey, MONREAL, Wilshere – Miky, Ozil – Auba
I really think that Monreal is our best DM – he can be our mini Kante
Ramsey is a must start as well
Xhaka and El Neny are adequate cover
Wellbeck and Laca as well
Our X-factor is Iwobi who can be aweful, really poor, terrible and every 5th game brilliant
Now let us win our remain games
To be competitive, we need to win 2.25 points per game in average
That would have meant having 58-59 points by now, only being then second to Man City and 2-3 points ahead of Man Utd
We are 13-14 points off the pace, or 4 wins and a draw:
– Bornemouth away -> should have been a win
– Man Utd home -> should have been a win
– Stoke away – > should have been a win
– Swansea away -> a draw
– Watford away -> shold have been a win
Now if you can’t average this minimum 2.25, which means being close to 85-86 points, we can’t expect to compete for the EPL. It is that simple because Man City and Man Utd will be there by the end of the season for sure. Usually, Chelsea as well so…
Let us work hard
Great work Raddy … and an interesting insight. Being the worst of the best is not comfortable for me. In terms of financial clout we should be no lower than 4th.
I’ll try to avoid any of the boring repetition and rhetoric. Suffice to say we need a change at the top and until that time, I fear we will remain in limbo.
By my estimation, we’ve made a small profit on transfers and lowered the wage bill in the last 12 months …. we’re not chucking money at the problem. My hope is that when someone with new ideas arrives, we will give him the resources to build a new type of team that can encompass the brilliance of an Ozil, but with added steel, organisation, resilience and consistency.
I fear that when Arsene leaves we may become another Everton.
That’s real limbo, Rasp.
Scrotes, and more scrotes, ay Chas? That’s the new way forwards!
Well in that case Big Al, we’d better keep Mr Wenger until he’s 90.
Can you really not see future without AW?
His achievements will never diminish. He was a man of his time … things move on, it’s the way of the world.
Of course there will be a period of adjustment when a new man inevitably takes over … and most likely a dip in results whilst the club and players absorb and work with the change. We are not moving forward at the moment …. at best we’re static.
That’s the spirit, Erik, onwards to the 2018-19 season π
It is pathetic we’re so off the pace, but hey diddly, focus on the Europa.
Positives? We can relax and simply enjoy the football. Well, other people’s football to be precise, in the form of Real v PSG and all that.
thanks Raddy. You say strange I say terrible, probably the worst season under Wenger. Despite buying big names we are regressing. It might be temporary and last until the big guns start delivering, but I am not convinced. There are still too many inconsistencies and games that were painful to watch.
I am no expert on football, but I call tell a good game from utter shit, and so far this season I can honestly say that I enjoyed maybe 5 or 6 games only. That really is not good from a top club. Any other club would have the manager’s head on a pole outside the stadium gates. Unfortunately, Wenger was brilliant for us in the past which now gives his a licence to perform well under par.
I am with Rasp; we need a change on the top level(s) until we see some real difference. For worse to start with, but hopefully for better in a long run.
raddy – I was painting and thinking about your advice on animals and furniture. And I have decided, rubbish, animals are more important to me than furniture π Come on dogs, on the sofa π
Eddie
The only solution is a latino type manager in exceedingly tight trousers
Bloody hell, Eddie, what the hell are you painting now?
The rooms must be getting smaller and smaller what with all the coats of dulux
Dogs on furniture = Smelly old spinster π
Oi Eddie, come back and fight Erik this minute
Good afternoon Goners, I mean Gooners. Last Thursday quite a few of you on here insisted that I come back onto this blog after the North London Derby. So here I am??????? Tut tut, dear oh dear, how embarrassing, fancy a small, morally corrupt cheating bunch of miscreants like Spurs beating the mighty untouchable Arsenal. I donβt understand football, I mean you had a strike force that cost over Β£100-million on the pitch at the end, yet couldnβt score a single solitary goal?? Funny old game hey π
Harj
Wasn’t me that insisted π
Although I agree with you. The fact that we couldn’t beat Totnum is pathetic. Really embarrassing. Heads should roll π
We still won 2-1 on aggregate.
The balance of the side is all wrong, and has been for a while. We either end up too attacking, and look really vulnerable on the counter, or we play too deep and struggle to get out of our own half.
A quality HM player who is good in possession would help, but they aren’t easy to find and I’m not convinced we are looking very hard for one.
Alternatively, we could balance the side by getting our full backs to tuck in a bit more rather than being wingers. Again though, I don’t think that will happen under Wenger.
Until a change of manager, I see us improving on what we’ve seen in the last 18 months (it’s been a very disruptive period with contract issues and a large change of staff and playing personnel) but still falling way short of being contenders.
sorry Raddy, I was wrapping up the Valentine’s Day presents. How many cards do you expect darling? I shall be disappointed with just 2
micky – painting the hallway again. The colour is not right, wrong shade, it has to be perfect you know. All autumn I was painting the 3 large rooms, call it a learning curve. I am flying through it now, a doddle
what is Ollie doing making assists for Hazard? That was not in the script!
Eddie, his link up play for the goal was excellent but he’s also missed an absolute sitter on his right foot.
Pretty much sums up his time with us!
Lol
Eddie. If I get more than one I fear for my health
β¬ Sit on my face and tell me that you love me βͺβ«β¬
Morning All,
7.02 π
7.05 Perfect egghead
Morning, BR.
What’s for brekkie?
Gruel
I’ve just had dinner – 3 pancakes with fruit, ice cream and maple syrup
I love Shrove Tuesday
for those not in the know – Shrove Tuesday is the day in February or March immediately preceding Ash Wednesday, which is celebrated in some countries by consuming pancakes.
the fruit was stewed bananas, peaches, kiwi fruit and strawberries
Off to Youtube to discover how to make pancakes. Can’t be that difficult, can it?
What’s a Shrove?
@6:48 – not true Heath Ledger. I’ve always asked my son if he was happy, it was all I wanted for him – to be happy.
VP – doughnuts in Poland. Delicious, greasy, filled with jam doughnuts.
VP,
Are you a tosser?
OMG raddy – I can understand why you don’t know what’s a Shrove, but you don’t know how to make pancakes??? I am mailing you a recipe, wait
Origin of shrove
Middle English shroof, Old English scrΔf
verb (mainly RC Church) shrives, shriving, shrove, shrived, shriven (ΛΚrΙͺvΙ n), shrived
1.to hear the confession of (a penitent)
2.(transitive) to impose a penance upon (a penitent) and grant him sacramental absolution
3.(intransitive) to confess one’s sins to a priest in order to obtain sacramental forgiveness
Just mail him a pancake, Eddie. It’ll fit through the letterbox.
FGG
I’m not a tosser, my wife is
π
She sounds lovely…
Busy day tomorrow, its the start of Lent, Ash Wednesday and Valentines Day… might spend the day in bed
Is that why you married her, VP?
fattie :):)
When I start on pancakes I usually make 30+. Stuff them with ricotta and spinach, freeze and have food for 10 days
FGG, when she took me home to meet her dad and brother about 28yrs ago and then proceeded to cook me dinner, something she knew I would like whilst at the same time cooking her dad and brother something else and then something different again for her meal, 3 different meals at the same time, thats when I fell in love and married her.
Oh and she is gorgeous and super smart (psychologist) so that helped as well.
I on the other hand support the gunners
Eddie,
I prefer them savoury myself. Got the the beef and potato in the slow cooker so will be ready for when I finish work. Get some pancakes made (no tossers in our house unfortunately) and tea is sorted!
Varied diet Eddie….way to go girl π
Chas 7:02 gets a special mention amongst many great entries
Motning all
v busy
bloody hell VP, I wish I had a wife like yours
Eddie, us with croatian heritage love Palacinke – pancakes stuffed with ricotta – love them
have a great morning guys, I’m off to play outdoor futsal with my son – gotta work off the pancakes
VP,
Sounds like a keeper to me! The wags have had to put up with a lot over the last few years with Arsenal being so shit n all! It used to take me days to get over an Arsenal defeat (if barely speak to the wife), now it’s seconds. I preferred it when it was a shock to lose, now it’s every other game! ππ©
When I was first invited to Mrs. R’s apt. Afterwards, she asked me what I could cook with what was in her fridge. I took the restaurant option.
Vikings insist their men do the cooking
FGG. 8.24. Ditto
men make better cooks. Fact. As a woman I have to admit that to be true. I have never known a woman to cook better than my uncle or my bastardly ex.
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