haha I've been reading around people saying fa cup + 4th place and build on from that in the summer to address our needs. We've needed a striker since Rvp left, we've only brought in one guy who I would count on in that time. This has happened year after year, holding out hope for a brighter future... yea... no. This was our best chance to win the league in years with changes at other clubs. I just fear the pressure to win the FA cup will be too much for these guys, can't even imagine what would happen if we don't win it. Anyway don't think anyone is surprised we find ourselves in this position.
Yeah, the pressure on the players is going to be immense in those games. To be honest, i feel like the FA Cup is a consolation prize at this point.
I agree that winning the FA now will more than anything emphasize the point that we aren't good enough to challenge for the title. A bittersweet pill to swallow.
I don't know what you guys are complaining about. If we win the FA Cup why would you "feel like it's a consolation prize" Its the frigging FA Cup gents.
Sadly, the FA cup has lost much of its appeal the past few years. So, at this point it's no more than a consolation. But I don't share the same optimism as others, I don't think we'll get past the Semi-final against Wigan to be honest.
Ah, I meant to say the points gained for Arsenal would be the same... Draws would of course take points off of two title rivals. True. Interesting that the thing that's impressed me most about Arsenal this season is the better consistency in getting results against weaker teams. That's a big step forward as even if they lose against the top 3, they can still outpace them by sweeping the soft teams. This scoreline hurts but in the long run both Chelsea & Arsenal have earned the same number of points from their last 2 league matches. The game against Swansea is crucial as they'll need a confidence boost before taking on City & Everton. After that, it's a MUCH easier fixture run for the rest of April/May.
Also, I wouldn't look down on the FA Cup since the 1st step should be in getting the burden of that trophyless streak off the shoulders. Just like City, they can proceed from that to making a stronger challenge for the league next season.
I don't at all. We've beaten good teams to get through and I want it so bad. That doesn't forgive our other faults though. And I agree, so much pressure. But that's why they get paid millions and you and I are sitting here writing about it on a website, yeah?
Tuesday is my birthday. Would it be OK if I start the Matchday thread for that one..... ......even though Jeff L. and I will be getting a little Brahms on the golf course
I think the fair weather is over, for me. Arsenal haven't been fun to watch even when we've won, this year. We're just a huge parasite that withholds the ball from open play against the other selling clubs and gets walloped by clubs who are in it to win. prefer Swansea grateful for some beautiful years
I've enjoyed this year more than the past five or so. It's turned bad but early on with Ozil and Ramsey was a lot of fun for me.
No. I haven't wanted Wenger to continue as manager for a while now. That said, most of the discussion on that point is too binary. Whether Wenger stays or goes is obviously important. But it's not the only thing relevant to the future of the club, it may not even be the most important thing. I don't think most of our fans really appreciate how much Arsenal has been hollowed out organizationally. From what I can see, the stadium groundscrew do an excellent job. I also give some credit to Steve Bould as well. Other than that, I don't trust anybody associated with current Arsenal management. Whoever they are, either they're one of Wenger's yes-men, they have no significant independent responsibility, or they have been run off. That has significant ramifications for the club no matter who the manager is. And if in fact Wenger leaves, we need to go about rebuilding the organization, not merely replacing the manager (my choice for manager would be Martinez fwiw). And in an ideal world we'd go about doing that even if he stays.
No. He's too stubborn. Buying Ozil placated me because I thought real change was afoot, but, well... Here we are. I'm equally as worried about our medical staff and trainers. Whatever they have been doing these past years, it isn't working.
Let's be honest, winning the FA Cup would still be great. And it would be good for this team to get a taste of winning something - you get the sense there is a hump there that they have to get over. That said, I think not winning it - which is a very real, tangible possibility - would be absolutely disastrous for this team.
Good points. I have been following Arsenal for 30 years and can't agree with you more. I agree. I know we have hashed over Wenger's future a ton on here. Let it be said that he is a great statesman for our club. I am proud that he is our manager and the way he carries himself with the press and the public. He is everything you want in a manager and will be remembered with Chapman as one of the two greatest in our history. But time and time again over the past 9 years we have failed miserably when the big game beckoned. Many times it has been a shocking failure (18 - 4 goals in big league games this year alone). Training and preparation have passed him by. I see people complaining about lack of players, etc. The reality is that this squad has the ability to compete but we aren't prepared. How do I know we have the ability to compete? Look at the teams that have beaten City, Pool, Chelsea, and don't laugh but include United because we pissed ourselves against them this year. The squads that have beaten those clubs this year are no better than ours. When we complain about not having this or that, it doesn't make sense when you say that. Chelsea lost to Everton, Stoke and Villa (familiar company). City have lost to Cardiff. Any given week any team can win. It comes down to preparation. We have been grossly unprepared for big games. Scary thought: Everton can eclipse us by the first weekend in April for the Wenger Trophy. Worse, what if United pull off the shock of all shocks and win the CL. Then the Wenger Trophy isn't even worth anything anymore. To be fair, we win the game in hand and we are again only 4 points off the title with 7 more to play. We are down and dejected (yet again). We are at that crossroads wondering what to do, where to go. The only option we have is to support the club and hope. It is all we have. Anger, etc. don't help right now. I for one have had my whole weekend ruined by this debacle.
People calling the FA Cup a ''consolation'' prize. LOL. It's still the most important trophy after the league title and one that would make a statement. By ending our long trophyless time with a trophy, we can make the next step. Just let's hope Wenger won't ***** us over in the transfer summer and actually sign 3-4 quality players, instead of solely relying on the likes of Arteta, Flamini and Podolski.
I think everyone knows what my answer is, but the timing is perfect for a change of manager. Wenger's time with us would be drawing to a close, even if we won the treble this season. This current renewal would probably be the last contract Wenger signs with us before retiring, or trying his hand with the French NT before retiring. Parting ways now makes the most sense for both parties as it spares us the ugliness and indignity of a firing. We can either renew Wenger's contact to 2018, and be locked into that relationship for the next 3-4 years, bring in someone new now, or - the worst case scenario - offer a short term renewal which signals to the world that Wenger's time with us is ending, but creates this drawn out situation which destabilizes the team for a long time. The squad is also ripe for a change of manager. Ferguson left Moyes with a squad that resembled a car from a cartoon that had all of its nuts and bolts removed, and continues running for a little while before completely falling apart. We have enough here for a new manager to not be overwhelmed with having to rebuild an entire squad, but there is enough missing for the next manager to have room to bring in the kinds of players he needs to do the job. We will probably get a few Moyes-like years with a managerial change, but that would be on the cards for us either way by 2018. We might as well get it out of the way now, before things have fallen too far to make our goals achievable.
Not to me. I want to win the FA Cup. And I'll be happy with it. Not having a second striker, not acquiring a Ramsey fill-in in the January window when we were in the midst of a title run, relying on Flamini (who I like) to be our only backup for Arteta, Wenger's strange reliance/lack of faith in Podolski, all these meant we were never really going to contend for the Premiership. So given that we did spend a large chunk of the year in first, this season has been rewarding. For the most part. But to lose three games against the other 3 teams in the top 4 by so being so totally overrun, is beyond frustrating. And it's taken the shine off the season, to be sure. But, I, for one, will still be ecstatic to win the FA Cup.
Agree completely. Winning is winning. Doesn't matter what trophy. Players earn the belief that they can win when it counts, something we haven't done in quite some time. Read 71 Guns about the double winning 70-71 season. The team won the Fairs Cup final against Anderlecht. Most people would look at a title like that today and say, "Whatever". Not the players. Each one basically recounts how hoisting that trophy gave them belief and confidence. They went on the next year to win the double. What was Man City's first trophy in a long time? FA Cup then the league. So win the FA Cup for the club and Wenger. Let him leave and bring in a Martinez or someone like that. You have a core squad in place. I am not going to hate on these players, our losses were collective collapses not single players. I like the spirit and fight in these guys. Anyone that has watched the previous decade knows how many times we have wet ourselves against Blackburn, Sunderland, etc. These guys have mettle and steel. We have ground out enough 1 - 0 games this year to remind me of George Graham. In past years a 1 - 0 lead was tentative at best. This group can win, but they need to be prepared tactically and mentally. I agree we need to strengthen the squad, but talking about individual players as rubbish is nonsense. Each of those guys has had moments of brilliance and moments of doubt this season. EVERY player will! Has Aguero been brilliant all season, Silva, Oscar, Hazard (okay, maybe), etc. NO. It is called form. Players go in and out of form all the time. We just need depth and some more competition, but I will take our fully healthy full squad against anyone, when we're in form and prepared.
Bow your head down, but keep the chin up. He who wants the double, for grab it is still up. The laugh does come last when you keep up. Worry not if there will be a Wimbledon slip up. The remarkable record is tempting and superb. Ten barren years, the French number will be up.