• You may have to login or register before you can post and view our exclusive members only forums.
    To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Other PL Games (13-16 Jan)

Status
Not open for further replies.
In terms of them winning the title whereas the other top sides are shit*, yeah. But quality and "deserving" wise, I think it's different.

I do think they have been working well towards building a good side - both in terms of bringing through players and weeding out the rotten ones. Getting rewarded for the patience and faith they showed Arteta too.

Leicester weren't quality? Top 3 goalie, a really solid CB - albeit odd - pairing, the best DM in the world (Kante), a top 10 winger in the world in Mahrez and they had a striker who is probably one of the best stories in Premier League history lighting it up ...

They built that team perfectly - and were it not for the fact they lost Kante, they may have held it together a bit longer ... he was key to their success, as he was to Chelsea's and France's ...

The rotten ones included Xhaka, Saliba - which they kept ... key to their spine.

Fair point re: Arteta ... I wonder if he'll kick on after his big league win this year, or if the pressure will get to them. Unlike us, they will actually spend big money without selling.
 
Leicester weren't quality? Top 3 goalie, a really solid CB - albeit odd - pairing, the best DM in the world (Kante), a top 10 winger in the world in Mahrez and they had a striker who is probably one of the best stories in Premier League history lighting it up ...

They built that team perfectly - and were it not for the fact they lost Kante, they may have held it together a bit longer ... he was key to their success, as he was to Chelsea's and France's ...

The rotten ones included Xhaka, Saliba - which they kept ... key to their spine.

Fair point re: Arteta ... I wonder if he'll kick on after his big league win this year, or if the pressure will get to them. Unlike us, they will actually spend big money without selling.

Yeah, but Leicester coalesced as a group for that one season and were incredibly lucky with injuries. They didn't have a deep squad, just a very well crafted 11.

Arsenal are good enough to challenge for the next couple seasons or more, even if they're not now as good as we or City were a couple years back.
 
Yeah, but Leicester coalesced as a group for that one season and were incredibly lucky with injuries. They didn't have a deep squad, just a very well crafted 11.

Arsenal are good enough to challenge for the next couple seasons or more, even if they're not now as good as we or City were a couple years back.

I don't see it ... and I've been one of the few posters who felt they were really on the cusp the last few years.
 
I don't see it ... and I've been one of the few posters who felt they were really on the cusp the last few years.

They definitely aren't at the level of us or City the past couple years. But if our clubs are a bit worn out and have dropped our level, Arsenal are as good or better than United, Newcastle, Spurs, and Chelsea. Unless we and City regain our level, Arsenal's current side is good enough to challenge.

The bar that was previously raised has sunk a bit.
 
Leicester weren't quality? Top 3 goalie, a really solid CB - albeit odd - pairing, the best DM in the world (Kante), a top 10 winger in the world in Mahrez and they had a striker who is probably one of the best stories in Premier League history lighting it up ...

They built that team perfectly - and were it not for the fact they lost Kante, they may have held it together a bit longer ... he was key to their success, as he was to Chelsea's and France's ...

The rotten ones included Xhaka, Saliba - which they kept ... key to their spine.

Fair point re: Arteta ... I wonder if he'll kick on after his big league win this year, or if the pressure will get to them. Unlike us, they will actually spend big money without selling.

My reasons why "quality and "deserving" wise, I think it's different." are because:

  • That Leicester team could afford to draw 12 games to win the title - avg. 2.1 pts per game (winning % of 60.53). The 4 teams that finished below them finished with 66-71 pts, avg. 1.7-1.8 pts per game.
  • This Arsenal team is avg. 2.6 pts per game (before today's game, winning % of 82.35). The 3 teams below them now have 38/39 pts, avg. 2.1 pts per game.
  • That Leicester team scored 68 goals in 38 matches (avg 1.78).
  • This Arsenal team already has 42 goals in 18 matches (avg 2.33).
  • That Leicester team played 43 games the entire season (38+2 FA + League Cup).
  • This Arsenal team is involved in the Europa League.
  • That Leicester team's average age was 27.6.
  • This Arsenal team's average age is 24.7 (youngest Premier League side).

15/16 was quite obviously a fluke by Leicester whereas Arteta has steadily improved Arsenal (56 - 8th > 61 - 8th > 69 - 5th). Arsenal have been close to the top clubs for the past 2 years too (forget abt Man City 2021) .

2021.jpg
2022.jpg


Rotten ones I'm referring to are the likes of Willian, Luiz, Lacazette, Ozil, Pepe and Aubameyang. Re Xhaka, Saliba, I think it's a credit to his management skills that he has brought the better/best out of the former and brought the latter into the team.
 
Last edited:
Some crazy score lines today. Monaco 7-1 Ajaccio, Atalanta 7-2 Salernitana after 61 mins.
 
4 is gone.

We need to hope we finish outside the Europa League/Conference places. Then next season, one game a week while we bed in a new midfield and get back into the top 4.

Or we win the champions league this year and it's all cool.
 
My reasons why "quality and "deserving" wise, I think it's different." are because:

  • That Leicester team could afford to draw 12 games to win the title - avg. 2.1 pts per game (winning % of 60.53). The 4 teams that finished below them finished with 66-71 pts, avg. 1.7-1.8 pts per game.
  • This Arsenal team is avg. 2.6 pts per game (before today's game, winning % of 82.35). The 3 teams below them now have 38/39 pts, avg. 2.1 pts per game.
  • That Leicester team scored 68 goals in 38 matches (avg 1.78).
  • This Arsenal team already has 42 goals in 18 matches (avg 2.33).
  • That Leicester team played 43 games the entire season (38+2 FA + League Cup).
  • This Arsenal team is involved in the Europa League.
  • That Leicester team's average age was 27.6.
  • This Arsenal team's average age is 24.7 (youngest Premier League side).
15/16 was quite obviously a fluke by Leicester whereas Arteta has steadily improved Arsenal (56 - 8th > 61 - 8th > 69 - 5th). Arsenal have been close to the top clubs for the past 2 years too (forget abt Man City 2021) .

View attachment 2471 View attachment 2472

Rotten ones I'm referring to are the likes of Willian, Luiz, Lacazette, Ozil, Pepe and Aubameyang. Re Xhaka, Saliba, I think it's a credit to his management skills that he has brought the better/best out of the former and brought the latter into the team.


This feels like it's really belittling how good that leicester team was ... granted, a good man city or even arsenal that year win, but they were a really good team, with a top spine ... arsenal are also a really good team, likely with more staying power due to the name/city and squad youth as you saks, but both did do / are doing well in the league as much due to the lower levels of their primary rivals as due to their play ...
 
My reasons why "quality and "deserving" wise, I think it's different." are because:

  • That Leicester team could afford to draw 12 games to win the title - avg. 2.1 pts per game (winning % of 60.53). The 4 teams that finished below them finished with 66-71 pts, avg. 1.7-1.8 pts per game.
  • This Arsenal team is avg. 2.6 pts per game (before today's game, winning % of 82.35). The 3 teams below them now have 38/39 pts, avg. 2.1 pts per game.
  • That Leicester team scored 68 goals in 38 matches (avg 1.78).
  • This Arsenal team already has 42 goals in 18 matches (avg 2.33).
  • That Leicester team played 43 games the entire season (38+2 FA + League Cup).
  • This Arsenal team is involved in the Europa League.
  • That Leicester team's average age was 27.6.
  • This Arsenal team's average age is 24.7 (youngest Premier League side).
15/16 was quite obviously a fluke by Leicester whereas Arteta has steadily improved Arsenal (56 - 8th > 61 - 8th > 69 - 5th). Arsenal have been close to the top clubs for the past 2 years too (forget abt Man City 2021) .

View attachment 2471 View attachment 2472

Rotten ones I'm referring to are the likes of Willian, Luiz, Lacazette, Ozil, Pepe and Aubameyang. Re Xhaka, Saliba, I think it's a credit to his management skills that he has brought the better/best out of the former and brought the latter into the team.

Yes. I was looking at how much Arsenal have spent to get where they are : it's quite a lot because many, some as per your list above, cost a lot and were subsequently sold for peanuts or left on a free. There are some parallels to Klopp in the way the team has evolved.
 
This team doesn't have the underdog mentality and can't defend to save it's life right now.

That 2005 team managed to dig out some impressive defensive performances as shit as it was.

We need some new blood with that dawg in them, to quote some memes
 
It was a poor first 11 starting with Djimi and Milan but the bench made me weep on the night - Nunez, Biscan, Cisse & Smicer!

No matter how bad a slump we ar win we are not at that level!

Edit: ... forgot Josemi on bench too!
 
It was a poor first 11 starting with Djimi and Milan but the bench made me weep on the night - Nunez, Biscan, Cisse & Smicer!

No matter how bad a slump we ar win we are not at that level!

Edit: ... forgot Josemi on bench too!

Love Smicer forever for his cameo in that final though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dee
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom