Morning all.
This time of the season can often be a bit of a bore. Feelings of disappointment after a transfer window where more players left than arrived and even the two we have agreed deals for aren’t for the here and now. The two week winter break might be good for the players, but for fans who just want to see the team play, it’s frustrating. I watched one ACON fixture and that was one too many, probably because I’ve fallen out of love for the game. Not Arsenal, just the game which has been ruined in many ways. Money, inconsistency from the officials and pundits with little but an agenda fuelling their moments in front of the camera to name just a few.
Perhaps the season would be more interesting if Arsenal were in better place and still in both domestic cups, but like the officials, Mikel Arteta’s team’s are inconsistent. One day we can look like world beaters, ok, slight exaggeration, but the next, we’re looking like a team of players who’d only met a week ago. It’s frustrating, but hopefully in time, how much time I’ve no idea, one will heavily outweigh the other. World beaters I mean.
There’s an international break at the end of next month which by then, we’ll probably have a much better idea of where Arsenal are. Sounds obvious I know but this month and next is a busy period for the clubs around us involved in Europe.
Arsenal have 6 fixtures to play between now and the next break.
Wolves – A
Brentford – H
Watford – A
Leicester City – H
Aston Villa – A
During the same period of time, the clubs around us have the following number of fixtures to get through.
Man Utd – 10
Chelsea – 9
Totts – 9.
West Ham – 8.
Wolves – 8
Brighton – 7
Totts are the only club with a game in hand over us and we’re yet to play them at their place. In fact that game is yet to be rescheduled so expect the PL to plonk it in between two of the perceived tougher fixtures for us.
Reality is though, no fixture is easy for any club anymore but against the odds, after the disastrous start to the season, Arsenal have recovered to be in with a chance of playing in Europe next season. Wrong sport I know, but the ball really is in Mikel Arteta and the players court as to where we end up in May.
Whilst I’d love us finish in the top four, Champions League football and Arsenal are far apart right now. That’s not to say we couldn’t at least get through the group stage. Even if we were to finish third and subsequently drop into the Europa Cup, it wouldn’t be a disaster in my opinion as it’d help the younger players who’re hoping to make the step up next season.
All that is a long way off though, playing well on Thursday is what matters. Start this next run of fixtures on a positive note and push on from there.
See you in the comments.
Morning Rico and All ,
Well put Rico, on their day the bottom of the ladder teams these days can match it with the best, which is the reason I hope Arteta and Co didn’t mess up this transfer season, because I am losing interest in watching us play, so I hope things change on the field soon, it’s not so much losing but how we lose.
It’s the old cliche , one game at a time.
Looks like we will spend as much time looking at other teams results as we do on our own .Then we can just sit on the edge of our seats as the next international break comes along with the risk of more injuries.
Morning Geoff, Potter and all.
I too think we’ll spend a lot of time checking other results, probably in hope they drop points because imo, we can’t rely on Arsenal getting the points to get us into Europe.
What a ghastly bloke Zouma is. He should be banned from keeping animals for life.
It’s the fact that the kid found it funny is what really worries me. Sadly that’s how the lack of respect for anything is born.
Ditto. Children are learning bad things from bad role models..
The problem is you smack your children and you wind up behind bars how every be cruel to animals and nothing done
Discipline is what’s lacking these days.
Extramarks , take the money I suppose.
I usually prefer to give anybody the benefit of the doubt until all party’s sides are revealed (I will be unpopular, but that would apply to Overmars, too), but Zouma is plain despicable. I don’t think there could be any narrative that would justify this…
On the post, it is realistic as always, but I tend to be rather optimistic for the time being and hope for the #4, as we indeed have no more distractions, have some games in hand, had a good preparation in UAE, so there is not many excuses not to collect 12-13 point from those 5 fixtures. Worst case (among the best case) scenario is that we will play a final-like fixture in Tottenham for the 4th place.
My problem with being patient, Rico, besides my incompatible personality is that “if not now, when?”. This season we have a bleeding Tottenham – that my reinforce their squad big time if the sell Kane in the summer – a struggling Manchester United who also expected to keep on spending in August, and the usual surprise teams like Leicester, West Ham, Aston Villa or Wolves are less threatening than last season. And if we ‘only’ reach the EL this campaign, I’m afraid that we will start being patient again because it will be “difficult for the boys to focus on the cups while keep improving in the PL”…
I believe in gradual progress, but I’m a bit reluctant to accept an EL position as an achievement, after the money spent in the summer, and all those lucky constellations listed above.
Hi Rico.. Nice read 👍 It’s been quite nice having a breather from raging at the TV and wanting to launch the remote every 5 minutes or so with every decision going against us or with every backward/sideway pass haha.. back to it in a couple of days!
No excuses – we’ve had plenty of time off [whatever happened to that Reading friendly?!] with some relaxation in the sun.. MA thinks we have more than enough to cope with the rest of the season, so we should be raring to go at Molineux!
As for Zouma, omg! Disgusted! I hope the cat has been taken away and found the home it deserves!
Well the poilce have said that they are taking no action , So that leaves a civil case being brought by an animal charity who because they are always pleading poverty ,a rich footballer , would probably settle and pay them off.
Animal cruelty is not on the police radar anymore than household burglary .
Now if a fringe rights group took it up that would be different.
Stick tabby in a dinghy and he will find a nice comfy room in seconds.
It’s the way our system works.
Pbarany, I believe innocent until proven guilty, not with Zouma because of the evidence and his subsequent admission, but it’s trial by social medial and other media outlets these days.
If not now, when?
That’s the million dollar question.
Hi Sue, ditto re the moggy, I hope he/she is cuddled up in front of a log burner somewhere other than Zouma’s house..
Thanks re the post, yep, no blaming fatigue or a hectic fixture schedule from now on.
https://twitter.com/TheSportsman/status/1491061790184071179?s=20&t=SM1AHrifWDWxOdBr7xtOOA
Ha ha..
I wonder exactly how West Ham ‘dealt’ with Zouma?!!
My thoughts exactly! Makes me sick.
Me too, Rico. I remember a while back that teacher who kicked and punched a horse lost her job and rightly bloody so! But Zouma walks straight into the team, unbelievable! Really disappointed in David Moyes..
Good on the crowd for booing him!
I remember it Sue, I hope the RSPCA do their job. I’ve signed the petition.
https://twitter.com/chrisgpackham/status/1491118156118904833?s=21
Good, so have I 👍
That’s good news, Rico. Let’s hope something is done..
Yes, fingers crossed Sue.
And hope West Ham get thrashed by Watford!
Unfortunately not..
There were plenty of cat calls for Zouma though, Nice to see that despite Cressida’s woke army turning a blind eye the Essex police are having a go.
Not surprised. Horrid bloke.
New post up now