ARSENAL OFFICIALLY BOTTLE IT! Arsenal fans now backtracking....2nd will be a great season for us! Surely that has to be seen as a failure??

Rajiztar

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Last season, the Lego Pep thread was full of comments like this. I thought they were overblown. Would you agree with that assessment?
I still stood with what I said. You are not good enough and will struggle coming season with more expectations on your shoulder. Teams will be more cautious when they play you. And you can't cope with the disappointment past season the way you let slip the title.

Players start to doubt your manager s ability when not get the win during crunch times. Squad disharmony. It's normal though for any team and your squad still weakest among top teams other than core players.
 

Daydreamer

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I still stood with what I said. You are not good enough and will struggle coming season with more expectations on your shoulder. Teams will be more cautious when they play you. And you can't cope with the disappointment past season the way you let slip the title.

Players start to doubt your manager s ability when not get the win during crunch times. Squad disharmony. It's normal though for any team and your squad still weakest among top teams other than core players.
Bruv, you said extra games this season would see us drop from 5th to mid-table and we instead finished 2nd. No amount of standing by what you said makes that prediction an accurate one.
 

Rajiztar

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Bruv, you said extra games this season would see us drop from 5th to mid-table and we instead finished 2nd. No amount of standing by what you said makes that prediction an accurate one.
Yes you did well to finish second. I am wrong on that part. After all it's prediction only. Who knows next season you may win even quadruple nobody knows future mate but logically speaking you won't be in top 4.
 

mu4c_20le

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Bruv, you said extra games this season would see us drop from 5th to mid-table and we instead finished 2nd. No amount of standing by what you said makes that prediction an accurate one.
But you threw those extra games :wenger: based on previous season trends, this season was definitely an anomaly.
 

Daydreamer

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Yes you did well to finish second. I am wrong on that part. After all it's prediction only. Who knows next season you may win even quadruple nobody knows future mate but logically speaking you won't be in top 4.
Fair enough. Let’s revisit this in 12 months and see if we’ve qualified for the 24/25 CL.
 

RedPed

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I am not concerned about our cup performances. Europa and the league cup are not super important trophies...sorry, but that is just reality. Even in years past all the way to the best Wenger years we would handled these competitions with a mix of starters and reserves/youngsters..we knew there was no depth at the start of the season to play everything. It was about prioritization before we could get reinforcements.

The FA cup was maybe a miss. Especially since of all our three matches with City this year, this was the only we were playing on their level. Hindsight...I thought it was the right move at the time to play a mix team. Arteta has won the FA Cup btw as an Arsenal Manager. He was after the biggest domestic trophy this time around.
Deluded clubs/fans like Arsenal that turn their noses up at trophies when they're winning feck all is a joke. Carry on like that and I guarantee you it will be the old 'Arteta Out' chants before long.
 

maniak

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Arsenal fans if roles were reversed would you have taken 3rd place + cup?
With no context sure, I'd take it. But we were actually in the title race for most of the season, and I'd take that over what united did, it's not better in terms of trophies obviously but I think it will help the team moving forward and the mentality of the players, especially the younger ones.
 

Daydreamer

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Arsenal fans if roles were reversed would you have taken 3rd place + cup?
The league cup is a distant fourth in our list of priorities and has been for the last 20 years. As is the case for any team playing in Europe, yourselves included. That’s why Pep has won four of them - everyone rotates and his second string is far better.

I’m most concerned about us challenging for (and hopefully winning) the biggest trophies. This season we managed to challenge for PL and for a lot of our players it was their first title race, an experience that may prove invaluable in taking the next step and finishing the job.

So I wouldn’t want to swap places. But I totally understand the viewpoint that winning the League Cup is better than not winning the League Cup. So I’d imagine most United fans wouldn’t want to switch either. Everybody’s happy.
 

awop

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Arsenal fans if roles were reversed would you have taken 3rd place + cup?
If the cup was the Fa Cup, yes, probably. But i think being "comfortably" 2nd in the league is better at the moment than a league cup considering who is first.
 

oneniltothearsenal

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Arsenal fans if roles were reversed would you have taken 3rd place + cup?
For me, absolutely not.

A true title challenge isn't something I've experienced in 15-20 years, depending on how I look at 2008. I've experienced 4 FA Cup wins in the last 10 years and they didn't do much to excite me about the squad with how the club was never in the title race or challenging in the CL. It just felt like getting the boobie prize. Maybe it would feel different if I grew up in the UK but for me, I'll take the title challenge and 2nd over never being in the title race and getting the FA Cup which is a feeling I know well as an Arsenal fan.
 

mu4c_20le

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I just can't imagine what the world would've been like had Arsenal won it.
 

oneniltothearsenal

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I just can't imagine what the world would've been like had Arsenal won it.
Russia would have pulled out of Ukraine and apologized, all corporations and nations worldwide would have acknowledged climate change and come together for a global solution, all nations with poor civil rights records would have apologized and changed course, and I would have an ice cream cone right now.
 

GoonerBear

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Fair enough. Let’s revisit this in 12 months and see if we’ve qualified for the 24/25 CL.
At the end of the day we are debating with rival fans, fans of teams like Chelsea and Utd who are going to have their own biasing, especially considering they will rightly think that their own teams will be up there at our expense. On the other hand, they will obviously think we are biased towards Arsenal. And the thoughts will remain until 1 proves the other 1 wrong.

All we can say is the noises coming out of the club are good. We don't want to rest on our laurels apparently, like many suggested the Kronkes might do once top 4 was done. The other thing we know now is that KSE now like winning across their sports teams, from the Avalanche, to the Rams and now potentially the Nuggets. Of course, that might not translate over the pond to their football team, but it won't do any harm to know they are ambitious.

Of course, the proof will be in the pudding as they say, so we now need to sit back and see who they bring in during the summer, and how that then translates on the pitch. Nothing really is guaranteed in this league (unless you are doped up City with Pep), and competition is fierce.

I just can't imagine what the world would've been like had Arsenal won it.
Someone asked the question mate, and Arsenal fans gave their answer. Of course, you might not agree with it, some Arsenal fans won't even agree with it, but that's the nature of football, people have different opinions, makes it interesting.
 

Zagoon

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Why would they? They already believe they've had a better season than United.
Arsenal did have a better season than United.

Dropping out of the title race in the last weeks doesnt take away from the fact that Arsenal were one of the best teams in the world this season.

Sure, there isnt a trophy to show for that in the end, and that's bitterly disappointing. But then again, the Carabao Cup isnt a serious trophy for the top clubs is it? And the English FA echo that, by not having the PL winners play the Carabao Cup winners in next season's Shield.
 

mu4c_20le

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Someone asked the question mate, and Arsenal fans gave their answer. Of course, you might not agree with it, some Arsenal fans won't even agree with it, but that's the nature of football, people have different opinions, makes it interesting.
I was joking mate. Like the sun would start coming up the other side if that happened.
 

GoonerBear

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I was joking mate. Like the sun would start coming up the other side if that happened.
Sorry squire, some like to joke, some have a bit more anger in them, its hard to read the room sometimes.
 

Raoul

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I think most would prefer a proper title challenge than 3rd and the Caribou Cup. If the roles were reversed an United were 8 points up in early April with only 10 games to play, I think we would all bite your hands off and take that.
 

Maluco

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It’s wishful thinking from our own fanbase to suggest that arsenal will drop off next season. They have a lot of quality young talent that will be better for this experience and a year on in their development.

They also have clear deficiencies in their team, despite a great season. There are very straightforward upgrades to be made in midfield and depth at CB that would almost immediately make them a better team.

If they add Rice, a quality CB and Cancelo, for example, they will be a force again next season, and their squad won’t have the same drop off they had this season.
 

Zagoon

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It’s wishful thinking from our own fanbase to suggest that arsenal will drop off next season. They have a lot of quality young talent that will be better for this experience and a year on in their development.

They also have clear deficiencies in their team, despite a great season. There are very straightforward upgrades to be made in midfield and depth at CB that would almost immediately make them a better team.

If they add Rice, a quality CB and Cancelo, for example, they will be a force again next season, and their squad won’t have the same drop off they had this season.
Yeah, I agree with you.

Ideally I'd like Arsenal to make at least 4 signings. A versatile defender (CB + RB if possible), two midfielders (interchangeable 6 and 8) and a wide, highly skilled wide forward to compete/rotate with Saka. That should give Arsenal a chance to go for top 4 and possibly more next season.

Dont think the CF market is doable at this stage, so I hope Arsenal focus there next summer and not this one. All the top clubs would have gone for their players and there would be a relative free run at other CF profiles left, as they all cannot be snapped up.
 

RedPed

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It’s wishful thinking from our own fanbase to suggest that arsenal will drop off next season. They have a lot of quality young talent that will be better for this experience and a year on in their development.

They also have clear deficiencies in their team, despite a great season. There are very straightforward upgrades to be made in midfield and depth at CB that would almost immediately make them a better team.

If they add Rice, a quality CB and Cancelo, for example, they will be a force again next season, and their squad won’t have the same drop off they had this season.
It's equally wishful thinking just to assume that they'll do any good either. Look at Liverpool on the verge of the Quad then tanking the following season. Nothing is guaranteed. They're certainly not going to have it so easy next season, that's for sure.

The bigger question is what they expect from Arteta next season and what happens if he doesn't deliver?
 

Maluco

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It's equally wishful thinking just to assume that they'll do any good either. Look at Liverpool on the verge of the Quad then tanking the following season. Nothing is guaranteed. They're certainly not going to have it so easy next season, that's for sure.

The bigger question is what they expect from Arteta next season and what happens if he doesn't deliver?
The key difference is that Liverpool had a series of older players clearly on the decline (VDV, Fabinho, Henderson, Milner) and then they didn’t buy well to replace a key player in Mane.

Arsenal have a very young squad and some excellent players that haven’t even hit their prime yet. There is every reason to believe they can have an 80+ point season again if they nail their recruitment.
 

Daydreamer

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The key difference is that Liverpool had a series of older players clearly on the decline (VDV, Fabinho, Henderson, Milner) and then they didn’t buy well to replace a key player in Mane.

Arsenal have a very young squad and some excellent players that haven’t even hit their prime yet. There is every reason to believe they can have an 80+ point season again if they nail their recruitment.
This is the key point. Have there been any teams that challenged for PL and kept together a young squad that fell apart the next season? I literally can’t think of a single example.

When teams suddenly tumble down the table it’s always squads at the end of their cycle or clubs that lose their best players.
 

Zagoon

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It's equally wishful thinking just to assume that they'll do any good either. Look at Liverpool on the verge of the Quad then tanking the following season. Nothing is guaranteed. They're certainly not going to have it so easy next season, that's for sure.

The bigger question is what they expect from Arteta next season and what happens if he doesn't deliver?
To answer the expectation question, I think the club and realistic supporters know that Champions League football on a consistent basis should be the minimum target for Arteta and Arsenal. Essentially making sure that the club is in the best competitions in world football and have access to the best group of players on the market.

Quality and experience will improve with time, and Arsenal will get closer to their targets (PL and CL) so long as they remain stable and continue to add to the team through transfers and the academy.
 

Daydreamer

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To answer the expectation question, I think the club and realistic supporters know that Champions League football on a consistent basis should be the minimum target for Arteta and Arsenal. Essentially making sure that the club is in the best competitions in world football and have access to the best group of players on the market.

Quality and experience will improve with time, and Arsenal will get closer to their targets (PL and CL) so long as they remain stable and continue to add to the team through transfers and the academy.
Yep, at the moment only City can have expectations of winning the title. But there is a tier below who can have it as their aim and I would like to consolidate ourselves there in the hopes of building towards the next step. That seems to be where most of the fan base is as well.
 

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I think most would prefer a proper title challenge than 3rd and the Caribou Cup. If the roles were reversed an United were 8 points up in early April with only 10 games to play, I think we would all bite your hands off and take that.
If that happened, a tonne of posters would be calling ETH a bottle job and probably calling for his head.
 

Daydreamer

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If that happened, a tonne of posters would be calling ETH a bottle job and probably calling for his head.
I keep reading that he’s exceeded all expectations by coming 3rd all over RedCafe. Why would finishing even higher than that lead to your fans wanting him out of a job?

The League Cup sure has taken on mythical status on here since February.
 

RedPed

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I keep reading that he’s exceeded all expectations by coming 3rd all over RedCafe. Why would finishing even higher than that lead to your fans wanting him out of a job?

The League Cup sure has taken on mythical status on here since February.
So has finishing 2nd.
 

Daydreamer

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So has finishing 2nd.
That’s just it… it hasn’t. Arsenal fans are disappointed with how the season ended but see challenging for the title this season as a hopefully a step towards winning in coming seasons.

We just keep getting asked whether we’d prefer to have won the League Cup. For most, the answer is “no”.
 

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I keep reading that he’s exceeded all expectations by coming 3rd all over RedCafe. Why would finishing even higher than that lead to your fans wanting him out of a job?

The League Cup sure has taken on mythical status on here since February.
Some of our fans are prone to catastrophising. If our season ended badly, they'd freak out. I remember some talking about SAF being past it and how he was costing us back 10 years ago.
 

Daydreamer

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Some of our fans are prone to catastrophising. If our season ended badly, they'd freak out. I remember some talking about SAF being past it and how he was costing us back 10 years ago.
Fair enough. Every fan base has its fair share of headcases. We certainly do.