Can we really mount a challenge next season?

[Yorkyblue]

We finish nineteen points off the pace and the very same day people are chatting shit about us challenging for the league in three months time.

Are there 20 points we could make up in future?

But there is a lot of points that City could make up as well. We took 1 point from Sunderland for a start. We could of looked at that as another 5 we could of had with how much we dominated.

[FatSadGooner]

We finish nineteen points off the pace and the very same day people are chatting shit about us challenging for the league in three months time.

Are there 20 points we could make up in future?

But there is a lot of points that City could make up as well. We took 1 point from Sunderland for a start. We could of looked at that as another 5 we could of had with how much we dominated.

I totally agree.

If City are allowed to dominate the way they would want to ( with no financial restrictions ) then it won't be long before there will be one or two clubs looking towards the 100 point barrier.

But tbh I'm hoping that if we become more competitive, then you will struggle to dominate the way you did for such long spells this year.

[golfinguy]

Just finished watching from hawaii - Arsenal Player payed off. Great day given our poor start, but an unconvincing finish to the season. We MUST improve.

I still remain convinced we need a trickster - too many teams have our passing figured out, and we need a trickster to beat people and present a different challenge to the opposition.

Walcott serves no purpose if he has no space to run into - we need options.

Add that, and keep the Verminator in position (he too often goes on walk-about) and yes - we can challenge.

[mg86]

I'm not sure who is to blame between Koschielny and Vermaelen (maybe its more of a problem of pairing them) but something needs to be sorted out between the two of them. Inject Mertesacker and see how he pairs with Koschielny and then Vermaelen, if its better, keep him in there.

Also, I think we need Bould to come in and make some crucial changes in the defensive unit and get our back line to focus on defending again. Hopefully he will have the leeway to do so.

As for Szczesny, I'm hoping that the offseason will see him learn from this season and heal up and return a much more consistent version of the talented player we have seen at times this season. One thing is for sure that we need Sagna to have a quick recovery as well this offseason because Jenkinson doesn't have the start-stop speed to stay with people.

Upfront I think its a matter of seeing how we look going into next season. I'd really like to add Yossi to the team this summer, he has been vital for us when finally getting consistent game time. On top of that, I'd like to see Ramsey on loan to make room for a new midfielder that is attacking in nature and creative like Silva. Loan out Frimpong as well and sell Denilson. As for the strikers, get rid of everyone besides Campbell and Afobe. Then it is a matter of where we want to play Podolski. If he plays mainly on the left, then we need to bring in an adequate striker that can be a real impact sub for us.

[ChVint22]

We've been digger a deeper hole for ourselves the past 5 or so years. We're still not that far away, but we need even more improvement now. Even though we finished higher than last season, I think we are a worse team, especially if RvP leaves. We'll need to add some important players, I don't see Wenger doing that, so it looks to me right now that it will be another season like this.

[Arsenal~Fanatic]

Contrary to popular opinion Man-United did not loose the title by virute of their defeats to Man-City. They lost the title cos they were not at their usual clinical best towards end of the season. Unless you are a team like Barcelona, with top quality experienced pros in almost every position, you need to have the ability to adapt, the ability to find different options to break teams down. This where the two Manchester clubs have been head and shoulders over everybody. This is exactly why there is this huge points difference between the two title competitors and the chasing pack.

Football is a team game and not an individual sport. Individual brilliance cannot be counted out but its the way players pick up each other runs, its the one player seamless covers another , its the way deficiencies of certain players are masked by strengths of others which imo is more important . Every season we go in to the next one with a handicap ? Why blame the gods for a poor start? Why let players learn their trade in first team and then use the same as an excuse for not achieving success. life gets very tough at the top and unless you have a squad of hungry blokes, who are fit, who are ready, who know one another's game you cannot mount a title challenge. You can not afford to have the best possible players in every position yet at the same time you cannot afford to have too many passengers in the eleven which include unfit/partially fit players, players who simply aren't good enough, players who cannot adapt to the system we play. If you have a look at our team which played the final league game

1] Our GK is decent but not ready/good enough for a title challenging team.

2] Gervinho has still not adapted to the league despite full season under his belt. He'' may'' come good but who can guarantee that ?

3] Jenkinson : In one word he is no way near good enough to be a squad player forget starting games for us. Has a great engine and heart but that's about it.

4] Coquelin/Ramsey : Ramsey showed a lot of promise in his early days but he has totally faded in to the oblivion. coquelin needs to take a major step up if he wants to push the likes of Song/Arteta on merit.

When you play with 3-4 players who aren't really pulling their weight as starters for a title challenging team, how do you realistically that all the above players will suddenly show dramatic improvement in their fortunes? Yes all the above players can improve but realistically enough to compete for the CL spot again. Tactically we have been as naive as we were in the last few season. Not making use of the full width of the pitch, Not having the will/personnel to employ a direct approach, Not showing any semblance of defensive organization at the back.. The list goes on.

To mount a serious title challenge till the end we need

1] RVP

2]Our current players like Ramsey/Gervinho/Szczesny/Mertesacker/Gibbs/Santos to show a clear improvement.

3] Our team to have a No non sense approach to defending set-pieces and mastering the art of defending as a team.

4] We need serious injection of quality in terms of a top CAM and back-up striker. A LB would be nice too.

5] Luck with injuries.

So how likely is all of the above going to happen ?

[Est83]

People are forgetting what it's like to have two strikers that can score regularly. Podolski will be massive for us. He's not coming from a team where he's played in a position where scoring is secondary (wide mids, wide forwards, SS etc... where it's as much - if not more - about providing than scoring), he's coming to us as the focal point of every attack his team (and national team) has made for years.

... this man aint afraid of scoring!

Stopping Arsenal - next season - won't just be a case of man-marking RvP out the game. They'll have Podolski to worry about.

This is massive for us!


Elsewhere, not every issue will be addressed... when is it ever???

Things won't be perfect at the back, but you can be damn sure that Szczesny will improve, and so will our defence if we're lucky enough to see a run of games with the same back four (how many different back fours have we had this season???) They'll be more settled next year, and this will count for a lot!


The midfield has all the questions for me. We don't know how long Rosicky can last, we don't know how long it will take Jack to get back to his best, and we don't know who our starting three are and how they will set up. Wilshere and Ramsey, who's the CM and who's the ATM?

I would love to see Kagawa brought in, but if that doesn't happen I'm sure we can get a season out of Wilshere and Rosicky rotating in that CAM spot. Not ideal but at least it keeps Ramsey back in the CM spot where he should improve.




It doesn't all hinge on Jack, but he will be influential. I think we can challenge with the team we have now as long as we have just a little bit of luck with injuries. We beat City remember, we lost to a load of lower teams as well, but that City victory shows what we're capable of with a starting 11 minus Wilshere and Podolski.

I also expect Chamberlain to make more of an impact next season. Gibbs to be more settled. And Theo... erm, yea.


Improvements from younger players, consistency in the CAM spot thanks to Rosicky and Jack, consistency in defence thanks to settled players (and Bouldy ) and the inclusion of Podolski... with this, we will be a MUCH improved team next year.

[TRA Dial Square]

Poldi will be our Aguero I think.

[Est83]

To mount a serious title challenge till the end we need

1] RVP

2]Our current players like Ramsey/Gervinho/Szczesny/Mertesacker/Gibbs/Santos to show a clear improvement.

3] Our team to have a No non sense approach to defending set-pieces and mastering the art of defending as a team.

4] We need serious injection of quality in terms of a top CAM and back-up striker. A LB would be nice too.

5] Luck with injuries.

So how likely is all of the above going to happen ?

More than possible. Realistically though, an LB will nt be brought in, and Wenger is more than likely to gamble on Rosicky and Wilshere (and even Diaby) for that CAM spot.

We should expect the following though:
1. RvP staying.
2. Improvements in the younger players and new comers that didn't get a full pre-season.
3. A back-up striker.

Lucky with injuries... if only!

[gzagee]

I hope Bouldy will sort out the defence in much the same way Keown did.
He's been schooled in Stroller's art of defending and has also been in the current fold for 11 years as coach. He knows manay of the youngsters now in our first team squad (as does Banfield) and hopefully will be able to convey the right messages to and from Wenger.

Bring in another CB (who preferably can also play RB) and a DM because Song needs to be played as a CM.
Someone (hopefully Bouldy) tell Gibbs and TV to stay put.
Chesney take heed of Tomaszewski's advice and build upon his agility to help make him become a better keeper.
Take our confidence forward into next season and start well, also ensuring we don't slip up in the winter.

[GunnGunn]

I hope Bouldy will sort out the defence in much the same way Keown did.
He's been schooled in Stroller's art of defending and has also been in the current fold for 11 years as coach. He knows manay of the youngsters now in our first team squad (as does Banfield) and hopefully will be able to convey the right messages to and from Wenger.

Bring in another CB (who preferably can also play RB) and a DM because Song needs to be played as a CM.
Someone (hopefully Bouldy) tell Gibbs and TV to stay put.
Chesney take heed of Tomaszewski's advice and build upon his agility to help make him become a better keeper.
Take our confidence forward into next season and start well, also ensuring we don't slip up in the winter.

Wenger wont listen to Bould, he already admitted in the interview regarding Rice retiring that he didn't listen to him either.

Bould has been at the club too long, my opinion is that he will simply be another yes man.

[Est83]

We should ask Bouldy whether he's gonna sort our defence out or not.

Is he on twitter?




... does he even have email?

[mg86]

I think we have improved our set pieces substancially. The same problems we've had before of defenders bombing forward and getting caught on the counter and goal keeping howlers are causting us.

[thrice]

I'm wondering how Wenger will use Podolski? Podolski as a striker and RVP behind him or what? We need an AM like Silva definately

[GunnGunn]

I'm wondering how Wenger will use Podolski? Podolski as a striker and RVP behind him or what? We need an AM like Silva definately

Winger, he has already said as much.