Will Arsenal ever be great again?

[alexafc12]

We need secondary competitions otherwise those not in the primary one (CL) would get left behind financially.

It might not be all that interesting for a fan of a big club that has historically competed in the CL, but for a club like Aston Villa, Wolves, Leicester etc. it's something they have a realistic chance of winning and cheering for.

[Losmeister]

i get the feeling AFC will not be great again in my lifetime.. i'm 55

[DiamondGooner]

A football club is as great as its Manager / Owner and players.

We are weak in all three areas so no, if the above trinity changes to positives then yes of course it can but is it likely? ......... not with Stan in charge no.

He's clueless, uninterested and has been swindled by Vinai who showed him a Power Point presentation that impressed him enough to make an Accountant the Head of Arsenal, Stan know's nothing about Football and its made him make this ludicrous decision.

[theHotHead]

The Cup Winners cup was a great competition and second to the European cup, it the UEFA cup was also good but of course you didn’t need to win anything to qualify.

I’m not sure why they’ve changed the format, they should have a tournament just for cup winners again because you have to win something to qualify (unless you’re beaten in the final by someone who has qualified for the CL) which gives it extra value.

Greed, pure and simple, the old format was brilliant, I loved it, but didn't UEFA act in part to threats of a breakaway league by introducing the CL ?

For the other tournaments to mean something they need more prize money, then teams will take them seriously. The EL winners getting a CL place is a carrot well dangled, I just feel that the other tournaments have lost their sheen - I say tournaments not including that Mickey Mouse Conference League thing, so should be tournament. Does it have the carrot of winning puts you in the Europa League ?

[VCC]

We have a history as a double side, i can see that happening again history has a habit of repeating, i would love to see a CL in my lifetime but huge changes are needed to win that and be consistant enough to win a league

[Highbury Hillbilly]

We're the subjects of a defeated, fading empire. The club's PR narrative is about bringing back the old Arsenal spirit.....without needing to actually win anything like the old Arsenal did.

The reality is bleak. All we do is talk about the Invincibles and winning European silverware in a competition 30 years ago. Our best hopes for the future are a bunch of kids that were maybe learning to stand upright when Arsenal last won the league.

[Hypergooner]

We're the subjects of a defeated, fading empire. The club's PR narrative is about bringing back the old Arsenal spirit.....without needing to actually win anything like the old Arsenal did.

The reality is bleak. All we do is talk about the Invincibles and winning European silverware in a competition 30 years ago. Our best hopes for the future are a bunch of kids that were maybe learning to stand upright when Arsenal last won the league.

We can still win FA cups and maybe a league cup. We might even get CL football. Unless we get some revolutionary manager, I can't see us winning the PL any time soon.

[PairyGrows]

I'm sensing the fans have realised that the upcoming season will determine if the "process" is going to go anywhere or not. They understand that the window of opportunity with the current core is closing rapidly.

While that may seem outrageous given the age profile of our core, we must remember that ambitious footballers won't spend their careers chasing Champions League group stage football. We have to prove to them now that we will genuinely compete for the biggest trophies within the next few years. If we can't, they will leave for greener pastures, and quite rightly so. Time is ticking against us.

The fans realise all this, and they're getting concerned because they have little confidence in the club. They don't see any evidence that the club's ambitions match theirs. Maybe they're starting to realise that the club is keeping them in an eternal cycle of predictable failure and false hope, and that there may well not be higher ambitions than participating rather than competing.

The fans have been patient but it's starting to wear thin. If things go sideways next season, they must not be tempted to perpetuate the cycle by making excuses for it. They have to hold the club accountable.

If the fans won't do it, who will?

[UFGN]

I'm sensing the fans have realised that the upcoming season will determine if the "process" is going to go anywhere or not. They understand that the window of opportunity with the current core is closing rapidly.

While that may seem outrageous given the age profile of our core, we must remember that ambitious footballers won't spend their careers chasing Champions League group stage football. We have to prove to them now that we will genuinely compete for the biggest trophies within the next few years. If we can't, they will leave for greener pastures, and quite rightly so. Time is ticking against us.

The fans realise all this, and they're getting concerned because they have little confidence in the club. They don't see any evidence that the club's ambitions match theirs. Maybe they're starting to realise that the club is keeping them in an eternal cycle of predictable failure and false hope, and that there may well not be higher ambitions than participating rather than competing.

The fans have been patient but it's starting to wear thin. If things go sideways next season, they must not be tempted to perpetuate the cycle by making excuses for it. They have to hold the club accountable.

If the fans won't do it, who will?

We're a about to get an interesting indicator of fan morale.

ST holders who took the club's offer of a one year break because of covid have to renew in the next few weeks, having had a year off to reassess their priorities and enjoy the extra money they saved. Will they come back? That's a grand they could be spending on a holiday or bills.....

[Ach]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/19303857 ... mentality/

[theHotHead]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/19303857/arsenal-chief-edu-top-four-mentality/

f***ing love this interview !!!

Edu the f***ing boss !!!

Ok, so now I feel far happier with the project, far far happier.

[Ach]

He said the right stuff. To think some fans were happy with fifth and eighth and top 4 form from December 2020 which never actually got us top 4

Need for the club to back edus words

[22-0]

words mean nothing. same with politicians... i dont listen to what they say i look at what they do.

[theHotHead]

He said the right stuff. To think some fans were happy with fifth and eighth and top 4 form from December 2020 which never actually got us top 4

Need for the club to back edus words

Well that interview pretty much proves that Edu at least is not happy with Top 4, he is the footballing man in the highest and most effective position, so its key that his goals and ambitions match ours !

[swipe right]

Bunch of bs by edu. You can say don’t be satisfied with top four if you’re regularly making top four. But we haven’t had a sniff of it in the last six seasons. We can close this season and blew it because Edu put an amateur manager in place.