theHotHead wrote:Angelito wrote:theHotHead wrote:I seem to recall most Arsenal fans shitting their pants in the FA Cup Final vs Chelsea in 2017. They were the overwhelming favourites and we were the better team on the day and won
We had this legend who'd won it 6 times then. We had Alexis, Monreal, Ozil, Ramsey, and Mertesacker.
We have Arteta, Luiz, Nketiah, and Willock now.
Mate that was only 3 years ago. 3 years ago half the fans thought Monreal was shit, half the fans thought Ramsey was shit and Mertesacker was way past his prime too. In fact, we have a better team/squad now than we did in 2017, just take a look at our starting 11 for the final:
Arsenal
David Ospina
Rob Holding
Per Mertesacker (c)
Nacho Monreal
Héctor Bellerín
Aaron Ramsey
Granit Xhaka
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Mesut Özil
Danny Welbeck
Alexis Sánchez
That team gets slapped up all day by our current team.
We have a better squad today when everyone is fit.
We don't have better individual players than Alexis, Ozil, and Monreal, nor do we have a game-changer like Ramsey. There's a vast difference in having Alexis and Ozil at their best alongside the greatest FA Cup manager of all time. Even Per, despite being past his prime, didn't lose his intelligence. It's like Oz today. He may not be the same Ozil, but he's still way ahead of all the clowns we have in midfield.
That side had belief. It was a top-4 side. We finished with 75 points that season, which is a record points tally for not getting into the UCL. And, we had Wenger.
We still blew away sides, played good football.
We've regressed on every front since. Awful brand of football, clueless Emeryball for 18 months, a rookie manager who's taken over at the worst possible time; mismanagement at the top level, and a football team that does not care about Arsenal's heritage.
We've gone from Wengerball to Cluelessball to Inshallahball since.
I have faith in St. Mikel of Arteta. But this season has been a disaster. And I can't see Mikel beating City.
I predicted both results correctly back then. I was confident we'd beat City. This time, we have nothing working in our favor.
I dearly hope I'm wrong but when the claim to glory for both full-time coaches since Wenger has been the benching/exclusion of Ozil, it doesn't inspire you, does it? In the short term, in Arteta's case, it doesn't.
But next season, I have enough faith in Arteta to turn things around. Not today, Mr Potter.