After Arsenal’s opening three defeats and then one solitary goal against relegation favourites Norwich City it is no wonder that us fans are very pessimistic about getting in to the Top Ten this season, never mind winning anything at all, so I thought I would look to see how we were feeling on the exact same day last year.
Due to the lockdown the season had started later than usual but as we had beaten Chelsea in the FA Cup Final one month earlier, we had won our place in the Community Shield and duly beat the Champions Liverpool on penalties at Wembley, and we had just won our opening game of the season at Fulham, with Willian the star in our 3-0 win and Gabriel had scored on his debut as well.
Paul Merson was even gushing about the Brazilian on his Sky Sports column: “I can’t believe Chelsea let Willian go. I know they’ve gone out and get special players, but there’s nothing to say they’re going to hit the ground running. In Willian, you’ve got someone there who is ready-made. I like who they’ve signed, but they cost a lot of money, and their wages are probably the same as Willian.”
Arsenal were boosted by Aubameyang announcing he had signed his contract extension and everything was rosy with a home game with West Ham coming up. The bookies had us priced at just 25/1 to win the title, whereas this season it is more like 150/1.
Even Arsene Wenger was confident that life was looking good for the Gunners. Wenger said in the Guardian: “I think there is a good team spirit and they have a good chance to do well. I believe it will not be very difficult to improve on the number of points they got last season. But I’m convinced Arsenal can be in the top four, if not more. Why not more? They can be the surprise package for me this year: they bought well, they strengthened the defence well…..
The only downside of the day was Dan Smith lamenting that Arsenal had gone for the cheap option by bringing in Runar Runarsson, and that turned to be correct in the end.
What a difference a year makes, eh?
Yup, the confidence was high before finding out Willian didn’t work well on the right wing and before we got five red cards. What’s done can’t be undone, so let’s appreciate what Arsenal have done to fix their mistakes
Buying tall fullbacks like Tavares and Tomiyasu is a good decision to minimize our weakness. Hopefully both of them are fit for the game in Burnley, because Sean Dyche will rely on Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes and Jay Rodriguez to bully our defenders
I will take another one nil against Burnley.
A year is a long time, what about a year from now?
Imagine the players still to be sold and the players to come in as replacements.
Whilst the in think is to bring in mature experienced talent on 2 year contracts (ok we tried this with William Lictsteiner Luiz) we can now at least look at some real talent here again.
Ronaldo Messi Cavani T. Silva are just a few names from recent years who have moved.
I wonder in a year who’s available and will arsenal go get them?
And how will an inexperienced manager manage them ? (Assuming MA is still around and not driven out of town by the pitchfork crowd)
If we are now looking at making only 2 or 3 signings, not limited to youth, who do you all think would compliment the current core of our squad?
Just sharpened my pitchfork ,ready for the weekend if things go tits up 👍
My long term view remains that ALL managers make mistakes, BUT the best ones learn quickly from them and rectify them.
I cannot get over the fact that MA still chooses Xhaka – when he has not, as he so often does, lets the club down with yet another red card AND took afullyear to see how useless Willian was.
HOWEVER, there are now definite signs that this manager has at long last started learning from his many errors and is moving the club in the right direction , albeit far too slowly for such as Reggie with his hourly “sack MA posts ” and his sad ilk who agree !
Worst start of the season in Arsenal history, 3 points after 4 games with -8 goal difference, sitting at 16th and you call that definite signs?
The funny thing is Jon, you and your ilk have been preaching these improvements (phantom improvements in my humble and honest opinion) and signs since last season but the table never lies. It is the only thing you and your ilk cannot find arguments around.
I will repeat again last season you preached signs of improvements and right direction and what happened after that?
👍👍HH
Ilk 😂😂
Jon likes a weekly favourite word ,this must be it .
HH
We should be judged after 10 games not 4 games
Then Mr Kit if after 10 games we are 16th of below then please feel free to stab away
Until then get behind the manger and team 😁
Allanball08
Agree that judging Arteta now is pointless. He has to improve the team’s fortunes to keep his job and after 10 games there should be a definite march up the table. Anything less then it’s a bl**dy mess. It doesn’t bear thinking about
Alan @
I expected us to be top 4-6 after 10 games not mid division mate
I’m judging him on last season and this season so far and I dont need 10 games to realise he needs sacking .
Allan and Sue he has already managed 90 games for us. How many more games does he need honestly?
😂😂
When he sticks to one opinion for more than one day JA should reward him with a trophy bigger than yours.
HH
Can’t.do anything about last season
New season so 10 games is where we need to judge
Let’s hold.fire until then and then we back or sack
You are right but it doesn’t get old does it? I am actually laughing now after re reading his comment. From top 4 regulars to 16th and he call it right direction.
He might be right if the destination is championship 🤣
That typo with contradict is too funny Reggie 😂😂
Ha ha ha, I’ve just seen that, didn’t mean it, Honest!!!!
Things were looking good back then; we were even in Europe!! What went wrong?!!
Watching these CL fixtures (Come on Giroud tonight!) followed by the EL tomorrow it’s pants knowing we’re not involved for the first time in 25 years!!!
Sue
It.is pants but could be double pants if we’re participating in the cup the spuds are in now
I live in hope EL at the very least and pie in a sky dream of being back were we belong CL
Until mathematically we can’t make it I will go with the latter
Sue, its awful and shameful.
Yeah Sue it is pant for not be in it but what is worse than us missing out in 25 years is one realist and a thinker to say he believes we are in a right direction. Being positive and behind the manager is one thing and be delusional and denying the fact is another.
Adiva I agree with you 100% Facts don’t lie do they jon
According to some reports,Arsenal is a long term project with investments in youth.This will take time just like Wengers .Then Nasir and a few left and the gunners were back to square one.
Arsenal a brand name have been overtaken the last five years by
Leicester,Spurs West Ham and Everton.
Lets see how the season will unfold