Arsenal are on an excellent run in the Premier League and are aiming for 8 games unbeaten when they play Watford this weekend.
There is a combination of results that could possibly see the Gunners actually being in the Top Four after the weekend, but according to Aaron Ramsdale, it is much to early to even consider it ner mind discuss the possibilty.
When asked if the players had talked about a Champions League place, Ramsdale told the Mirror: “No!
“We haven’t really had a discussion… we’ve got a young team and of course the aspirations are getting into the top four but first and foremost we have to keep this form going.
“As soon as we start getting ahead of ourselves, our form will drop at the first chance. It’s nice to be mentioned within that category but we’re still a work-in-progress.
“Form’s great at the moment but we know there’s a lot of work we have to continue doing.”
That is very good to hear from our Number One, and it shows that the team are keeping their feet on the ground, but obviously the fans have no such restrictions and are more than happy to debate the point as much as possible.
But with just a quarter of the season gone, Ramsdale is probably right that it is much too early for the players get excited, although it is very nice to be back in with a chance after our awful start to the season, isn’t it?
What stands out is this. Unlike the previous two-three seasons where we’ve been carried by individual match winners all season. Arteta is doing something different this season with this squad of young players.
We are winning games as a team and collective performance now.
That’s to tell you how much the full squad is in form instead of Auba, Leno or Saka bailing us out.
Now I’m looking forward to what Arteta might do with individual big games winners if he adds one or two to this young team.
Credits to him for gathering and assembling this squad, with time they’ll get better with experience and we’ll control games more.
There will be downtimes, but I’ll be there supporting these boys and whoever the manger is.
nailed it. so stop the top four nonsense and let’s see where we are end of season.
Nearly three quarters of the season left with many hurdles to cross. Another one just popped up, serial winner Conte has signed for the Spuds!!
Conte is the least of my worries.
Conte and Levy are both bad news waiting to explode.
Conte is a man of ego, Levy is a ma with bigger one who’d rather sack any manager than back him in the market.
Conte will walk away the moment you undermine him.
He did so at Chelsea, did so at Inter.
Watch him throw away his toys once Spurs lose Harry Kane or he doesn’t get enough transfer fee.
Why do you think it’s a two years contract he signed?
I’m happy he signed for Spurs and not United
Agree Eddie – not exactly a marriage made in heaven, and I’m not jealous.
Either Levy has made a funds promise he won’t (or can’t) keep, or Conte has looked at the market and realises there are no clubs with funds available in need of a manager, and sees Spurs as the best of a bad lot. He IS an excellent manager and will improve them, but it’s as big a club overhaul required as we needed but with a hands on money conscious chairman, and I’m sure he won’t see out his contract.
And what’s the point of 6 month’s worth of Conte?
If I was being cynical, my reply would be “don’t take notice of what a player says”!!
But as I think this is, again, a player answering a direct question honestly, I believe him.
Logically, why would the squad/manager be talking about top four?
They need to keep this run of form going and play consistently.
I’m sure others will say that they don’t trust what players say, although in this instance they will say we should!!!
Funny old game!!!
Ken1945, I won’t go into any game if I am not going to win. I think they should be thinking of top four.
Agree 100% Ozowuro!!
They should be thinking about the next game; and not the top four.
Agreed, Ken, and neither should we. It’s nice to talk about where we are in the table, for once – it’s been a while! But end of season forecasts? Ultimatums from fans demanding we get Top 4 “or else”. We are commonly agreed to be on an upward trajectory at last – I’m happy if that continues at a fairly consistant but not necessarily rocket fuelled pace, that the football is positive, and that it brings a smile to our faces again.
And let’s just see where it takes us.
Way to early to decide, but the display against Leicester was good in nearly every way. Of course as a young team they have to learn not to relax the stranglehold they have on a team. For me, if they keep up the Leicester display we may well get back into Europe. I worry that the thug Xhaka will get back in this e team and all the ground made up will be sacrificed. Now is the time Arteta has to prove himself. If he can then the team will have fortune on their side.
Let’s be realistic with the youngest team and the youngest manager in EPL. Top six finish is already good enough for this season, after an awful start
Disagree. They’ve shown what they are capable of and now there’s no excuse to not end in the top 5 absolutely minimum.
Or are you thinking they’ll let is all go and collapse if we lose a game?
“Or are you thinking they’ll let is all go and collapse if we lose a game?”
Is that what you are hoping for to start the Arteta assault again?
You have some serious issues Mark, think you may need to go speak to someone seriously mate. You always find something to attack someone with, even when there’s nothing there.
Clearly complimented the team and manager by saying they’ve shown what they are capable of and by saying they should get no less than top 5 this season.
My question is after more than a quarter of the season gone and a terrible start that why should we be aiming for top 6 if we are only 3 points off top 4?
We shouldn’t put too much pressure on young players and we still have four difficult games against Chelsea/ Liverpool/ Man City
Got to agree with Mark here PJSA – this constant “no excuse if we don’t get top 4/5, as a minimum etc” is putting unfair pressure on a young, new team with SIX players new to the side. When you get close to the top of the EPL it’s not just about having a good manager. The Man City and Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea all have more expensive, more experienced players than us. But there will be no excuses if we aren’t in the middle of them? Or rather, above them?
I am fairly confident that we will be close, but I certainly won’t be calling for Arteta’s head as long as I see this side continuing to grow and play good football.
Wenger’s seasons would end in November, Mikel’s season is starting to grow in November! What a difference he has done with a refreshed squad and that too with no stellar signings, just a lot of humble energetic footballers can do a big difference. Good Mikel has learnt some managerial skills from Pep and David.
And a certain French man surely LC?
Admin Pat, are you refering to Monsieur Arsene Charles Ernest Wenger OBE? Thank goodness Mikel has not learnt anything from him and his type of management post 2000. Some of his hallmarks during the senile years were
Last minute, D Day signings (ironically Mikel was one of those signings)
Signing the wrong players or those not needed as per the then need
Not signing a single outfield player in a season.
Playing his most loved irrespective of their form and contributions
Always complaining of no funds, Mikel just walked in and asked for 150M and got it, so this gentleman never had the guts to ask for funds or though he knew it best.
Bringing in rejects from Utd. and CFC (Willian was an Edu signing)
Bargaining in pounds only to let go very good players and signing mediocre ones for a few pounds less
Breaking our very own credo : “We don’t buy stars we make them” and hiring flops like Ozil, Mustafi, and too an extent Laca
Transfering out our best players to rivals
And there is so much to write, no time to compile them all and waste readers time in reading them. That ship has sailed, lucky we have a new refreshed cruise liner with a dynamic, smart, young, passionate, pragmatic captain. Lets sit back and enjoy teh ride.Our time has come!Finally!!
No stellar signings, but over £140,000,000 spent in one window LC – let’s remember all the facts shall we?
Love the way he’s playing Kolasinac as well, don’t you?
And, of course, how many games have we played in November 🤔🤔🤔
The youngest team in the EPL, Ken. SIX first teamers are new, playing together for the first time. The only EPL manager in his first managerial role.
More facts
Ken, he had too. After two 8th place finished with the utter rubbish at his disposal we needed better players. With the EPL no longer a two horse race, you have LC, Spurs, Everton getting better with better players.
I think he has made a lot of mistakes, LC, and continues to do so, but finally after almost two years he IS learning from those mistakes and the team IS developing. He was always a good technical coach, but is learning the rest the hard way. Credit where it’s due.
Helped largely by an AMAZING recruitment policy – whoever designed the blueprint for the players to go after – age, skills, football intelligence, modesty, ambition, determination, potential – needs to be wrapped up in cotton wool and hidden away from potential suitors. Genius!
Agree, and that was the precise reason we let go of those 55 scouts as they may have been used to the laid back era. Mikel deserves more credit. For he has done the following
1. Got rid of the rotton apples – it takes big courage to do that
2. Got rid of the toxic atmosphere when he had joined
3. Revamped the scouting network.
4. Revamped the coaching set up.
5. Hired the right players – age, skill, ego under control,
6. Has the guts and conviction to bench a player for descipline when he does fall in line. Ask Auba for an example.
He will succed in the long run, and even if the does not, he has definately made AFC a better place. Those with an agenda against him (from the trend it seems to be the Ozil fan club) will never admit or acknowledge it.
People talk as if we’re in April with the table showing, Chavski, Man City, Pool and Man U.
So soon you’ve forgotten that nobody gave a chance to Leicester and yet they managed to win the league.
Anything can happen in the EPL. Let’s wait in March thereabout before we predict.
Another team could win the EPL other than Chelsea, Pool or City.
at least the “players” are showing considerably more perspective than many within the fanbase…the only thing different from any other period under our current manager is that we actually showed up in consecutive matches, which certainly isn’t such a revelatory situation that anyone should be thinking too far ahead…this needs to be a game by game philosophical approach until this brief upward trend becomes the norm
Come to think of it November is usually one of our worst months of the year.
But if we can keep this decent form going and let the confidence grow , i can see us top 4 with the way other teams are atm.
I think it is too early to think of top 4. Agreed the players are playing fantastic but there shouldnt be any undue pressure on them. Let them play the way they are playing now without pressure, take each game as it comes and let us see where we are by March. What Ramsdale is saying is perfectly right and I agree with him 100%.