Declan Rice hopes the new year “brings trophies” in what is exactly what we’d like to hear currently.
Arsenal’s recent win over Ipswich has seen the Gunners jump back into second place, cutting the gap to leaders Liverpool to just six points albeit having played a game more. The win itself is certainly one that has divided opinion among gooners due to a combination of it being only a 1-0 win and also due to how we dominated the game.
No matter how it divides opinions however, what matters especially during this festive period is the three points in the bag. The win also saw us capitalize on more dropped points from our rivals a day prior, which will represent a small boost for our title aspirations come the end of the campaign. A boost that will hopefully lead us to the EPL title after back to back seasons of heartache. In those two campaigns, we also failed to win any trophy and that is what this player is looking to ratify in 2025.
Declan Rice, in a brilliant post match interview with Amazon Prime, revealed his and the club’s aspirations for next year. When asked to reflect on the year as a whole, the Englishman was quick to signify his discontent with it due to not winning anything in what will be music to the ears of Arsenal fans. He then went on to add that: “Hopefully, the new year brings trophies, to make that next step to be amongst the elite. We can keep winning games, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win anything.” This is really top mentality from one of our best players, even the interview as a whole was a really good listen due to the way he conducted and articulated himself.
In regards to our search for trophies, we’ll be in four competitions by the time the new year comes around and I’m sure we’re in contention to win all four, with that said however it can only be consolidated if we win one or two and boy it will take a lot more effort from us. This is especially so when we’ll be without our best player for over two months! It may sound repetitive and common but all Arsenal needs to do now is be consistent, that’s the only way we’re going to win trophies and most especially the league!
What are confidence levels on Arsenal winning a trophy this season?
BENJAMIN KENNETH
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Not all fans agree with Rice though
Apparently winning trophies isn’t everything?
You beat me to it.
Obviously Dec is not in tune with a small minority of Arsenal fans.
Another poll is taken. I hope Dec and other players don’t lose all motivation to give maximum effort the minute they perceive the title to be out of reach. If they do, I’ve been supporting the wrong club for a very long time.
Of course it’s nice to win trophies but for me it is not EVERYTHING, supporting The Arsenal as I have done for the past 60 odd years through the lean times and the good times is EVERYTHING. I’ve seen some great times and teams and some crap times and teams and have accepted that there are 20 odd teams all trying to win trophies and we will again.
That’s almost misrepresenting the viewpoint expressed in a previous article. We all want to win trophies but we don’t expect it as a god given right. There is a difference. I’d say that having travelled a fair distance along the road of life, a different perspective begins to prevail as time goes by. Not wishing to sound like an old f*rt, there was no ‘want it now’ around in the 60’ and 70’s. We were growing up in post war Britain which was very different from today. We didn’t expect everything now so you can see where I’m coming from at least.
I don’t think waiting 21 years is ‘ we want it now ‘ ?
The amount of time since we last won is irrelevant. You and others have an expectation that we must win, and I don’t.
With all due respect Sue and don’t take this the wrong way. You are not a sports person. Every sports person want to win. Thats a fact.
I’m not taking it the wrong way Reggie
I’ve enjoyed all sorts of sports over years and always wanted to win. But you’re right I’m not like a professional sports person. Tennis, athletics – and held the record for long jump for my age group at senior school until relatively recently – and nowadays I’m pretty keen on golf and currently hold 2 club trophies
What I’m not though is a person who expects it to happen. The ladies at my club compete for various trophies and I’m thrilled to have 2 this year. Next year might not be so good. C’est la vie! I might have been more vocal 40 years ago but I have the same school of thought as Marty these days. Age creeps up on us all
It’s called wisdom Sue and I appreciate yours on JA. It’s often a breath of fresh air from the testosterone blinded comments.
I wish BB there were a few more women giving their opinions. It used to be Sue and me as SueP. Now there are more which is excellent
Well Sue, I think waiting 20 years and counting to win the league is too long. I don’t think its impatient and I don’t think it is too much to expect this great club with great tradition and massive investment, within the next season. Next season will be no 6 and I see no reason why we should contemplate waiting another season or another season after. And I am getting long in the tooth but I want to win at my chosen sport. It isn’t sport if you don’t and I make no apologies for it.
Reggie, I don’t blame you but you then have to consider what has happened since our last win. There were ample opportunities to do it differently. Long, long before I put my toe in the water on JA, I had wanted Pep to come to Arsenal as I felt we were treading water. My husband ribbed me about AW not spending when the media were publicising that funds were available. Leicester then rubbed salt in the wound. I was also resigned to the fact that Chelsea and City were able to buy success and revisiting the best of AW wasn’t likely to happen.
Bringing the subject up to date, I have differed frequently with you on the journey under Arteta. It’s not perfect but you know how strongly I felt about the culture and how that has been revitalised. I’m not suggesting Arteta is superman and neither am i an apologist (which I find a distasteful slur) and it is frequently used as a tool to put down an opposing poster.
I do at times wonder what the good people on JA expect. My intention has been to try and look at the bigger picture rather than nit pick. Arteta is not irreplaceable – so far Klopp hasn’t been. It’s easy to give MA his P45 but the club would have to do its due diligence to improve on his record so far. As a fan base we all throw names into the hat, most of whom would have been catastrophic. Maybe it’s the owners who measure success differently- unlike an Abramovitch type who is the kind of owner who’d have been your kind of man. Driven to be a winner.
No, next season will make it 21 years…
Thats what i said 20 years and counting?
Not at all
You remember I defended Mr Wenger
I just simply don’t agree that winning trophies ultimately is not the end goal
You can’t win with “Arteta is a trophy” people Dan.
Because it is Arteta, first the amount he has spent was called irrelevant. Now waiting 21 years is irrelevant. Whenever they can’t refute an argument it becomes irrelevant. A cheap way out if we are to be honest.
I’ll accept winning (oops, I used that word again) 37 games and finishing second. Nothing like playing to egos via the media.
What is the end goal?
Rice said it perfectly, without trophies winning doesn’t amount to anything.
If people are happy with finishing top 4 and just competing for the title, then we are right back to the final years of Wenger.
The time, money, and effort must materialize into something more, go further than top 4 and runner up.
Its the end game Durand.
It’s not about being happy with top4 as winning a trophy is the aim. But what is different about you and me is that I don’t expect or demand it just because of the money spent etc. Other clubs have good managers, invest heavily in their squads and are trying to win as well. The facts are that if it’s the league title you’re after then City have had a monopoly on that since Arteta arrived with Liverpool being the only other winner in recent times.
As Davi in his post pointed out, Arteta may well fall short again and lose his job. If that’s the case then all I can hope is that his replacement can go that one step further.
SueP, I’m just very glad that my personal pride isn’t so attached to having to win the title that it warps my feelings about what I consider the more important aspects of being a Gooner.
It’s not about “expecting” to win a title SueP, it’s about ambition, setting goals, then achieving them.
Does ownership want titles or are they content with top 4 and the added revenue from CL?
Arteta can build a squad, but can he lead them to a major trophy?
Surely the club has not invest 750 million and more spending to come, just to get back into top 4?
If people are content with being a bridesmaid and finishing second, then don’t blame others for being more ambitious.
There is no debate really, we have invested to win big. Thats it.
We didn’t spend 105 big ones on Dec, to finish bridesmaids every year.
The seasons not finished yet Reggie, still a long way to go.
There is.
HD, imo, the games at the Bees and at Brighton will go a long long way to telling us where this season is headed. If we win both, I believe we will end up being comfortably in the UCL spots and perhaps even have a chance at the title and progressing far in the UCL. If not, I’m afraid the second half of the season is not going to be very good and I believe there is a 50/50 chance that we even fall lower than 4th.
BB, Brentford have a really good home record this season, so I’m expecting a really tough game. Brighton though seems to be a bit hit or miss. At least neither team play a low block, so we should be able to create chances from open play and hopefully take those chances.
Yes, they should be a very good test to see how well we can play as a team even without Bukayo. I had to laugh as I was watching Everton try to come out of their shell today against Forest but were so ineffective in the final third. I think they were just too unfamiliar with that area of the pitch.🤣
I never said that I’m not ambitious for the club Durand and this is where there is misunderstanding. I most certainly do want them to win. However, having read your opening sentence it reads to me that by doing A B and C it results in achieving your goal. There is no guarantee achieving your goal will be the result whether it’s Arteta or anyone else and that is my point. Since he arrived in 2019 countless JA posters have wanted him gone. You either accept that the club needed re-setting or you don’t. I thought it did and after 2 dodgy years the results improved and our competitiveness and the whole aura around the club has grown. This is where we are now- still competing and we weren’t in 2019. I’m fed up with hearing about Liverpool being average and their injury list being worse. Klopp was the man behind the resurgence (after a difficult season ) that everyone expected was coming and Slot has been a bright manager and good enough to keep up the good work and was , on what we’ve seen so far, a good appointment.
Despite your assertion that you don’t expect a title it reads to me that you do
I am afraid the comments that you and certain others have made indicate an attempt to distort the comments and perspectives of others. No-one here has said that they are satisfied with just being 4th or 2nd. This applies to the players, the manager and fans. However, some recognise that we are involved in competition that includes other top teams and managers who have also spend huge amounts of money to build their teams.
What Rice has said indicates the drive to achieve success including winning titles. This is absolutely fine and no-one has actually contradicted his perspective. However, no-one can guarantee titles no matter the ambition. As it stands we just coming up to the half way point of the season and there are several titles still to compete for,
As for whether Arteta can lead Arsenal to a major trophy, a question is: why is this coming up at this point in the season? Are you suggesting that the owners should be asking this question now? If so, this would be shameful and irresponsible.
The persistent reference to what has been spent without any further data or analysis is indicative of the arrogant self-entitled mindset that unfortunately pops up almost daily on some forums.
Top posts SueP and David 👏👍
I expect the players to want to win desperately, I would love for us to win the title but what I really want to see is us going for it every year. I don’t mind falling short – I have a different mentality to Declan Rice, but why shouldn’t I? It’s his profession, I’m just a consumer.
If any of our players or manager are happy not winning year after year, I do think they should be shown the door, though – this is why I started to dislike the side during Wenger’s latter years because I strongly suspect he and some of the players (and higher ups) were happy as long as they made the top four and were able to participate in the champions League. I want them to care about winning, but I’m not going to get upset if they fall short in trying.
At some point, you do have to say “good effort, but you’ve had your go and it’s the for someone new”, though. Arteta shouldn’t get to keep on forever if he keeps falling short, even if he’s truly pushing and challenging.
Spot on Davi…. I don’t know why that’s difficult to understand. I said it in a post from another thread that trophies are more important to coaches and players than fans because that’s their job. Players of a club are not the same as fans of a club. Declan is an Arsenal player but not an Arsenal fan. Simple…
Great post Davi
Davi 👍👍
Well put Davi – players come and go but supporters are there for a lifetime.
At this stage of our journey under the current management, we are due a proper challenge to win things. I’m confident of trophy haul come next year and onwards. Let’s go!