So far so good but lets be realistic! by Shenel
So, my fellow Gooners, the big North London Derby has come and gone and we brought home the three points. NORTH LONDON IS RED AND ALWAYS WILL BE!
However, as positive as things are at the moment, and as nice as being an Arsenal fan is right now, I’m sure we are not stupid enough to get ahead of ourselves are we Gooners? There will be plenty more twists and turns to come and plenty more ups and downs, but if we stick together as a fan base with the club and the players as a whole there can only be one outcome.
No, I am not trying to be negative because at the moment everything is good, but we live in the real world and we have to be realistic. We know there will be some times where Arsenal may lose or draw and not perform how we know they can, and it might be against lower opposition, it might be against top opposition, but these things happen in football.
And yes, we beat Tottenham and how sweet a win it was, but we lost to a Manchester United side who got blown off the pitch by City on the weekend.
Next we have Liverpool to come and we know we can beat them as we did during the pandemic and I would say we have a bit more of a stronger squad now but I think the biggest test of the season will be against Manchester City and if we don’t get ripped apart like Manchester United and many other teams have been before, then people will say it was lucky and maybe we “caught City on an off day”. But we don’t want to be lucky, we want to beat them, we want to win and get three points in the manner that shows we mean business.
Because let’s be honest, at the moment they seem like our only real competition and yes, it is early days and there are plenty more games to come and things may turn right on its head come the end of the season. However if we are in this position we do not want to give it up, but we cannot get too ahead of ourselves.
We have to remain level-headed, grounded and realise anything can happen in this beautiful game that we love so much. That’s not to say that the team is going to get worse, it’s just to say we have to be realistic and realise that there is always going to be somebody better than us at times out there. But for Arsenal, at the moment, we are doing well, and if we continue throughout the whole season it will be an achievement. We just need to remember there are many more games and competitions to come, as well as a World Cup and a break in play.
And we know that a break in rhythm and form is not always the best of things.
So, without being negative I want to be Miss Realist. If we take each game as it comes – which is what we have been doing so far – then we can try and get through it. Yhat is the only way forward and will be another step closer to that target that we want to achieve.
Let’s hope though that when all of the other competitions come in to play, and the World Cup as well, that we have enough strength in depth to be able to get through the season in a successful way. At least until January when we can strengthen if we need.
And if it comes to the end of the season and we are not top it will be a real shame, however we know what we can do, and I’m sure Mikel and Edu have a plan to ensure we get to where we want to be!
Here’s hoping hey Gooners!
Shenel Osman
@sh3n3l_
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Yes, let’s see how we’ll perform against last season’s runner-up first
We have to be realistic and keep things in perspective. Now we are tops, but that won’t always be the case.
1. Partey can’t stay fit, and we are a couple injuries away from crumbling.
2. We still lack depth in key positions like striker and DM. Injuries could really derail the progress we are seeing.
3. Turner is a drop off from Leno, so Ramsdale has to stay healthy for us.
Rotation will be key, Jesus, Martinelli, Saka will have to be rested and can’t feature in every game.
Can ESR produce when he returns? Can Marquinhos have an impact this early with us? Is Nelson really a rotation option? Has Sambi improved enough to be counted on for a prolonged period?
Currently we’re all Aces, but it’s a marathon not a sprint so man management and reinforcements in January will be crucial to how we finish the season.
Would like to see Fabio have a full game to really assess him
Sound arguments by Shenel and also from Durand. Of course all those points are valid But what sems to have ben missed is how strong out squad bond id , both to one another an to thteam I prefer never to underestimate THAT FACTOR.
In my long life I have seen it overcome many other obstacles and, apart from MAN CITY, I see our BOND AND TOGETHERNESS being of very superior quality to ALL our other rivals.
THAT needs to be factored into the debate and not overlooked. Because it is of vital imprtance, esp when we run into stormy waters , which all teams do at times.
Well said jon fox
Seems like ages to the liverpool game. Quite some time for me to look forward to Arsenal games. That’s where i am now, a happy Gunner enjoying the moment grounded at the top shenel 😍
I dont think any Arsenal fan believes we are going to win the league at this moment. There is a lot football left to play, but if we beat Liverfool this weekend than we can start to think we can have a very strong run, it will be the first time since we gave Leicester a run that we had such a good opportunity to go all the way
I agree that even though Liverpool haven’t been the Liverpool that we expect, a win by us will certainly add to the team belief and enhance it’s core. Self belief is often what separates top teams or individuals against would be rivals
After 8 games only a fool would be getting “carried away”. It’s all media speculation because that’s what they largely do…make stories out of nothing.
Far too early to get carried away. If we lose to ‘Poll there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth, some people will be saying “Same old Arsenal” etc etc.
My take on the season is that top 4 is the target with an EL win a long way second.
I *hope* for 2nd place, expecting City to have too much for us over 38 games, but I don’t rule anything out in this unique season with a WC in the middle of it.
I couldn’t care less about the domestic cups except as a “nice to have” – sometimes they give the squad players a chance to play, sometimes they are a drain on resources. Low priority either way.
On this forum people are always wondering what happens if “Arsenal Player X” is injured, meanwhile assuming that our rivals all stay fit. What if Haaland gets injured – or Salah – then what? How do we see the season shaping up when things change – as they inevitably will?
** should’ve read: “… if we lose to ‘Pool”
IDKWIC, fundamentally disagree about the “domestic cups”! They are honours and mean far more than your rather uncharitable” nice to have”
Jon Fox, I concur. An actual piece of silverware far outweighs the top 4 trophy imo.