Having a lack of expectation is not actually a bad thing, it is not negative but a reflection on the reality of the situation that we face.
But it will not last for long.
Circumstances will take over, a string of victories and then all of a sudden expectations change, they become more positive and then when it goes wrong again we forget about our original expectations and focus on the disappointment of failing to meet our readjusted expectations.
That is what happened last season.
After the opening game defeats, it was a case of that was to be expected, after we went on that great unbeaten run we changed our expectations and by the end of the season we were all thoroughly disappointed and yet, we probably achieved what we expected before a ball was kicked in earnest.
We ran a poll on our forum and the majority view was we would finish outside the top four, ok, it is not scientific and a very small number of voters but the point is that expectations appear to be low everywhere I look, be it in the comments on this site, in polls, on other sites and so on.
But a win over Tottenham and a draw over with Liverpool and wins over Newcastle, Burnley, Watford and Villa in our first six games and expectations will change massively and there will be no coming back from that, even if we lived up to our pre-season expectations.
So, having low expectations now is fine but unrealistic because they will end up being meaningless.
So what does it all mean?
It means we may as well expect to finish top-four, win a domestic cup and win the Europa League because believe me, anything less and we will be as mad as hell.
Because truth be told, no matter what we actually say, deep down we do expect to have a successful season and why? Because we are Arsenal, that is why.
So I was thinking, just maybe zaha is a smoke screen. We are buying Brazilian winger everton
Love this Everton guy. I will be super excited if we can get him
Kev is there any truth to this news linking us with Everton?
My disappointment was how we finished, especially the last few PL matches.
Pre season expectations was finish 5th or 6th. However, in the end run we had real chance to finish 3rd! Could have exceeded expectations, but Emery made bad selections with starters and tactics.
He choose to put all his eggs in Euro final basket, and it blew up in his face.
You play the best players in that crucial stretch, they are professionals, and those are situations they strive for!
They are paid millions for those reasons, come to club like Arsenal for those reasons! Meaningful games, live or die moments.
I get they’re humans, but that’s what make “the best” the best, right?
Critical mistake Emery made then; threw away chance at 3rd with shocking lineups, tactics left everyone scratching their heads, and unable to motivate the team in such a crucial time.
Wasn’t that why Wenger got the sack? Would Wenger have thrown away 3rd with Emery type selections? Would Wenger trade away 3 PL games for Euro final?
Just curious what others think of our PL finish, Emery’s decisions, and if Emery understands now EVERYPL game is important because CL qualification often decided by 3 points or less.
I think Emery was forced to play certain tactics/lineups because of the situation. For example we really missed Ramsey & Holding last season, after they both injured Emery has no choice but to play Ozil & Mustafi/Kos. Later he realized that our CBs bar Holding sucked so he was forced to play 3 CBs. As for Ramsey, we missed his work rate and late runs. In the EL Final, Ozil couldn’t mark Jorginho properly so he was free to dictate play and distribute the ball. They played deep and narrow as well, so we could really benefit from Ramsey movement to the box.
My question to Unai – if we missed Ramsey & Holding last season, wouldn’t we missing them this year? And what have you done to plug those gaps? Zaha would be an upgrade, but cannot you flog Ozil to deliver? Or penalize him? This is a profession, we play truant at work, we get fired!Same applies to Ozil & Mkhi. And lets not talk of shirt sales and popularity, this is not theater or films, this is football.If we are looking at shirt sales, better sign Daniel Craig.The man can run and still kick something and doesn’t look sick. We should focus on our defense, sign the required players and see off the deadwood. Socrates – I would recommend him to WWE as Braun Strowman’s replacement. Spent 70M last year on defense, ended up conceding 51 goals Unai.
Good point, I heard Holding won’t be available for first few matches and Ramsey has gone. I am curious as well how Unai will sort out our defense which is in a mess. Agree, I can’t believe as experienced as he is, Sokratis charge at opponents for every oportunities or resort to fouls.
Regarding Ozil, thinking about him gives me a headache LOL, because we are talking about a supposedly proven world class player, who registered 19 assists while playing behind Giroud (no offense to Giroud fans, only making comparison to our current Laca & Auba). Moreover his diminishing output in the final third makes his lack of defensive contribution more apparent.
Just remember Unai Emery is contracted to coach the players the management team provide him with. He is not Arsenal manager. Therefore Bob it is not up to Emery to “plug the gaps”; he may identify the gaps, but it is the responsibility of Raul and Vinai to fill them. It also wasn’t Emery’s fault that the squad was so thin, that Arsenal could not cope with major injuries to Koscielny, Mavropanos, Holding, Bellerin and
Welbeck.
People needn’t worry about Emery. Given that he is out of contract at the end of this coming season, if he is not supported by the Board in the transfer market he won’t renew. The big worry will be who Arsenal, given the current state of affairs at the Club, will be able to attract to take his place.
It’s all recycled nonsense. According to one report, we are in for Frazer again while Vasquez is set to be announced this week; that’s two players for one position. Saliba will be well out of our price range next year, so it makes sense to sign him now for next season; except we probably won’t, because by the time we have submitted yet another lowball offer, only marginally better than the previous one, we will read that another club has stepped in. Same with Tierney. We desperately need a quality left back, but we are arguing over £5m instead of getting the deal done. Arsenal are becoming a laughing stock to the extent that none of our bids is taken seriously. We will end up buying another collection of near geriatrics in the last week of the window.
Kev said Tierney deal was a done deal.
Good positive article.
Expectations has been signings like Sanchez Ozil Mustafi Xaha Auba Laca. Under wenger we towards his ending spent. We also balanced the books. Out went Walcott Ox Sanchez Giroid Coquelin Gabriel.
Sometimes in football, regardless of what the management think, the situation demands a top spending signing.
After losing to liverpool in the final, spurs needed to come back strong. A statement if you will. 65m was just that, yes they got what looks on paper a good signing. It should be win win.
Man U are going out and trying to make a statement to get back into the top 4.
Arsenal cant do that. We have to channel our expectations with our situation. We can be grumpy about our ownership, but the employees are just like us, they want to succeed. And they wont take the roles if they dont think that is possible.
Over starting to spend cash, arsenal won the FA Cup. Many will belittle that, but look down over the years of league and cup winners and you will see our name often. It’s also a sign of progress.
I would want to set my expectations of top 4, ideally 3rd. Not more then 12pts off 2nd. FA Cup winners and add Europea Cup as a bonus. It’s a long way from where I want us to be. The luxury of being title contenders, champions league late performers and not needing to rush signings.
But in the period of growth, I’m just trying to enjoy how we go about doing it. I seen it under Goerge Graham, I seen it under Wenger, I’m sure I will see it again.
Never rate that Tanguy Ndombele guy. What exactly has he won in Lyon that warrant such fee? Maybe the spuds were swindled by Aulas (I hope so).
As for Man Utd, they are in a greater crisis than us. Failed head coaches (their fourth now since Fergie), failed transfers, flops on big wages, so on. They changed their tranfer policy and now going big with young players, even experienced players struggled with such price tag.
I am happy with top 6 model for the next 2-3 seasons.
Only one team wins the PL. 19 don’t.
Liverpool played amazing but did not win the league.
Spurs played great but won nothing.
Even winning does not guarantee anything.
Mourinho Conte Ranieri Sari won titles but
got sacked almost immediately.
If Guadiola fails to win the CL and Pochetino fails to win
the PL this season they will both be sacked.
Arsenal Kroenke and Wenger realised all this and
developed the top 4 sustainable model.
I think we now have the top 6 sustainable model.
I’d be happy with top 6 and beating Spurs and Chelsea at home.
The Europa is our level where we make the 1/4 final every season and can play our youngsters in the early rounds.
FA Cup and Carabao should be for youngsters as well.
If Guadiola fails to win the CL and Pochetino fails to win
the PL this season they will both be sacked.
Are you still dreaming neither will gwt a sack
From being EPL winners/runner up to top four, now top six acceptable shows our ambitions. Next what – top 10 for the next 3-4 years, then top 17? Maybe by the next decade end should we be looking at Championship playoffs?
Bob, that’s where Arsenal are heading due to mismanagement, owner disinterest and lack of investment. Arsenal need to start looking over their shoulders to Everton, Wolves, Leicester City and West Ham United et al.
Just remind me again why Arsenal spent a fortune building the Emirates and left Highbury?
Sorry Martin, but this present team are just not good enough. My expectations are set low in the overall scheme of things. Even with Laca and Aubs, top players, we have a poor, poor squad. West Ham have have signed Pablo Fornals…a class act. The Spuds have bought Ndombele, a quality player. What has happened to the team I love. It’s painful. We will be challenging Leicester, Everton and Wolves. We are on the down side of the escalator. We are Kroenkes UK equivalent of the Colorado Rapids. Heaven help us.
We are always full of excitement at the start of a season,with hope and a certain amount of expectancy, I want to see us improve on last season and will give Emery the benefit of doubt as i said i would when he was announced, admittedly i doubt he expected to be given such a low budget but the buck stops with him and i am not sure he is going to be able to get us kicked on,I don’t like all that leaping around on the side lines it shows that he is nervous and he transfers that to the players who struggle to settle,especially the youngsters, yes i am excited but not as excited as in previous pre seasons.
This is the first time in a while that I had seen arsenal fans not excited about the new season…I think we are tired of the crap especially as its beyond the fans control. This should start from players clear out. Clearout first…then we know whT we have left.
I feel very short changed by Arsenal. I have been going to watch games since 1974 and became a season ticket holder in 1995 and a regular since then. I got annoyed about 5 years ago when we played VIlla in the Cup final only to be told that I was in a ballot for a ticket for the Cup final…… I didn’t get a ticket in the ballot even though I had at that point been a season ticket holder for 20 years. (Yes I know we now have 45,000 season ticket holders) I realised at this point that I had become just a customer in the eyes of Arsenal and not a supporter.
I will always support the team but we are full of average players on high earnings. Like most people on this site I believe we will finish around 6th due to the lack of ambition by our owner. I was sold a dream …….Move from HIghbury to be able to compete with the biggest clubs in the world….Absolute waddle!!! Sold a dream, delivered us a lame duck! Great job Admin Martin. COYG’s
Yeah that new stadium thing and being able to compete with all the top clubs in europe was definitely one of the biggest cons in our history.
I cling to the hope that the 45M is just a smokescreen to try and fool clubs into keeping a bidding war in check.
Very true AdMart.
I know that all the teams above us last season were better than us as the table doesn`t lie, but even with that factual statement I still get pissed off if we draw against them let alone lose to them !
Knowing that we are shite does`nt prevent me from the disappointment of not winning every game !
As Arsenal supporters our expectations always outweigh the reality, this is what my life is in general as when I sleep with my wife I fantasise it`s Beyonce moaning and groaning in ectasy whereas in reality it`s just the trouble and strife moaning at me ! 😆
You’re right,at the start big last season everyone agreed that this was going to be s transition year, no top 4,no European glory,as we all know we missed the top 4 one point behind spurs” greatest ever” team, lost in the europea final having beaten some good teams on the way, suddenly the season was a disaster when in fact I think we over achieved considering everything, new manager, mainly the same team,a lot of bad luck and injuries, small budget, restructurations in the background.
I grew up knowing arsenal. No one introduced me to this team coz I grew up with no dad. I loved arsenal. The name the colors and their style of play and since then I have been a diehard Kenyan fan. I have seen good players being sold over the years in search of glory the likes of adebayor,fabregas,nasri van persie n recently ramsey. All this players loved arsenal but the club never supported their ambitions to win hence looked for better clubs. At the end of the day we the fans cannot change loyalties n thats what makes me feel hurt. Arsenal needs to impress the fans by getting the club back to glory days. We have a good coach but the owners see the club as a cash cow. As long as the club doesn’t make major quality signings of players with ambition and determination to win we will always sing the same song. We will always compete with the likes of everton, westham and leicester city.
Its the high time the fans showed their agitation. Owners need to man up!! Or sell to someone who knows what victory means.