What are realistic targets for Arsenal next season?

Hello wonderful family, I am sure most of us are already missing the boys again, despite the underwhelming season we have just endured, we can’t help it can we?

Speaking of seasons, every club  approaches the season with a set target, some targets are achieved while some are not, some overachieve (Leicester winning the league, Wolves qualifying for Europe) while others underachieve.

Now, the question is, how do you ascertain if a club has overachieved or underachieved? Let’s say City fail to make the Top 4 or qualify for Europe, that would be a massive underachievement by their standards and “these standards” we all know already. Therefore, for a club like City, they have two realistic targets for each season; win all the domestic trophies and the ever elusive Champions league, and you would consider these realistic targets realistic for them.

And if Liverpool sets out with the same targets you wouldn’t think they are being deluded, because they have means to do so but would you consider Arsenal in this conversation? It is an emphatic NO for me, so what should be Arsenal’s ambition next season?

Traditionally, the Top 4 teams would go into the season with the aim to win the title, and years back any of them could win it. But now only two teams are really capable of winning it while the rest battle for Champions league and Europa league, how times have changed huh?

Before, it used to be the CL, now you hear Europa which is a testament to how difficult it is to compete these days.

I have seen exciting transfer rumours where we have been linked with Onana, Buendia and Bissouma and in my opinion, these three alone would elevate us but despite that, it would still be an overachievement for us to make the Top 4 let alone compete for the title.

Ask 100 people to make predictions for next season’s top 4,  90% of them would say:

1. City (Pep)

2 Liverpool (Klopp)

3. Chelsea (Tuchel)

4. United (Ole)

1 and 2 may interchange but it would be a surprise if anyone but the first two wins the league and one of the 4 above fails to make the Top 4. You are sure because at least 3 if not all the clubs listed above would strengthen their clubs even more this summer.

So where does that leave Arsenal? We still have the small matter of Spurs and Leicester (who I believe are taking Arsenal’s position, because at our worst, we should be doing what Leicester is doing). The table,  MOST TIMES would end up according to the QUALITY you have in your team, the manager is secondary in my opinion even though important.

Fr instance, I would not be surprised if Ole manages City and struggles to make the Top 4 as I don’t rate him at all.

Because of our history, our target should be to:

Compete for the league
Compete for, or win the FA cup

Make the Top 4

But can we compete for the league? I don’t think so.

REALISTICALLY, the aim should be to compete for the FA cup and make the Top 4 which is going to be very difficult because THREE places are as good as gone, meaning we are 4 teams (Arsenal, Spurs, Leicester and United) that would battle for that last spot, what a fierce battle!

Expecting Arsenal to compete for the league next season is setting ourselves up for a massive disappointment. Some would argue we stand a better chance with an established manager and they wouldn’t be wrong, but this summer and next season presents the chance for Arteta to become a bit more established (of course he can’t become fully established this summer) as a manager.

He has the pre-season (his first) to perfect his tactics and enough time between games to improve and plan. I must add that no established manager would choose Arsenal IF there were no assurances he would be backed sufficiently, so why not back our manager with funds NOW?!

Ancelotti just left Everton for Madrid even though he was sacked by them before, he considered only himself and his career, not even James Rodriguez lol, my stupid jokes aside, I believe you got the point.

Mourinho would tell you he was not well backed financially at United and Spurs,  that is because it is ultimately about the players and little about the coach. Mourinho could not get Spurs into the Top 4 and  Everton still finished below us anyway and these were managers some wanted for a club like Arsenal that does not “spend”,  established managers want the best players and the best teams or assurances that they would get it if not readily available.

I’m gonna end with this fun fact (or fun stat) Tuchel had never beaten Pep in any competition until he got to Chelsea where he has beaten him three times on the spin. Tuchel must be a magician right? What has changed? The TEAM!!!

What do you think the realistic targets for Arsenal’s team next season?

Goonerboy