Emotional feelings aside, are we positive for the new season? by Shenel
It’s been a while my fellow Gooners and it is times like this that make you realise there are more important things in life than football if we didn’t already know that.
But as football is a release for a lot of us it is scary to think the new season is around the corner, well once these Euros and pre-season is out the way, but I am excited for what may be coming.
A good few weeks have now passed by since the end of the season and I have to admit the disappointment is still around, although wavered a little now, but I have learned to accept that we didn’t win the league again!
If I am honest like many Arsenal fans, I have mixed feelings of course, even now.
We had such a good season and there have been so many games that will forever stay in my memory from this season, that I am really proud of the team and I cannot deny that.
But what hurts the most is it’s two seasons in a row we were contending for the title, and yes last season we did bottle it, but this season was the best chance we could have had, and we still fell short by two points despite winning the remainder of our games.
We did so well and we remained so consistent and we believed, but although many people are saying those games against Fulham and West Ham did the job, the main difference was the Aston Villa game at home, and even now when I think of it I have to shake my head in disappointment and think “what if.”
Well we can’t dwell on the past because we have to look forward and trust the process which I genuinely feel we should because there is definitely something special brewing at this club.
But the hurt is still rife I won’t lie even from last year the hurt is still there and sometimes you begin to think that this could be a mental factor for the players this season the closer it gets to the end, although they did well this season to remain positive and push that hurt from the season before aside, so if they have done it once they can do it again I am sure.
Moving forward with the attitude, character and togetherness this team has and with a few more experienced and talented additions I don’t see why we cannot go all the way next season!
Really, we have to, because yes it takes years to get to the top, taking Liverpool as an example, especially when so many changes have taken place and continue to take place, but we need to win the League. I’d say within the next two seasons otherwise I think it will be goodbye Mikel Arteta and many of our current players.
I trust the process, I back my team and all the players that don the famous red and white Arsenal shirt and I also back the man at the helm, the man at the touch line, Senor Arteta, he is our manager and we have to believe.
Shenel
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No. I think City will win it again.
Genuine fans of a club shouldn’t care, they should be happy that their club is doing well.
It’s important to understand that very few clubs can win major trophies, so if someone is an Arsenal fan to win trophies, or demanding that they win trophies, then they are just “plastic fans” and I have no time for them.
Just my opinion.
Wow I bet the Koronke Family love you
Charging us the most expensive tickets in the UK to over see one of the worst periods in our recent history
And after 21 years without a title they got you saying we are doing well
We’ve had the most expensive tickets in the UK ever since we moved stadiums in ’06. Nothings changed, except that now we are actually challenging for the PL Title at the final stages of the season.
Challenging for what, title you say???
Are you for real, seriously?
The same teams were the main stumbling blocks two seasons in a row, City and Villa. AND you are Challenging for title.
Anyway, with United and Chelsea change of managers, primarily because they were not competing enough, with City also intact, it will be miracle should Arsenal win.
Really? The headline says emotions aside and you still find a way to put up emotions. 20 teams competes every season, one team will win it. Since Arteta got the Arsenal job, how many Managers have won epl? Arsenal over achieved these past two years, thanks to the players giving their 100 and the coach giving a 100. If we won the Aston Villa match, there’s no guarantee that we will go on a winning streak like we did after the lose to A’vila. Football is not mathematics, there’s passion, emotion, motivation ,depression, media and lots more. All these contribute to winning Trophies and games. Man utd defeated Man City in the fa cup not because they are a better team but because they got the mental strength, contributed by external factors to win.
Two seasons ago, if not for media talking our players effort down,we would have probably not collapse. Week in week our they praise Man City and label us as bottles, lucky or just in form. They keep waiting for us to slip and the moment we did, the talking down continued… Let’s rally round and support our own, ex players and fans should also play mind games with our rivals, we are all human , sooner or later it will get to them.
N.B I’m not a native English speaker, Jon Fox should please forgive my bad grammar 😂 thanks.
Were you asleep for the whole of last season ?
NEWSFLASH
We challenged for the PL till the end of the season, losing out on the title by just TWO POINTS.
“The same teams were the main stumbling blocks two seasons in a row, City and Villa.”
While Villa were certainly a “stumbling block” last season, they weren’t the previous season, as we beat them home and away, and they finished over 20 points behind us. As for City, we took 4 points off them last season !
Not sure how the sport news is where you are, but United aren’t changing their manager, as Ten Hag has signed a contract extension.
Totally agree with you regarding fans that who demand trophies are plastic. While we all want The Arsenal to win silverware, all a proper fan would demand is that the team gives a 100% on the pitch.
21 years !
I think we are patient
And where you saying the same from ’06 to ’18 ?
*were
About the Koronke Family yes lol
So only from 2011 then 🙄
Did you go on any of the ticket price rise protests organised by the BSM ?
He’s been on our board of directors since 2008 !
In that time he’s taken us out of Europe and to our worst position in quarter of a century
There is nothing under this regime that we haven’t achieved before
But let’s stick to the point
I was responding to the comment that ‘ we shouldn’t care ‘ about winning titles or demand it
I have always said if your happy with this then Im happy for you
But he wasn’t the majority shareholder till 2011 ! So he wasn’t the only one to blame for the increase in the price of tickets !
So you’re blaming the owner/BoD for what happens on the pitch then 😂 Did you blame them when Giroud failed to score for 3 months in the season Leicester won the PL ?
Where in my post did I say ” we shouldn’t care about winning titles” ?
I’ll ask again, did you go on any of the protests about the increase of tickets that were organised by the BSM ?
He’s had a major say since he joined the board and we have regressed since
Good job you weren’t around in the mid 70’s Dan, finishing 16th and then 17th in 2 consecutive seasons, no European football. How would you have coped lol.
Certainly wouldn’t call that success either
Nor would anyone else 🙄.
👍
Me as an Arsenal fan don’t care whether you have no TIME for me, breathe me as oxygen to live by, etc. You are nothing but a fan just like me. Sort out your arrogance, child, PLEASE.
On a lighter note though.
Topic at hand.
I do believe we can beat the citizens. Recruit well.
Lb
Mf
Cf
Then we are good to go.
Some overestimate their own importance. You have seen the true meaning of delusional in those posts.
I for one is very optimistic for next season, because this team including its manager has been gaining experiences and the hunger is now there for us to see.
I think we will win the league next season.
Only if Arsenal sign a physically-dominant CF like Zirkzee
We’ve seen how Havertz made us more stable by playing CF. Imagine if we improve our hold-up play and set-piece threat with a stronger CF
I agree with you @Gai.
I hope Arteta is humble enough to accept we need a good physically imposing CF. At least to make Arsenal game dynamic when the going gets tough in some matches.
We also need a free-kick specialist. Unfortunately, Douglas Luiz is joining Juventus
@ gotanidea
I hope he will not be called “donkey ” when the transition is not clicking.
We have had hold-up play before, he was called donkey, but today after he left Arsenal, he won everything available in football. That OG
I hope so, but Man United are currently leading in signing Zirkzee
Only one way to find out…Just sayin
The stubbornness of Arteta will not allow arsenal to win the premier league over Manchester city. Arteta cannot hold on to pressure like pep. It’s very impossible. Man. United will be formidable, Liverpool, Chelsea and other teams that usually give arsenal hard work. So to me, I don’t think Arteta still having the team to win anything.
Of course I believe we can win the PL, along with the CL I should add.
We have been so close these last two seasons and I’ve no reason to believe we won’t go one step further this coming season…. if we get the players MA and Edu want.
Let’s remember we already have what will be like a new signing in Timber and Partey seems to have overcome his injury problems 🫰
My personal opinion is that Mikel HAS to deliver now, as I hold him in the same way as Arsene was judged – qualifying for the CL wasn’t good enough, just as finishing in the top four wasn’t seen as good enough.
I am not among Arteta sheeps so I expect trophies according to what have been spent.
Spending money doesn’t guarantee winning trophies, as Wenger proved at Highbury.
Of course I believe we can win the PL, along with the CL I should add.
We have been so close these last two seasons and I’ve no reason to believe we won’t go one step further this coming season…. if we get the players MA and Edu want.
Let’s remember we already have what will be like a new signing in Timber and Partey seems to have overcome his injury problems 🫰
My personal opinion is that Mikel HAS to deliver now, as I hold him in the same way as Arsene was judged – qualifying for the CL wasn’t good enough, just as finishing in the top four wasn’t seen as good enough.
Can we win the PL? Well, we were only 2 points off winning last season. That shows we’re capable of competing. But, as we all know, City dropped points through injuries to key players last season, gifting us that opening (we fumbled it over Christmas, but still). We can’t rely on or expect that to happen again.
MA has always said we need 2 elite players covering every position to be truly competitive. The addition of Calafiori is a great start – the left side is covered now. We then need a 6, plus cover for Saka – and we can absolutely do it. An elite 9 would be amazing and make us instant favourites along with City. That’s a tough one though. We shall see.
Unless we add a clinical striker or a wingforward that is Salah-esque, I dont see us winning it with the current crop of forwards at the club.
-If we sign Osimhen, we have to wait and see if he can regain his 2022/23 form.
-Gyokeres, we have to wait and see if he can replicate what he did in Portuguese league as some *Darwin,Falcao* have failed to do so.
-Watkins would have been perfect but Villa wont sell now that they are in the CL
-Isak is injury prone and Ncastle wont sell
-That leads us back to Toney who I believe would do the job.
Arteta can’t work with Osimhen, forget about him. Two hot heads cannot agree.
The last 2 seasons has proved we can win the PL, and 🤞 I believe we can do it this coming season.
As long as we are seriously challenging I’ll back the manager, if he ever says finishing in the top 4 is a trophy then he’ll have lost it !
Yet at 6.30pm you said that all fans ask for is 100% – finishing in the top four wasn’t achieved by not giving 100% as MA has found out.
His record of missing out on the CL is worse in five seasons than Arsene’s twenty years.
Plastic fans who see open top bus parades as success, don’t understand what being in the CL really means to the club, both financially and in prestigious terms.
That’s why every manager wants to qualify for the CL and villa are the prime example of that – why, even our noisy neighbours made around £100 million in their run to the final.
As I’m not a plastic fan, but a supporter of the club and what it stands for, my first criteria for ANY Arsenal manager is CL qualification – the baubles and bus rides can come after CL money and prestige has brought in players such as Declan Rice… then we can compete for the PL and CL etc etc. as long as the owner backs the manager 100% of course.
That way I’ll always back the manager / club, no matter what they say.
Giroud never scored for 3 months in the ’16 season, you really can’t say he gave 100% in that time. Ozil never gave 100% in the Europa League semi final against AM, losing the ball, failing to run back, resulting in AM scoring the goal that knocked us out. That’s just 2 instance’s, I dare say there are more if I really thought about it.
Bit below the belt comparing a manager with 12 years previous experience of being a manager, Wenger, to someone, Arteta, in his 1st ever managerial role. For someone that has had to rebuild the club, I would say Arteta has done well. Hopefully he, like all bar one other ex-manager, doesn’t count finishing in the top 4 as a trophy.
19 consecutive years in the CL was great for the club, no one can deny that, but just the 1 Final, not really that good.
Mr Wenger won the Double in his first season and equally inherited a mess
You can’t compare Arteta with Mr Wenger period
No he didn’t, he finished 3rd in his first season.
His first full season he did win the Double, but then he had the back 5 that had won every domestic trophy and a European trophy as well.
You’re right, I can’t compare Wenger with Mikel, as Mikel has only been a manager for just under 4 years, whereas Wenger had been a manager for 12 years before being appointed our manager.
I meant In his first full season lol
Either way Wenger did better in his first full years
Fact you struggle to admit that says everything
I would go and double check what Wenger had inherited mate
A drinking culture , a team who were finishing outside top 6
And so he should’ve done, as he had had a lot more experience of being a manager. Mind you Mikel won a trophy within a year of being appointed as the Head Coach, which you conveniently seem to have forgotten lol.
Oh I know about the culture that was at the club. The culture that had won league titles, domestic Cups, plus a European trophy 😁
So, because Giroud didn’t score for three months, he wasn’t trying – would you say the same thing about Dennis Bergkamp at the beginning of his Arsenal career?
Or what about Hazard?
Does he qualify for the same kind of criticism?
Ozil? So that one incident, if I agreed with you, means that he is also seen as not giving 100%?
Does that scenario apply to every Arsenal player who lost the ball, then failed to run back, as not giving 100%?
If so, I would suggest Saka, Martinelli, Odegaard and Trossard would also be accused of not giving 100% last season – but that doesn’t fit the scenario of course.
Havertz not Hazard!!!
So the two seasons we failed to win the League proves we can win the League ?
Was that question for me Dan, as I don’t understand where your coming from if it is?
No not you at all mate
Im with you
I’m tired of this narrative that Arteta has reinvented the wheel when he hasn’t come close to what Mr Wenger did
This is all ridiculous as unless Arteta is in situ for as long as AW how can anybody say that one is better than the other?
You can say factually that Wenger’s first 4 years were better
Factually yes Dan but that wasn’t my point.
Well it’s proved that we’ve challenged for it. If you don’t challenge, you don’t stand a chance of winning lol
Yeah it proves we.can challenge not win it
Well as I said, if you don’t challenge, you don’t stand a chance of winning 🙄
Soz I thought question was can we beat Man City to the title lol
My mistake
Can we challenge before Arteta fails to win it again….of course
Kinell, say you don’t know football without saying you don’t know football.
I’m just responding to the question of the article mate lol
It asks can we beat Man City to title not challenge
Your like , ‘ we can win it because we challenged ‘ lol
Well no team can beat City if they aren’t challenging for the title 🙄. I think we can, it would seem that you think we can’t.
Honestly have to wait and see what we do in the market
If the squad MA has built over years was trusted by himself and actually fully utilised I’d say yes, but that isnt the case. Lack of rotation will always kill you in a long season and cause dips in form of key players, as we have all witnessed.
Cant only rely on the starting 11/12.
I personally don’t expect anything less then Winning the league when we kick off
The last 2 seasons have proven we are capable of getting real close and pushing them to the edge
No fan imo should expect anything less then winning the league when we go again
Onwards and upwards
The last 2 seasons we have proven, we finally have the ability again to truly challenge for the league.
So of course, it is very much possible for us to win it this coming season.
But winning the league also takes a bit of luck, not only in terms of how we do ourselves with injuries etc. etc., but also in terms of how our strongest competitors do.
We can win the league! Will we? We’ll see.
Isn’t that the same scenario every season AndersS?
Since 2005, the club have had to compete with the Russian roubles and the oil money, along with having to sell key players, losing the likes of Ramsey, Diaby and Eduardo to long term injuries, while our new stadium was being built.
Of course it is the same in theory.
But the difference is, the last 2 seasons, we have been actually challenging for the title. This proves a strength, we haven’t had for something like 12-13 years.
Not only Arsenal fans talk about us as challengers, which is of course encouraging.
Even the fact that the most stubborn Arteta Out brigadiers are actually demanding the title, proves our improvement, although it isn’t the intention.
You miss my point though.
MA hasn’t had to worry about building a new stadium, or having to sell his best players season after season to help pay for it.
Neither has he suddenly been confronted with two clubs who just steamrollered through the rules and regulations, spending money like it was water..
In fact, MA has actually BENEFITED from the authorities clamping down on their past, by, finally holding them to account… and if city115 are found to be guilty, they could even be expelled from the PL and CL.
I’m absolutely fine with that, but to not acknowledge that the above points all contributed, along with others, to the fact that we were not able to challenge for the title, is painting a false picture.
As I said, I believe Mikel will bring us the PL title, but let’s not paint a picture that’s already making excuses if he doesn’t.
Here we go again.
You turn it into a debate about Wenger versus Arteta.
The fact is, we are now in a state, where we are considered true challengers, even by neutrals. This hasn’t been the case for a number of years.
No, I’m comparing what was happening when YOU said we hadn’t challenged for the title and gave you some of the reasons why.
If you want to see it as a Arsene versus Mikel comparison, that’s your perogative.
I agree with your last paragraph wholeheartedly, but find it weird that you can’t see the differences in the positions.
In this disscussion I find it fruitless to once again go over the same old things.
Lets leave the discussion about the reasons, why we didnt challenge for so long to another day.
Some people are always trying to turn any discussion into a debate about Wenger vs Arteta.
The point you made is quite clear i.e. that we are now better set up to challenge consistently for the PL than we have been for a long time.
Given the improvements over the last couple of seasons and hopefully a good transfer window we should be well placed to challenge again.
I disagree.
The point I made was also quite clear – the circumstances are different now to where they were, 10 – 12 years ago, as was mentioned.
If no time scale was mentioned, then there wouldn’t have been a need to give an explanation would there?
As I said, if you want to see it as a comparison between Mikel and Arsene, that’s your perogative – but if you are unable to accept that there are reasons to discuss why we find ourselves in this situation, then don’t comment… it’s simple really.
For the comment made we did not need an explanation or history lesson based on your personal perspectives and biases.
What was said is that we have improved remarkably in the past couple of years which should give us confidence for next season. When one looks at the squad we have, and their potential, if we recruit well we should be able to challenge for the next few years.
No David, what was said was that we are challenging for the title for the first time in 10 to 12 years and, in my opinion, that needed to have some meat added to the bone, in order to see why that would be the case.
Nothing to do with Arsene versus Mikel – just the situation the club found itself in ten to twelve years ago versus today.
It’s not my personal opinion or
perspective either, as everything I put forward as an explanation is a given fact.
I agree entirely with you last paragraph, as that is also factual and I welcome your personal opinion and perspective.
Ask me after seeing who comes in and after the first five games. I’d need to see how we look at that stage. It’s a tricky start and we need more quality through the door. Though I am more positive than I am negative, I’m intrigued
A tough season ahead, City strong and corrupt as always, Man U and Chelsea possibly resurging, while Villa and Newcastle still building, while Liverpool remain in transition. A real test. We need to build. The same squad as last season would certainly fail.
Firstly, the author of the piece has dishonored great progress by the club by dismissing a title challenge that no-one expected as “bottled it”. Unfortunately far too many fans continue to support this kind of unnecessary and unhelpful narrative of what should be heralded as a game-changing season.
As for the question of the piece, there should be great positivity about the club at this point as we are now amongst the strongest teams in the PL. We have very good chances of once more mounting a serious title challenge. However, we are not like the PSGs, Bayerns or RM of this world. We are up against other powerful clubs in our league so it will be tough.
What we should expect is that the team gives everything they can and with that hope that it will be enough to win.
👍
For such fans, this is their thought process:
1. If bad happens, blame Arteta.
2. If good happens, credit players, credit owners for backing Arteta, still ending up the talks with Arteta being just a cheque book manager.
3. If good happens but they can’t help but credit Arteta for the result, add a mandatory footnote to the praise that reads, “Still not better than Wenger!”
4. Keep mentioning that Arteta and the Arsenal squad aren’t good enough compared to Pep and Man City. (but still complain that Arteta bottled it!)
5. Calling Arteta a cheque book manager, and not promoting youth, while completely ignoring the fact that Man City and Pep do the same! (You can’t win league with youth prospects, and they know it! They just want the final Wenger-Arteta showdown to happen! Not to win the league with Arteta!)
6. Shivering at the thought that Arteta might win it eventually with the top signings! But they all the points above to fall back on to dismiss Arteta.
The Horrors they live in!
Absolutely this 👍
No it’s more simple then that
Arsenal have a good manager and players but tell the world they have world class / great managers
Make comments like , We will win CL or Mbappe wouldn’t get in our team
Then when fans use Mr Wenger as reference to what great was his achievements are mocked
Arteta then fails to win title but is still called amazing
Dan
How many posters have described Arteta and the players as you describe?
The Mbappe point obviously wasn’t mainstream so why use it? It’s not a constant comment is it?
Why bring AW up at every opportunity? It’s not an untruth to say that we are now competitive having not been over a number of years. Does it mean that all the contributors are clueless about the stadium and debt etc? Of course not. It isn’t about deriding Wenger but just some commenting that as of now we are nearly there with an exciting team and a very good manager. Better than plain good imo
Personally, I am quite happy to state that Arsenal have some great players and a world class manager.
However, I understand that given Arsenal’s history, for some fans, Arteta probably won’t be considered a great manager unless he wins a PL or CL.
We also have some great players although we may not have the depth of a MC.
The context is important yet often wilfully ignored. Arsenal and Arteta are up against arguably the greatest manager the PL has seen; who also has one of the strongest rosters. Taking a team who could not make the CL to being the greatest threat to MC’s dominance required more than merely being “good” as a manager. It has been a quite remarkable transformation, although not unsurprisingly, it does not get due respect from certain fans.
Can’t be world class if you don’t win a league
If he left tomoz he hasn’t done a world class job
Wow wow wow
Arteta Is a good manager , said that loads
Said also he’s done a good job
But he’s not a great manager yet and you agree ?
Wenger your see I defend if he’s brought up
If you go back and read I didn’t bring up the Wenger period
I simply questioned a comment saying we are plastic fans if we only deem trophies as success
I didn’t bring Mr Wenger up Sue in this article
I simply defended him when his record was attacked
As for others below Arteta is called World class
Yesterday I read we have a world class attack and 4 players that they can get into any team in the world
Last year some said we only had City better then us in CL
I’ll point out more when I see them.
That is David’s opinion and he gives his reasons and states that others don’t think so. At this moment I agree that Arteta hasn’t achieved enough to be considered world class but that is often an expression that is over used but I do think he is in course to become so
I’d like to know who you were replying to. Who brought up Wenger as mentioned in your reply to me because i couldn’t see any reference to him?
I’m pretty sure that most people have moved on from comparing both men. I can only repeat that by far the vast majority of contributors revere what Wenger achieved and are aware that the last few years could have been a bit better but still applaud his outstanding record
Yeah we agree then he’s not World class
If you scroll up to article your see I didn’t bring him up just defended him.
Which is logical
Most would defend the most successful manager in our history
I never said he was Dan, but why feel the need to defend AW for no apparent reason? He wasn’t being called into question
Arteta is amongst the best managers around at the moment and imo a damned sight better than just good as you described him. Your opinion but one I disagree with.
It’s a real pity that you find it so difficult to accept that Arteta has come good. After reams of articles in which you denigrated him – liar, yes man etc etc you obviously find it difficult to change your tune now that the outlook seems brighter and instead resort to unnecessary mention of Arsene Wenger who has himself moved on and has a record which speaks for itself
Come on Dan, tell us who you defended Wenger against ?
Go read It back and see who brings Mr Wenger up first mate
Yet again you refuse to answer a question, quelle surprise 🙄
SueP, it was HD who first mentioned Arsene Wenger, according to the timing.
I t was at 9.20 pm. and Dan then followed up as I did about two hours later.
Actually you was you Ken who first mentioned Wenger at 11:28pm on the 5/7/24, a day before I mentioned him. When I mentioned him it was to show that even though he didn’t spend as much as others, he still won trophies.
So not me ? Lol
Not that I got any issues by the way talking about the greatest manager in our history
Never said it was you, I just asked you to name the person, but you refused 🙄
Well said
I think it’s almost “have to” now rather than “can”. Arsenal have spent a fortune on players since Arteta’s arrival – and look like spending big again this summer according to reports. Although they’ve pushed City very close in the league for two seasons now, which is a great performance – no question of that, they’ve still only got a solitary FA Cup to their credit and that was back in 2019-20. If Arsenal had picked up, say, another domestic cup and/or won the Europa League in that time then that would have been something, but the absence of further silverware becomes a bigger problem the longer it goes on, whether we like it or not. I think we should be looking beyond Arsenal “doing well” as has been mentioned. This is Arsenal and we should be looking to win something in 2024-25, and preferably the league (as, realistically, it’s unlikely to be the CL).
I think the coming season is going to be very difficult for our team though we can win the league
My biggest worries is what is happening with our academy players. When are we going to promote the young players as I understand they’re learning Arsenal and most for free????? Arsenal want to buy 20 years old players from other clubs,why are we not trying our own young players?????
Give examples of promoted youth that are part of the current Man City 4 in a row PL winning team. Bottomline is, you can’t win the league with promoting youth prospects, only compete at best like Wenger did. That’s the sad truth and that’s the level of football right now.
Only youth prospect that I have hopes will be of some value in the title run is Nwaneri and in the coming seasons, Chido Obi.