Half-way Point Analysis

The Arsenal
#1

So we have completed half a season, gearing up for Christmas and Boxing Day fixtures (no Arsenal on boxing day sucks)… since this is a contemplative time of year, I am going to try to analyze where we are today, where I see us for the rest of the season, including prediction for finish, as well as prospects longer-term.

Half-season report card: D+

Pretty dismal frankly. 34 points puts us on pace for 68. Worse, our football has mostly been pretty dire to watch. Bright spots for me are Ozil, Laca (I am patient and like overall what I see, maybe being charitable), Nelson, AMN, Wilshere (not holding my breath and feel a lot of his praise is OTT). Pretty disappointed with Sanchez (we need more from our superstar), Xhaka (meh, get rid), and defense overall (still a fing shambles - get it fing sorted AW). Luke warm to the rest, mostly down.

Prediction:

Despite our woes, our rivals are tragic and bar Utd and City, I can see us competing with anyone else on total points (seriously). I actually think we will have a better second half, pull 39 points, and end on 73 (still pretty crappy, but second half would mask a dreadful first half - let’s face it, we were not certain of finishing above Burnley after 19 until the final f*ing game). End position is going to be insane and very, very tight I reckon… here is what I think will happen:

  1. City (duh): 102 points (they will slip but still have pretty fab points total)
  2. Utd: 83 points - they will get no closer to Utd and eventually fade when Mou invariably goes insane and implodes
  3. Chelsea: 78 points - they are going to struggle for goals in some games and if Hazard gets injured, they could fall to 6th, but I reckon they have enough quality to hold off the pathetic jokers below them and repeat their 39
  4. Arsenal: 73 points (seriously) - we will scrape by and do enough, watching Pool and Spurs comically blow what should be their spot above Arsenal.
  5. Spurs: 72 points (on GD) - last day they blow it, St. Totteringham’s day again, hallelujah
  6. Pool: 72 points (on GD) - offense stays hot but injuries and a shambolic GK/defense situation holds them back

LC will nick 7th, riding luck and Mahrez/Vardy counters
Everton will find 8th

Prospects for future:

I am actually starting to think Ozil, stays - giant win. Sanchez is clearly gone (and in retrospect should have been sold). We critically need 2 attacking players, and a proper CM, as well as defensive reinforcements and need to figure out our LT situation at GK. We won’t get enough done this summer, but hopefully land at least one proper long-term star. RN, AMN, and Eddie seem legit contenders to start for us (soon for AMN, not far for RN, and maybe a season or two for Eddie)… the 3 young prospects give me some hope. I figure we will have repeat of this year next year, but maybe not get as lucky to find 4th and perhaps drop out again into 5th/6th.

The summer following this next one will be as crucial as the one coming now in terms of setting us up… hopefully AW is gone, our youth have blossomed, and we have unearthed 2-3 gems as well as brought in proper star attacking player… it isn’t as bad as it seems atm to me frankly - most of top sport is hyperbole - you usually aren’t as good as you think you are when things are good (City) and you usually aren’t quite as bad as you think you are when things are bad (us)… margins are still tight. Need to fund massive influxes with smart sales and be more ruthless there and we NEED desperately to hit on our transfers… no more Xhaka’s, Mustafi’s, Chambers (jury still out I reckon), etc.

COYG 2018!!!

:gunnersaurus:

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#2

We knew we would not be competing for the title, so from my POV the season is going pretty much as expected.

Starting with the positives, we’ve shown flashes of brilliance. We have a league cup semi final to look forward to. We’ve had a simple, if not underwhelming, EL run so far and we still remain firmly in the hunt for a top 4 place. AND WE FUCKING BEAT SPURS!!

But as usual, there is room for improvement all over the pitch - and off it! Our ability to Arsenal things up is outstanding.

Report card: C

Prospects for the future:

More of the same. We are hilariously predictable. And that will remain the case until we have a new manager.

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#3

Disappointed but not surprised.

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#4

Another shit show. I live a life of numb apathy.

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#5

Hate to say it but this will be our worst season under Wenger. We are going to struggle for the remainder of the season after we inevitably don’t buy in the January window (yes I know it’s difficult to buy then).

Our defence will remain in tatters throughout and God knows what’s happening with Ozil and Sanchez. The team is still unstable and is still lacking the confidence needed to break the top 4. Our only hope for CL football next season is to win the EL.

Ultimately keeping Sanchez has backfired. Said back then keeping players against their will is suicide, we should have took the money and replaced him. Instead now we are in limbo not knowing more than a month ahead of us which is detrimental to our season.

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#6

We’re closer to flipping Swansea down the bottom than Manchester City at the top in terms of points.

'Nuff said

#7

How so? Points? League position? I think it’ll just be another standard nothing season. 4th or 5th, 70-75 points but no worse than other nothing seasons.

We really should go all out to try and buy someone in January though. It’ll soften the impact of the summer rebuilding job.

#8

We really really should, even if they are squad players.
We can’t have ourselves a huge task of filling up 4-5 players in coming summer and expecting them to gel as well.

#9

All of the above

#10

You’re probably right because this is the first season that Wenger has not said he is going for the PL title but just for fourth place.

This is also the first season I can remember where we have gone into it knowing there is a good chance our two best players will leave at the end of it.
Wenger made a big gamble keeping Sanchez and it’s failed miserably.
It has cost the club not only financially but we have a player that is obviously not happy here.

Last season was Wenger’s worst and this doesn’t look any better, in fact this could be Wenger’s last opportunity to get CL football, because next season, without Sanchez and Ozil and the usual underwhelming transfer window, we’re not going to get it then either.

Saying that, it was all too predictable.
So it comes as no surprise that we are out of the top four, behind spurs, and about to lose our best player.

#11

Same as the past umpteen seasons . Very disappointed but not unexpected. Nothing will change until we get shot of the clown at the helm .

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#12

Going into the summer I was pretty bullish about the decision to hold Ozil and Sanchez to their contracts. I, of course, was under the assumption that we’d add more than one big talent to the team.

We managed to only add a striker, screw up any chance to sign Lemar (leave aside the idea that we don’t know how he’d fit into the team) only to go back with another effort to sign Lemar, tell Sanchez he could leave and then fuck the entire thing and end up with a sad Alexis and no Lemar.

The first Liverpool game was probably my low point of the season. I had absolutely no confidence going into the game and we played pretty awful.

It’s hard to see where the season will go from here because I feel like we’ve lived this season so many times before. I don’t have a ton of confidence that either Ozil or Sanchez will stay. I don’t have a ton of confidence that Arsene will make the necessary adjustments to the squad during the back half of the season or during the summer to really change things.

Sorry if that’s all a bit doom and gloom but it’s more or less all I’ve got.

On the plus side I have enjoyed watching Ozil play in the last month or so, I think Lacazette has been a good addition and continue to be impressed with Nacho Monreal.

On the down side the squad is actually pretty old or out of contract, the midfield still makes no sense (FA Cup Final magic aside) and I’m still salty that we let Szczęsny walk to Juventus for peanuts.

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#13

Not sure where to put this

#14

Shittest Arsenal season to watch as a fan.

Attractive football - none
Effectiveness - none
Creativity - bar Ozil, none
Determination - none
Concentration - none
Coaching - is there any???
Goal keeping - average
Defending - could be better if we have Steve Bould on the field
Midfield - inconsistent
Striker - if we miss Giroud that much… is this a good sign?

Overall grading - F, means FUCK

I can imagine (yes, I can) where the team goes when losing Sanchez and/or Ozil/Jack

#15

Everything about this season was all too predictable.

Wenger repeating the same mistakes.
Sanchez showing his feelings about not being sold by putting in some inconsistent performances.
The defence looking as if it has never seen any coaching.
Too many players in the comfort zone, earning high wages but unmotivated.
Lacazette not adjusting to the PL properly.
But the easiest one to predict is not beating almost all the top clubs, and consequently being out of the CL places.

We are where we deserve to be and where I thought we would be.

Our seasons are as easy to predict as our transfer windows.

Uninspiring and stagnant.

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#16

Let me try my best swine cosmetic job:

  1. AMN is nice revelation, and Nelson looks like proper FTer soon
  2. Re-emergence of Jacky boy (yeah, not holding my breath, but for now!)
  3. Mou is suffering, so we have that
  4. League is terrible bar City so we might still nick 4th (although I doubt it)
  5. We only have one direction to go, right??? RIGHT???
#17

I just try to be realistic… and not setting any expectation or false hope

AMN looks pretty decent, but look at Bellerin 2 years ago. I can’t hope for anything.
Nelson is just okay for me.

Jack is getting better after the loan. The problem is, will he stay, and stay healthy?
I never doubt his abilities. When he is healthy and in form, he is good.

I don’t build my happiness on someone else’s suffering. I don’t give a fuck what happen to Mou :joy:

League is terrible, and we are now 6th (correct me if I am wrong, I don’t bother to check the league standing at all)… 6th!!! When the league is terrible and we are at 6th… this is not a positive sign for me. We are not like just trailing City and sitting at 2nd. We are 6th!!!

To be frank, I don’t know what direction the team will go.
To go youth again? To keep spending big? Does it matter now? I don’t know.

#18

Yeah we are 6th, but we are only 5 points off 4th and 8 points off of second.

#19

If we were under a different manager I’d be bothered about this. We’re shit anyway without the refs making errors so no big change for us with the specialist in failure in charge

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#20

Do you see the teams that are ahead of us slowing down?

I wouldn’t even feel comfortable and safe if we were 2nd and the #6 team was only 8 points off.
Why would I feel positive when we are #6 and trailing instead?

By this team’s general performances and luck, just can’t be positive, be honest.