People can continue to shit on it if they like but we’ve seven wins from ten and a slap down from Liverpool aside we’ve been well worth that return. We’ve earned the place we’re in right now and we have to hope that the players and manager recognise the opportunity that’s presented itself and continue to bring home the points.
Given where we were at the same time last season you can’t say there isn’t progress here. Right now we’ve as good a shout as anyone to get top four. Just gotta keep it going starting with a big big test during the week.
The Everton and West ham games are absolutely monumental. Don’t really want to hear any shite about oh it’s just 1 nil to the Arsenal - since when did that become a bad thing anyway- in December. It’s winning by any means necessary next month and carry forward the points into the new year.
I’m hopeful for Thursday but you can never go to OT expecting the 3 points easily on any given night.
I didn’t believe at the beginning of the season, but am now willing to say Top 4 is on.
Would also add if we end up out of Top 6, based on turmoil at some of our key competitors, I will again be saying Mikel should be sacked (as with end of last season).
What concerns me is that while there has been a noticeable improvement in our defense over these last few months, I haven’t seen any such improvement in our creativity and threat up front. We are 5th in the table but still have a negative goal difference. What worries me more is that with Auba on the decline, I don’t see how we will improve in front of goal this season. With no reliable goal threat, in the crunch games, against direct top 4 rivals, we might come up short.
What works in our favour is that both United and Spurs are going to be in a transition phase for the rest of the season so their results will be inconsistent. But both have more experienced managers at helm. Then there is West Ham and maybe one other team. So, while I won’t rule us out completely, I am not confident we will definitely get top 4.
Auba is increasingly sticking out now that we don’t have any easy piñatas across the backline. It’s hard to know exactly what and how he will do match to match, and this has to be a problem for players around him in the attacking unit also. It’s just going to cause headaches on and off for the rest of the season at least because he isn’t going anywhere.
I agree but because there are so many teams that fall into that category, it’s a lottery who will get a top four place.
The disadvantage we have is the lack of goals and so many unconvincing performances.
I’ve seen very few games this season where we have dominated and if that trend continues, as well as our lack of goal threat, I can’t see us getting a CL place.
With Man U and spurs sorting out their managerial problems, they have to be considered as our main rivals and clubs like West Ham, Wolves and Leicester shouldn’t be written off either.
Exactly but who of those teams are dominating games.
United are the most capable talent wise but come on everyone else has as many questions too answer as we do.
That’s what I mean, although all the other clubs competing for a top four place are in the same position as us, it makes it a lottery as there are so many of them.
I just think that Man U and spurs have an advantage over us because they have both got top experienced managers in.
But there’s not much in it between us and the rest but our lack of goals certainly puts us at a disadvantage.
Well it has to be improved but others have issues with defence etc.
We really do though have to move away from the first 3 games of the season.
Sure Liverpool battered us but we haven’t come close to a team or a performance as poor as Brentford.
The teams completely different now.
If we manage to buy the Auba / Laca upgrade in January (whoever that is), then I feel we have a much better shot at top 4.
Auba has seemingly lost his edge. At this rate we’ll be lucky for him to scrape 20 goals in all comps.
A striker who chips in another 10 goals and aids our all round play will be fairly transformative.
However, I doubt we’ll sign that guy in January so top 4 is going to be a struggle.
We also ideally need a Thiago / Gundogan level CM to come in as well. That’s 2 first teamers.
I didn’t have much expectation this season of top 4 and we’re performing better than I expected. But there are still areas we need to improve (chance creation being the major one).
I do feel we will be much closer to top 4 though. We should be aiming for top 6 minimum given that Arteta was able to add 5/6 players of his players in the summer.
I only saw the last 10 minutes of United yeterday but they seemed to be chasing for the win away at Chav land in the little I saw and they looked like a hand full for the Chavs.
I wouldn’t expect anything better than a 3-0 pasting when we go there. A new manager at United and that squad will probably be enough to go past us and secure 4th.
We are nowehere near the top 3 who are making a top go of making an exciting 3 way race for the title.
My best hope is therefore to come above the Scum which is doubtful given they have Conte albeit with a questionable squad and West Ham who have limited squad depth.
Getting St Tottering and 5th place is about the limit of my hopes although I hope somehow we get form going well again from hereon and somehow sneak a 4th.
If we do by some miracle get CL fottball we are getting murdered in that unless we sort out the forward line and further strengthen the midfield.
Arteta still has a great deal to prove although I am back on slightly undecided about him rather than screaming for him to be sacked and replaced instantly although that changes day by day. After the Liverpool drubbing I felt like we’d made no progress at all two weeks back.
I don’t think Rangnick belongs anywhere near the same category as Conte. He is a good appointment primarily because if they are smart enough to transition him to a DoF role then he could be transformative for the club in the longer run. But I’m not sure he will lift the team that much as a manager. In the last 10 years he has managed only two seasons of first team football and one of those seasons was in the 2 Bundesliga. He has never managed in England, never managed big players in a dressing room remotely like at Old Trafford, never managed a club with the expectations or media scrutiny of United, and won only one trophy in 25 years.
He can’t be worse than Ole was at the end but I wouldn’t underestimate the number of ways the appointment could go wrong.
I agree, Conte is a far superior manager but spurs don’t have the players to get top four with an average manager so they’ve gone out and got the best.
But most of the players at Man U are top four level and they were runners up last season with Solskjaer so with someone competent like Ragnick they should be at least getting in the CL places although, like you say, anything could happen and we’ve seen better managers than him lose the dressing room.
I feel the same and like you mentioned, I don’t see that happening. I would be happy if Martinelli gets more game time at the expense of Auba or Laca. Would like to see him given a run of games to show us what he can do cause for me, the jury is very much out on him.
Before his injury I thought he’d be the next big thing but he’s struggled to establish himself since then. Very nice goal at the weekend though so hopefully the sign of things to come.
I’m hoping Eddie and Balogun may mature into something better too but neither has pushed on yet.