Arsenals chances of a top 4 finish this season

Was a time when you'd stick Arsenal comfortably in your accumulator for a win. Blame one person, Wenger.
 
I don't think they'd fire Wenger even if Arsenal were relegated; in fact, after being downhearted, I think AW would see it as a 'new and exciting challenge/project'. However, no matter how much the board or owner seem to be in thrall to him, AW might see it as an opportune time to bow out and head to PSG or elsewhere.

All the above is hypothetical, of course, as I can't for the life of me imagine Arsenal getting relegated; but I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that it would take something earth-shattering for AW to be dismissed.
 
I don't think they'd fire Wenger even if Arsenal were relegated; in fact, after being downhearted, I think AW would see it as a 'new and exciting challenge/project'. However, no matter how much the board or owner seem to be in thrall to him, AW might see it as an opportune time to bow out and head to PSG or elsewhere.

All the above is hypothetical, of course, as I can't for the life of me imagine Arsenal getting relegated; but I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that it would take something earth-shattering for AW to be dismissed.

I agree the board won't sack him because he's been keeping Stan and the previous oldies very happy by balancing the books successfully.

Maybe things could change if he doesn't get that champions league spot...
 
You don't think Arsenal losing 30 million in Champions League money could get Arsene the sack?

It's not even just that tbh

Not finishing in the top 4 this season wouldn't just be a reflection of one bad season it would be the icing on the cake of their continual decline that has been all to evident now for the past 6 years.

Wenger did his best to rebuild his 2003 title winging side and fair enough came close in 2007 but ultimately failed he's now having to build another team this time though without the foundations he had in 2007 (Csec, Adebayor, RVP, Gallas etc etc). Without heavy investment in players of the same mould as the likes of Mata Arsenal are probably at least 3 years off being title challengers.

Come the end of the season even if they do finish 4th I think it's about time Wenger accepts he's taken Arsenal as far as he can and let someone else with new ideas give the job a shot
 
I find it astonishing that he has such job security tbh. Nothing seems to be improving. They just stumble from one shambles to another.
 
They've gained more from Fabregash and nasri.

Besides, who are they going to bring in? What about his payoff? Any new manager will also need new funds to change the squad. That's more money possibly down the drain, and could leave them to even more trouble. That 30m will easily become chicken feed overnight.

Wenger will at least see them into Europe in some form, without a big outlay.

Yep. It's really simple. Still think they will grab fourth.
 
Yep. It's really simple. Still think they will grab fourth.

On what basis? They are short in so many areas and they just don't have the quality anymore.

Van Persie is their best player and he's injury prone, next is Wilshire and he's out for the best part of the season, Sagna is out for 3 months.

Vermarlaen is out for the next few weeks, Diaby is a month away. The international break will help but the way it's going you could see another injury being picked up in that time. They're already 8 points off the 4th spot and as they drop more and more it's just going to get harder and harder.

Aside from history and Wenger I can't see any indication they have what it takes to have a sustained run and get that Champions League place. Even Wenger is losing his touch, he's desperately trying to be positive about his team but he looks a broken man, that's filtering through the team.
 
I don't think they'd fire Wenger even if Arsenal were relegated; in fact, after being downhearted, I think AW would see it as a 'new and exciting challenge/project'. However, no matter how much the board or owner seem to be in thrall to him, AW might see it as an opportune time to bow out and head to PSG or elsewhere.

All the above is hypothetical, of course, as I can't for the life of me imagine Arsenal getting relegated; but I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that it would take something earth-shattering for AW to be dismissed.

Absolutely, the only way I see Wenger going is if he decides to walk, essentially. I don't think that'd happen if they finished outside the CL this season but if it happened next season I think there'd definitely be chance. Even at that I don't think it'd be a foregone conclusion.

I still reckon they'll finish top four.
 
On what basis? They are short in so many areas and they just don't have the quality anymore.

Van Persie is their best player and he's injury prone, next is Wilshire and he's out for the best part of the season, Sagna is out for 3 months.

Vermarlaen is out for the next few weeks, Diaby is a month away. The international break will help but the way it's going you could see another injury being picked up in that time. They're already 8 points off the 4th spot and as they drop more and more it's just going to get harder and harder.

Aside from history and Wenger I can't see any indication they have what it takes to have a sustained run and get that Champions League place. Even Wenger is losing his touch, he's desperately trying to be positive about his team but he looks a broken man, that's filtering through the team.

I'm basing my prediction on Liverpool and Tottenham falling behind as the season progresses. It's too early to make end of season predictions anyway, lets's wait till the Christmas perios.
 
You might look better than both when attacking, with Spurs debatably better still. But defensively they're miles ahead, and that will continue to cost Arsenal
 
Our biggest problem is that we have one fit CB and we're going to have to play Jenkinson at right back for three months. How good are we going to be able to be?
 
I've seen Liverpool and Spurs recently and we look better than both (only losing both games due to shit reffing).

Nevermind Spurs and Liverpool, I am very surprised you don't claim Arsenal to be better than United, City and Chelsea.
 
Their defence is very worrying. Against Sunderland they likely will line up with Jenkinson Mertesacker Song Gibbs. None of them would get into a team like Villa's defence. It really is a bottom half of the table back four and whilst that's the case bottom half teams will score against them.

Couple this with Van Persie being so injury prone and it looks quite bleak. It would be quite humorous however if the first season RVP is fit throughout takes them to 6th/7th. If he was fit all the time they'd have won at least 1 trophy in the last 6 years.
 
Our biggest problem is that we have one fit CB and we're going to have to play Jenkinson at right back for three months. How good are we going to be able to be?

Surely it would be best to play someone out of position like Santos or even Walcott at Right Back instead of Jenkinson who all in honesty isn't ready for this level and will just further damage his confidence?
 
Surely it would be best to play someone out of position like Santos or even Walcott at Right Back instead of Jenkinson who all in honesty isn't ready for this level and will just further damage his confidence?

Walcott at right back would stop me sleeping at night. I sympathise with Jenkinson because he should be playing reserve team football right now.
 
Walcott at right back would stop me sleeping at night. I sympathise with Jenkinson because he should be playing reserve team football right now.

Just goes to show how rubbish your squad's become!

We have about 7 decent right backs, you can borrow one of ours :-)
 
Surely it would be best to play someone out of position like Santos or even Walcott at Right Back instead of Jenkinson who all in honesty isn't ready for this level and will just further damage his confidence?

walcott at RB? :wenger:

Its a silly situation to leave yourself exposed to tbh, jerkinson being the only backup to sagna in a league like the PL tells a lot about their squad depth in defensive areas.
 
Selling Eboue and not replacing him was just a ridiculous piece of transfer business. I'm all for accepting that Nasri and Cesc wasn't entirely our fault, but that was. Such a poor decision.
 
Selling Eboue and not replacing him was just a ridiculous piece of transfer business. I'm all for accepting that Nasri and Cesc wasn't entirely our fault, but that was. Such a poor decision.


Its a squad put together with no long term planning whatsoever. Which is surprising considering Wenger has a 10 year plan.

Wenger has screwed up this year like no other and it will eventually cost him what he covets most, "The top 4".
 
Selling Eboue and not replacing him was just a ridiculous piece of transfer business. I'm all for accepting that Nasri and Cesc wasn't entirely our fault, but that was. Such a poor decision.

Also what is up with your medical team?

It seems their mission is to make sure that every decent player in your team suffers a long term injury at some point within their first few years at Arsenal.

Perhaps to give Arsene an excuse for the Saturday?
 
Also what is up with your medical team?

It seems their mission is to make sure that every decent player in your team suffers a long term injury at some point within their first few years at Arsenal.

Perhaps to give Arsene an excuse for the Saturday?

They're shocking. Sagna is an exception to the norm, he's usually very durable. Funny now he's the only right back at the club he can't have a break, and he's got injured. God knows what's going on.
 
I'm changing my mind about Arsenal again actually, I'm counting them out in regards to finishing 4th. To even have a chance, they'd need Sagna, Vermaelen, Wilshere, and van Persie fit almost all season - that's not going to happen, so neither is finishing 4th. I'll probably look back at a post I made earlier at some point, thinking they'll make it to around 30~ points by Christmas.
 
The funny thing is, they've actually got more defenders in their squad than us; 9 vs 8.

Difference being, our defenders are both good and versatile.
 
As I sais earlier, they will make it... they had a decent game against Tottenham... was just an unlucky goal...
 
walcott at RB? :wenger:

Its a silly situation to leave yourself exposed to tbh, jerkinson being the only backup to sagna in a league like the PL tells a lot about their squad depth in defensive areas.


To be fair I don't support Arsenal! In fact the only full match that I've seen them play has been against us (United) and I thought Walcott looked better at right back than Jenkinson did the entire game.

I wasn't being serious in regards to Walcott though I think Santos could do a job there in the same vein Evra has done for us in the past.
 
Sunderland haven't been doing so well, have they?


So what? It's not just down to Brown and O'Shea that Sunderland have struggled. He's right in that Brown and O'Shea would walk into their side right now. Having said that one of them would have definitely started for us on Saturday as well.
 
Selling Eboue and not replacing him was just a ridiculous piece of transfer business. I'm all for accepting that Nasri and Cesc wasn't entirely our fault, but that was. Such a poor decision.

I swear, if someone had predicted Arsenal's transfers before the summer, everyone would have told him to get the feck out. There would be no way anyone could preside over such a disaster, almost deliberate sabotage, of a transfer summer. It simply wouldn't have been believable.
 
Who is their defensive coach? Surely he must take some responsibility here seeing as it is up to him to organise them?
 
They don't have one, so I heard. But what does that have to do with anything? They play a high line to supplement their attack, it would be better if they had a pacy defender. And what can you do with injuries?
 
You know what, scratch that. Wenger should be sacked, it's an absolute disgrace he didn't spend money this summer. Benitez or Ancelloti would do a better job.