Football 2013-2014

[zahidf]

So, are arsenal still weak?

[Andre91]

COYG ! So happy. I don't care if it was only Hull. I don't care if it took extra time. I've been waiting since I was 12 for this. What a good day.

[thetime]

So, are arsenal still weak?

[RobertProsineckisLighter]

Liverpool should have seen out the season and won the league. By that means they failed go meet expectations that were raised as the season went on. Plus we could have done with a million quid.

Scholes is the best English midfielder I have seen, he was consistently good. Shame he couldn't tackle.

Uraguay are my tip for the world cup.

These new football league ideas are farcile, if they are implemented I'll struggle to keep watching football.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

So, are arsenal still weak?

[pink_triangle]

One game in isolation may not answer whether they are a good team, but surely being the last team standing does. I'm glad Ramsey got his moment, fantastic season and one I didn't see coming.

[zahidf]

Yeah. I'd rather walk through glass and pour salt on myself than agree with Danny Baker, but he was right in saying yesterday it answered no questions about if Arsenal were a decent side, and raised more than anything. Whoever were playing LB/RB for Arsenal really need to be looked at.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

A weak side wouldnt win the FA cup and come fourth...

Edited May 18, 2014 by thesecretingredientiscrime

[zahidf]

And a strong side wouldn't go 2-0 down in 9 minutes against a team who had finished 12 places below them and finish fourth in the league after being top of the table for nearly half of the season. You can praise the strength of the team for coming back, but I think even the most ardant Arsenal fans would say the final raised serious issues which need to be addressed. The Fabianski one looks to be happening anyway, but there were several other performances which were definitely being questioned after yesterday. It's notable that most of the talk after the final has been of the win acting as a springboard for investment, because the current side hasn't been good enough.

Having just looked at the stats, the Arsenal collapse between week 23 and 33, going from 1st to 5th is pretty incredible.

[DomDom1984]

Congrats to Arsenal for beating an understrength Hull City and struggling past Wigan Athletic. That sure proves everyone wrong.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

Any side can go 2-0 down in ten minutes if the other side are playing well, which Hull were.

I just find it funny that Arsenal gets lambasted as a weak side when they had a good season overall.

[t8yman]

Well I dont care what anyone says, we had the best day ever. It was long, with a lot of walking and travelling, but Hull City made us all proud. It was a fantastic occasion, and I didnt speak to one Hull City fan who was disappointed. We punched well above our weight, and kept the arsenal fans quiet for 70 minutes. The atmosphere pre match was among the best I have ever experienced.

[DomDom1984]

Not only "only won once" this season either, but totally destroyed by the sides around them. And none of those hammerings weren't deserved.

[Gucci Piggy]

Congrats to Arsenal for beating an understrength Hull City and struggling past Wigan Athletic. That sure proves everyone wrong.

[pink_triangle]

I think people reading way too much into the performance. Look at previous finals and the likes of city and Chelsea have had tough games against weaker opposition. Look at British champions league winners and none excelled in the final, but got the results they needed.

Also this talk about how the game showed arsenal need to stengthen is again silly. Of course arsenal need to strengthen as do city, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man U etc. That's the point of a transfer window.

[DomDom1984]

City and Chelsea have had CL wins, FA Cup wins, EPL wins and generally done quite well. Arsenal sneaking another top four finish and being lucky to win a cup final against Hull City isn't exactly in the same ball park.

Arsenal have needed to significantly strengthen for years. And still do. Their lack of ambition outside of finishing top four every year is honking. And what's even moreso is that so many supporters buy into it.

[pink_triangle]

City and Chelsea have had CL wins, FA Cup wins, EPL wins and generally done quite well. Arsenal sneaking another top four finish and being lucky to win a cup final against Hull City isn't exactly in the same ball park.

Arsenal have needed to significantly strengthen for years. And still do. Their lack of ambition outside of finishing top four every year is honking. And what's even moreso is that so many supporters buy into it.

[DomDom1984]

Arsenal spend an absolute fortune on their wage bill. They are underperforming.

To talk about an ACTUAL achievement though, St Johnstone won their first major honour yesterday. Couldn't begin to imagine how that must feel for supporters.

[pink_triangle]

Arsenal spend an absolute fortune on their wage bill. They are underperforming.

To talk about an ACTUAL achievement though, St Johnstone won their first major honour yesterday. Couldn't begin to imagine how that must feel for supporters.

[DomDom1984]

The wage bill thing gets thrown out when a team spending less managed to find their way above them.

They were in a good position in January and were in a position to strengthen. I think we all know how that went.

Liverpool and Chelsea's shortcomings are there for all to see, but in the case of Liverpool, the way that they played ensured them being runners up and I'd argue that if it wasn't for that style of "just f**king score goals!" that they had, they'd have been nowhere near the top of the table.

[Gucci Piggy]

The wage bill thing gets thrown out when a team spending less managed to find their way above them.

They were in a good position in January and were in a position to strengthen. I think we all know how that went.

Liverpool and Chelsea's shortcomings are there for all to see, but in the case of Liverpool, the way that they played ensured them being runners up and I'd argue that if it wasn't for that style of "just f**king score goals!" that they had, they'd have been nowhere near the top of the table.

[pink_triangle]

The wage bill thing gets thrown out when a team spending less managed to find their way above them.

They were in a good position in January and were in a position to strengthen. I think we all know how that went.

Liverpool and Chelsea's shortcomings are there for all to see, but in the case of Liverpool, the way that they played ensured them being runners up and I'd argue that if it wasn't for that style of "just f**king score goals!" that they had, they'd have been nowhere near the top of the table.

[DomDom1984]

I need to note that I'm not calling for Wenger's head. I think the board need to back him a bit more to take them further. I think if he had that backing, he'd be doing better. I do actually think he could do better at times as far as setting the team out goes. The Chelsea humping was almost entirely his fault.

No manager is perfect though. Hence why Alex Ferguson signed crap like Djemba Djemba and Rodgers doesn't close up shop when he should.

Winning the FA Cup is obviously a success. The thing is though, it's a success they should have had long before now, and getting papped out by the likes of Blackburn didn't exactly help the cause. It's been good to see them take it seriously though, and see that when they DO actually take it seriously, they can make a dent on it.

[pink_triangle]

I need to note that I'm not calling for Wenger's head. I think the board need to back him a bit more to take them further. I think if he had that backing, he'd be doing better. I do actually think he could do better at times as far as setting the team out goes. The Chelsea humping was almost entirely his fault.

No manager is perfect though. Hence why Alex Ferguson signed crap like Djemba Djemba and Rodgers doesn't close up shop when he should.

Winning the FA Cup is obviously a success. The thing is though, it's a success they should have had long before now, and getting papped out by the likes of Blackburn didn't exactly help the cause. It's been good to see them take it seriously though, and see that when they DO actually take it seriously, they can make a dent on it.

[Gucci Piggy]

I need to note that I'm not calling for Wenger's head. I think the board need to back him a bit more to take them further. I think if he had that backing, he'd be doing better. I do actually think he could do better at times as far as setting the team out goes. The Chelsea humping was almost entirely his fault.

No manager is perfect though. Hence why Alex Ferguson signed crap like Djemba Djemba and Rodgers doesn't close up shop when he should.

Winning the FA Cup is obviously a success. The thing is though, it's a success they should have had long before now, and getting papped out by the likes of Blackburn didn't exactly help the cause. It's been good to see them take it seriously though, and see that when they DO actually take it seriously, they can make a dent on it.

Edited May 18, 2014 by Will-2609