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Race for the Top 4 - 2018/19

Where will we finish in the league ?


  • Total voters
    423
  • Poll closed .

worcestersauce

"I'm no optimist I'm just a prisoner of hope
Jan 23, 2006
26,895
45,044
I'm just not writing Arsenal off, that said I genuinely believe Liverpool and Chelsea should be more concerned, they have by all accounts hit the ground running and are the obvious challengers to Manchester City yet they have not managed to shake Arsenal off.
 

Locotoro

Prince of Zamunda
Sep 2, 2004
9,328
13,927
But 'wingbacks' aren't commonly used in a 4 man defence, more so a 5 man defence. You can't be so naive to have Trippier and Davies half way up the pitch with Sane and Sterling behind them and expect nothing bad to come from it. You can't expect our midfield to pressure and cut the supply off to the wings and forwards so often, especially when that midfield consists of Silva and De Bruyne.

We don't play a high pressure game well enough to negate Man City. We will get picked off if we approach this in a way that doesn't adapt to their strengths.

This is the question I want to ask. Why don't we play the press well enough? We certainly used to play it well enough. Aside from world cup fatigue what has happened to our press?
 

Westmorlandspur

Well-Known Member
Feb 1, 2013
2,685
4,500
That Arsenal defence is definitely not good enough to finish top four. How many times were they pulling players back around the halfway line. They’ve got away with some games but they are dangerous when they start to break off the halfway line. Pity Vardy didn’t turn up. In a footballing team he isn’t that good.
 

Dillspur

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2004
3,747
9,926
I'm not too concerned with the gooners right now, they've had a run of games that they should be winning, in fact they won the corresponding fixtures last year. They've also been extremely lucky in a number of wins, the spammer game springs to mind and they could have easily lost last night. I don't think they have the personnel to play a high line and their luck will run out.
 

Spurs 1961

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
6,665
8,739
More concerned about what we do than others. So far we have got a great haul of points but not played one really good game. I find that a bit worrying yet at the same time happy that we are not losing ground and there is a chance we start to hot our best form ... Monday would be the time to do that!
 

TwanYid

Well-Known Member
Aug 1, 2013
1,223
3,484
I would rather be playing Inter away and Barca away and losing that FC Wankstain in the middle of nowhere on a Thursday night

Don't knock FC Wankstain- they currently sit top of the Tossoffian League having won 9 straight.
 

JCRD

Well-Known Member
Aug 10, 2018
19,153
30,013
I like how the excuse that Arse keep winning is because they have had an easy run and their defense is shit (which could be true on both counts) but not like we laboured to a 1-0 win against Cardiff or that our defense is also shit at present.

They have a ruthless attack and are shit defensively but goals can bail you out. Unfortunately our defense is a bit shit at the moment and we cannot capitalise on our chances
 

Doctor Dinkey

Legacy Fan
Jul 6, 2013
3,591
8,687
Some people on here are curiously in denial about Arsenal's chances of finishing top 4. On current evidence, they are more likely candidates than we are.
I still maintain that making top 4 for us this year is a massive challenge. I hope Poch realises it too, and begins to modify his targets. If we get tonked on Monday, and begin to drift away from fourth place, he should hopefully turn his attention to the cups; especially as it might be his last season here.
 

Gb160

Well done boys. Good process
Jun 20, 2012
23,646
93,315
Some people on here are curiously in denial about Arsenal's chances of finishing top 4. On current evidence, they are more likely candidates than we are.
I still maintain that making top 4 for us this year is a massive challenge. I hope Poch realises it too, and begins to modify his targets. If we get tonked on Monday, and begin to drift away from fourth place, he should hopefully turn his attention to the cups; especially as it might be his last season here.
So you want us to throw the league while it's not even November, even though at Xmas last year we were in 7th?
Top 4, with our resources, is a massive challenge every year...and one that under Poch we've done pretty damn well at.

Arsenal's form won't continue, they are scoring with 20% of their shots on target, when the average is 9%.
This can't continue...they are just getting the rub of the green at the moment.
For them to keep up their form they will need to start creating twice as many goalscoring chances...not gonna happen.
They're not being clinical, they're being lucky.
 
Last edited:

Doctor Dinkey

Legacy Fan
Jul 6, 2013
3,591
8,687
So you want us to throw the league while it's not even November, even though at Xmas last year we were in 7th?
Top 4, with our resources, is a massive challenge every year...and one that under Poch we've done pretty damn well at.

Arsenal's form won't continue, they are scoring with 20% of their shots on target, when the average is 9%.
This won't continue...they are just getting the rub of the green at the moment.
For them to keep up their form they will need to start creating twice as many goalscoring chances...not gonna happen.
They're not being clinical, they're being lucky.
Hope you're right re Arsenal. Compelling statistics.
No, I don't want us to throw the League as you say. But I don't want us playing weakened sides in the Europa League and the other cups so we can make a forlorn challenge for the top 4.
 

Gb160

Well done boys. Good process
Jun 20, 2012
23,646
93,315
Hope you're right re Arsenal. Compelling statistics.
No, I don't want us to throw the League as you say. But I don't want us playing weakened sides in the Europa League and the other cups so we can make a forlorn challenge for the top 4.
No-one wants to see that mate, but in all but his first season, no top 4 challenge has been forlorn....but I'd bet my bollocks the team vs West Ham is relatively weak as fuck, really not looking forward to that one.
Should point out that team won't even be due to his attitude towards the league cup imo, that'll be solely down to our daft schedule.
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
Id also like to see big chances given up I’d suggest Arsenal are very near the top. Yes they are slightly better than I was expecting but still maintain been very lucky on this run.

How high their fullbacks play is just asking for trouble. They literally play with 2 at the back. Palace with their pace is definitely a team that will exploit that. Zaha could have a field day.
 
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