(The not-so-temporary quite-official) Gooner Thread (Part 2)

On a transfer note, what's the story with young decent players going to China, money is brilliant in Europe so extra dollars in China is hollow.

I give Jackson Martinez 6 months and he'll be back in a decent league

Also since I've not bee on here for a couple of days did anyone else notice on Transfer Centre of Sky Sport UK there was a video link about 2 hours before the window closed saying a 'fox in the box' striker has been seen at Emirates.

Other than that being all sharke, what and who was it??

The fact is that we've failed to score in our last three games though. Even one goal in each of those games would have netted us 7 points instead of the two we got. I'm not calling for Wengers head but is this the best chance we'll ever have to win the title? With all due respect to Leicester, if they're top of the league, it shows how the so called big clubs are underperforming.

Next season, City will have Guardiola and no doubt a bunch of new players. Chelsea should be a force again. Klopp will get Liverpool playing his style and bring in the type of players he wants and Man United will possibly be challenging again if they get rid of LVG. Spurs are also looking good and unless Leicester are a one season wonder, they could be sniffing around the top four again.

Obviously Arsenal could also make some world class signings to improve our squad but we say this every year. For me personally, I don't know if we deserve to win it this year unless we go on an unbeaten run until the end of the season. I hope we do.

The reality is we(nger) will never get another chance like this to win the league. We had a chance to improve the depth of our squad, if not the outright quality - and with our injury record, history may prove that would have been prudent.

Here's hoping it doesn't.

Couldn’t agree more with the last two posts. There hasn’t been a better chance than this season since we last won it, and I can’t see there being a better chance again. Guardiola is coming next season and bollocks knows how many star players, while surely Chelsea and United won’t be this far off again. Klopp will also have had a season in the EPL and a summer transfer window to start building his team.This season feels a bit like now or never but now we’re back in our traditional 4th place and haven’t won, or even scored a goal for several games it’s starting to feel like that’s where we’ll stay as usual.

I’d love Leicester to win assuming we don’t. And frankly if they do then that says a lot about all those years of Wenger complaining about not being able to compete with the resources of City/Chelsea/United. He’s already run out of acceptable excuses, but Leicester winning the league would even see him run out of excuses to tell himself.

Once again question the quality of our scouts too. How come Leicester have got players like Vardy and Mahrez for sod all money? Mahrez in particular is the kind of player you’d expect Wenger to be all over. Add Ranieri to that manager wish list too.

It's not really one result though is it? It's 3 points from our last 4 games. And it's the fact we haven't used the massive win against City just before Xmas to push on and really take hold of top spot.

We're really fortunate in that the rest of the big teams are sharke this season, as well as hoping Leicster and Spurs don't have the necessary bottle or edge to carry them all the way to the title. But fudge me we need to turn this bad run around quick, starting with a good win and performance against Bournemouth on Monday morning. Not winning the league this season would be more gutting than any since we last won it in 04. We won't have a chance again like this in years.

I may require an intervention:

Now that's a fair point, I'm only looking at the game in isolation.

The Chelsea result was probably what made me more frustrated, our captain made the stupidest decision I've seen him make at this level.

The Liverpool result was exasperating in that we couldn't see out a game - something we did well in previous games.

The Stoke result I'm not too bothered about, going 0-0 against our biggest bogey away team isn't too bad when you're missing Coquellin, Sanchez, and Cazorla.

Let's also look at that opposition. Chelsea, while currently down the table, won the damn title last year & are on the way up post Mourinho. Liverpool have always been hard to beat at home and are sitting 8th, while Southampton are sitting 7th, and Stoke are sitting 10th. It's not like these were a string of missed results against teams fighting for relegation.

End of the day I agree with you that this run isn't great and we need to snap out of it, but when you put the run in context of injuries & the opposition, and the fact we're still in the hunt with 14 games to go, including a home game against 1st, an away game against 2nd, 3rd, and 5th I have hope that this side can turn our title contentions around. 

Between those four teams they have lost 34 games in the league this season. All of them were there for the taking.

Any way focus on this weekend. If we can't put away Bournemouth we really are in trouble.

Leicester play City tonight, and Spurs have an in-form Watford, so at least one team will drop points, possibly two, maybe even three. 

Foal's gift horse shall be paying us a visit.

Bournemouth must be beaten. 

I agree, 3 points a must this weekend. 

We have Foxes next weekend so somethings gotta give....

Lot of dissension over ticket pricing for match v Barcelona

"We Arsenal fans are just cattle for Kronke"

What do you guys think about this? I've always been proud of the way Arsenal have (for the main) chosen to run their affairs. However this EPL had to be the season the parts came together On The Field.

The club has always been known to do things with class. Victory comes with harmony etc. But I am saddened to hear about the surcharge they tried to place on season ticket holders for the Barcelona game and pleased they have backed down after the fans protested. It's one thing to charge a bit extra for a general ticket, but I think it's a shame they tried to fleece the season ticket holders who have already paid over a grand to go every week for a little bit more.

Was a great game Kwlap. The better side won 

Next week City at Cocks as well so it sure is heating up.

Other way round mate.

Our game against Leicester is a genuine title showdown now. Incredible.

Good eh. 

Three points tomorrow please and the CBC's losing is all good.

Looks initially like wenger has gone to a 4-3-3 with the ox joining ramsini in midfield

looks more like a 4-4-2 almost with ox right and ozil alongside giroud up top

Decent result, back to favourites with the bookies to win the league...looking forward to Sunday v Leicester.

Job done.

Win next week and we're two points off the top. 

COYG

They peppered us for decent periods of time, if they had some better strikers to bury those crosses it could have been tight.

A win is a win!!

we better bloody win

Title is for the taking this season

Wenger it's on you

Biggest game of the season so far coming up. We just have to get the job done.

Got the much needed win and did well to hold them out in the second half. Huge game next week now.

Hopefully Coquellin is fit to start, Flamini did play well but we could have done with Coq's pace/agility.

Wait, what, huge game? But I thought you guys said we're not in the race anymore? Huge game for fourth?

;)

Noone said we're not in the race anymore, only that having gone so long without a win and fallen back to our usual 4th place, and refused to strengthen the team it was starting to feel like we were losing our chance. Win next week and it's there for the taking again, however a loss would put us 8 points behind and that would pretty much be that.

no Chelsea no CBC in top 4 I'll take right now even if Cocks are one of the 4.

"We are not going to win the league. Can say that reasonably confidently now."

"We had it, and we've blown it"

Just a cupla quotes I was referring to.

Get in behind the team lads, long way to go yet!

Neither were said by me, though thinking we're not going to win the league is not the same as not being behind the team. Going to be an exciting finish whatever happens. Looking like there are still 4 teams who could win. Well Spurs are Spurs so you know they'll fudge it up eventually.

Run ins (copy and pasted from elsewhere so not sure why Spurs were ignored):

Next week all 4 contenders play each other so going to be crucial. All our home games after Leicester are games we should usually be winning so probably can't afford to drop any points at home with all those tough away games.

We've got a few really tough away games in there, but we should/could/hopefully win those home ones. Knowing us, we will beat Man U, Leiecester, Tottenham and lose to Watford/West Brom.

Fair call, and I agree.

I don't know if I can take what's about to come, be it good or bad. Cricket has been putting me through the ringer enough as it is. 

No escaping it though, we're in balls deep now. 

Please do this Arsenal.

Don't forget the FA Cup run & the ECL efforts against Barcelona.