“We are top of the league, say, we are top of the league!”
(What can possibly go wrong?)
We stand top of the League, two points clear with six games gone.
That’s six games people not thirty-six.
It is fantastic that we are where we are but I urge caution. I hope we win the league, I do, of course I do.
I want us to win it, but I don’t expect us to win it.
Can we win it? I think so.
However, if we start to believe we should win it at this early stage, then if we don’t, that will be seen as a failure. For me though, if we don’t quite win it yet end up a lot closer, then that should be seen as an achievement, not a failure. Things can go wrong. In fact things WILL go wrong. Just like they always have for every team, anywhere, ever.
In two years time we should see the nucleolus of this team hitting their peak.
Imagine if Jack, Wojciech, Carl and AOC improve in the way Aaron and Gibbs have (although I feel there is much more to come from them and Theo too) . Ozil, Santi, Per and Laurent will still be at the height of their powers. Add to all that a sprinkling of stars bought in and then I will be expecting us to win things. Only a few short weeks ago we could have backed Arsenal to win the league at odds of 20 to 1. So if we were to eventually manage to come out on top, then – given those odds – that would be an incredible achievement.
We do incredible achievement though, don’t we?
17 years of Champions League qualification; one unbeaten season; the move to the finest stadium in the country – all incredible.
So let’s be excited. Let’s be hopeful
But let’s not be calling it a failure if we have to wait a little longer.
The same stupid people who see the last 8 years as a failure will roll out the same tired arguments as to why we have shown a lack of ambition. From what I can see, the crux of this argument seems to be that we should have spent more, sooner.
Clearly the plan Arsene and the Board have been following is not the same as that which these Einsteins would have dreamed up. Of course that plan would have been formed with little or no knowledge of the club or its goals or the financial realities.
A plan that would have been crudely fueled by dangerous levels of optimism. Still, I am sure they would have been right.
Eh? Really?
What are the chances?
So let us not make the same mistake.
Positively Arsenal 
Good morning GEORGE
good advice there. I Really think a corner has been turned and we have emerged from the eye of the storm. A long hopeful and at times heartbreaking journey it has been but at no time we abandoned our support for the teams and AW. We saw many change direction as in a weak tree in some wind. All the while we stayed as oaks behind the organization and did the only we could do and were asked. SUPPORT. Winning any competition might be this year or in the near future. One thing that will never change is our love and support for the organization and the teams assembled under the banner of ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB under the direction of the professor. Long Live both…….
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Oh ,and if hadn’t heard, Allen pardew is history….
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Madness George, sheer glue sniffing psychosis, get a grip man or else expect to be bundled into a black bin liner and deposited at the outskirts on the Islington
Win the TITLE you say ? When we did not pounce early and often to snap up top, top quality players like Negredo and Fernandinhinioniohiononiono ?
Win the TITLE when we failed to purchase a spare centre back of the incomparable footballing quality of Ashley Williams ?
Win the TITLE when we entered the season having let the opportunity to purchase a defensive midfield player such as ( insert any one of 100 names) ?
Win the TITLE relying on threadbare resources such as our present squad ?
Pah you have lost your mind man – to your general practitioner – pronto
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PG to his GP?
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PDQ
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OMG! PG to his GP PDQ? Who’ll steer PA?
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Can Arsenal win the PL? Of course they can but so can a few other teams, there are more teams in the PL that can not win it so being in the small group that can is a positive.
How can Arsenal win the league it’s simple really, there’s no great plan Arsenal need to beat the teams they should beat and get something out of the rest. Which teams should they beat is up for discussion but I look at in as teams outside the top six, the other five we are Man city, Man U, Chelsea, Spurs & L’poo.
The loss to villa at home meant that Arsenal had to beat Spurs to get back on track with this plan. The other problem is Arsenals thin squad, can we rely on three goalkeepers, four fullbacks, four cb’s(Sagna or Flamini as 4th), copious midfielders and Giroud. Injuries are going to play a big part in this seasons trophy challenges.
All Arsenal, Wenger and the players can do is what they are doing so far this season.
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Clearly a warning that PPPPP
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well noted steve i ( from yday) …
goonerkam October 1, 2013 at 8:25 am …ahahah
as for the league title……if the refs officiate properly and realise once and for all what a twat mourinho is and not help him or maybe due to brittish core we become the honey-bunnies of fa and media and they let us get on with our jobs in peace and quiet….
ideally i would like if were going to win it …to win it from like february/march….dont want it to be close with heavy fixtures come end of the season….as stress free as possible thank you….and focus on the big one
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@ArsenalAndrew at 8:48 am
If PG appeared on my doorstep I would run a mile….besides I’m not that type of doctor…..
PG
Great succinct piece.
Bob Wilson was interviewed on Radio 4 this morning. He thinks we can win the league. He reminded us of the quality we have currently injured…..Also, he describes Arsene as a quiet, humble man….which is how he appears to me….which leaves me stumped as to how certain infamous bloggers have described him as a ‘snob’, ‘autocrat’, ‘dictator’….
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Well while PG is getting sorted out it’s worth endorsing his point about the dangers of raised expectation. Optimism is a splendid quality of course but it’s the destructive characteristics of disappointment in the hands of the spoilt that is the problem. The shattering effect on player confidence of a failure to support in our own stadium is now well established. One can only hope the message has got through to those fans prone to flakiness …
And talking of heightened expectation, it’s interesting to see Manure’s new manager actively trying to reduce expectations down in Surrey. The red parts of twitter, etc, are exploding with anguish as a result. Painful stuff if you’ve been raised too long on an over-rich diet of the constant success that followed Ferguson’s successful dash to the top of the EPL all those years ago. Talk of spending £50 million in January is unlikely to reassure too many given the scale of the rebuild now required at Old Trafford.
To my untrained eye, Arsenal, Citeh and Spuds are now ahead of united. This suggests a slugfest for fourth between Brenda, Maureen (if he lasts that long) and Moyes. And THAT scenario assumes Southampton and the newly resurgent Everton fade away, neither of which are banker scenarios.
All in all, it has the makings of a very interesting season. How our own supporters handle it could have a very real impact on the eventual outcomes.
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Georgaki – I think most of us would run a mile.
And then some.
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I have done a rough calculation and the minimum point that should be reached by mid season if arsenal want to increase their chance of winning the league is 42. That is 2 victories against big 5 (chavs,pool,utd,spurs,city), 3 draws against black horses (WBA, swans, everton) , 11 victories against others, and 3 losses.
Well it’s rough but should give you the picture.
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Well said PG!
Can we win it? To paraphrase Obama, Yes We Can! Lol
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how certain infamous bloggers have described him as a ‘snob’, ‘autocrat’, ‘dictator’….
ha…ive read somehwere a great piece of how wenger has made amockery of those accusing him of not being able to adjust with modern football……. this is said for the manager who identified germany and spain as the next best things in terms of player/talent development and has got a core of german, brittish and spannish internationals on the cheap too …all nice guys..all thirsty for success … all technically sound and appreciative of the opportunities and conditions wenger provides them to exercise their profession.
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Didn’t Arsene say that the failure to take the title after falling away at the tail end of a genuine challenge in 2007/2008 had a depressing effect on the team the following season? Managing expectations is clearly part of the process. On the other hand if we’re still sitting top come February/March expectations there will be. I reckon it’s going to be a much tighter race all round this season though.
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This is what typically gets my goat. A post from another blog with a characteristically anti-Wenger slant:
“Am I alone in thinking Ozil would rather not be at Arsenal? I know it’s very early days but his body language is not encouraging. He seems rather disinterested. He’s certainly not gone out of 2nd gear in all his matches for the club.”
He did not hear Bob Wilson this morning the on Radio 4 who after visiting Colney said quite the opposite with words to the effect…”Mesut is a very shy boy. The shyest player I have met. But he is really loving being at Arsenal. He is so happy with the environment and his reception and his team mates”….
I remember similar comments to the negative numbskull’s above last season with regard to Steve Bould’s body language and how he probably doesn’t see ‘eye to eye’ with Wenger. And that debate developed and continues for how long? Idle minds….as the saying goes….
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Desperately seeking out the negative there Georgaki, don’t you think?
Can only stand back and admire their dedication to a lost cause; if only they could re-engage with the club in a sensible and more meaningful fashion.
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George, the answer is Yes.
Wenger said we would be challenging is ’14/15, but I guess he is as surprised as we are how well the team are gelling this season.
We are going to loose a few games in a row at some point (usually December) – it always happens, but this is the first Arsenal team in years that can fight back from that kind of situation – no Gallas melt down this time.
The interesting thing is that this season, and it’s early doors yet but the Spuds, Chavs, city, ‘Pool & even Everton (manure LoL) can knock points off each other. WE need to convert our away form into the same form at the Emirates.
This is where the supporters can help.
Only Mike Reily and leg breaking neadnerthals can stop us.
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lol gp …have a look at this from arseblog :
“but it’s 3 games without a goal for the Frenchman now. He played a lovely part in Ramsey’s second against Swansea, and his all-round play is much improved, but as the only real striker at the club there is a pressure on him to delivery more regularly than last season”
3 games without a goal you hear ?! …..nevermind he has been involved in practically every goal scored running and winning the ball/headers/setting others up/ defending etc…lets maintain pressure on him to score ( because we dont have others to score form midfield, do we?) ….
its funny cause just last night arseblog’s tactic columnist wrote how arsenal’s 4-1-4-1 essentially allows for the 4 midfielders behind giroud to all get involved with scoring or setting up goals…..
and today the chief blogger thinks its necessary to target girouds lack of scoring
i wonder if these blogging people have a clue on what kind of football their team plays…..
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Let’s wait & see but enjoy the ride,it would be especially lovely for the likes of Sagna & TR7, but I don’t expect it this season,the next 2 seasons after this one it could be very do-able!
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perhaps thats why playing ramsey on the wings seemed so incomprehensible to fans….they dont know what our football is about or what wenger’s ideas on football positions and roles are…
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George
It is a truth universally acknowledged that you need to have a turnover equivalent to Saudi Arabia’s to win the Premier League.
The Penny pinching old French scrooge just doesn’t cut the mustard, and his hand picked lacky Ivan is hopelessly out of his depth. Or so I’ve read on a blog somewhere.
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I’d be quite pleased with a win against Napoli to be honest – best team we have come up against this season – plenty of tricks in their basket – a stage for two of the best sides in Europe to tango
And no booing of Higuain ffs – pathetic
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And no booing of Higuain ffs – pathetic
at least its a step in the right direction …lol…much preferable than having our fans booing our own players
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Arsenal Andrew
I listed to the Everton -Newcastle game on the radio.
Moyes has finally achieved is desire to see Everton become a better team than Yawnited.
I think no United midfielder would get into the Everton team at the minute.
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Going to be an awesome game.
It’s difficult to think about titles in May when there is such a big game tonight. Win and they go three points clear in the group. No pressure then. Come on Arsenal!
–
Could be an interesting selection. Rosicky if he is fit playing at RM could have some interesting advantages, Giroud to gobble up some of those right footed crosses.
Serge to carry on? That’d be nice. However, I am a little upset with that stubborn old Wenger for not playing Ryo…What is he doing!
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I had to listed to one doomer in our supporters club state – with absolute certainty – that the only two Arsenal players good enough to get into a United team were Santi and Kos, and it was only a matter of time before Wenger sold them.
This was during the Ems Cup, mind, but really, what an utter spanner.
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Hunter @ 9:29am
Spot on, mate.
Arsenal must be the most marketable team out there at the moment.
Tom Fox & Charles Allen are beginning to rev up through the gears on this aspect of the Club’s revenue generation.
Fancy a Gatorade anyone?
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George
Didn’t you know Arsenal drew too many games in 03/04?
some people, eh?
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yep dc thats my wish…let us get on with our jobs in peace and quiet…and the results will surely come
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Goal posts being shifted again:
Apparently Olympique Marseilles are the make weights in the group.
Beating them in the Stade Velodrome doesn’t really count as a good performance.
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PG – You stole my thunder and did a better job? For the past two days I wrote something stupid along the lines of “when are we going to think and act like a team that can win the title?
Thanks for trying to provide an answer. Wenger in the Daily Mail piece said it would be “stupid” to not think we have a chance. Yesterday he advised that we must be ambitious yet humble. Somewhere there is a message
I understand well how optimism is organically linked to that destructive the twin named disappointment. AA speaks of the dangers of raised expectation especially in the hands of the spoilt.
But when will the Emirates become a fortress of support dragging the team over the line in the pitched battles to come with some of the great teams around us?
It is an interesting problem. Until then let us take one game at a time starting with Napoli today.
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“at least its a step in the right direction …lol…much preferable than having our fans booing our own players”
Good point H13 – plenty of noise tonight please
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I know you dont like being praised for every post George, but this is a great one. I think it is perfect in suggesting how to treat our season so far. Let us build towards the title game by game.
Exciting but tough match today!
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heh.
In other news Ryan Shawcross and the Stoke owner (think of the dude from The Mummy) have been upset with Rugby FC players complaining about Tony Poolis’ confusion between the two different games of Association Football and the game that was invented for those who were too fat, slow and rubbish to play football: Rugby.
Tony’s vision of “Sky Football” was not appreciated by all of his players, it seems.
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will try anicoll5 lol! although the people around me are all pensioners or of the quiet “lets sit and enjoy the football game” variety……. it sucks really…..i cannot sit down in a football ground yet if i dont i bother others view….you cant smoke…you cant do anything….the only positives i get is the chance to see wenger’s arsenal live and not on tv….everything else about the stadium experience is a bit of a disneyland for my liking…i prefer a bit of spice and war-like atmoshpere…spliffs, flags, flares. choereos, chants….that sort of thing… i mean if youre just there to sit and watch you might as well watch it home its much better with the hd and the replays etc…but if youre going then surely youre going to sing yoru lungs out for 90 mins or else whats the point of going anyway?…..
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@hunter13 at 11:56 am
Rather like watching Panathinaikos? Anyway, you should give up smoking it’s not very good for you…..Arsene disapproves as well…..
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Hunter, now I want to go to a game with you. Hopefully one day.
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Georgaki-pyrovolitis October 1, 2013 at 12:01 pm
hehehe ….cant beat them for atmosphere im afraid..or support…..constant 90 mins chaos in the stands….even at basketball..
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i think somewhere in the middle would be great for all…..weve all seen what the dortmund fans get up to in their home games…..
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Sensational Arsenal October 1, 2013 at 12:02 pm
yes but not in england…too much police, cameras, stewards, horses and ….families…. lol…..big brother watching over you in every step…
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I blame Wenger.
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Those comments from Kenwyne Jones about “Sky Football” reminded me of the old Cloughie classic:
“If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he’d have put grass up there.”
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hey PG
It’s too early to talk about winning the league of course. But that does not take away from my delight at witnessing a run of wonderful form and all the positive changes that have taken place, from players coming good, defensive solidity to the priceless team spirit.
The certain knowledge that there will be dark days, or that we may end up winning nothing does nothing to dim the unalloyed pleasure I feel at this moment. I might be dead next week. I’m not going to rein in my joy now.
@ Georgaki-pyrovolitis October 1, 2013 at 9:59 am
I just wish people wouldn’t take everything he says as gospel, or founded on information. That’s the problem, that he’s so influential.
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Everton could be the surprise package of the season, especially if they don’t have European commitments to stretch their squad. (I don’t know whether they do or not.)
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Looking at 17 Years of Wenger on arsenal.com, this is interesting:
“..the side have scored at the same rate per game (2.16 at Emirates, 2.16 at Highbury) *and conceded fewer (0.77 at Emirates, 0.82 at Highbury) since the move.*..”
Overall, the numbers are compelling – he is our most successful manager by far.
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Some interesting stats on Arsenal.com. A sound rebuttal to many of Arsene’s detractors…
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@FunGunner at 12:44 pm
So you knew who I was referring to?
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