The College Dropout

Also, i've yet to see any pundits give credit to Arsene for sticking by Ramsey.

Brighton didn't win any league games after falling behind. Defensive as fook.

Always hated Poyet anyway. I look forward to hating him some more

Defending what? All I've seen is some countering the idea floated that it means we have 'No Interest Whatsoever In Winning Cups'. Call it what you want, it's the same people instantly taking an opposing view to anything negative said about the regime and their puppet. "The thread title is a bit misleading isn't it? The haven't said they have NO interest, just that they don't really have much of an interest, or something. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE. They're just being honest!" Yep

IMO you need a regular goalscorer to win the league unless your defence is water tight. I've said this a few times. Arsenal had 4 players score 10 league goals or more last season, more than any team in PL history. Walcott, Podolski & Cazorla (and now Ramsey) can be relied upon to share some goals for a few games. Injuries will of course play a factor. If they can keep all 4 forward type players fit, they should be okay for goals. But you would like another out and out forward as an option no doubt. I think it's more of an issue at the back. Sagna's been okay there I suppose but that can't be a serious option. They need to sell Vermaelen and bring in a better back-up CB. Can see Arsene winning the league this year, calling it a day at Arsenal, flip the finger to the media, then manage France or someone.

Exactly. 9th or 13th is not a big deal to fans

As a club, we are about Europe and *trying* to win cup competitions. Prior to Ashley we often got into Europe and were in a few Finals, semi-finals, QF's the prior 8 years. We looked to really give it a go in Europe and the FA Cup. Mike Ashley doesn't get or understand the clubs ambitions. Or he simply doesn't want to meet it. I really wish we had a Geordie in charge or someone that cares. Say what you like about that fat fool Freddy Shephard - but he had ambition for us.

He's not under direct instruction. But if your boss doesn't care about something and rather focus on an incremental increase elsewhere, you will do the same. If my boss doesn't care about something, I don't care about it.

It's a disgusting attitude. Disgusting lack of ambition. Maybe if we can stumble to a QF Pardew will realise he has a chance to make history and focus on a cup. IMO the very definition of a midtable side should be looking to cup runs. 5-6 points can take you from 9th to 14th in the league, such small margins. I understand the money from 9th-14th is significant but I wouldn't want my job depending on such a thing. I'd take lower midtable finishes and real cup attempts over finishing 8th and rolling over to Brighton again.

IMO get over the Arsenal hump this year/qualify for the Champions League. Then next year I can see a real title challenge and maybe winning it. Chelsea/City/Arsenal finished 2nd/2nd/3rd I believe before they won the PL for the first time.

The inferiority complex runs right through the heart of the club. The players, foreign or not can feel it. The Arsenal also have a superiority complex. It's like us and a trophy. We as a club make it much harder than we should to win trophies. That monkey is on our back for real.

Do you think players like Lloris, Lamela, Eriksen, Soldado, Paulinho, etc, give two f***s about the other three having more title experience? Most of their players have competed for titles already, as has Villas Boas. If they're good enough and adapt to the league they'll go close to the title imo, don't think mentality will have a baring. Sorry, this is a bigger stage. Lamela and Erikson are kids. Anita's done everything Erikson has (less caps though) and he would find it difficult in a title run-up. Soldado's not scored from open play yet and hasn't won very much in his career as the main man. Lloris aye, strikes me as a leader. I don't see Spurs winning the league at all. Like the previous 2 seasons they'll tie-up near the finishing line but the difference will be they'll finish in the top 4 most likely. When things get difficult (in atitle challenge) you need goal scorers and people that have been there and done that. Spurs as a club haven't done that. They haven't even gotten over the Arsenal hump yet. I still maintain that Spurs will never finish above Arsenal as long as Wenger is manager. As a club, they get too nervous when they get close to achieving it. They've had the better side on paper for at least 2 seasons now.

How many goals have Spurs scored from open play? A handful. As things get more difficult in March/April/May teams need fire power. The team that scores the most goals in the league win the PL more often than the strongest defence.

Agreed. I reckon Arsenal and Chelsea have an advantage over the rest with their managers experience. City too as most of their players have won the league too. AVB takes the Europa League seriously too which would be a factor. If Arsenal can sign another striker or maybe another CB, they'll come very close to winning it or actually win it. I think Arsene has a huge advantage over everybody else. His team is settled and he's only adding in pockets of class.

I thought we beat Man Utd. after 12 games.

Mainly because the knacker job in charge changed the formation when he did so. Marveaux should've replaced him. Pardew has it in his head that we are more solid when we go 4-4-2. While that was true in the 5th place season for the first 12 games or so. Ever since it's been awful when we play it, we create nothing and concede goals a plenty. We played 4-4-2 when we beat Chelsea. @Mole Atm we play Sissoko Anita Cabaye We should play. Anita Sissoko Cabaye

The Villa result was a very good surprise. Made up for the Wham draw. Put us back on a good par. But this result is a knacker. Now we've only got 1 win at home against some teams we should really look to beating. A team that has to rely on its away form.. will get relegated. Not saying we will but you can rely on home form.

We don't play on the front foot enough to have an attacking RB with HBA loosely infront.

Flamini is very limited and nowhere near as good as Arteta. Sorry but that's a ridiculous post iyam. Flamini fits better into the holding role than Arteta ever did. Different way of playing the holding role..... that's like saying De Jong is better than De Rossi. Just because Arteta isn't flying around like a bull in a china shop doesn't mean what he does isn't effective. I wonder how Arsenal managed to have the 2nd best defence in the league last year and the most points of anyone in 2013 with Arteta, Mertesacker and Koscielny as their defence to midfield triangle Because the way some are talking on here you would think they are crap. The last time Arsenal really challenged for the league they had Flamini in the side. They've been solid without Arteta at the start of the season. They were never top of the league with Arteta so you can bend stats how you like. I don't care what anyone says, Arsenal needed a player like Flamini. He'll keep his place when Arteta is 100% fit.

I never thought Simpson was as bad as others used to make out.

Because we don't have those types? Anita sitting. Sissoko B2B, Cabaye passing and making sum runs

He doesn't even look particularly impressive going forward. I'd rather he stayed at home unless we where chasing a game.

They've been good without him. Flamini is an upgrade imo. I don't rate him highly. Flamini's a better stop gap. Arteta was always a stop-gap signing anyway.

A manager with a clue. Hmmm. They seem to be hard to come by. He's bought a sack load of players with seemingly no first team in mind. He played cameron Jerome on the left of a front 3 on the weekend. He's bought 3-4 wide forward and he's played Jerome there instead. Bought 14 players but no CB's. They play with little tempo or pressing.

A manager with a clue.