The race for... 4th - 2014/2015 edition: Page 17 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

The race for... 4th - 2014/2015 edition

Biggus

Rampage wrote:
Well it was a fun title challenge while it lasted boys.

😆

After a slight hiccup the race for the Prize is back on- Come on ye Gunners!

Klaus

qs! wrote:
Klaus wrote:
We have the 4th best squad, maybe the 3rd best starting eleven and by far the toughest fixture schedule of anyone in the top 6 except for Chelsea. It's a tough ask to finish higher than 4th considering how few points are left on the table.

If we win every single PL game we'll end up with 84 points. And anyone who thinks we'll win 14 straight games (which would be an all time league record), or anything even close to it, is an idiot. We're averaging 1.75 points per game. That puts us on course for 66 points.

You think? I reckon we've one of the easier run ins.

Our run-in is okay but we're still in Champions League and the FA Cup. Fixture congestion kills us every single season.

Claudius

If we can't do it, I really hope Southampton take our place in the top 4. Two of United/Spurs/Liverpool must enjoy trips to Željezničar and Maccabi Haifa with us next season.

Qwiss

Klaus wrote:
qs! wrote:
You think? I reckon we've one of the easier run ins.

Our run-in is okay but we're still in Champions League and the FA Cup. Fixture congestion kills us every single season.

Oh yeah the CL games are going to make it very tough. We may not have too many of them if we keep playing like we did today though.

Claudius

Monaco are a poor 5th in Ligue 1. I've literally only watched their European games this season. They are impotent going forward. As long as we don't have Szczesny doing an Almunia morris dancing impersonation, we will easily get past them. I'm more worried by Boro, to be honest.
That said, team is deep enough. We started without Chambers, Gibbs, Gabriel, Rosicky, Flamini, Arteta, Oxlade, Walcott and Sanchez amongst others. The team has the requisite depth if not the consistency.

Clrnc

Do people still think Southampton is a fraud?

lorddulaarsenal

I'm sure fraud has been committed there before

y va marquer

As races for top four go it's the best in years 🙂

Rex

Man City STILL hasn't won a PL game without Yaya since April. Hope he is fucked after the ACN...

Gazza M

Clrnc wrote:
Do people still think Southampton is a fraud?

not a fraud, but they don't score enough, and the squad is too thin. i think they'll struggle as the season winds down

ElGeniodeOviedo

Still like our chances looking at that table, figure Southampton and possibly United are more likely to lose out than us

Burnwinter

There's a decent chance we'll drag back a few points during the next few matches. If we're in third or fourth by three points at the end of March we'll be looking good.

Claudius

We haven't scored a second half goal in each of our last 4 games. It would be okay if we had the games done and dusted at half time, but other than Middlesborough that wasn't really the case. We managed to win 9 of 12 points in these games, but we were really under pressure for the Leicester and Palace games. What's happening that's stopping us from scoring in 2nd half? Do we go out with a second half plan to just hold what we have? Do we have the legs?

Patters

Heh. Wasn't that long ago we were slow starters and only turning up when we went behind or in the second half. Now we're getting the early goals and finishing games badly.

I don't think there's much to read into re. First half V Second half. When we're on the front foot we need to take advantage. But the big area we need to improve on is killing the game even if we can't score more. Once you're a couple of goals ahead, the game should be more stop-start and you shouldn't allow the opposition to gain any momentum even if we can't get anything going in attack. There's a cynical edge that we're missing, and we get punished for it against cuntier teams.

Biggus

Patters wrote:
Heh. Wasn't that long ago we were slow starters and only turning up when we went behind or in the second half.

That was only for early kick off's Pat.

Apparently.....

Rohit

Patters wrote:
Heh. Wasn't that long ago we were slow starters and only turning up when we went behind or in the second half. Now we're getting the early goals and finishing games badly.

I don't think there's much to read into re. First half V Second half. When we're on the front foot we need to take advantage. But the big area we need to improve on is killing the game even if we can't score more. Once you're a couple of goals ahead, the game should be more stop-start and you shouldn't allow the opposition to gain any momentum even if we can't get anything going in attack. There's a cynical edge that we're missing, and we get punished for it against cuntier teams.

I agree Patters. That cynical edge you speak of has cost us multiple points over the years.

Letting the opposition have possession is definitely a ploy but I think we need to find a balance. We are getting too sucked into this tactic. Also when you play away on the counter attack, it is imperative the side has more than just one ball winner in midfield. Cazorla isn't a ball winner.

lorddulaarsenal

If spurs don't beat west ham today then I'll feel so much more confident about top four. We'd be able to lose a game against Chelsea or away to united and it'd still be in our hands

Clrnc

Hoping for a West Ham and Southampton victory today. C'mon CNY gods.

ultimatewarrior

Rohit wrote:
Patters wrote:
Heh. Wasn't that long ago we were slow starters and only turning up when we went behind or in the second half. Now we're getting the early goals and finishing games badly.

I don't think there's much to read into re. First half V Second half. When we're on the front foot we need to take advantage. But the big area we need to improve on is killing the game even if we can't score more. Once you're a couple of goals ahead, the game should be more stop-start and you shouldn't allow the opposition to gain any momentum even if we can't get anything going in attack. There's a cynical edge that we're missing, and we get punished for it against cuntier teams.

I agree Patters. That cynical edge you speak of has cost us multiple points over the years.

Letting the opposition have possession is definitely a ploy but I think we need to find a balance. We are getting too sucked into this tactic. Also when you play away on the counter attack, it is imperative the side has more than just one ball winner in midfield. Cazorla isn't a ball winner.

Ramsey is the other ball winner.

That edge is a great goalkeeper under pressure and a great CF clinical up front. Rest of the team is good enough for the very top, assuming Coquelin continues well. The problem is there's no-one we can sign for the other two positions. Until we do, we may still struggle at key moments. That is what's holding us back.

Claudius

Every objective metric except the 7 point gap to a second placed City that had an awful Start to 2015.

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