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The Unpopular Opinion Thread

GDeep™

League is very weak
That’s what I mean... what else prevented us from totally dominating that period?
Chelsea and Utd kicked on with their spending while we started signing kids like Flamini, RvP. Vieira was coming to an end.

We made no top big money signings I think to improve the invincibles team, so how do you dominate? Chelsea were signing everybody and Utd were picking up major signings as they usually do.
 

Eaststander74

Jury Lite II
Chelsea and Utd kicked on with their spending while we started signing kids like Flamini, RvP. Vieira was coming to an end.

We made no top big money signings I think to improve the invincibles team, so how do you dominate? Chelsea were signing everybody and Utd were picking up major signings as they usually do.
To Wengers credit though, he kept us competitive. I’m not asking why we didn’t carry on winning stuff with the different teams he assembled, because as you say, Chelsea came along and it got harder to win –I’m asking why when we got ourselves into contention did we either blow it or just generally show a soft side. Even Leicester could tough out and win a title. That’s one third of what Wenger managed. How did they manage to maintain that sort of belief and consistency?
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
To Wengers credit though, he kept us competitive. I’m not asking why we didn’t carry on winning stuff with the different teams he assembled, because as you say, Chelsea came along and it got harder to win –I’m asking why when we got ourselves into contention did we either blow it or just generally show a soft side.

Arsenal at the Emirates just haven't been as good as the United/Chelsea/City/Liverpool teams that have all won league titles since 2006/2007, 2016 was a mark against Arsène though.

Through the bad financial agreement we made with the banks, plus a terrible owner who invests nothing into the club, we probably met the level of our squad all things considered...had a few good years at the Emirates, but at the end of the day, none of our teams since we moved have been league winning material imo.
 

Eaststander74

Jury Lite II
none of our teams since we moved have been league winning material imo.
They have been, though. They've proven that by being in contention late in the season more than a few times, but for some reason we've crumbled. Had Leicester not won the league and fell just short, you wouldn't have been able to say they weren't title winning material just because they fell at the last hurdle. You could say they may have lacked an important ingredient, which is what I'm getting at. How was Ranieri able to keep them going?
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
They have been, though. They've proven that by being in contention late in the season more than a few times, but for some reason we've crumbled. Had Leicester not won the league and fell just short, you wouldn't have been able to say they weren't title winning material just because they fell at the last hurdle. You could say they may have lacked an important ingredient, which is what I'm getting at. How was Ranieri able to keep them going?

That season is one of Arsène's worst failures, especially after the second half of 14-15 where we really looked to be creating a very good side, won the FA Cup and all we needed was a top striker and we would have been league winners that year...instead we signed no outfield players, didn't win the league and summer 2015 really started the downfall of the club.

Every year after we moved stadiums...
2007...United.
2008...United.
2009...United.
2010...Chelsea.
2011...United.
2012...City.
2013...United.
2014...City.
2015...Chelsea.
2017...Chelsea.
2018...City.

Bar 2016, where all the top teams where crap and we should have won it...do you think the Arsenal side in any of those years is genuinely better than the team that won the league.

1996-2006, is a better time to analyse or pros and cons...but post 2006, Arsène always had us finishing, where our team at the time should be finishing,
 
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Eaststander74

Jury Lite II
That season is one of Arsène's worst failures, especially after the second half of 14-15 where we really looked to be creating a very good side, won the FA Cup and all we needed was a top striker and we would have been league winners that year...instead we signed no outfield players, didn't win the league and summer 2015 really started the downfall of the club.

Every year after we moved stadiums...
2007...United.
2008...United.
2009...United.
2010...Chelsea.
2011...United.
2012...City.
2013...United.
2014...City.
2015...Chelsea.
2017...Chelsea.
2018...City.

Bar 2016, where all the top teams where crap and we should have won it...do you think the Arsenal side in any of those years is genuinely better than the team that won the league.

1996-2006, is a better time to analyse or pros and cons...but post 2006, Arsène always had us finishing, where our team at the time should be finishing,
It doesn't matter who anyone thinks has the better players. City have better players than Liverpool right now, but they aren't winning sh!t. You get to where you are in the league on merit, and if you look good enough and have enough points to be in contention then you can win. We looked the part many times but failed.
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
It doesn't matter who anyone thinks has the better players. City have better players than Liverpool right now, but they aren't winning sh!t. You get to where you are in the league on merit, and if you look good enough and have enough points to be in contention then you can win. We looked the part many times but failed.

Liverpool's level of players now, is pretty close to City's and Pool also have the best defence in the league, none of our Emirates era teams were that close to the league winners...maybe 2007/2008, but even then we were against arguably Fergie's best ever United team.
 

Marjorie

Thread Monopolizer
Liverpool's level of players now, is pretty close to City's and Pool also have the best defence in the league, none of our Emirates era teams were that close to the league winners...maybe 2007/2008, but even then we were against arguably Fergie's best ever United team.

Who would make your combined city and Liverpool team?
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
Who would make your combined city and Liverpool team?

Alisson
Trent-Virgil-Laporte-Robertson
Fernandinho
DeBruyne-Silva
Sterling-Aguero-Mane
...a few tough choices, but probably this...yours?
 

Marjorie

Thread Monopolizer
Alisson
Trent-Virgil-Laporte-Robertson
Fernandinho
DeBruyne-Silva
Sterling-Aguero-Mane
...a few tough choices, but probably this...yours?

Same back five but probably get fabinho, and maybe wijnaldum, in the midfield. Salah ahead of sterling, but the rest would stay the same.
 

roz

Fake News Merchant
Who would make your combined city and Liverpool team?
Alisson
Trent-Virgil-Laporte-Robertson
Fernandinho
DeBruyne-Silva
Sterling-Aguero-Mane
...a few tough choices, but probably this...yours?
How about invincibles v pretender invincibles?

Alisson
Lauren-Campbell-VVD-Cole
Gilberto-Viera
Salah Mane
Bergkamp
Henry


Breaks my heart leaving bobby out but that team would never get beaten. Ever.
 

GDeep™

League is very weak
How about invincibles v pretender invincibles?

Alisson
Lauren-Campbell-VVD-Cole
Gilberto-Viera
Salah Mane
Bergkamp
Henry


Breaks my heart leaving bobby out but that team would never get beaten. Ever.
Probably leave Bergkamp out for Pires. Think you edge Trent in over Lauren too.
 

yybecause

Formerly known as ArsenaLover
How about invincibles v pretender invincibles?

Alisson
Lauren-Campbell-VVD-Cole
Gilberto-Viera
Salah Mane
Bergkamp
Henry


Breaks my heart leaving bobby out but that team would never get beaten. Ever.
Lehmann that season is my pick over any other keeper
 
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roz

Fake News Merchant
Probably leave Bergkamp out for Pires. Think you edge Trent in over Lauren too.
Think Lauren would give that team an extra bit of steel. No one is getting past that backline. Pires and Bergkamp could alternate games.
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
Lehmann that season is my pick over any other keeper

Would also have Jens too, throwback to when footballers didn't have the personality of a robot...


...one of my fav saves.


...loved him :lol:
 

Eaststander74

Jury Lite II
People who complain that certain teams play "anti football" are knobheads. No such thing
Yeah it’s a bit of a nothing jibe tbh. I mean, how often do you see a team littered with talent just lumping it up the field? Teams generally get asked to play to their strengths by half decent managers. For example, if Stoke tried to play like Brazil they wouldn’t have spent so much time in the premiership. People may level the accusation at the Atletico Madrid, but they obviously do more than just play anti-football. They said the same about Chelsea under Mourinho but look how many goals they scored and teams they blew away.
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
Despite being a ****, Andy Gray is missed as a football commentator with Martin Tyler.


...would love this two though.
 
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