16 games left

[JazzG]

Well the unthinkable has happened and we have fallen even further behind but are we really doing that bad after 22 games? I mean lets look at our past 3 seasons how many points we had after 22 games and how many we picked up in the last 16 games

03/04 - After 22 games - 52, After 38 - 90 (Points in last 16 games - 38 )
02/03 - After 22 games - 46, After 38 - 78 (Points in last 16 games - 32 )
01/02 - After 22 games - 41, After 38 - 87 (Points in last 16 games - 46 )

This shows we aren't really doing that bad in comparison to other years because we have 48 points now but with Chelsea flying it makes it look like we are doing badly but we aren't really.

In 01/02 in the last 16 games we picked up an incredible 46 points, I say incredible because in the last 16 games you can only pick up 48 points. I believe it is going to take another run very similar to that for us to retain the title but if anyone can do it, it is the Arsenal. We have to make sure we just keep winning and if we do drop points in a game or two, we can't drop them against Chelsea! They won't win all 16 games and I see them dropping points in at least 4 games but we have to make sure we are there to take advantage of it.

 

[Henry IV]

We're drawing too many matches at Highbury. West Brom and Southampton should never have left with a share of the spoils.

 

[Canuck]

Yes, we'll certainly rue those draws. But I like your attitude Jazz.
We can't whine too much about what has happened, we have to look forward to what could happen. Winning the League! Crappy to lose ground to Chelski today but things could be worse. I think that the team we have now can certainly challenge for the title, but after that I hope we see somed developements in the summer.

 

[_scorpion_]

Its just way too early to get nervous about the title....i wish people would see that but oh well......

We just have to get results in our own games...for instance, in previous years we have drawn at Bolton....this year we have to turn it around and win over there. Thats what it takes....same for when United visit us at Highbury, or when we play Chelsea at the bridge....we just have to force results in the games we are invloved in.....cant do more than that.

Until its numerically impossible I hope none of us give up.

 

[skart14]

Our next 5 games are tough...

Bolton v Arsenal
Arsenal v Newcastle
Arsenal v Man Utd
Aston Villa v Arsenal
Arsenal v Crystal Palace

Chelski has :

Tottenham v Chelsea
Chelsea v Portsmouth
Blackburn v Chelsea
Chelsea v Man City
Everton v Chelsea

also tough

They also play manure and arsenal within 4 days at one point...

We have a chance if we can get the results at home against totnumb and manure and chelski away..we can't drop points against the likes of palace and villa neither...

 

[_scorpion_]

Our next 5 games are tough...

Bolton v Arsenal
Arsenal v Newcastle
Arsenal v Man Utd
Aston Villa v Arsenal
Arsenal v Crystal Palace

Chelski has :

Tottenham v Chelsea
Chelsea v Portsmouth
Blackburn v Chelsea
Chelsea v Man City
Everton v Chelsea

also tough

They also play manure and arsenal within 4 days at one point...

We have a chance if we can get the results at home against totnumb and manure and chelski away..we can't drop points against the likes of palace and villa neither...

We just have to play without fear in the next 5 games....go for wins and nothing less......ill stick my neck out a little and say that if we win those 5 games and win in our FA cup matches, we will be leading or 1 game away from Chelsea.

 

[arnoldi]

We should not let that gap go to more than 7 points but 16 games is a long way to go . That makes beating Chelsea and Manure an absolute must .

I think we will bridge the gap when Chelsea start Conceding goals which seems to be an unsurmountable task

 

[Taozhe]

What JazzG say is true - we need to do the best we had done in our history's last 16 matches - claiming at least 46 out of 48 points. On top of that - Chelsea has to drop 7 points for us to DRAW LEVEL with them. They are in the driving seat now but let's hope the pressure's on them to lose it. Judging from Mourinho, who has a good track record as a manager and they have good squad depth.

By logic, it is almost impossible for us to win the league, and we are in danger of being overtaken by Manure for second place. Sol is going to be missing for some time, Vieira is playing horribly and Flamini is also injured. When these things happen, we can't hope for doing our best. I honestly felt we should snap out of cloud nine and expect too much from the team. I am content with second place to be honest, and I do not blame Wenger and team for underperforming, injuries and bad luck destroyed our team this year and we'll be hungry for success next season.

However, one man has disappointed me and that is patrick vieira. He has betrayed us season after season for his real madrid sagas and now he has given us poor performances, I actually thought Flamini played better than him. He has shown bits of improvement in the last few matches BUT he's only a shadow of his former self. Sorry Vieira, you had lost my respect for you. Either he's carrying a painful injury while playing or he's not committed at all. The game sums up everything.

 

[KoLo28]

Completely agree with what you say Jazz, top post.

 

[guoxian]

We just have to go on and beat the other teams facing us. That's what we gotta do.

 

[Anonymous]

we would now need to win a straight ten on the bounce...we wont do that unless the best eleven are fit and they arent and secondly Chelsea just do not let goals end so it seems they will not be losing or drawing too many

 

[Anonymous]

We will NOT win the league now, we havent been at our best since the match before man united at OT. Since then we have been nothing but scrappy with the odd spell of our old selves. We were devastatingly class the first 8 odd games since then we have been very average. We went through a bad patch that we havent really come out of, although we won a few in a row lately it has bene far from convincing and we have been struggling something chronic in the last 5 games just to get a chance at goal. That is soemthing that really needs looking at because we really havent been looking like scoring time after time like we used to. Chelsea wont drop points in 3 more games than us in the last 16 matches, they will run away with it rather embaressingly, and so they should with the amount they spent. We just havent look the business this year.

 

[singooner]

This shows we aren't really doing that bad in comparison to other years because we have 48 points now but with Chelsea flying it makes it look like we are doing badly but we aren't really.

Good point, and our 48 points is inspite of the injuries to many of our first 11. We may have to accept that this year is somewhat of a rebuilding year where we give an opportunity to the younger players to get experience and for the next season we'd have more experienced players that can be rotated when injuries occur. We were very fortunate in this regard last season and that's why many of the younger players didn't have as much opportunity to play.

Given the fact that we are the third richest club in the EPL, I wouldn't be too disappointed if we came in second. Although of course I would much prefer we were champs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Taozhe]

Third richest? Are you sure? ;D

Someone please put the facts straight.

 

[YAMAMAMAMEbergkamp]

very difficult mission....
The problem is that we really have to many injured players..... very bad
....I belive in this team but too many young lads cant make us win the title,
we need dennis, gilberto, sol and edu back soon..
We have to win next 6 games in row!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ratinho]

I think we might possibly generate the third highest income, but third richest??

Really??

 

[KingReyes]

In 01/02 in the last 16 games we picked up an incredible 46 points, I say incredible because in the last 16 games you can only pick up 48 points. I believe it is going to take another run very similar to that for us to retain the title but if anyone can do it, it is the Arsenal. We have to make sure we just keep winning and if we do drop points in a game or two, we can't drop them against Chelsea! They won't win all 16 games and I see them dropping points in at least 4 games but we have to make sure we are there to take advantage of it.

You're right its going to take a run like this one to catch Chelsea, I can't see Chelsea winning every game, whether they lose more than one is another thing. We just have to keep winning our games including the one at the bridge, and rely on other teams forcing Chelsea into dropping points. We could see ourselves supporting Man U when the two come up against each other. Still the main concern is whether we can go on a phenomenal run like in 2001/02.

 

[JazzG]

After what happened to Pires and what happened against Newcastle it galvanised the team. Ljungberg became a goal scoring machine and Bergkamp rolled back the years and him and Freddie formed some kind of telepathic understanding and they just kept pulling it out for us. Vieira also had an average first half of the season but then started performing, everything just clicked into place and no matter how good or bad we were, we just kept winning. If we were approaching the 80th min and we hadn't scored you still felt we would win, just one of those years but we have to pull out something similar now.

 

[Arnie]

drop any more points then it's as good as over. now it's not what we do but what chelsea do. hopefully Sp**s don't get robbed by the ref again when they play chelsea. Man you know we are desperate, i'm crying about Sp**s bein robbed.

 

[YAMAMAMAMEbergkamp]

We will done the job!