Premier league 2014-15: race for ???????

[redwhiteAustrian]

Race for the title, not a shadow of a doubt for me. You can't invest 50 Mill in summer, without aiming for the big one.

Given our fixture list, and the most important signing in Shad Forshyte, I'm pretty confident.

 

[Suave Gooner89]

Race for the title, not a shadow of a doubt for me. You can't invest 50 Mill in summer, without aiming for the big one.

Oh...?!

http://www.regista-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Andre-Villas-Boas-AVB-Tottenham-Hotspur-Sp**s-manager-500x375.jpg

 

[redwhiteAustrian]

However, there was a fair share of Spu*s fans who thought they'd be challenging for the title last season.

 

[Hunta]

Obviously the aim is to win the league but we're just not doing it with Arteta a starter, and Flamini as his replacement when he needs a rest isn't good enough.

To win the league we need at least two more players, we're getting one it looks like and it ain't a midfielder.

 

[FinnGooner]

As things stand, we have three center backs and Arteta as our starting DM. It's not pessimism to think we won't win the league, imo. I'd say anybody thinking we will win is an optimist.

We need two more signings, DM and CB. Then we are the outsiders looking in with a decent chance. Without those signings, it just won't happen. How many times have we lamented how the injuries have taken the title away from us in recent years? Some call it bad luck, I call it lack of depth and once again we're going into the season with serious problems in that regard.

 

[Iceman10]

If before this summer you thought there was perhaps too much to do in one window to be up there with City and Chelsea who have spent hundreds of millions of pounds more since 2008, and while of course supporting the team to win the PL this season but mentally prepared to be happy with top 3 as a step up, further building next summer to be true contenders with more serious expectations for 2015/16 you would be ok, and that would be realism.

The title this season would be nice but top 3 would still represent progress, particularly when we have to finish ahead of two of City, Chelsea, United, and Liverpool. Could be wrong but finishing ahead of Liverpool shouldn't be a problem but United likely have some mega signings over the next few weeks because they are the one club in an even stronger position than us within the framework of FFP and to add to that they won't have to concern themselves with Europe this season, giving them the same advantage as Liverpool last season. Nevertheless I still have confidence of finishing ahead of United, their squad before this summer had a lot of room for improvement.

We've only just started having summers where we are not losing key players and are adding real undisputed quality.

Regardless, will be a bit pi**ed if we don't end up bringing in the CDM we've had expectations of pretty much all summer.

 

[celestis]

We have a big chance this year , need a bit of luck though .

 

[Jasard]

Obviously the aim is to win the league but we're just not doing it with Arteta a starter, and Flamini as his replacement when he needs a rest isn't good enough.

To win the league we need at least two more players, we're getting one it looks like and it ain't a midfielder.

Certainly agree we can massively improve upon Arteta and Flamini - but we can win the league with them. Liverpool nearly did with an awful defense. Though I guess the quality of our rivals has stepped up this year

 

[TheLoneFalcon]

Obviously the aim is to win the league but we're just not doing it with Arteta a starter, and Flamini as his replacement when he needs a rest isn't good enough.

To win the league we need at least two more players, we're getting one it looks like and it ain't a midfielder.

Certainly agree we can massively improve upon Arteta and Flamini - but we can win the league with them. Liverpool nearly did with an awful defense. Though I guess the quality of our rivals has stepped up this year

Difference is they had two strikers in god mode. DM has to be sorted, it's non-negotiable.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

The way I look at this City's first 11 hasn't exactly been improved greatly since last year, Pelligrini would argue as defending champions they wouldn't need to. Chelsea have added Cesc which is a good signing, however we all know they lacked firepower, I'm not sure Costa will be enough for them to go to "not much goal threat" (in comparison to Liverpool/City) to "champions". Liverpool, Suarez is a ridiculous loss, almost definitely ruling them out of the title race. Then I look at us, we have improved, we've signed Alexis Sanchez who's a proven world class forward and we've also got a slightly more competent right back from an attacking standpoint. While add to the fact we still expect some of our players to improve,added to that the winning mentality and the genuine togetherness among the squad I'd say we're definitely in a lot better condition going into this season than last season.

Going into the opening day last year we had Wilshere and Ramsey as our deep midfield partnership with Rosicky still our number choice as a number 10 and Giroud + Walcott the only real goal threat we had. Now we go in confident that we've got a settled back 4/5, Ramsey in fine form going into the season whereas last year there was still tiny question marks now he's gone up several levels. Alexis, Joel, Walcott, Giroud and possibly an improved Sanogo as goalscoring options with Özil coming into his second season and expected improvements from Jack and Ox. Add at the very least a TV replacement and we've got at least 2 players for every position.

I also don't really fear City that much and think Chelsea due to the Mourinho factor will be our, yes OUR, main title challengers this year. Mainly due to the Mourinho factor.

However forget all the talking, we'll quickly see going into the first few games of the season what we're like..... because no one can ever truly predict what's going to happen and there's a lot of factors that cannot be determined based upon going through a list of expected starting 11's for each team. I'll just say this we're extraordinarily talented and I don't think there's any team who's lightyears ahead of us.... which is a far-cry from where most of our fans thought we were at after the Villa defeat this time last year.

 

[alboots101]

The race for forty points....to start with.

 

[FinnGooner]

Our best XI is certainly able to challenge even the best of teams. However, our DM and ST options are Everton/Sp**s quality. In addition to that, we are way behind City and Chelsea in terms of depth. We can win the title but it would mean basically injury free season, our young players fulfilling their potential (Ox, Jack, Sanogo, Campbell) and, last but not least, much better results from the games against the top teams. The last requires, besides the things mentioned before, also players turning up and wiser tactical approach by Wenger.

That's awful lot of question marks, ifs and buts.

 

[Jasard]

Race to fifth according to Phil McNulty

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28742392" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28742392</a>

So thats that decided, time to change the thread title!

 

[BobP]

He doesn't even give a proper reason for the 5th placed prediction.

 

[SiMamu]

Race to fifth according to Phil McNulty

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28742392" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28742392</a>" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So thats that decided, time to change the thread title!

They say that every year and every year Wenger proves them wrong. I don't know why they still bother, aren't they bored of being wrong? Top four is the Wenger guarantee.

 

[amirkat]

Predicted Top 3 and an FA Cup win last season after the Özil signing. Didn't think we'd be as close to the title as we were though.

The squad still needs refining to win the PL/CL IMO, and competition has got stronger this season, so I'll go with 3rd and the Cup double. We have the talent and squad to achieve that as of right now. To actually win the Big Two, DM/CB/CF need to be improved.

 

[GDeep™]

As things stand with our squad and team make up, I would say we look good for top 3 and a push in cup competitions.

Lacking a good CB, DM and CF signing for me to put us above City and Chelsea in the title reckoning.

 

[Bigbludfire]

McNulty said that last year too. Him and Adrian Durham were probably touched by a "Gooner" as a child :roll:

 

[Inthe blood]

Double, double, double...

 

[Anzac]

<a class="postlink" href="http://eplindex.com/57367/201415-premier-league-season-preview-arsenal.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://eplindex.com/57367/201415-premie ... senal.html</a>