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

[GG8]

Reducing a conversation on depth to simply counting the numbers of defenders is pedantic, misses the point and is useless.

The key questions when talking about depth is does the squad have the level of quality in starters and backups to achieve the goals the club wants to achieve that year and as bingo points out what is the spread of the depth because just looking at "defenders" is too broad to really give an accurate indication and can be quite misleading.

thehulk is arguing a strawman for the most part because just about everyone was specifically saying in the summer we lacked depth at CB. No one said we lacked depth at FB.

The difference between Zouma and Chambers last summer was that Zouma was a proven quality at CB. With Chambers we had no idea what position Wenger even intended him for. I posted the quote from Wenger when we signed Chambers with Wenger basically saying he envisioned Chambers as a DM. It sounded like Wenger, in the summer, thought Chambers might be this year what Coquelin turned out to be.

Going with a 20 year old who has started over 50 games at CB and was generally considered one of the best young CB prospects in the world as your 3rd CB is much safer than going into the season with no established 3rd choice CB and hoping for either one of your fullbacks covering or converting a 19 year old RB who you envision as a DM into a CB.

I didn't just reduce it to numbers though, what I meant was OUR opnion of the players suitability at playing different roles is really a factor, it's wether Arsène feels they can do it. Bingo said Monreal was the worst defender at the club last year, this year he has been one of our best and has played at both LB and CB. Arsène see what we don't, he didn't just miscount his squad or say **** it I'll take a gamble on just 2 players for CB. He knew what he had available and felt it was adequate.

As we have seen in his time here, he has no issue with moving players around the field when required.

Chelsea play a RB at LB, play a CB in midfield at times. Liverpool play a midfielder in a back 3, Utd have played midfielders in back 5's and back 4's. You can't have 22 top class players and two for each position, it isn't maintainable. Otherwise you end up like City and have Sagna on the bench earning £100k+ a week and not getting a look in.

We were a CB light starting the season, I would agree to this, but having seen AW play all three of CC, NM and MD in there I can see why he felt we had adequate cover.

I would say Chelsea went into the season being one FB light. If the injuries were on the other foot, if they lost Azpi for the entire season and his ability to play on either flank, they would have had 2 FB's and no cover. That's hardly a sign of depth is it?

 

[chessygoal]

We only need 1 point to secure St. Totteringham's day tomorrow.

Haha you were right!
HAPPY ST TOTTERINGHAM'S DAY!

 

[Gooner416]

@jury will not like to see that lol

Neither would @GDeep

 

[Pies]

Predicted 5th before the season, ended up in 3rd, so have to doff my hat to Arsène and the boys yet again.

My main gripe before the season was the Arteta/Flamini duo for midfield, so Coquelin was pretty much a new signing midway through the season. Although it was a big surprise to see him performing at such a high level.

Also was nervous of our CB situation and we added Gabriel, although he really only made a handful of appearances and has work to do, he has added some depth to our squad.

Attack pretty much ended up like I thought. Giroud did ok, Alexis was impressive, still need another player to get us goals going forward. We'll see.

Thought Man Utd would be closer to the top, not win it but thought they would be much better off this season. Van Gaal wasn't just a magic potion for them and their troubles still existed even with him at the helm. Also think it shows even a LVG takes some time to adapt in this league (even in a low season).

Also thought Liverpool would be much higher up the table. The Suarez loss took any chance of them finishing as high as they did last season, but still expected them to be better. A bit silly looking back at it, but Sturridge missing so much and missing not only the goals Suarez provided, but also his boost to the rest of the players. Rodgers also made some poor tactical decisions.

So, happy to be proved wrong by Wenger and co. yet again. To my credit I think if we didn't have Coquelin (playing at the level he did as well) we probably would have struggled for top 4. But...end of the day we finished 3rd. Still some way off the top, but we played some great football at times and had a great stretch this 2nd half. That of the season really hurt us, but hopefully we can finally put together a complete season. We've seen too many good and average stretches over the last years. Good in the beginning or poor at the end or vice-versa. Need to put an entire season together. That will be the challenge next season.

Have a strong squad but still in need of those few good signings.

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

You expected Arsenal to finish fifth? Haven't you watched us for the last 20 years or so?

Liverpool losing Suarez and Van Gaal taking over a broken Man Utd would always ensure us finishing in the top four imo.

 

[Pies]

Of course now everyone was always sure Man Utd and Liverpool would struggle.

First time I ever predicted us to finish outside top 4.

As I said our hole in midfield was a major worry for me and was saved by a Coquelin which no one predicted. Arteta/Flamini for an entire season and I would probably predict 5th again at the least another top 4 fight.

But as I said, I doff my hat to Arsène and co. Happy to have him prove me wrong.

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

@Pies

Haha, I know I sound like Captain Hindsight, but I was more worried the season before. Agree with you re. Coq, Flamini would have gotten a lot more games if it wasn't for him, and that might have been a big difference.

 

[dka1]

Of course now everyone was always sure Man Utd and Liverpool would struggle.

First time I ever predicted us to finish outside top 4.

As I said our hole in midfield was a major worry for me and was saved by a Coquelin which no one predicted. Arteta/Flamini for an entire season and I would probably predict 5th again at the least another top 4 fight.

But as I said, I doff my hat to Arsène and co. Happy to have him prove me wrong.

Yes thats a good point, though if Im honest I was confident we would finish in the top 4 although come January or so I was extremely worried, as the competition was tight and I thought Sp*ds and Loserpool would pose more of a threat...ha funny thing hindsight is.

I also don't want to sound negative and Wenger has done well in regards to organising us against the big teams but.......he got f*cking lucky with Coquelin, because if not for the injuries and him being called back Im not sure if we would've pulled through as easily.

That is a lesson I hope he learns from, and he understands we can't play around with not making signings and expect to just "make it".

 

[Pies]

@Pies

Haha, I know I sound like Captain Hindsight, but I was more worried the season before. Agree with you re. Coq, Flamini would have gotten a lot more games if it wasn't for him, and that might have been a big difference.

Ha I wasn't really referring to you to anyway, just with some people.

 

[albakos]

@Pies are you Michael Owen in disguise
Joking.

That dork along with plenty of other media whackjobs will always predict THIS is the season Arsenal will crash out of top 4. I was never worried about Top 4 this season.
The one when we narrowly got through was when I feared most is 2012/13 season, when JVP left to United and Bale was in phenomenal form for Sp*rs.

 

[BobP]

After the 11/12 season, I knew we'd never finish outside of the top 4 under Wenger.

 

[Gooner Zig]

Watch Owen tip us to finish outside the top 4 again...I hope he does to be fair, whatever he says, the opposite tends to happen.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

We should know by now that a bunch of apparent experts will always call us to finish 5th or 6th (as we forever "need a new spine"), with Liverpool fighting for the title.

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

Michael Owen should be shot. Wonder if he still thinks that Sterling is better than Özil and 'probably' better than Welbeck. ****ing clown.