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Would you sign for 4th now?

Would you sign for 4th now?

  • Yes

    Votes: 38 46.9%
  • No

    Votes: 43 53.1%

  • Total voters
    81

AbouCuéllar

Author of A-M essays 📚
Of course you take it now.

Just like last season a lot of us would have taken a 5th place finish from the start of the season. Context matters.

We bottled 4th, it was in our hands and we let it slip for a variety of reasons.

Just because you would've taken 5th at the start doesn't mean you can't be critical with our inability to hold on to that UCL spot when the wind was blowing our way.

The squad looks a bit paper thin in a couple of spots, mainly wings and DCM. If you address those, well... the title could be up for grabs if City's form somehow falls of a cliff.

Second sure looks doable now.

This is the kind of situation our business model should revolve around, keeping a competitive enough squad that we can pounce if we feel Liverpool, City, Chelsea or even United are caught transitioning their squads.
Well said.

Chances to compete for a title revolve around Pep leaving City. Which will happen at some point. Probably relatively soon. Even at the end of this year is something of a possibility.
 

El Duderino

That's, like, your opinion, man.
Moderator
Well said.

Chances to compete for a title revolve around Pep leaving City. Which will happen at some point. Probably relatively soon. Even at the end of this year is something of a possibility.

Think it was @Rex Bezos that said it takes too much money to keep a title winning squad (among other intangibles), having a good squad to challenge the three top spots on the regular is key.

Saliba, Saka, Xhaka's current form, Jesus. This squad needs a big january and I really hope the club sees it and is willing to go the extra mile.

Renew the first two and suddenly you can go all out in the summer to add that Alisson/Van Djik kind of squad piece that elevates it to title contenders.
 

14Henry

Looking for receipts 👀
Think it was @Rex Bezos that said it takes too much money to keep a title winning squad (among other intangibles), having a good squad to challenge the three top spots on the regular is key.

Saliba, Saka, Xhaka's current form, Jesus. This squad needs a big january and I really hope the club sees it and is willing to go the extra mile.

Renew the first two and suddenly you can go all out in the summer to add that Alisson/Van Djik kind of squad piece that elevates it to title contenders.
Thats it. Finish in the top 4. Resign all our quality players who are a big part of the first team and next summer go for a top CM and forward player. Can fill out any other positions after.
 

SA Gunner

Hates Tierney And Wants Him Sold Immediately
Moderator

Country: South Africa

Player:Nketiah
@SA Gunner The only reason you consider sacking Mikel is if the team bottle it again towards the end of the season.

You’d be able to argue that he’s just leaning on getting better players every year but fails to give that extra 10% that you want from a manager when his players really need it. Even then it would just be a cause of concern rather than a reason to sack, the club are all in on him and I think all they want is that CL revenue, for now.

I think it’d be a worry if we were to finish behind one of United/Sp**s/Chelsea considering the advantages we have in terms of stability and how many years and £ into the process we are.

Actually quite the opposite. For me, league position finish, even outside of the top four isnt as important to me. I am constantly looking at this team and how its evolving.

I think for me a decision around how we manage the fitness of TP5 carries greater weight for example. Its absolutely clear that we need more security in that position ASAP. Not addressing that shortfall and not addressing to properly, as soon as possible, is more of a reason for me to get rid of Arteta, than say having a situation like last season v Sp**s and CL qualification.

I want to see progression in our team management, in our team play and its development. Because that speaks to the longer term.
 

Nunowoolmez

Established Member
I think the main thing is keeping the squad fit. I mean we have literally 2 strikers, 1 of whom is still largely unproven.

We are thin on the wings. We are really asking a lot of young players like Marquinos & Sambi, who we need to hit the ground running tbh.

Another long Partey absence or bad injury to Jesus would be a really big problem.
 

Taneruit

Established Member

Country: Switzerland

Player:Zinchenko
@SA Gunner The only reason you consider sacking Mikel is if the team bottle it again towards the end of the season.

Mentioned this in my post, but bottling Top 4 from this position and how stable we currently look (People will point out Partey, but fact is he was already missing and it only cost us against United at Old Trafford. Villa, Zürich, Brentford we've beaten easily without really changing our football) is an immediate sack.

Yes, it's early, but again it never happened (AFAIK). Most sides go on to win the league.
 

AbouCuéllar

Author of A-M essays 📚
Think it was @Rex Bezos that said it takes too much money to keep a title winning squad (among other intangibles), having a good squad to challenge the three top spots on the regular is key.

Saliba, Saka, Xhaka's current form, Jesus. This squad needs a big january and I really hope the club sees it and is willing to go the extra mile.

Renew the first two and suddenly you can go all out in the summer to add that Alisson/Van Djik kind of squad piece that elevates it to title contenders.

Yeah, agreed, minus the January part, in January I would go for Danilo and that’s it. Unrealistic to expect much more, no?

I don’t think winning premier league titles consistently is really a realistic goal with City’s financial power. Establish ourselves as a constant CL qualifier, occasional title challenge when City has a transition season (even after Pep I’m pretty confident they are going to sign a quality manager as a replacement), and above all try to improve our results in Europe, and bring a tournament certainly we can win the whole thing like Liverpool did. Arteta with his tactical ability is a good fit to get results in Europe, I feel, and through this we can really increase our reputation in Europe, something we didn’t really manage under Wenger (not sure people in the isles quite grasp this point).
 

db10_therza

🎵 Edu getting rickrolled 🎵
Trusted ⭐

Country: Bangladesh

Player:Martinelli
I wouldn’t…

1) We did the whole flatter to deceive only to crash at the end last season. I don’t want a repeat…

2) Coming 2nd vs 4th might not have material commercial benefits. But it has a huge impact on the psychology/mentality of the players. It will give them the belief that a few more additions and we can win the damn thing. This is incredibly important.

3) Arguments like “we’d take it at the start of the season” just don’t make sense to me. The whole value of getting more data points is that you can refine your predictions. Just like how say some of the more evangelical arteta inners have a go at the outers for not being more positive about him as our football takes a turn for the better, you also can’t sit there with your old predictions and expectations as our results turn upwards. The goal posts are moving. Deal with it!

FYI - this is not to say I’ll be calling for Arteta’s head if we don’t finish 2nd. I’m just saying we can get 2nd and I won’t be “happy” with 4th given our start vs our competitors.
 

lamby22

It's Not Lupus

Country: Scotland
No. This is the first time in however many years where I think we can do better than 4th. It does depend on injuries but I think we'll be 3rd at worst. And I'm usually a glass half empty person.
 

grange

Losing my brain cells 🥸

Country: USA

Player:Havertz
I would take 4th right now, yes. I would be disappointed a little bit, sure, but this stupid World Cup has a chance to throw some wrenches into the mix beyond our control.
 

Trilly

Hates A-M, Saka, Arteta and You
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
Actually quite the opposite. For me, league position finish, even outside of the top four isnt as important to me. I am constantly looking at this team and how its evolving.

I think for me a decision around how we manage the fitness of TP5 carries greater weight for example. Its absolutely clear that we need more security in that position ASAP. Not addressing that shortfall and not addressing to properly, as soon as possible, is more of a reason for me to get rid of Arteta, than say having a situation like last season v Sp**s and CL qualification.

I want to see progression in our team management, in our team play and its development. Because that speaks to the longer term.
Is there anyone with the power to sack Arteta that can see past league finish and highlight stuff like the bolded though? I don’t think so and that’s why I feel like he’s going to be here until he decides not to be.
 

OnlyOne

‘Donkeys don’t have a peak, they remain useless’
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
Why would you sack Arteta if Partey gets injured?
 
D

Deleted member 102404

Guest
Yes, because keeping this squad together is vital and if we don't get top 4 this year, we're not going to be able to keep hold of many players.
This squad needs to be stabilised and added to for subsequent years to give us a realistic shot at the title and CL.
 

14Henry

Looking for receipts 👀
Is there anyone with the power to sack Arteta that can see past league finish and highlight stuff like the bolded though? I don’t think so and that’s why I feel like he’s going to be here until he decides not to be.
Well let's see what happens in January. Its definitely an area that needs strengthened ASAP. But the injuries to Elneny and Partey left it last minute in summer. Douglas Luiz maybe would have been the answer short term but not for 30m or whatever. And not long term.

If we are, which I assume we will be, in the top 4 when the window re opens we must sign a couple of players. Similar to what Sp**s did last season. Kulusevski and Bentacur we the reason they got 4th. Had they not made those signings it's unlikely they would have had enough.

We 100% need to strengthen from a position of strength in Jan.
 

Trilly

Hates A-M, Saka, Arteta and You
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
This is the kind of situation our business model should revolve around, keeping a competitive enough squad that we can pounce if we feel Liverpool, City, Chelsea or even United are caught transitioning their squads.
I like the sound of this tbh.

With Pep (and Haaland) around I’m not sure there’s any point of trying to invest our way to 1st place but with good planning, decent investment/selling and a great manager we should be aiming to be a perennial top four team.
 

GDeep™

League is very weak
No. I think 2nd or 3rd is possible and that would be a good achievement for Arteta and his boys.

Aim for the moon as they say.
 

AbouCuéllar

Author of A-M essays 📚
I'd take 4th with a fa cup/europa league.
Buah that would be a dream. Winning a European competition would be massive for this club, especially doing it without needing it to qualify for CL.

Think it’s worth pointing out that if you compare our results to corresponding fixtures last seasons we’ve changed around the Palace and Brentford ones. So that’s 6 pts. But perhaps not as much as our 21/24 pace suggests.

Again, CL qualification is a major success this season with our squad level. The rest is just aesthetics and narratives that come from the order of events.
 

Gooner Zig

AM's Resident Accountant
Trusted ⭐

Country: Canada
It's easy to get carried away when we are playing the way we are: it really is title winning form. However, it's a *loooooooooooooong* season which is made even more complex due to the timing of the WC. If we're still within touching distance of City by the end of October then I think we can readjust expectations.

Right now I would take 4th.
 

Anders Harbo

Angry Scandinavian #6
What kind of poll is this. It epitomizes perfectly how stuck Arsenal supporters are in the past and don't dare to believe in the present. City is out of reach, but we are clearly the second best team in England.
 
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