Ryan, I can't reply to your messages or so it seems. And I don't always want to be starting another thread here 🥲 substack and their issues...
I'm sorry about your brother. I also get what you mean. It took me serious work not to get to that level. These days I detach so much from a lot of things just so I can stay sane. The heart of humans is desperately wicked and full of evil.
context - if pool actually keeps tha up and ends with 33 wins and a couple of draws that means they would get 100+ points. I doubt that they make it but consider we would manage to win all our 25 remaining games and lose out to pool 101 to 100. would be terrible, but can‘t do more than that really.
The good thing is, we seem to be firing again. It's just so annoying that the one chance we should be top we are faltering again and having to play catch up. Let's see how it goes anyway
Every time I look at the EPL table something immediately brings back to my mind the acts of robbery committed against Arsenal at Emirates against Brighton any at Etihad against City. It's mainly because of the rot in the PGMOL that Arsenal are not at the top of the table.
I said it here before, that in the EPL losing 4 points at this early stage is enough to cost one the title. Today here we are, 9 points behind leaders Liverpool! What happened in those games partly impacted negatively on the team's mentality. Thank God Arsenal are on their way back to where they should be, but will they have the sustained consistency they need to win the title? We wait to see.
I know Amorim and Maresca are enjoying honeymoon with Liverpool and Chelsea respectively, and the honeymoon time will soon be over then we shall know what stuff they're made of. Will Arsenal still be standing strong by the time things will be shaking for Liverpool? I really hope so.
In addition, and importantly, I pray Arsenal have suffered enough from the misfortunes of PGMOL that has befallen them thus far.
it‘s not just honeymoon. matter of fact is pool has a very hard schedule starting now until the end of the season - they basically play everyone away from home except us from the top 10. we shall see how they cope
It is a struggle and we will need to be perfect to win this league. That is the only way we can do it. Win every game. Get atleast 95 points and I have no doubt we will win it. The margin of error is 23 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss.
If Liverpool some how fall off that form and have 3 or 4 defeats, and a few draws, then we can manage with 2 losses, and 2 draws on 90 points. That is where we stand. At best we can only drop points in 4 games the rest of the season.
true, still think 90 or 91 will do it but the margin of error as you correctly pointed out is somewhere between 3 or 4 games (4 draws and 21 wins would bring us to 92 - in this case it could probably be enough to win 20 and draw 5)
keep your calm guys. just checked - we were 8 points up in february 2022 agaunst city and lost out finally in gw 34 or 35 - we basically lost the league in 14 games
we still have 25 to go - sure, we will likely need something like 21/22 wins and probably win at anfield (definetly not lose) but considering pool had until now basically everything working in their favour it is likely they will drop like we did in 2022 and only manage to win 7/8 points from 21 or the like (in any 7 game span)
not necessarily. I just wanted to point out that being in this spot does not automatically mean you are going to win it. we actually had the same stat after 13 games that year (11w,1d,1l). after 20 we had 16-2-2 (meaning still winning 5 of 7). we were still 8 points clear in april (city had a game in hand) after 29 games, having 23-3-3.
why did we break in that season? likely pressure because city managed to win anytime we won. that‘s why we need to keep it up and then the question marks arise in march/april with some smaller injuries, contracts etc
that‘s a bit unfair on holding. sure bill‘s injury did not help our case but putting everything on holding is too easy I think
however - you basically made my point. we had this one big injury to one of our star players and collapsed. who could it be for liverpool? salah for sure, vvd isn‘t in his best form ever but he‘s the glue for their defence. gravenberch played nearly every minute so he‘s centeal to their game I guess
You are actually right. I guess my view of that loss is centred on the premise that Arteta didn't really try anything other than just put 'not fit for purpose ' Holding. That after having not played him the whole season. IDK what he was expecting would happen.
That is a lie though. They had a game in hand. We don't have that game in hand. All this Arsenal were ahead 8 is bullshit without that game in hand context.
nope, actually we were 5 points ahead with a game in hand (we drew that game so actually we were 6 points ahead after 21 games played by both). but what I tried to point out is - we played 13 games. the title is not won or lost after 13 games. it isn‘t after 21, 25 or 30. everything is possible - sure, if pool manages to keep winning 11 games out of 13 they would end up getting to 100 points and would be winning the title. but I guess they will have some kind blip in the season that will end up costing them about 10-12 points. I guess 90 should be enough again, still think it could actually be less this year
If Arne Slot wins Premier League (really hope not) in his first season, that would really poke holes in every theory about Arteta being Generational. Slot havent even spent any money and yet he has made this Liverpool club contenders right away. No 36 phases or finishing 8 two years in the row. I Think Arteta has done a Good job but this season have to end in either PL or CL win.
You are right that Slot pickled a better team but at the same time you have pointet out the disarray their team are in. 3 World class players out of contracts and that they would not put in 100% cause they want the last Big paycheck at another club. Even Yesterday you mentioned premier league throwing a curvball and City winning. As I Said I have grown lo love Arteta but there has to come time when we have to win the league.
Benjamin, Slot has picked up a team that has won the Premier League and the Champions League. He has one of the best wingers in the world, one of the best centre backs, he has a world cup winner in midfield... and all the luck is going with him.
He is not doing the same job at Liverpool as Arteta did at Arsenal.
Not to mention, if we hadn't been objectively robbed by shocking refereeing decisions early in the season (decisions that have not gone against them), we'd be much closer into this race than we are.
That’s not what you were saying last two seasons, Pedro.
Pool were in a need of a rebuild, Klopp was being found out, their director of football quit because he saw the writing on the wall , all of that and more.
Klopp did get found out last season and he quit football. Liverpool are in need of a rebuild that'll be forced on them. But didn't have a perfect start on my bingo card.
Writing is on the wall - unless you think they have solutions for Salah, VVD, and Trent.
City are cooked( didn’t see that one coming), so it’s between us and Pool.
Where I disagree is they haven’t been lucky, they’ve just taken advantage of easier schedule and were able to ride out some injuries ( Jota , Alisson, and few others) better than expected.
Also, don’t believe anyone in a contract year will do anything other than go for broke and o their best.
Slot has been given the keys to the bank with that squad there sis a massive difference taking over a side with 3-4 world class players and another 15 or so full internationals and a great bunch of kids to what Mikel got,
Kolasinac, mustafi, sokratis, bellerin at the back is a bit different to Trent VVD konate Robertson
Torriera ceballos xhaka
Vs
McAllister gravenberch szoboslai
Auba lacca and Pepe Vs
Salah Jota luiz gakpo Darwin
Do not compare as the squads are light years ahead of ours when the managers took over
Will be an absolute disaster city collapsing and Liverpool winning the league. We just have to win it this year. I won’t be able to take it. We need these fcukers to start dropping points soon.
don‘t think so. it is fair to say that slot inherited a great squad - ageing, but great. pool were betting favs and top of the table in april last year. what he did is really good, don‘t get me wrong but he was really lucky with his first 10 games regarding opponents and have managed to play us and city in our worst phases. will be interesting to see as pointed out multiple times how they handle one or two bad ref decisions, one or two injuries to key players, stop managing to play against ‚better‘ opponents in their biggedt crisis regarding form and/or injuries …
brighton home - terrible ref decision to send off rice
city away - terrible ref decision to send off leo AND give 8 minutes of added time in a half that had the longest game time until then
bmouth away - correct decision however NEVER has a VAR before or after acted like against us in this game
we still could and likely should have won all those games as we had the golden chances to go 1:0 up (bmouth) or 2:1 (brighton) and shouldn‘t have switched off against city in the 98th minute
but our problem is obviously not our summer transfer window - we were never able to find an adequate back up to ode and anything else was surplus
our problem is a combination of terrible refs, inability to backup our most important offensive player in odegaard (and therefore overrelying in scoring the one chance we were able to create regularly as mentioned above) and being unlucky (we regularly concede from the opponents 1st/2nd shot on goal with xGs mostly under 0.3). if forest and west ham is an indication we will still have problem 1 (refs) and 3 (conceding from nothing) but due to problem 2 (ode backup) is hopefully solved by him being a available more or less always we mostly manage to score more goals to be able to concede a goal or two without losing/drawing
except you mean summer transfer window ref shopping like getting them in MLS for free lancing to ensure better outcome in the EPL - yeah, we should have done that :)
Well, he’s already won a trophy, but I’m guessing you only count premier league trophies.
It’s such an asinine and childish comment to say Arteta should be sacked this year if he can’t win it all when everyone can see we are one of the top two teams in the league.
Arsenal is a very stable atm. We have incredible young talent, none of which are leaving and are winning our recruiting battles. Yet you think none of that will change and all we need to do to make a very difficult jump from second to first is get rid of the guy that brought us here.
It will be sad if Liverpool wins the league this year and I don't think they will. "We" read Pedro et al have been waiting for this moment when Man City will collapse, now we are here Liverpool is trying to take our moment. 😀
This should be the year Arteta will prove to be truly "generational".
We have to be perfect and also win at Anfield now. There is no other way. They will have a bad phase but we have to be close enough to cause damage by then.
I don't know, you know. Our margin of error is very thin. But they have the most difficult away games left for the second half of the season. Added to that, there is the pressure of leading the league. We just need the first doubt to creep in, and for them to drop the first points before us. If say we are 3 points closer by december, then I can see us pressuring them to submission. If not it will be difficult.
And I said that Chelsea game was a must win. And people said 9 or 7 there wasn't much difference. And I said that we lost the league that day. I still stand by that. 7 points difference was much more easier. 2 draws and you are firmly back in it. This is 3 defeats and us winning 3 more than them. Can't see it. But all we can do is keep pressing by winning every game. There is still 75 points left to play for.
Ryan, I can't reply to your messages or so it seems. And I don't always want to be starting another thread here 🥲 substack and their issues...
I'm sorry about your brother. I also get what you mean. It took me serious work not to get to that level. These days I detach so much from a lot of things just so I can stay sane. The heart of humans is desperately wicked and full of evil.
If we hadn’t bottled the lead at home to pool the gap would be 5 right now… 🥲
Look a draw would’ve definitely been better for us but watching 115 cheaty, ciro’s darlings, death spiral is a beautiful sight
Stay humble eh
So why you on a football blog?
What's generational in waiting for a team to collapse before you can win? Said team then collapses and it seems you can't even take advantage...
context - if pool actually keeps tha up and ends with 33 wins and a couple of draws that means they would get 100+ points. I doubt that they make it but consider we would manage to win all our 25 remaining games and lose out to pool 101 to 100. would be terrible, but can‘t do more than that really.
let‘s wait and see how they cope the next weeks
We’re not winning all 25 or our remaining games so that’s a total non-starter
The good thing is, we seem to be firing again. It's just so annoying that the one chance we should be top we are faltering again and having to play catch up. Let's see how it goes anyway
we seem to be finding our scoring boots the last 3 games. lets hope that continues.
Every time I look at the EPL table something immediately brings back to my mind the acts of robbery committed against Arsenal at Emirates against Brighton any at Etihad against City. It's mainly because of the rot in the PGMOL that Arsenal are not at the top of the table.
I said it here before, that in the EPL losing 4 points at this early stage is enough to cost one the title. Today here we are, 9 points behind leaders Liverpool! What happened in those games partly impacted negatively on the team's mentality. Thank God Arsenal are on their way back to where they should be, but will they have the sustained consistency they need to win the title? We wait to see.
I know Amorim and Maresca are enjoying honeymoon with Liverpool and Chelsea respectively, and the honeymoon time will soon be over then we shall know what stuff they're made of. Will Arsenal still be standing strong by the time things will be shaking for Liverpool? I really hope so.
In addition, and importantly, I pray Arsenal have suffered enough from the misfortunes of PGMOL that has befallen them thus far.
I guess you mean Slot and not Amorim
it‘s not just honeymoon. matter of fact is pool has a very hard schedule starting now until the end of the season - they basically play everyone away from home except us from the top 10. we shall see how they cope
Slot, yeah
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/dec/01/prison-didnt-touch-the-sides-tony-adams-on-addiction-losing-the-man-who-saved-him-and-helping-others
A fascinating read about our legendary captain Tony Adams on how he defeated his demons and what he did to be still around.
What a legend!!!
75 points to play for.
It is a struggle and we will need to be perfect to win this league. That is the only way we can do it. Win every game. Get atleast 95 points and I have no doubt we will win it. The margin of error is 23 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss.
If Liverpool some how fall off that form and have 3 or 4 defeats, and a few draws, then we can manage with 2 losses, and 2 draws on 90 points. That is where we stand. At best we can only drop points in 4 games the rest of the season.
true, still think 90 or 91 will do it but the margin of error as you correctly pointed out is somewhere between 3 or 4 games (4 draws and 21 wins would bring us to 92 - in this case it could probably be enough to win 20 and draw 5)
keep your calm guys. just checked - we were 8 points up in february 2022 agaunst city and lost out finally in gw 34 or 35 - we basically lost the league in 14 games
we still have 25 to go - sure, we will likely need something like 21/22 wins and probably win at anfield (definetly not lose) but considering pool had until now basically everything working in their favour it is likely they will drop like we did in 2022 and only manage to win 7/8 points from 21 or the like (in any 7 game span)
So if we blew an 8 point lead, does that mean that Liverpool Will too?
not necessarily. I just wanted to point out that being in this spot does not automatically mean you are going to win it. we actually had the same stat after 13 games that year (11w,1d,1l). after 20 we had 16-2-2 (meaning still winning 5 of 7). we were still 8 points clear in april (city had a game in hand) after 29 games, having 23-3-3.
why did we break in that season? likely pressure because city managed to win anytime we won. that‘s why we need to keep it up and then the question marks arise in march/april with some smaller injuries, contracts etc
We broke because Saliba got injured and Arteta played Holding till we lost the advantage
that‘s a bit unfair on holding. sure bill‘s injury did not help our case but putting everything on holding is too easy I think
however - you basically made my point. we had this one big injury to one of our star players and collapsed. who could it be for liverpool? salah for sure, vvd isn‘t in his best form ever but he‘s the glue for their defence. gravenberch played nearly every minute so he‘s centeal to their game I guess
You are actually right. I guess my view of that loss is centred on the premise that Arteta didn't really try anything other than just put 'not fit for purpose ' Holding. That after having not played him the whole season. IDK what he was expecting would happen.
That is a lie though. They had a game in hand. We don't have that game in hand. All this Arsenal were ahead 8 is bullshit without that game in hand context.
nope, actually we were 5 points ahead with a game in hand (we drew that game so actually we were 6 points ahead after 21 games played by both). but what I tried to point out is - we played 13 games. the title is not won or lost after 13 games. it isn‘t after 21, 25 or 30. everything is possible - sure, if pool manages to keep winning 11 games out of 13 they would end up getting to 100 points and would be winning the title. but I guess they will have some kind blip in the season that will end up costing them about 10-12 points. I guess 90 should be enough again, still think it could actually be less this year
If Arne Slot wins Premier League (really hope not) in his first season, that would really poke holes in every theory about Arteta being Generational. Slot havent even spent any money and yet he has made this Liverpool club contenders right away. No 36 phases or finishing 8 two years in the row. I Think Arteta has done a Good job but this season have to end in either PL or CL win.
You are right that Slot pickled a better team but at the same time you have pointet out the disarray their team are in. 3 World class players out of contracts and that they would not put in 100% cause they want the last Big paycheck at another club. Even Yesterday you mentioned premier league throwing a curvball and City winning. As I Said I have grown lo love Arteta but there has to come time when we have to win the league.
13 games in mate, give it time
I will, but Liverpool have to be taken seriosly now.
Benjamin, Slot has picked up a team that has won the Premier League and the Champions League. He has one of the best wingers in the world, one of the best centre backs, he has a world cup winner in midfield... and all the luck is going with him.
He is not doing the same job at Liverpool as Arteta did at Arsenal.
Not to mention, if we hadn't been objectively robbed by shocking refereeing decisions early in the season (decisions that have not gone against them), we'd be much closer into this race than we are.
Slot didn’t pick up a team that has won CL and EPL, Pedro.
That team doesn’t exist anymore.
Alisson( injured most of the season), VVD, Robertson, TAA, and Salah, are the only starters left from that team.
Five years is a lifetime in football, and that’s how long ago that was.
6 of the 11 have won the EPL/prem, one a World Cup.
I'm just a blogger mate, I don't do the deals
That’s not what you were saying last two seasons, Pedro.
Pool were in a need of a rebuild, Klopp was being found out, their director of football quit because he saw the writing on the wall , all of that and more.
Klopp did get found out last season and he quit football. Liverpool are in need of a rebuild that'll be forced on them. But didn't have a perfect start on my bingo card.
Writing is on the wall - unless you think they have solutions for Salah, VVD, and Trent.
Klopp got found out , that was your take two seasons ago when they were decimated with injuries, not when he quit.
He quit because of a burn out not because rivals were into him.
Frankly, at the rpm’s he operates I was surprised he lasted that long.
Klopp, quit. Period. Regardless of Pedro's opinions.
He left an incredibly strong squad for his successor.
Do you want a ribbon for noticing?
ribbons are nice
What’s your opinion Tom. Are Liverpool winning it?
Too early to call it.
They will definitely drop points, but so will we.
City are cooked( didn’t see that one coming), so it’s between us and Pool.
Where I disagree is they haven’t been lucky, they’ve just taken advantage of easier schedule and were able to ride out some injuries ( Jota , Alisson, and few others) better than expected.
Also, don’t believe anyone in a contract year will do anything other than go for broke and o their best.
It’s there to lose.
theirs to lose
That's an easy take at this juncture.
Allison is out.
Mo is miffed.
VVD the only constant.
Leaving TAA as the Joker in this mix.
No kaos, means simplification.
Slot has had no hurdles.
Lets see how Arne handles his first setback.
Ok, that's a bit loose... but you favor Liverpool.
Slot has been given the keys to the bank with that squad there sis a massive difference taking over a side with 3-4 world class players and another 15 or so full internationals and a great bunch of kids to what Mikel got,
Kolasinac, mustafi, sokratis, bellerin at the back is a bit different to Trent VVD konate Robertson
Torriera ceballos xhaka
Vs
McAllister gravenberch szoboslai
Auba lacca and Pepe Vs
Salah Jota luiz gakpo Darwin
Do not compare as the squads are light years ahead of ours when the managers took over
Those players were mikels first team when he arrived
Now look at slots and tell me how's is better
Will be an absolute disaster city collapsing and Liverpool winning the league. We just have to win it this year. I won’t be able to take it. We need these fcukers to start dropping points soon.
don‘t think so. it is fair to say that slot inherited a great squad - ageing, but great. pool were betting favs and top of the table in april last year. what he did is really good, don‘t get me wrong but he was really lucky with his first 10 games regarding opponents and have managed to play us and city in our worst phases. will be interesting to see as pointed out multiple times how they handle one or two bad ref decisions, one or two injuries to key players, stop managing to play against ‚better‘ opponents in their biggedt crisis regarding form and/or injuries …
have you seen any games at all?
brighton home - terrible ref decision to send off rice
city away - terrible ref decision to send off leo AND give 8 minutes of added time in a half that had the longest game time until then
bmouth away - correct decision however NEVER has a VAR before or after acted like against us in this game
we still could and likely should have won all those games as we had the golden chances to go 1:0 up (bmouth) or 2:1 (brighton) and shouldn‘t have switched off against city in the 98th minute
but our problem is obviously not our summer transfer window - we were never able to find an adequate back up to ode and anything else was surplus
our problem is a combination of terrible refs, inability to backup our most important offensive player in odegaard (and therefore overrelying in scoring the one chance we were able to create regularly as mentioned above) and being unlucky (we regularly concede from the opponents 1st/2nd shot on goal with xGs mostly under 0.3). if forest and west ham is an indication we will still have problem 1 (refs) and 3 (conceding from nothing) but due to problem 2 (ode backup) is hopefully solved by him being a available more or less always we mostly manage to score more goals to be able to concede a goal or two without losing/drawing
except you mean summer transfer window ref shopping like getting them in MLS for free lancing to ensure better outcome in the EPL - yeah, we should have done that :)
Ciro, we haven't lost the title. Odd that you seem to be so keen for that to happen.
Would rather wait and see vs do victory laps on Dec 1st on an Arsenal blog
Well, he’s already won a trophy, but I’m guessing you only count premier league trophies.
It’s such an asinine and childish comment to say Arteta should be sacked this year if he can’t win it all when everyone can see we are one of the top two teams in the league.
Arsenal is a very stable atm. We have incredible young talent, none of which are leaving and are winning our recruiting battles. Yet you think none of that will change and all we need to do to make a very difficult jump from second to first is get rid of the guy that brought us here.
Got it.
It will be sad if Liverpool wins the league this year and I don't think they will. "We" read Pedro et al have been waiting for this moment when Man City will collapse, now we are here Liverpool is trying to take our moment. 😀
This should be the year Arteta will prove to be truly "generational".
Let's be patient.
We have 7 months to go until the end of the season.
Everything and anything can still happen between now and then.
This Foden fella won POTY last season. A joke for England and his level is so bad Pep had him benched for the first 2 months of the campaign.
Yeah Foden is utter garbage for England and has thankfully been replicating that form for city this season
Those red cards cost us a lot.
Exactly, and if we don't win the league that could be the reason.
Even if you just take the worst two... we'd be chasing 5 points instead of 9. Big difference.
Abdolutely
add to that the fact of soton not getting a clear penalty in the pool game - could actually be 2. not to mention our game against them …
We have to be perfect and also win at Anfield now. There is no other way. They will have a bad phase but we have to be close enough to cause damage by then.
We have to be perfect but they have a three games margin of error.
Who’s facing the more pressure under this scenario?
It’s us, not Liverpool
Then you have the momentum and the energy that comes from knowing you’re ahead.
I don't know, you know. Our margin of error is very thin. But they have the most difficult away games left for the second half of the season. Added to that, there is the pressure of leading the league. We just need the first doubt to creep in, and for them to drop the first points before us. If say we are 3 points closer by december, then I can see us pressuring them to submission. If not it will be difficult.
And I said that Chelsea game was a must win. And people said 9 or 7 there wasn't much difference. And I said that we lost the league that day. I still stand by that. 7 points difference was much more easier. 2 draws and you are firmly back in it. This is 3 defeats and us winning 3 more than them. Can't see it. But all we can do is keep pressing by winning every game. There is still 75 points left to play for.