21 Nov 2021 09:22:44
Liverpool are a great side, but West Ham beat them, Brighton dicked them off the pitch for 45 minutes
With the greatest respect I don't think their squads are any better than ours, so we should have done a lot better than what we did yesterday.

{Ed014's Note - totally agree Bill and we’d done well until the manager spat and that gee’d them and the crowd right up.

We were then on a huge uphill battle. Not Arteta’s finest 2 minutes but hopefully he and the team learn and their feet are firmly back on the ground.

I think this is also a time when we miss a true leader in the middle of the park. Aubamayang is just not captain material.

1.) 21 Nov 2021
21 Nov 2021 10:37:05
The invincibles were a great team but Portsmouth (home and away) Chalton Fulham Leicester Bolton Newcastle Birmingham even Spurs took points off of them and plus Middlesbrough Dynamo Kyiv Inter Chelsea and United all beat them that season in cup games.

Are we really saying if Birmingham and Bolton could get a point off the invincibles why didn't everyone else?

It's football and the reason we love the game is anyone can beat anyone else on the day but in reality it's where you end up over 38 games that shows how good you really were, it's why Arsenal were champions in 2003/ 4 despite those draws and why Leicester were relegated despite holding Arsenal to a draw.

2.) 21 Nov 2021
21 Nov 2021 11:20:37
Good points John mate.

3.) 21 Nov 2021
21 Nov 2021 11:49:59
Cheers Mark mate, I personally think the 8 game unbeaten run inflated people's idea of how much we'd improved and of course when reality hit home it naturally leavss people feeling flat.

As always it's not all about what happens to you that matters most, it's about how you respond to what's happened that counts most in the long run.

4th place is wide open and there are probably 5 to 7 sides who have the potential to claim it, we are one of those 5 to 7 sides and I don't think yesterday changed that much at all either way.

4.) 21 Nov 2021
21 Nov 2021 12:00:36
Agreed John

I’m still feeling pretty up beat, let’s go out and give a performance against Newcastle.

5.) 21 Nov 2021
21 Nov 2021 12:48:14
I think we are improving mate but I accept there are still some big questions to be asked of our team and manager between now and next May.

Our immediate challenge is to pip everyone else to 4th place first and foremost but I accept lots of other clubs fancy their chances of getting 4th too.

6.) 21 Nov 2021
21 Nov 2021 10:03:14
Defo Ed.
I wouldn't have started Auba yesterday. Gone 5 across midfield and Lacca on his own up front.

{Ed014's Note - agree Bill.

7.) 21 Nov 2021
21 Nov 2021 10:14:47
Firstly agree we should have done better Bill and Ed the spat did seem to gee them up . Arteta was wrong but at least the passion was there. It`s really tricky though to say they beat them we should beat them etc West Ham losing yesterday ( better team though ) Villa beating Brighton ( not the better team ) which as always leads me to believe City Pool and Chelsea are way ahead of the rest as their results are pretty consistent.

Top four is "up for grabs now " and will be resolved by how those challenging for it do against each other and those in lower half not by how they do against the top 3 which is a sad indictment of where we are and Spuds United and to a certain extent Leicester. West Ham are ecstatic at being top 4 and rightly enjoying the ride. Anyone who felt after our run we would walk top 4 is frankly potty and unrealistic as we are in transition and will be for a year or two.

Is Arteta the man to do this? I can see small green shoots and two good windows could make the difference. We hadn`t been underinvested before we had just spent poorly - Mustafi Pepe Xhaka £140 mill! So playing catch up and new signings seem to be doing okay so far and Ed002 on rumours showing how important January and June are with so many fringe/ loan players plus Laca becoming free agents- they have to be replaced .

Dare I say we missed Xhaka`s experience at least ( not worth £35mill) and certainly Sir Kieran which in hindsight was a poor choice leaving him out. Does Tavares get an assist for Jota`s goal? This young team will have days like yesterday against teams like Pool as long as we learn we move forward.

Bring on Newcastle! Conte for United anyone? Do agree with Sy by the way that PEA is not scaring defenders and against the best puts the back 6/ 7 under pressure but sure this is being addressed but will take time I guess - maybe I`m just too patient - my theme being it will take time - hope I`m right but as 74 says time will tell. Keeping the faith with rose tinted specs firmly on COYG.

{Ed014's Note - I think some forget how young our side is so when they say this team or that team beat them or got points, they are what you might call established sides.

We’re a side in the making, re the spat it was just a daft thing to do and likely resulted in more of a beating than I’d expected.

PEA is definitely a weakness for us and I won’t be to sad to see him leave when he does.

8.) 21 Nov 2021
21 Nov 2021 10:57:40
I totally agree Auba is no leader Ed014 mate, in fact he's actually a passenger.

I personally think a lot of people over valued our 8 game unbeaten run much as I personally did Emery's 10 game unbeaten run a couple years back when I chose to ignore the obvious weaknesses and concentrate only on the positive results.

During our this seasons 8 game run we stole a point from both Palace and and Brighton and of the 6 teams we beat 3 of those clubs have sacked their manager since we played them.

Personally I think the biggest reason people are upset about yesterday is because like me with Emery they allowed themselves to fall into the trap of believing what they wanted to be true rather than accepting everything might not be as it appeared on paper.

{Ed014's Note - it’s just daft to be upset mate, we’re no match for them it’s that simple and yes defo not fooled by any run.

Auba as I was just saying to Sussex is definitely a weakness for us, not just as our main striker but also as a poor choice for captain, a big minus for Arteta for me, making that decision.

9.) 21 Nov 2021
21 Nov 2021 18:47:11
I definitely agree Cumbria mate, time will tell as it always does.

The fact Ramsdale seems to be heading very quickly towards joining ERS Saka and Tierney as tried tested and really importantly a consistently high level performer is very encouraging.

10.) 22 Nov 2021
21 Nov 2021 17:54:12
Hi Ed014 I accept Mikel is going to be around for a while yet and while I hope he will come good my own personal feeling is he isn't going to be up to the difficult task of getting back where we want to be.

{Ed014's Note - I’m of the same opinion mate, he just does things that make me scratch my head, like keeping Xhaka, making Auba captain and making an outcast of Saliba.