11 games to go in the EPL. 7 very winnable games in amongst a couple of hard ones.

So what do people consider an appropriate return, that would suggest we are improving?

Hi gooner,

Totally agree with this. Tentative is the perfect word. Our central midfield never get any goals, they rarely shoot and when they do it is usually into Row Z. How many killer passes do they ever hit? Their passing is mostly short and sideways and slows the play right down.

I realise that goalscoring central midfielders are a scarce commodity but if they don't contribute at all it outs a huge burden on our attacking players to get goals.

People tell me that Xhaka has improved under Arteta, well maybe he has but it is from a low base and he is still not mobile enough for a club with aspirations to be a force again. Torreira is tenacious but seemingly too small and lightweight for the PL. Guendouzi has ability and potential but is very one paced, takes the easy option far too often and has very little defensive awareness. Willock has a great engine and is very box-to-box which allows him to get into goalscoring positions but needs to work on his passing and decision-making.

All-in-all, our central midfield lacks creativity, goals, pace and power.

The real problem is Özil, though. Having a luxury no 10 (who doesn't produce goals and assists and too often passes sideways) puts the other two midfielders and by extension the defense under pressure.

That sounds terrible! At least (judging from your reporting) John's virtue remains intact.

did he really say that? Gawd!

I don’t see seven as particularly easy to win. My prediction is five wins, two draws and four defeats, as follows:

West Ham H - 3 points
Brighton A - 3 points
Southampton A - 1 point
Norwich H - 3 points
Wolverhampton A - 0 points
Manchester City A - 0 points
Leicester H - 1 point
Tottenham A - 0 points
Liverpool H - 0 points
Aston Villa A - 3 points
Watford H -3 points

Whether seventeen points from eleven games represents an appropriate return is debatable. Also, my predictions won’t all be right. But I don’t see Southampton away and Leicester home as very winnable if they are part of your seven.

Given what we’ve seen so far this season I’d say that is pretty accurate prediction.
Optimistic would say win v Leicester, win v saints, draws away to wolves and spurs
Pessimistic would say draw away to Brighton, draw away to villa and drop a silly draw at home to either West Ham, watford or Norwich

I've got no confidence of us winning a game home or away, how many points we will get in the run-in is anybody's guess.

I don't think we are good enough to put a big run together and goodness knows what will happen if Aubameyang gets injured or his goals dry up.

I'd be inclined to give the kids some games in the run-in but I guess that while there is still a chance of top four we can't afford to do that. Plus not finishing in a Europa spot would cost us millions as well, however much we deride the tournament.

The club feels broken and I think many fans do to.

It's early days in Arteta's reign but already I am seeing things that just unnerve me a little bit, some of his team selections and especially his substitutions have been questionable (the choices and timing).

Does Bellerin really deserve to start ahead of AMN, I think that one crucial goal apart he's been pretty awful and looks either unfit or has lost some pace after his injury (hopefully the former). Not that AMN is in any way a great RB.

Does Özil really deserve to start given his lack of goals and assists and the fact that he tends to occupy the same space as Pépé.

Let's get real, Arteta may have been a great coach at City but how many great coaches have made great managers? It's a whole different ball game, excuse the pun.

Despite my unease I won't begin to really judge him until I see what he does in the summer and in the 1st half of next season. By then we should get a feel for his managerial capabilities.

I think you’re optimistic and pessimistic viewpoints make sense. But another thing that has to be remembered is that on paper our easiest games are against West Ham, Brighton, Norwich, Aston Villa and Watford.

But they’re all likely to be fighting relegation (unless Villa and Watford have gone before we play them). So as an overall group, why they represent some of the worst teams in the league (I would add Bournemouth to that list but we don’t have to play them again), they’re probably not going to roll over and let us beat them.

I think on Arteta he’s in for a bit of a hiding. He’s doing a good job but the only way we get out of the mess we are in is through business not coaching. We have far too many average players on big deals we can’t shift. I just think it’s a very average looking team right now. Arteta kind of needs the help of the board and owner to restructure,

On Bellerin I’d say I don’t think both he and Holding have looked right since they came back from their cruciate injuries.Neither looks mobile at all. We need a new right back so we can rotate a bit and provide competition.

Right now it just feels like we are so adrift and our decline is obvious.

Palace with a good away win. For those Londoners who were around in the '70s, and had some knowledge of Palace, it's been said today's opposition, Brighton and Hove were their biggest rivals in the mid 70s in the lower divisions. I wonder if they still are seen as a rival? Despite not being a local derby.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/arsenal-po ... 06462.html
Arsenal posts loss as Champions League absence felt

Darn it, just switched to the Chelsea match and they scored. Hoping Bournemouth comes back.

If we're going to do anything in the league then the next few games are critical, especially considering the other fixtures. Going to be lots of dropped points, we have to take advantage.
No game for us this week but it is,
Everton v Man U
Spurs v Wolves
a pair of draws would be nice

March 7
Arsenal v West Ham
Chelsea v Everton
Man U v City
Burnley v Spurs

March 14
Brighton v Arsenal
Spurs v Man U

March 21
Southampton v Arsenal
Chelsea v Man City
Man U v Sheff utd

Who is Liverpool playing? haha

The AG lucky charm continues for Bournemouth Good equalizer.

Except that is a fairly ridiculous view to hold given the winner of the Europa League qualifies or the CL so it is patently higher than the League Cup.

Looking at Liverpool and seeing what they do with the ball in the same area we have it in the oppositions third with generally players dispersed approximately in the same areas, they don't make more than 3 or 4 passes sideways before they try to get into the box or take a shot from distance.

C'mon Watford, keep tit 0-0 for the half.

I'm watching an NBC SN advert on the EPL and they show clips over the years and the then 16 year old Wayne Rooney's winner against us. I've been a fan long enough to now to have watched players from their earliest days through the end of their careers. Only the American sports afforded me that.

Rooney was destined to be a great player but I wonder how it would have worked out if he hadn't had made that goal. I still remember it very well. Still hurts to see it.

I can't bare to watch the Watford v Liverpool game. I'm so nervous.

Come to think of it, Wenger is probably as nervous as I am. It's his marquee accomplishment as well.

Every time I change the channel because I can't bare to watch, Watford scores.

90th minute, 3-0 up, 4 minutes stoppage and I'm still nervous.

I will toot my own horn. I did say if Liverpool lost it would be a lower half of the table side away from home where they over look and would be a 0-0 game where they get scored on later in the game and get countered.

If I were Klopp, I'd tell them they are fantastic. That for them to go this long without a loss or a draw is more than he or they could have ever imagined. To keep their heads up held up high. That he is not angry or upset. In fact, the loss should liberate them.

And the LFC away fans should applaud them off the pitch. Not for the loss but how much they have achieved.

Watford were singing "Can we play you every week"...haha...cheeky b@stards. Wenger and the invincible squad are having a sigh of relief right now. Fabregas is smiling to himself right now.

And so Liverpool go back to zero in an attempt to beat our 49 game unbeaten run!

I was resigned to Liverpool going unbeaten. In fact I was surprisingly relaxed about it as they started to win game after game after game as Liverpool's run has been unprecedented.

But I'm happy our record is intact for another season.

Why would you take your clothes off?

I'm rather proud of my body. I have pics I can post. Others can PM me if they are shy

I can be accused of being more concerned about Liverpool's season than ours. haha

Soiled himself in the excitement ...?

Of 36 posts today ..... 16 are his nonsensical blatherings .

I sometimes muse why the f**&& couldn't he have picked Tottenham as a club to follow .

Only 16? That’s fewer than normal.

Woke up early for a walk and it was raining. Back to bed. Awoke late and turned on TV and there was some great news- the first good news story of the week. Klopp is no better manager than George Graham - 1 defeat in a season. Now he may not even be that good if they lose again. His run and season are just another EPL winning team - nothing more than that. Tell Liverpool supporters to stick it up their a...

The coronavirus of the computer world

Invincible my arse

Liverpool have hit the wall in recent weeks, a few scrappy performances where they saw it through for wins, defeat to Athletico, nearly got turned over by West Ham and now this. Fatigue, physical and mental, sets in.
Just emphasises what a great achievement going through an entire league season unbeaten was for Arsenal.