10 Aug 2021 15:29:34
What are people's realistic expectations for Arsenal for the next year or two?

I'm pretty sure City are nailed on to win the League while Pep is in charge. They seem to have loadsamoney and it looks as though they are able to balance the books with selling, as Pep pointed out this week.
So no chance of the League any time soon, even with new players coming in and coming up through the academy.

Chelsea are investing heavily so probably 2nd or 3rd, not forgetting Liverpool with VVD coming back and Man Utd who seem to be thereabouts.

What is acceptable for our club at this present time?
Let's face it the domestic cups are pretty tough now. City seem to be winning them as well, apart from Leicester this year who rained on their parade :) , but with Grealish (I'm still not convinced with him but time will tell) and possibly Kane it's going to be even tougher.

Personally I would be happy this year to get back into the Europa.

1.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 15:50:16
That’s a good question Sally. I agree a top 6 would be a good return, but also a minimum when you consider we have no Europe this season. Ultimately I would like to see us play some decent football, with a higher tempo and press, using the fitness, desire and enthusiasm you get with a younger team. If that happens then I can see us winning many games, especially against the lower or smaller teams. I have to admit my slightly more depressive self could see us start poorly, and continue as we don’t have the fighting quality that teams down the bottom have. In those dark thoughts, 4th from bottom is where I see us finishing.

2.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 16:05:13
Personally I'd be over the moon with 5th and think it we will have done as well as could be reasonably expected if we finish there.

That's not being negative it's accepting that City United Chelsea and Liverpool were much better than us last year and the year before and as much as we've bought new players who we hope will improve us so have they.

Finishing above Leicester Spurs Everton Vila and all others would be a very good season and anything more would be huge.

3.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 16:36:22
For me Sally, absolutely no lower than 5th, would be blown away by top 3 finish. i am sure this is doable if by the end of transfer window we have signed the creative midfielder that in my opinion we so desperately need.

4.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 16:42:08
Thanks guys, I'm glad we are all being realistic. I think beautiful football is what we should aim for in our push forward as it is what we valued so much in the past :)

I'm reading Tammy Abraham has agreed personal terms. I've seen negatives about him but surely his height inside the box could be what we are missing?

5.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 17:37:08
Red flags again with Tammy HOWEVER, we put in so many quality crosses with nobody to get on the end of them. So maybe 🤷🏻‍♂️.

{Ed014's Note - Tammy Abrahams! 🤦‍♂️

6.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 17:55:03
Just reading we are in talks about Bernardo Silva. I love these rumours!

7.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 18:06:36
Apparently Roma have agreed a fee with Chelsea but not Tammy or Arsenal have agreed terms with Tammy but have not agreed a fee with Chelsea 😎

Make of that what you will.

8.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 18:17:46
Arsenal will be finishing between 6th and 9th along with spurs for the next 2 years.

{Ed014's Note - yep you’ll be 9th and we’ll be 6th the first year, then you’ll be relegated the 2nd year! 😉😂

9.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 18:29:14
Sally, that’s a great thought provoking question and it’s great to see balanced replies.

For me - I have expectations of the manager and the team. I’m more bothered about how we do it this season than where we end up. It’s a young team and hopefully time to grow, same as the manager.

Manager

Plays to the teams strengths
Plays a more up tempo and pressing game
Get the ball forward quicker and improve on number of real chances
Settled starting 11 and good in game decisions
Players play in best position and earn their shirt

Team

Wear the shirt with pride and put a shift in
Work in partnerships so we defend and attack as one
Place with more intensity
Cut out and learn from mistakes

Overall

A faster paced game of football where we have the confidence to attack the opposition and are a little more fluid. First touch or pass is in front of the man so we naturally are going forward. Like to see us creating more chances without completely having zero shape. Like to see more goals from midfield and our main man get 25 plus goals.

Club

Get our identity back and enjoy watching them again

League position

I’m not bothered as long as we take steps forward on last season and season before. I mean visible steps not unearthed in crappy statistics.

Me

I want my club back and the thrill of watching them
If we do that Europa will follow then UEFA

COYG.

10.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 18:42:23
Nuno will be no more if Spurs finish 9th Raver mate, he might get away with 6th in year one but you'll be looking for Poch replacement number 3 if he finishes any lower.

11.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 18:52:00
Hi, I think we will find it tough to score goals with the strikers we have, but at the same time I don’t think we will be rolled over easily.

My heart would love us to win the league, but realistically my head saying 7-8th.

12.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 19:02:45
What are we talking to Bernardo about Sally? My guess is the good old British weather and how much he will miss it 😎.

13.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 20:04:57
My thoughts entirely Gunner :)

14.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 20:30:45
Great minds think alike Sally 👍👍👍.

15.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 20:32:57
I'd love to be positive about the near future but I really can't. Just when we seem to get the high earners off the wage bill, we stick another one on a three year deal for well over £200k a week.

My ideal scenario would be to see a core of homegrown players succeed and to be back in the CL with a top 3 finish, I'd love to see Saka, ESR, Balogun, Azeez, Lopez and Patino all in the first team. However what I think will happen is that we will be exactly where we are now. I'm going to try getting used to it, because I think we are here to stay.

16.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 20:59:47
I hope you're wrong Akie, I've got a feeling we're not done yet in this transfer window (fingers crossed) smile 😊.

17.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 21:01:58
Keep the faith Akie. People were saying the same about Inter Milan, except in Italian of course! . Once a giant of Italian football, but without a single title or even cup win in over 10 years, many were saying it was the end of the giant, never to return, and then they went and won the league. Ok so I would lay my house on the fact that we won’t win the league this year, but big clubs don’t fall for long. At some point soon our fortunes will turn.

18.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 21:38:17
Keep the faith, this is what the boss had to say after the Spurs game…

When Arteta was asked about the options at his disposal, he responded by saying:

“What we have is what we have to maximise, and worrying about things that we don’t have at the moment, there is no point. My energy is only on the players we have, make them better, and make them a better threat and win matches. ”

Keep making them play from the back boss until they get it. 😂

How about playing a style and set up that works.

19.) 10 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 21:39:58
For me unless we get 2 or 3 more players in I don’t see us improving.
. our midfield has no creativity what so ever no goal scorers either. surely we can’t be going into the season with bellerin or chambers right back.
. Not a great fan of odergard either put a shift in but didn’t get us into top 6 so why will he improve us now. aubamayang is a big worry he’s not even getting chances. don’t even start me on xhaka costs us at least 9 points a season and we are giving him a new contract.
We spent two transfer windows chasing aour at £50m and now he’s half price we are not interested.
I’ve seen nothing in pre season what gives me any confidence Leno can’t play out from the back we keep the ball for ages give it to tierney or Pepe they cross it and there’s nobody there over and over again .

20.) 11 Aug 2021
11 Aug 2021 15:32:46
It's not just the players we need, the club is a mess from top to bottom. Nothing can run correctly when the staff are being changed every 12 months and the owners are as bad as they are.

We don't deserve to be anywhere near the top, so we won't be this season or the next. Clubs like Leicester who are run as well as they are, will finish above us, a club like City who won the league so easily, have improved once again, United have been in a similar position to us in recent years, have spent big.

We are a mess and will be for a long time.

21.) 12 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 20:43:36
I know I mentioned it Ed014 but Tammy would at least be someone to aim for in the box 😂 I don't want him or Maddison as you know 😅.

{Ed014's Note - I with you all the way Glenn! We defo don’t need an English Bendtner!

22.) 12 Aug 2021
10 Aug 2021 18:56:06
Not a fan Ed?

{Ed014's Note - how about no! 🤣🤣