How are we doing after 30 games, part 2

Posted on by WalterBroeckx

By Walter Broeckx

Looking at different periods in our history to gain a little bit of perspective is something that I think every fan should do every now and then. In my article a few days ago I looked at the league position and the total points we got.

Today I try to look at some other things that can be seen in this table, if you want to see it. So here we have the league table in the years before Wenger (after 30 games) and in the Wenger years.

P W D L F A GD Pt
1981 8 Arsenal 30 11 12 7 43 37 6 34
1982 6 Arsenal 30 14 8 8 25 21 4 50
1983 14 Arsenal 30 11 8 11 39 37 2 41
1984 12 Arsenal 30 11 6 13 46 42 4 39
1985 6 Arsenal 30 14 6 10 48 37 11 48
1986 5 Arsenal 30 16 7 7 39 32 7 55
1987 3 Arsenal 30 15 9 6 42 18 24 54
1988 5 Arsenal 30 15 7 8 46 28 18 52
1989 1 Arsenal 30 17 8 5 58 31 27 59
1990 3 Arsenal 30 15 5 10 45 30 15 50
1991 1 Arsenal 30 19 10 1 53 13 40 65
1992 6 Arsenal 30 11 11 8 51 35 16 44
1993 13 Arsenal 30 11 7 12 27 27 0 40
1994 3 Arsenal 30 13 12 5 34 16 18 51
1995 9 Arsenal 30 10 10 10 35 32 3 40
1996 5 Arsenal 29 13 9 7 39 27 12 48
100 216 135 128 670 463 207 770
6,25 13,50 8,44 8,00 41,88 28,94 12,94 48,13
P W D L F A GD Pt
1997 3 Arsenal 30 15 9 6 49 26 23 54
1998 2 Arsenal 30 17 9 4 49 26 23 60
1999 2 Arsenal 30 16 11 3 42 13 29 59
2000 4 Arsenal 30 16 6 8 53 31 22 54
2001 2 Arsenal 30 15 9 6 47 29 18 54
2002 2 Arsenal 30 18 9 3 60 32 28 63
2003 1 Arsenal 30 19 6 5 64 32 32 63
2004 1 Arsenal 30 22 8 0 58 20 38 74
2005 3 Arsenal 30 19 7 4 68 32 36 64
2006 6 Arsenal 30 15 5 10 48 23 25 50
2007 4 Arsenal 30 16 7 7 52 28 24 55
2008 2 Arsenal 30 19 10 1 58 22 36 67
2009 4 Arsenal 30 15 10 5 48 27 21 55
2010 3 Arsenal 30 20 4 6 71 33 38 64
2011 2 Arsenal 30 17 8 5 59 29 30 59
41 259 118 73 826 403 423 895
2,73 17,27 7,87 4,87 55,07 26,87 28,20 59,67

So in the years before Wenger we won 13,5 games after 30 and now this has gone up to over 17 wins in the same period.  When we look at draws we see not that much difference it is around 8 games in 30. And if one goes up another number goes down. We lose one average just under 5 games and in the years before Wenger this was 8 games.

And if we now just take a look at the league (before the Blackpool game) you can see that we are on an almost perfect average year in the Wenger era.

Another interesting development is the goals.  On average we score around 55 goals and this is a lot more than in the years before Wenger when we had an average of just under 42. So with our 59 goals so far this season we are doing a bit better than one could expect on average.

And let us take a look at the goals against us. You know we can’t defend, our centre backs are useless, our full backs are rubbish and all our goal keepers are not good enough. And if we compare this to the golden years of the boring Arsenal before Wenger we…er… well… we concede less goals. Yes because in the Wenger era we concede 26,87 goals on average per season and in the years before we conceded 28,94 goals per season.

So maybe our defence isn’t that bad as some in the media try to make us believe? Maybe Wenger knows how to defend better and that with a team that has an attacking philosophy from the start to the finish in the league. We are far more exposed because of all our players joining the attack and yet we let in less goals than in the years when we were famous for our more defensive style of play.

And I will admit that this season we let in a few more goals than one could have expected looking at the average number. But keep in mind that our centre back situation was 3 new centre backs. Koscielny and Squilacci as completely new and Djourou as well like a new signing after being out for one year. And that our proven centre back Vermaelen has been out for almost the whole season. So maybe, just maybe our centre back situation isn’t that desperate and maybe, just maybe they aren’t so useless as some people paint them?

Needless to say that all this results in a far better goal difference if you compare both periods. In the days before Wenger we had a positive goal difference of just under 13 and now this has gone up to over 28.

And one final note: under Wenger we only won one title when being first after 30 games. In the invincible season when all things where turned upside down. But in the other two season we came from behind to clinch the title at the end.

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19 Replies to “How are we doing after 30 games, part 2”

  1. IMO we have to win all our remaining games and if we do this we deserve the league, there is some tough tough games in our run in, it is possible and I dare to dream, but I fear in the UTD game alone they will adopt dark underhanded tactics to come away with a draw or win.

    There is no doubting what wenger has done for arsenal especially if you supported arsenal before Wenger you would know, but the reason he does get stick because he has set the bar high and much is expected of him. It is like in a family when there is a good child and a bad child, no one expects much of the bad child but when the good child doesn’t fulfill their promise the parents are disappointed. Every year most arsenal fans can feel that we are so close, and in the past when we have gone out with a whimper people are annoyed and look to blame someone.

    I rate wenger highly and know arsenal can not be nearly as consistent without him, and my only real grievance with him is that he had a winning formula that was suited to the premiership “PACE and POWER” and after the 2005 FA cup final he decided to dismantle a style of play and formula that was the best team the premiership has ever seen and probably the best team the English league has seen and I think he is trying to be TOO innovative and bring a continental possession game to ENGLAND, he is too far ahead of his time

  3. I am sick of all this useless analysis, sounds like the Wenger philosophies. What counts in life is the bottomline. We only remember winners. I can name all the world cup winners since the competition started, but can not remember the losers. Wenger has not won a trophy in six years. That is not good enough by an standard. Therefore, he should go. That should be the new owner’s order of business!! Fergie has been able to achieve great success this season with a weak United side that does not have a quality central midfielder, that is greatness. Stay away from the Wenger nonsense about stastics, finances and so forth. It’s all smoke screens, the writing is on the Wall and Mr Wenger should go!!

  4. I;ve had enough of the Wenger apologists. Yes, he has been great for the history of the club but for the past 5 years, he has not been quite there; mostly because of his stupid mistakes at crucial times like not signing a striker when needed (when Ade left and RvP was injured), or not having a good DM (when both Flamini and Diarra left) or not having a decent GK for a few seasons, or not signing a decent Center Defender when we all know TV was out for a season. When people pay the highest season ticket prices in the world; they expect Managers to put some of the money back in the squad where needed and not masturbate about the 40m lying safe in the bank or about how much money he has saved over the past 5 years while consistently finishing 3rd or 4th in the league!

  5. @Sammy

    if it was as simple as signing someone Man city and chelsea would be top of the league, Years later we find out a player was close to signing for us and what I am saying is you can only attempt to sign someone if it doesnt come off what do you do? Buy just anyone? Arsene carries out rigorous due diligence before singing someone and only a fool would sign someone because they played good for 5 games or in a particular tournament, does any one have a better reputation then the professor when it comes to signing players?

    I dont know why I am wasting my time, if wenger was sacked arsenal would end up mid table for a few seasons at least. We have all seen Wenger spend money before with mixed results and in all honesty most of the expensive arsenal signings have not always paid off but no one has a better record. Look at the latest Marquee singing because that is what you want really isn’t it? Torres is in danger of becoming the biggest flop to grace the premiership, now just imagine what wenger would do with £50 million he would build you a whole team, it might not be instant but it is the BEST way and if we end up with nothing this year YOU WILL JUST have to be patient because if people like you get their wish my arsenal will suffer

  6. Sammy you kinky fellow.. Money doesn’t turn you on.. But some shiny, silver thing just might do it for you.. Is that why you feel this way? You need to get off on trophies? Hmmm.. Might explain your position. I’m sorry.I feel for you buddy, I really do.. The trophies will come to Arsenal, it is inevitable, because Wenger and the board have provided us with a profitable, secure future. Till then try ‘spooning’. Not the real thing I know, but it can be just as shiny..just might work for you. Best of luck.

  7. We do have a tough run in. And, if we do come back into contention, wait for an appearance by Mr Howard Webb in a vital game – you just know it will happen.
    But now is not the time to give up. And if we win nothing this year, on the positive side, we might lose a whole load of greedy, plastic, negative fans for good. You know, all those who spend their time on blogs going on about ripping their season tickets up. Now wouldnt that be a shame.

  8. I think some 17 teams in the EPL would give an arm and a leg, no let me correct this, would give two arms and two legs to have brought Wenger to their club some 16-17 years ago. The teams who don’t feel that way are MU because they have Ferguson (and the refs), and Chelsea and Man City who don’t care about money at all and can get it out of the owners pockets who will pay for everything that moves on a football pitch.

    And no, the last years haven’t been good when it just comes to trophies. But the trophy hunting fan can look for them elsewhere. The supporters who see what is going on in football and that with the coming over of the rich oil billionaires it has become a very unlevel playing field will see what has been done at Arsenal.

    Yest at the cost of a few years without a trophy. But just look at the table in this article and see how many years of those we have had ? Football is about cycles and even teams like MU, Barcelona, Real Madrid have gone through this. That is just part of football and like I said we have moved to a new stadium and had to face cray money billionaires on the same time.

  9. Did anyone see the stats for goals to game time in the Torres article. RVP is far and away the best striker on that statistic, and not bad at many of the others. If only he could stay fit …

  10. Paul scholes has actually been punished Jeez the world has gone mad, im hoping for extra time

  13. Well Utds treble is gone and soon they will be out of europe and oh dear if they drop a few league points were will the Sammy’s of this world be then ?

  14. The wheels are coming off of ManU season. They will drop points at Newcastle.
    No Scholes for the game against Gunners, right!?

  15. Any chance for Ferdinand to be charged for his antics after the final whistle?!

  17. He had a real go at Baloteli, he would have ripped him if they weren’t separated!

  18. That Balotelli really is the dumbest football player I have ever seen on a pitch. Compared to Adebayor even Adebayor looks a nice person. 😉
    I saw the final 20 minutes of the game yesterday and I must say how many wrong decisions he took in his game was shocking. I turned the TV off when Dean blow the final whistle. Oh and he did his usual thing meaning not jumping around like he did when we lost to Birmingham but no real signal.

    anyway they shouldn’t have separated them, they should have let them fight a bit. Would be nice thing to get them banned for a few games.

  19. Yeah they tried to make out like it was balotelli causing the trouble but it was no card Rio,

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