By Walter Broeckx
The last time I compared our current season with the last, we were half way the season. In case you missed it last time around, I just would like to explain that I just took the games from last season and the corresponding game of this season and compared the results.
It’s maybe not the perfect way of doing it, but I find it the most interesting way because now you can see how we have done against the same team. Another valid option would have been just the run of games but a man has to make some choices in life and so I did it the other way.
Since my last review a lot of games have been played and I will start with game 20. I will not give the other results again, as I am not about to write a whole book in one article.
Game 20 was a home game against Everton and we drew this one 2-2. But last year we won it 3-1 so not a good result as last year but it was a fair result.
Then came our 2 games against Bolton. This year we won 0-2 at their ground and we also won there last year with 1-3.
In our home game we won 4-2 and the season before we won 1-0. So we took all the points we could and certainly the second game was a thrilling ride.
Then we went to Aston Villa and we managed to get a 0-0 result, one could say it was as good or bad if you want as our 2-2 draw last year.
Then came the home game against MU and we lost 1-3. Compared to last year this was a bad result as we then won 2-1.
Bad became worse one week later when we lost 2-0 at Chelsea and the year before we won 1-2.
We all felt low after that game but with the coming of Liverpool we had to put something right. And the players did. We won 1-0 and that was better then our 1-1 draw the year before.
The next game against Sunderland was a simple win 2-0 and this was far better than our frustrating 0-0 of the season before.
Then came our trip to Stoke where we lost 2-1 last season. This year we only lost a player for the rest of the season, but we managed to win the game 1-3.
When Burnley came to visit us we won the game 3-1. As you may know, to make a comparison in this case I take a team that went down last year and it was Middlesbrough I had to take and we won that game 2-0.
The last game I’m going to take in account is our 2-1 win in Hull. Last year we won 3-1 so we got as much points there as last season.
So here we are after 30 games. And here’s one really exciting piece of information…
We have scored 71 goals so far this season and last season we scored 68 goals in the whole season.
In the same fixtures last season we 49 goals. This means that in those games we scored 22 goals more than last season. So we have done a lot of cheering already this season and still some games to come. We conceded 33 goals so far and last year this was 35 after those games. So this is also a bit better than last year.
But at the end it is mostly the points that count and now we have 64 points and last year after those games we had 54 points. Obviously this means 10 points more.
Here’s another key factor…
Last year we won 20 games in total and at this point of the season we have already won 20 games.
So I think we have done rather well this season so far and the most important thing is that we are only 2 points behind the leaders for the moment and we are in full contention for the title. We all know that we have to win almost all our games we have to play to clinch the title.
Impossible ? Nothing is impossible. Arsène Wenger has done it before, winning the last 13 games to win the title, and as long as players and the fans have the believe we can do it.
I believe, yes we can.
Look I don’t know really where to put this comment because it goes to the general purpose of this site, and I apologise in advance to Walter for putting it at the end of an article which I’ve enjoyed reading and yet my comment has nothing to do with his article. To put it bluntly, I am a reader and occasional commenter of both Untold and Le Grove. In the past few weeks as Arsenal (the team that we’re all supporting) has positioned themselves as league challengers there seems to be a sense of hubris amongst the Untold group that the D&G brigade is getting there comeuppance.
However, as anybody who has actually read Geoff and Pedro’s posts, there argument has never been that this young crop of Arsenal players wouldn’t make it but just that as Arsenal supporters we shouldn’t have had to wait. That with the resources the club possess, we could/should have won the league 3 years ago and this is the important bit, still been financially stable.
Individually I believe that to win the league, be it this year or in the future with a group of majority home grown players would be far superior and far more beneficial for the clubs future prospects. But I think the arrogance currently being shown by some people leaving replies on this site, particularly when Tony has gone to lengths to acknowledge that the writers of Le Grove are Arsenal supporters with a differing point of opinion is well quite frankly distasteful.
Once again, I apologise to Walter for writing this in his column. If it’s any consolation, I have relatives in Belgium and it is far and away my favourite country in the world to eat in (although Thailand runs a very close second). But I think sometimes although it may be nice to be proven right, it’s irrelevant when the argument is unproven.
joecc
Good statistics to know about my beloved Arsenal!!!,i just can`t wait for the panic and the nervous situation Man-U and Chelsea will find themselves in,when we get a win against Birmingham,a match most of my pals who support Man-U or Chelsea think is the last standing physical and tough wall for the Gunners!!!.This will be made worse because the following weekend they(Man-U and Chelsea) will be facing each other while we play Wolves at Home!!!!.Thats why to me,an Arsenal win against Birmingham City may actually be the game that will most likely do the most psycholgical damage to Chelsea and Man-U players!!!
Joecc, yes we like good food and like to eat over here. A bit of publicity for the region I live, why not. 😉
I must says that I read Le Grove almost every day, as it gives me some inspiration on occasions, and the thing I hate most over there is the fact that they always seem to need to lash out at some of our own players. And I agree that one can say of a player that he had a bad game but they go much further than that and I really think that at the end of the day one has to support the players that play for the club.
I must say that I don’t comment on their site, not anymore, because of some bad personal expierence I had.
About the wait I could try to use an idiom we have over here and it goes a bit like this: the longer you have to wait (for something), the better it tastes. In 10 years time we will be saying: “oh, we won the league again” and leave the Emirates 10 minutes before the end of the last game to make it home in time. 😉
Right now I’m concidering to book a hotel for the evening after May 9th. 😉 But don’t know if I will sleep in it.
@joecc
Well just to expand the argument ‘we shoudn’t have to wait’
Why Not? Thats life very often. Debt runs right through the UK – Banks, Government, Individuals and of course football clubs simply because of the false principle ‘we shouldn’t have to wait’
Debt is simply borrowing from the future, spend it now and you won’t have it tomorrow! If it is a good thing to build your own team and do things the right way and if at the same time others are spending huge sums of money that they have either borrowed or been given then it follows that patience is necessary…
As a fan I am enjoying going to the Emirates and watching our team grow. I do not covet players from other clubs and the slow steady implosion of our rivals is surely as clear as anything can be.
The big reductions in our debt secures our immediate and long term future if we had sent our money or 2-3 players instead then that would be a massive risk and as likely to leave us trophy-less anyway (there is no certainty) look at Real Madrid!!
Be a Supporter, get behind the club, the team and the strategy and stop moaning ‘we shouldn’t have to wait’
Walter I have no problem giving Belgium a plug, and if I may reminisce, one of the finest meals I ever had was at La Maison du Cygne. However having said that I do remember taking some relatives to Bruges once and the waiter took our order to which everyone in our family without fail ordered the garlic prawns followed by the rabbit stew. And to top it off as we were eating, the waiter brought out a gorgeous old copper pan with the remainders of the rabbit still stewing away and let us help ourselves to the leftovers.
But I digress, can I just say that I agree with both yourself and Simon’s comments. I can’t think of a more important ideal as a fan than to support your own team and the players on the pitch. I’m not totally sold that also means supporting all management decisions. The fact that I’m proud to be an Arsenal supporter, my father was Arsenal, and I think we have not only the best squad for the future, but also the best squad for right now. In defence of that statement, imagine Man U without Rooney or look at Chelsea struggling without Essien, Cole & a distracted Terry.
Having said that, the point I was trying to make was that now is not the time to gloat in the faces of the D&G’ers. Now is the time we should be banding together. My point is not that somebody’s right but rather now is not the time for high dudgeon but rather to unite. I’ve never had a problem with any of the bloggers here, but rather my comment was in response to a couple of comments that have been cropping up recently about how this proves project youth were right and Le Grove was wrong. The reason I find that offensive is it misses the thrust of what Le Grove’s argument is.
Having said all that, Simon can I just say that as an Australian, one of the most amazing days of my life was to be at the Australian Rules final when the Sydney Swans won the grand final. This is a team that both my father and I have followed all our lives and to be there on the first time that they won something in both of our lifetimes was in indescribable feeling. Even as I’m typing this my hands are shaking and the win was three and a half years ago. Yes the wait is worth it, and to go even further and drop the analogy, to watch the football that Arsenal play week in and week out and try and change the way football is played in England. To be a part of that, even as a fan is something incredibly special.
I should stop before I wax too lyrical but to say one is an Arsenal fan is a pleasure and a privilege.
playing cska in sub zero will be hard,……and oh yes! chelshit buy a new manager…..
Thank you for the statics always a good read.
Yes the Birmingham game is vital, though I believe that Fulham losing their fa cup replay to that lot at N17 could have the biggest impact on our season.
Depending on the CL draw we could end up with a massive away fixture for the 6th/7th April, then followed by a lunchtime kick off at N17 on the 10th. The FA cup semi is scheduled for Sunday 11th Apr, so if our league game is postponed it is likely to be moved to that following midweek with our then travelling to Wigan the next weekend. If we’re still in the CL (semi’s) there isn’t another free midweek until the 4th/5th May. Either way this could make or break our season.
With regard the ‘we shoudn’t have to wait’. We’re fans for life, not just for the Glory. We can not complete with these sides and their ‘Financial doping’ of the players market. We have to get the stars of tomorrow as we can not out bid or out pay the likes of chelski, manure or real mrd today.
The fact our debt is down to £192m is testiment to how to run a football club. As already said, how much have Madrid spent on players & who are they playing in the next round of the CL?
Keep the Faith!!
Gloom = 1 lost game
Doom = 2 successive lost games
Happiness = watching 1 player turning the corner
Ecstatic = watching 2 plus players turning the corner.
So as I go from doom’n’gloom to a happy ecstatic,(which I seem to have done for most of my 62 years watching the team) with goals coming from all over, may I apologise for being just a run of the mill schizophrenic?
Walter: A good comparison. I very much like the progress that we have made. Hopefully, our patience and perseverance will be rewarded at the end of the season.
joecc:
I quite appreciate what you are trying to do and I applaud you for it. If the people at Le Groove (sorry I will not name anyone not out of fear, but because I respect the olive branch that you have extended) had simply put forward their argument without insulting every opposing person, perhaps it would have been fine. They quite often put forward an insulting point of view and basically verbally assault anyone who differs. I was so verbally assaulted enough for me to hate anyone who even mentions Le whatever, but I don’t. I just hate the way they denigrate our manager, berate our team, disparate certain individual members or our team and quite scornfully & disdainfully put-down SUPPORTERS who even dare to proffer an opposing view with derision.
We have people even on this site who hold differing views. We at times (not Tony, he wouldn’t do that; but we do it for him) tell them off or ask them to go to Le Groove. But they prefer to stay and we let them be and accomodate their views. What we do not do is insult & verbally assault them.
All that we require from them is same as everybody else; “Whatever your views, support the team first and CONSTRUCTIVELY criticise if you need to.” You cannot support that which you demoralise, Can you?. It is that simple. Thank you for at least trying to put forward your point reverently.
My son played in a school football tournament this week. Unfortunately they didn’t get to the final but each player received a certificate for taking part printed on red paper.
He was disappointed but I pointed out this morning that some of the world’s finest players have had the same consolation prize. After all, every time Didier Drogba finishes a champions league tournament he also gets a red card as a souvenir.
Sorry, crap joke – but it was true about my son getting a red certificate.
Tony – can i have a more smiley face for my comments. Mine looks like a right miserable git. People might think I write for Le Grove!
Sorry: *disparage* not “disparate”
Cheers Walter for the round up.
Joecc – got to say that LG has been poking fun at ‘AKB’s whenever anything goes wrong and now when fans with a slightly longer term view make some comments you get all hot under the collar – mmmm pot kettle black !!
sorry to continue this discussion but the hypocrisy grates!!
all the best
Dave
Nicely written comments mate and I wish I had more time to answer in full. I also wish that the majority of Le Grove members were as eloquent as you.
I have one comment though; whilst I agree we dismiss a lot of Le Grove’s readers etc as the D&G Brigade, it is also true that we are referred to constantly as the AKB group, which wouldn’t be bad if it wasn’t meant to be so derogatory.
I lost faith with Le Grove when they screamed for Wenger’s head after two losses – why can they not realise the man is a genius and the best thing to ever happen to this club. I often get scared that the D&G’s comments will cause him to leave!!!
Pls stop mentioning Le gr*ve in here.they s*ck.
Interesting thing to compare, and what could influence final result of this season is also list of injuries and possible replacements and also form of the players.
As far as I can remember at this stage last season we were without Cesc (long term), Clichy (long term), Galas (long term), with cup tied Arshavin and Toure in “changeable” form.
In this season we have new players and “new players”, Vermaelen, Ebue, Diaby, Bendtner. Who look as real reinforcements. And of course Nasri whose impact last season in the last games wasn’t really “see able”.
So yes Walter, we are at last 1/3 better than last season at the same stage.
The injury list you mention Armin is a big thing.
As I also write (most of) the Arsenal Benelux magazine (a monthly magazine) I make a round up of the injury’s from game to game and so we get a nice view from the whole and every month. It is always a long article I must say 🙁 Way to long to my liking. It would be so nice to be able to write once: No inkured players this month. Well one can dream…
But is seems the list is shortening up if I can believe the other media. Even Gallas would be returning to training maybe even this week.
But Walter, what seams more important to me, and what I see as real improvement, is that apart from Gallas being fit or not, we have quality replacement, almost all over pitch.
With respect for Silvestre, but he wasn’t in best shape last season, at last not in level we needed. And same situation all over the field, this season, or at last so far, it seams that we can coupe with what we have, and that gives me reason to be optimist.
True Armin. Our squad is bigger and stronger than it was the last seasons. But the more we can rotate players now, certainly when we have to play in the CL, and the more options we have at that time, the better it will be.
Exciting times and I like them.
I was listening many conversations in which people mention that goal difference could play important role, and that we coincided to many by now. But what also make things “bright” for us, is that we have games in which we should (based on our “goal rate” by now) improve that to. While our opponents have games in which their GD will melt, and if that doesn’t melt it also mean, what ever we do, we wont win this season. So its quite exciting.
While last season after 30 games, Wenger still had only to concentrate on not coinciding goals, this season so far, our primal task is to score. And seams to me, we have all we need to do it. Just I hope my countryman (Bosnian saying “you are from where your wife is”) RvP is back soon as possible and in best shape as possible.
Walter- some very good points- especially our overall improvement over last season-but our average goals per game was very nearly halved after RVP was injured- imagine what it would have been had he stayed fit for another month or two? I agree that winning the PL is possible at this point but improbable-staying unbeaten is a big ask but very possible- winning every remaining game in the PL is a huge ask. We should not expect to achieve it- because if we fail-we invite creating a sense of failure which is likely to be translated into a scapegoating of individual young players- despite a huge improvement over last season.
It is easy to overlook what a huge advantage in experienced players United and Chelsea have enjoyed over us this season and that despite spending untold millions- Chelsea still cannot overcome the monopoly club of the EPL. The unregulated, uncompetitive EPL has after all, been set up as a vehicle for Manchester United to win the EPL every year. One thing is for sure once SAF cranks up his mind games- and his detailed advice to fellow managers how to beat us-we will know we have got a chance.
@joecc,
No insult intended but Le Grove is junk (I’m very sorry to say that).
These are kids that don’t understand what it takes to build a foundation. The entire football financial world will implode very soon because spending is totally out of control. This is exactly what happen to the housing bubble in the United States, spending was totally out of control and people spent beyond their means to purchase homes that they could not really afford.
Let Wenger build a team for pennies and groom them into champions. Arsenal has to spend wisely in order to be successful in the future. We may get instant Glory but totally disaster in the future, just look at Liverpool. They are in totally bad ship for spending too much to make a title push.
I don’t read Le Grove anymore.
@LRV,
infact Le Grove will stop posting your comments. They are censoring the comments. These guys Pedro and Geoff insult our players as Garbage. Last three year they have really insulted Denilson, Song, Diaby and Eboue as garbage players that don’t deserve to wear the shirt of Arsenal. This year they are singing the praises of Song, Diaby and sometimes Eboue. They don’t understand that players need to grow into their roles especially when very young. They must play to get confidence and better at what they do.
What does AKB stand for? All Clever Bastards doesn’t quite fit the letters; I don’t put it past them to have misspelt clever though 😉
walter, i am really encouraged by our progress this season. there isnt a fag paper between us and the two loudmouth teams.
otariq, the writers from legroan arent kids. they are impatient and a lot of the commenters are very juvenile, but after reading their site every day for some time now i have to say that it is entertainment at its highest. its a great window into the other viewpoint.
I have to admit that sometimes I read le grove, too. Most of the times though I hardly make it through a whole article because there comes a point where I am just too appalled. The only time I could really “read” Le Grove without getting angry was after the Ramsey incident… it’s too bad we supporters can’t stay as one like that all the time..
It’s always us (as in The Arsenal) against them. We don’t need those schisms between supporters.
Joecc i agree with you completely, this is a time we should be together but you are telling this to the wrong people because everyone on here knows this and we are together.
I suggest you go to Le Groan and post your messages to them because the only people who are dividing us is them and people who think like them. You also say that Le Groan don’t have a problem with our young players, this is not true because i read one of their articles recently where they were questioning why we have so many young players. Even when we win Le Groan thinks we’re not good enough. I for one will not be going on their site again because i support Lord Wenger in all he says and does and always have done. In Arsene We Trust. Remember you don’t what you got till it’s gone…
My name is Imran and i support Arsenal.
As supporters we should always be behind our team. The time when the team really needs support is after a loss or disappointing result.
When we are winning I would expect that in some ways the team require less support (as winning will bring its own confidence). However that is the time, as fans, when we feel most vindicated in our support of the Arse, and then find it easier to demonstrate out support.
When we are winning disagreements about how we get there seem to become trivial. Certainly opinions about how we could have got into this position with a different team are merely that, opinions. They can never be demonstrated to be right (or of course wrong).
Personally I love the youth team,new ground policies that have been pursued by the Arsenal over the last years. It showed vision and commitment when it was instituted and great planning and management to see it through. This in the face of sustained cries by ‘everyone else is doing it another way you can’t do that you will fail!!’
All we can say is that as a team (and I include the management in that) we are certainly in the upper tiers of the English and European game and have been made secure in that position by that very same team.
Long may it continue!
I feel that legrove is an anti-arsenal blog who will be more dissapointed than spuds if we win something this year. Sorry to say but I think they are thugs who think they know more about Arsenal players than Arsene.
Anyway, Walter, it’s a good read. Let’s hope our team keep impressing us till the end.
Wow, I though I was the only one that felt in such a way about Le-Grove.
Walter – as usual I’ll just look at game by game comparison. This year after 30 games we have 20 wins, 4 draws and 6 losses. Last year after 30 games we had 15 wins, 10 draws, and 5 losses. So 64 points this season and 55 points last season. As has been the case all season, the two comparisons are almost identical in terms of the improvement shown this season.
joecc – as with others, I also just got sick and tired of being insulted continually and called an AKB and told to “wake up” and all that other stuff. The amount of times I was told to “go away and learn something about football” or something like that by people that said they were Arsenal fans just became silly. That is why so many of us ended up here. The whole “Doom & Gloom” stuff came long after that and I think most of us are more than willing to accept any fan no matter what their views but we’ve all found, at one time or another, some of the other blogs to be quite rude to anyone not thinking the way they do. I personally just find Le Grove quite naive when it comes to financial matters, and just dont think the writers know much about the way a professional sporting organization is run.
I would never call myself an AKB, my attitude is that if the manager doesnt do his job then he should be fired, no matter who it is. However, Arsene Wenger’s job for the past four years has been to keep us in the top-4, and he has done that amazingly, even while turning over our entire playing staff. You say “with the resources the club possess, we could/should have won the league 3 years ago” which seems quite amazing. We had no money 3 years ago. Zero. We had to sell Henry to fund the transfers we did. Look at our accounts. WE HAD NO MONEY. IT WAS ALL BEING SPENT ON THE NEW STADIUM. I find the people at Le Grove actually believe that there was a possibility that AW could have kept the experienced players AND also brought in young players. He didnt have that choice. He had two choices, which were:
a. Keep the experienced players
or
b. Get rid of the experienced players, make as much money from them as he could, and then bring in new players
He chose b. and decided that he could get a lot more bang for his buck by bringing in cheaper, younger talent and developing it himself.
There were no other choices. Had we kept the experienced players then guys like Diaby, Nasri, Arshavin, Vermaelen, Sagna, Walcott, Denilson, and Ramsey would not be wearing Arsenal shirts right now because we wouldnt have had the money to buy them. Period. Instead we’d have Vieira, Henry, Freddie L., Sol, Kolo, Lauren, etc in the team still. Would we still be in the top-4?
We have money now and I am sure it will be spent on players when they are identified as being suitable. But AW has never bought players simply because the Daily Mail said so and he isnt going to start now.
It sometimes just seems as though the guys at Le Grove might rather be proved right than have AW win any more trophies. I personally couldnt care less if I am right or wrong about anything and love it when the team proves me wrong. To me that is the big difference, most of us here love being wrong and love the fact that we are complete and utter idiots in comparison to AW. But some sites honestly seem to believe that their footballing knowledge stacks up against his.
I don’t visit Le Grove, as I don’t want to become one of their statistics. Stay away from poison!
Walter I did my own comparison of this season and last season not too long ago, however, I also compared the performances of Man U and Chelsea over the same period. They have also scored more goals than last season but we have by far improved the most, and whilst our goal scoring ratio reduced shortly after RVP got injured, it appears to have improved again recently.
A mate of mine who used to post on Le Grove regularly, calls it the ‘wife beater website’ as they continually abuse arsenal management, players other fans then profess to ‘love arsenal’ in the same manner that wifebeaters beat up their wives and then claim to love them. I am almost certain there was even a post that wished we did not win anything so that it would ‘prove’ that project youth does not work.
But by far the worse thing about them is the way they ‘ moderate’ any views that goes against theirs, and I dont mean abusive ones either . Apparently Geoff and Pedro are Father and son.
I still read Le Grove for the fun factor as their readership has a high percentage of people who swing from one extreme emotion to another ( read the site after a game and you will see what I mean )
They are lunatics but there is obviously a market for that type of blog. In comparison we have a more respectful and informed debate paradigm here which is obviously welcomed by the readers
@joec : I would’nt try to defend Le Grove as if we go on to win a trophy this season the likes of them and ANR who have continually harped on about how bad our great club is will begin to resemble Peter crying Wolf
One problem (among several) with the argument that Le Grove and others have is simply that there were some things Wenger can’t control. Our biggest failure in the past few seasons has not been the youth policy, but the fact that we have failed to hold on to certain key players. Henry could have been instrumental in 07-08 after Eduardo’s injury, just as Hleb and Flamini would have been the following season. If we kept these players perhaps we would have won the title (nothing is guaranteed of course). But Wenger didn’t “sell” these players. They wanted to leave and for at least Hleb and Flamini were were powerless to stop them.
And what they’re basically saying is, “we like what Wenger does, but we can’t let him do what he wants to do.” That to me is wrong, if you like Wenger’s work then you have to take the good with the “bad.”
Paul C. @5.01pm,
I have a disagreement with you: I’m an AKB 100% but you are my new hero.
I read LeGroan just to get that feeling of intellectual superiority over the serial moaners. Their childishness is nauseating for ‘old’ men. I find joecc’s post a bit unfair to posters here.
“But I think the arrogance currently being shown by some people leaving replies on this site, particularly when Tony has gone to lengths to acknowledge that the writers of Le Grove are Arsenal supporters with a differing point of opinion is well quite frankly distasteful.”
Joecc, are you serious? I think I have used some of the harshest words to attack Doom&Gloomers here (don’t blame me, I’m only protecting my oasis of positivity in the desert of negative Arsenal bloggosphere) but they are mild compared to the bile that is being constantly and maliciously spilled at virtually the entire Arsenal establishment by the “Groaners”.
You should take the message of peace and common sense to them. We all here follow the lead of Sir Tony, a complete gentleman in deed!
Notice no one here has called you names?
Paul, what ever way you look at it, we have improved clearly. And that is the most important thing!
Anyone who believes that Le Grove contributes any meaningful discourse to the Arsenal debate is just plain ridiculous.
Even now, there are moaners on there claiming that even if we win the title, we should’ve won it for the last five years. There are people claiming that even though Song is awesome now, Wenger shouldn’t have played him 3 years ago. There is even a guy on there saying that if we won the thing, it wouldn’t be such a great achievement because we “just accumulated points”
The peopple that frequent that site will find any excuse to bemoan Arsene Wenger. They cling to the notion that either we had a huge sum of money to spend on transfer fees (we didn’t) and that we didn’t spend what money we had (we did)