Premier League 2018-2019

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Morata went for 65 million he's not worth half that. Sigurdsson went for 50 million. Sanchez 46 Lukauku what was it 80ish million? When you spend 40+ on kids you don't not have a leg to stand on claiming that you can't keep up with the big boys on transfers. GO buy better players (bang for your buck) from other leagues. Invest in scouting find gems, football is a worldwide game and big enough where you find real talents in smaller markets.

You spend 50 million on margin players and cry foul at 75 for good players...lol. It's basically the same thing considering wealth is relative.

Mind you I've already stated my views on the market plus the state of soccer, so no need to rehash that.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

 

[maclean]

I know it is far too early to be talking predictions for next year. But can people see an Arsenal resurgence occurring this year? I may be on the optimistic side of things, but a full season of Auba and Mkhi, plus the new tactics of Unai Emery and hopefully a new energy among the players; I honestly think this team will be achieving top 4.

I do not think there will be an intense downward spiral as most have predicted, this is the start of the way back to the top for me!

I can see it going either way but most of all I think it depends on transfers. All the teams above them will be improving. They only grab 50 mil's worth of bubble players and Emery would have to a god

 

[robertmac43]

I can see it going either way but most of all I think it depends on transfers. All the teams above them will be improving. They only grab 50 mil's worth of bubble players and Emery would have to a god

Yeah thats what im worried about. It's not very inspiring when Sokratis is the biggest signing of the year thus far and its looking like there will be more bit-player signings to come.

Dembele would definitely change that if they can pull rabbit out of the hat and pull off that large signing

 

[Live in the Now]

Yeah thats what im worried about. It's not very inspiring when Sokratis is the biggest signing of the year thus far and its looking like there will be more bit-player signings to come.

Dembele would definitely change that if they can pull rabbit out of the hat and pull off that large signing

Bartomeu announced Dembele is not leaving in any way.

 

[Edo]

I can see it going either way but most of all I think it depends on transfers. All the teams above them will be improving. They only grab 50 mil's worth of bubble players and Emery would have to a god

Everything that could have gone wrong for Arsenal went wrong this season. They finished 12 points behind Liverpool and 14 behind Tottenham. That's not a huge gap. I'm not sure why the narrative that Arsenal have no hope and are doomed keeps on getting thrown around.

 

[robertmac43]

honestly im more optimistic about Arsenal now than I was going into last year

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Everything that could have gone wrong for Arsenal went wrong this season. They finished 12 points behind Liverpool and 14 behind Tottenham. That's not a huge gap. I'm not sure why the narrative that Arsenal have no hope and are doomed keeps on getting thrown around.

No surprise there.

honestly im more optimistic about Arsenal now than I was going into last year

It's good to be optimistic about your team but I wouldn't be... at all. The gap was pretty significant on the field and on the table. This gap has increased when you considered Arsenal haven't done anything and most teams have improved on paper. The teams that usually lose players (their stars) have also kept them.

Nothing right now would indicate Arsenal improving. Unless you count losing Wenger and adding Emery as an "improvement".

 

[Havre]

And everything when right for Spurs? Playing away at Wembley. Hardly getting any minutes out of Alderweireld and Rose. Dembele being a shadow of himself from the year before etc.

Not saying Arsenal can’t catch Spurs and/or others. But it’s not like everything when smoothly for the rest either.

 

[robertmac43]

Nothing right now would indicate Arsenal improving. Unless you count losing Wenger and adding Emery as an "improvement".

I don't necessarily believe we will do better (I don't think Arsenal should be a write off either), but I'm optimistic that the change is for the better and it will bring clarity as to the squad.

There has simply been too many years of stagnation so i think my optimism comes from a place of welcoming the unknown.

All my thoughts make more sense in my head, I guess I'm just more optimistic about the long term of the club and I'm also not writing the team off in the short term

 

[Live in the Now]

And everything when right for Spurs? Playing away at Wembley. Hardly getting any minutes out of Alderweireld and Rose. Dembele being a shadow of himself from the year before etc.

Not saying Arsenal can’t catch Spurs and/or others. But it’s not like everything when smoothly for the rest either.

Yeah it went great for Liverpool as well with Coutinho going on strike, and then in the run-in having only 13-14 players to choose from. It's not like Spurs and Liverpool had perfect seasons, but they earned those point totals anyway.

 

[Havre]

Yeah it went great for Liverpool as well with Coutinho going on strike, and then in the run-in having only 13-14 players to choose from. It's not like Spurs and Liverpool had perfect seasons, but they earned those point totals anyway.

Yeah. I feel Spurs had it worse than Liverpool, but you might feel it is the other way around. I guess most fans feel that way - that their team had it slightly tougher.

I expect Arsenal to get some energy from the managerial change. But it won’t be easy to catch Liverpool with better depth and Spurs hopefully energized with a new stadium and some new faces (stadium could obviously also become a problem the first season).

 

[Live in the Now]

Yeah. I feel Spurs had it worse than Liverpool, but you might feel it is the other way around. I guess most fans feel that way - that their team had it slightly tougher.

I expect Arsenal to get some energy from the managerial change. But it won’t be easy to catch Liverpool with better depth and Spurs hopefully energized with a new stadium and some new faces (stadium could obviously also become a problem the first season).

Spurs had it worse overall, but Liverpool's injury crisis at the end of the season was pretty bad. Still though Arsenal were some way off from both.

 

[KJS14]

Almost every team faces some adversity during the season and can say that they didn't get as many points as they deserved. But Arsenal didn't pick up a single away point between the end of December and mid May. If they got even just a few results they could have been in the top 4 conversation until the end of the season.

With that said, I think it will take one more year for Arsenal to get back into the top 4, pending some transfers.

 

[Edo]

No surprise there.

It's good to be optimistic about your team but I wouldn't be... at all. The gap was pretty significant on the field and on the table. This gap has increased when you considered Arsenal haven't done anything and most teams have improved on paper. The teams that usually lose players (their stars) have also kept them.

Nothing right now would indicate Arsenal improving. Unless you count losing Wenger and adding Emery as an "improvement".

A 12 point gap is nothing. Liverpool were 25 points off of Manchester City and they think they are favourites going into next season. 12 points is a 2 game swing. I'm not going to go back and look at results to give examples of how things could have turned with a little fortune, because the season was so depressing, but 12 points is nothing.

 

[Edo]

Emery just needs to take the Mourinho approach and play for draws against the big clubs, and take the points from the rest. That's enough for fourth place. There are so many variables in the game that a 12 point swing isn't really anything. What if Salah gets injured in the World Cup? Or Hazard? Or Kane? What if a team underachieves? A team overachieves?

Manchester City are the only lock for a top 4 spot. They have the depth and resources to go through anything. Tottenham, Liverpool, United, Chelsea, and Arsenal are all in the air. With some clearly having better odds than others. I already mentioned Liverpool/Tottenham's reasons for falling. Chelsea are Chelsea. They could win the title, they could finish 8th. United are getting into year 3 with Mourinho. His teams usually fall apart and his message stops getting through by now.

Taking everything into account, it's probably City, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea, United, and Arsenal. In that order. I'd put all my money on City. Anybody who wouldn't is craaaaazy.

 

[robertmac43]

aking everything into account, it's probably City, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea, United, and Arsenal

Son't sleep on Burnley though

 

[koyvoo]

Fixture schedule(s)

Premier League fixtures 2018-19: Man City visit Arsenal on opening weekend

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Spurs expected first game at the new ground will be against Liverpool.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

A 12 point gap is nothing. Liverpool were 25 points off of Manchester City and they think they are favourites going into next season. .

They are delusional though.

 

[Chimaera]

12 points is nothing? New one to me.

 

[Havre]

Disappointed. I’m in Spain for the first game in the new stadium. Was really hoping to go to that game.

 

[Savant]

Liverpool got absolutely screwed by their December schedule but the rest isn't too bad.

This is highlighted by playing Arsenal on the 29th and Man City on the 1st. No idea how that happened compared to the rest of top six:

LFC play Arsenal & City
SPURS play Wolves & Cardiff
UNITED play Bournemouth & Newcastle
CHELSEA play Palace & Saints
CITY play Saints & Liverpool
ARSENAL play Liverpool & Fulham

All 29th & 1st

I hope LFC play their youth team in Manchester on Jan 1.

 

[robertmac43]

Well at least Arsenal will start with a first game defeat and all the hope will be shattered from the start

 

[robertmac43]

Oh make that two straight losses.... Chelsea week two match