Now before I get crucified by other Liverpool fans over my Gunner weakness let me just say I hate Arsenal like all other teams when they threaten Liverpool but otherwise, because of a lifelong friendship with a North Londoner I have begrudgingly started to root for them over the years, and I have to say that life for Arsenal, post-Henry, is more than likely a good solution, if you can see past one season.
What Wenger and Co. should have done, though, is offload him the year before and cashed in on a 26-million move rather than a 16-million one but that cannot be helped now so let’s move on…..
The panic I sense from my Arsenal friend and other bloggers is that of immediate short-sightedness. Wenger is rebuilding and this time for the future. I for one am looking forward to seeing what Arsenal can do without the crutch of Henry. Finally Van Persie and others don’t have a shadow to live under, and if Wenger’s record of finding young talent is anything to go on, the lime-light now awaits for a young, talented, exciting and creative squad to step up and lead. I predict more Fabregas’, Hleb’s, and Van Persie’s to surprise us this season.
Have faith North London, I think you’ve done the right thing. If delayed gratification is more than just backing into a parking space, I predict Arsenal will turn some heads and this time next summer you will again be rightfully be considered contenders.
I almost envy your position. Liverpool had better compete for top honors or heads will roll…….you guys just need to finish fourth and it will be commended. Enjoy your not-so-Great Expectations, they are undeserved and unlikely to last for long.
The fact that Henry only had one year left on his contract last summer meant Arsenal would have been lucky to get €10m for him.
There’s no way they could have sold him for £26m or anything like it.
I feel Arsenal will surprise almost every pundit and journo in the country. we may not win it but a title challenge is still expected within the dressing room. as you say we can enjoy a season with no expectations for the first time in many years and come next summer, if we have done well, then the expectations will return again.
If I could choose a top 2 it would be Arsenal then Liverpool. anyone but chavski and manyoo would be lovely.
This article makes me realise how completely unwilling 99% of supporters are to complement other teams and give an accurate and nonbiased view. It´s refreshing and will make discussions between fans of different clubs all the more interesting.
I agree that this team can surprise a few people and it´s not the quality of the team that I´m slightly worried about, but if they can be consistent enough to challenge for the title.
My view of Liverpool is that they are building an exciting team which will be a contender for the title now for a number of years. but with all the new signings coming in, I think it will take time for the new players to become acclimatized to one another. They might start slow but I think they´ll have a strong second half of the season.
Thanks again for a good read!
Many thanks for the nice words. I, too, belong in the minority when believing that Henry’s departure is not a bad thing. We may come up short this time as well (especially if our injury jinx strikes again), but the majority of our young players got to Cardiff last season and out played Chelsea, so experience wise we are set.
Good luck to Liverpool – I believe they will come good once all the players are settled, and here’s hoping that one of our teams can win the League this season.
As an Arsenal fan it is great to read an article from a rival fan that is not saying Arsenal are a spent force who will be mid table (mostly Spurs fans). Last season we played without Henry for the majority and were comfortably in the top four. I am looking forward to the new season without our main striker as I believe the rest of the team will step up and surprise everyone.
I don’t think we will win the league but I expect this year to be a lot tighter with all four battling. My money goes on Man Utd for the title with the other three fairly closely together.
I have to say, as an Arsenal fan i have had a soft spot for Liverpool for some time. To be honest it came in fits and starts but was probably cemented after watching the CL final 2005. Since then i’ve always looked forward to seeing Liverpool play (after Arsenal of course) & i think Rafa’s a great manager.
Having said i have to comment further & state that what you’ve said is all well & good, but as any Gunner will tell you our whole team is like a house of cards built around Arsene Wenger. If he goes even the most die-hard Arsenal fan will admit that it all comes tumbling down (maybe i exaggerated a bit, but you get the picture). Its just speculation, but you get the feeling that as loved as Henry was by the rank & file players & fans, there might be a sense of relief now that he’s gone & the rest of the team can get down to business.
I try not to read too much into player & managers interviews, i think results speak for themselves, but many players in this team have said that their future is linked with Wenger. Now if you ask me, that’s a pretty bold statement coming from them in a media culture where nobody says what they really think.
I like to think that Wenger wants to stay, that he didn’t get this new stadium built just to leave so soon & he wants to create his 3rd great team. He’s had the Adams-Wright era, then the Vieira-Henry era, now its time for the era of ‘Team Arsenal – The Young Gunners’!
But until he signs his name on the dotted line, i’m not making any bets.
Nice one. Top Article.
It’s nice to read something not full of insults!
I agree with Chapman but I have a feeling that Liverpool’s new signings won’t take long to gel together… apart from maybe Veronin (what was Benitez thinking??).
Thanks for the kind words.
And i totally agree with you. Arsenal will have a super squad for years to come…
The 16m they received was far too low, but keep in mind that his wages also needs to be added to the equation.
Finally a neutral has said what Arsenal fans have known all summer. Unlike arrogant Mancs, ignorant Chelsea fans and hopeful Yidos, Liverpool fans are the only rivals who can be proud of their history, recognise a squad with ability and be realistic about how things will pan out this season.
Arsenal and Liverpool are similar in many ways. They have history, play with pride but not arrogance and share a mutual hate for Utd and Chelski. Maybe this derives from the fact that Utd are too arrogant and Chelsea have no history.
As long as this is the case, we’ll never walk alone.
Oi, what makes you say that? we’re not likely to able to breath and that is a fact: By Spuds and other numpties. Then you come around and try to change it and thus putting us under pressure. No, we like it that way. Come on kiddies, Titti aint gonna scowl now, so make make the most of it.
Wow, five reasonable posts, whatever next! Bound to be some half wit come on here and spoil it all with their blinding bias for their own team and dislike of everyone else. So, until then, hats off to you lot and the original poster. Up The Gunners.
Hey! Don’t rate us!! How dare you!! haha 🙂
We like being the underdogs!! 🙂
Yo Franny, if there’s one new ‘pool player that I as a gooner will watch out for, it is Voronin. Torres is 50% hype whereas this guy has no pressure on him as he came free and look extremely sharp in the pre season games. Benitez may have bought a few flops but this looks like a bargain………..
iqnadirshah – Don’t know if you watched the match v Feyenoord… he was quite poor.
Arsenal will challenge for the Title my predictions here I think if Fernando Torres Doesnt get more than 20 goals then it will finish.
Man United
Liverpool
Arsenal
Chelsea (Injuries will deny them)
But if Torres Lights up I reckon Top 2 will be.
Liverpool
Man United
I saw some bits of the match. Both the teams were overall quite poor except for gerrard…….
Liverpool_fan saying man utd will come first…you speak with your brain and not your heart. To be honest all i hear from arsenal fans is that you will indeed become a better team and challenge for the title, but To be honest the gap there was between you and spurs has closed, and to be honest the strike force of Spurs looks more threatening. I still think the top four last season will mirror this seasons results, but with 2nd and 3rd and 4th and 5th much more closer.
Arsenal Pre-Henry or Post-Henry is probably the best passing team in the EPL. What they only need is a player (striker) that can convert thoses passes into goals at a regular rate. Queue in Van Persie and the new signing Eduardo. If those two players or any of the arsenal strikers can make an impact up front than Arsenal will be force this season.
But then again, Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham has strengthen their strikeforce this season.
Can people please stop expecting so much from Eduardo? I know he’s a good player, but Wenger would be nuts to throw him in the deep end so early & put so much pressure on him (which he’s not gonna do).
The expectation should be firmly on Van persie & Adebayor & to a lesser extent from Bendtner & Walcott. I also think Hleb might step up this year the way his pre-season form is going but that remains to be seen. Let Eduardo be Eduardo. His time will come when he’s ready.
I agree with most comments. I mean I never counted Arsenal out it’s just they were never in the fold last season so I think that is what I expected this season. But if RVP and Eduardo hit form they will be up there. I just don’t see any real leaders like they had with Viera/Keown/Adams that made them the team that they were. If they had a leader then they would have someone to pull them through and motivate them when teams like Blackburn start to “outmuscle” them during games.
As an Arsenal fan I would like to say that I wouldn’t mind Liverpool finishing 2nd :). I think you guys are quite alright and if there was no Arsenal I might even be a Pool supporter. But enough of the sweet stuff:
Spiral Architect (good name!) – great expectations come automatically if you play for a team like Arsenal. What some people have not realised yet is that we have got a superstar in the making who LOVES pressure! Especially with Adebayor injured: throw him in, he can take it. And let’s also be realistic about Adebayor: his place is the bench, not the first team. Both Bendtner and da Silva have to proof though that they can do better (which both will have little problem to do if I may say so).
Who will lift the trophy at the end of the season is still shrowed in mist – too much can happen in a long and exhausting season. One thing though can be taken for granted: it will not be Spurs …. har har har har!
Are you guys nuts. Did you not see the babe at the top of the page. If thats “belfastlfc” You can support Gunners every day of the week.
Again with Eduardo? Ah well whatever. I still think there shouldn’t be so much expectation from him until he settles into the Premiership playing environment.
In terms of leadership qualities i think it’ll be between Gilberto & *cringe* Gallas. People say Toure would make a good captain. I agree he’s got great skill (his last goal against Spurs was an awesome move!), he’s inspirational on the field & can motivate squad members when needed. But he’s also a bit young at the moment & i don’t think he’s got the tactical ability to lead from behind.
You can see the importance Gilberto is gonna play this season. Everyone respects him, everyone loves him, he plays hard & he plays well & he doesn’t take shit from anyone, while at the same time managed to get the best out of his teammates when Henry wasn’t there. In his playing position he has a better view of the way the game is going & can organise the team more efficiently from there. Check out replays of the Copa America if you wanna know what the hell i’m talking about. Look at how anxious Wenger got when there was a (supposed) bid made for him by Valencia(?). He knows Gilberto is going to be essential for the new season.
As for *cringe* Gallas, he’s got the skill & the experience & could probably ‘beat’ the team into shape on the field during play. But he seems to be another egomaniac who wants the captaincy to feed his vanity.
So i’d put Toure as optional second to these guys along with maybe Fabregas or even *another cringe* Lehmann.
Michael I think it may calm you down to know she is married. Still well worth a look though 🙂 and Chris Martin is hardly going to beat you up.
LIVERPOOL-FAN,
chelsea will not be fourth, they always find a way to get the 1-0’s or 2-1’s if they are struggling. i would say you are a bit wrong about l’pool as well, they are better than last season it looks like they still dont look strong enough in attack right now, although i do think that in a few years babel will be one of the world’s top players.
regarding arsenal, good article. i feel more excited about this coming season than i have for the last three seasons. watching the friendlies in london and amsterdam, they look sharper than they did for the majority of last season and have four or five strikers that can come in and score goals.they also have a stronger defence after signing sagna, and a stronger midfield if eboue is pushed up into right mid. i think arsenal will come third at least, possibly second if man utd’s new signings do not gel into the team.
Relating to the article it will be no to me to see Van Persie taking the league by storm next year. And I agree it is the most exciting pre-season for arsenal fans in years and we only signed 1 first teamer. Ive got a good feeling about this one!!
no suprise
Doesnt anyone remmember 2006 wen we finish with 81 points we r caapable
Lee Pownall – though not obvious I would think we signed 2 first teamers: Sagna of course but also da Silva. Adebayor will have to think of something ………
But right, proof of that is still outstanding.
ok mate fair enough, but not sure how regular they will both be yet! I think they will definitely get a good run during the african nations though!