ARSENAL CLINGING ON FOR FOURTH

"ARSENAL will kick off the new season on top of the Premier League - but I doubt if they'll still be there the day after.

Alphabetical order won't count for anything once the campaign's up and running and the Gunners' first match is away to Everton.

Meanwhile, champions Manchester United entertain Birmingham City and Chelsea are at home to Hull. Nuff said? "

eh? :)

By adam.. Posted August 16 2009 at 9:58 PM.

If arsenal are a write off as its claimed,why all the fuss!
Unless you are afraid of their potential for the crown,that's the only reason they'd continue with the talk

By Abbas.. Posted August 4 2009 at 9:58 AM.

Couldn't disagree with you more! Arsenal will compete and win the EPL next season...Man U will be 4th.
Arsene has been building a team worthy to be champions again! Arsenal don't need to spend ridiculous cash and go bankrupt like Leeds Utd. You'll be surprised this coming season. Letting Adebayor and Toure leave were good moves. Just one or two new faces will be enough. I'd also not be averse to the idea if Vieira making a come back.

By Tushar.. Posted August 4 2009 at 4:24 AM.

Everyone forgets that not 16 months ago, an away win over Manchester United would have crowned Arsenal Premiership champions. Everyone forgets that 16 months ago a poor decision by the referee to award a penalty kick to Steven Gerrard in the 85th minute of the second leg of a champions league match saw Arsenal robbed of a place in the semi finals. I don't know how, but everyone also seems to forget that Arsenal went on a 22 game unbeaten streak, most of it without Captain Cesc Fabregas and without Andrey Arshavin (certainly not an adjusted Arshavin for it either). Toure and Adebayor's lack of importance in that unbeaten streak cannot be emphasized enough. Now that the Young Gunners have had another year of maturing, including finishing in the top 4, making it to the semi-finals of BOTH the Champions League and FA Cup, and Arshavin has fully adjusted to the Premiership, there is no reason why Arsenal should be considered weak and the most likely to fall out of the top 4.

By DF.. Posted August 3 2009 at 11:41 PM.

we need to calm down regarding youth we are the future of the best team in europe not the past we learn from the past especially the last four years.
the young guns have showed us promise, so expectations can also destroy our young players. it is natural to want more and more when we are doing so well that the more we want the more we destroy. taking wenger at his word should be enough he is the manager and knows these future stars personally, their history, their families, their lifestyle and their problems as youth. so lets just enjoy the games they play and watch them grow into the great players of arsenal. we are the fans of arsenal we unfortunately do not know what is in the minds of these young men. we like anyone else want to win. but we need to be patient about it . so here we are wenger promised us a great team and that has taken time so lets sit back and watch the future champions pump up the volume. the young guns will shoot bang bang bang so many goals. but respect them by allowing them to gain the experience they need. i will say this though in this time of ression all clubs should drop the price of tickets and make allowances for this ressesion. so to the board i say you have enough money as well do city and chelsea and utd the top five should lead by example to the rest of the prem.. and cool down throwing stupid money around the game its disgusting an insult to struggling families in these days of the struggle to survive.

By robby.. Posted August 3 2009 at 12:09 PM.

An article full of knee jerk appraisals made on the basis of Man City and ''Wild Geese 3, One Last Payday" affair. The side is beginning to look sharp, mobile and, importantly, unified, like 07/08. I think how the defence sets themselves out is as important as just getting players in. The defensive midfield is an issue but I think with the improved attacking options this season, Dennilson,Song,Ramsey.whoever it might be will be less drawn into trying to bolster offensive play and be able to
properly sit in front of the defence. One year it's Tottenham, then Villa, this year,City, I expect us to be more than scrambling for CL, of course what the Mancs, Chavs, and Scousers do with there money between now and end of Aug may have a bareing, but for now I am going to stick some money on the Gunners. Good Luck Lads.

By Bryan Cope.. Posted August 2 2009 at 10:01 PM.

I see Arsenal fans have put you straight and seen through your Chelsea blinkers pin head beasly or whatever your name is.

By anon.. Posted August 2 2009 at 9:21 PM.

Underestimate us at your peril!

By Kwame Boadu.. Posted August 2 2009 at 8:48 PM.

before Roman how lon did it take b4 they won the league how long has it been 4 liverpool without the PL title i knw we havent on the cl but the comp is tough its all bright for Arsnl did anyone see how dominant in the emirates cup wiltshire was on fire watch tis space..............................................................

By tkgooner.. Posted August 2 2009 at 7:41 PM.

dan i agree mate the trouble was that we play the very best football throughout any league no matter where thanks to the brilliant wenger, although adeboyer scored a great deal of goals but my god if you watch any game last season he fouled up so so many chances the team made for him. if we had a striker such as henry at his best we would have totally destroyed every team that came our way,arshaven will be that player. but we need that midfield, defence sorted. viera was great could be the leader but a little slow i think for the fastest most skillful team in the premier.
djourou, bendner, fabianski and aboue are the players who mess up a lot. wenger you are the best manager any team could wish for. but the fat cats need to open their wallets if they are football fans or are they just fans of the bank.
mind you we only need a few players as this team will make a laughing stock of the likes of city and chelsea, sorry i laugh even now as i am certain we will destroy these teams this year. if the young guns keep their heads up arshaven just proved this point the game is never over until its over.

By robby.. Posted August 2 2009 at 5:46 PM.

In Wenger We Trust. Never mind these armchair football commentetors. Come may, they will be ashamed of their silly predictions. Check your staistics mate, playing with the "kids" as you may call us. Did Arsenal collected minimum points amoung the top four? Dream on

By McZee4arsenal.. Posted August 2 2009 at 5:03 PM.

i do agree with some thing he has said but do do sound like you dont know what you are on about if u look at arsenal over the last 10 years i think this squad of players are as good as any if we could ad a cb and a cdm will have a squad that could challenge on all four fronts and y dosen't anybody talk bout all the other team that have losted or just about to loose there best players atleast arsenal got rid of there dead wood in theteam and not players like fab so come on arsenal fans show our team some support because we can win the league

By antony .. Posted August 2 2009 at 2:49 PM.

Please please please will anyone tell me of another manager that can do what Wenger has done at Arsenal with the resources he's had??

You'll see that citeh will prove that money cant buy you sucess! And as for Toures comments about having to spend money to compete, he came in for £150k and won a bag full of silverware with us!

By baz.. Posted August 2 2009 at 2:25 PM.

i have been an avid arsenal fan for 25 years and will remain one until the day i die so even if the next few years maybe tough (emirates stadium loan) and having to sell players every year the future of my club is safe compared to others that are run deep in dept.arsenal football club is a business and considering how the press jump on the band wagon and say we are finished/wenger has lost his way we still finished 4th last year.we play some amazing football have a wonderful stadium and a fantastic group of youngsters that wear the shirt with pride.we do need to plug holes in our defence and midfield but in wenger we trust.will the likes of man city and chelsea b around in 25 years as we know them today,maybe.arsenal as a business most definately.

By dan james.. Posted August 2 2009 at 2:09 PM.

who is this guy?? Does he think he is God's gift to Football??

Please don't speak if you know nothing....

By Djembo.. Posted August 2 2009 at 1:19 PM.

well i see where wenger is coming from but in the emerites cup match i just saw he was so annoyed as we yet again conceeded another goal he complained to pat rice who seemed to take it with a painful ear.wenger is delighted when we score but very upset when we conseed so he must look at djourou he is absalutely rubbish very very weak, he is just not a defender. bendner will never make it as a top scorer, he is just alright, average, between 1 and ten he is 3 the occasional goal. those two spots are the weakest links in arsenal team. so we need a striker and a defender who are above 7 out of 10. please wenger sell them. after all if there have been no approaches for these players what does that tell you huh they are not wanted. you may not even give such players away fabinski was the trouble also that cost us the fa cup and prem. please get players who are the envy of other teams even if they be unknown as you know yourself wenger you find such players. you can not force a horse to drink so if you done your best with these three players let them go.

By rob.. Posted August 2 2009 at 12:45 PM.

glad to c gunners finaly stickn together come on the season hasn't started yet and your having a pop wont se you much at emirates then this year must have freebies for the lane lol

By red matt.. Posted August 2 2009 at 11:55 AM.

With Hangelaand & Matuidi with Vieira coming in our squad will just about be complete.
As other Gooners have said we will surprise alot of people.
By the way if Arshavin stays fit he's nailed on for Player of the Year. You know that fellow gunners.

By Big Dave L.. Posted August 2 2009 at 11:45 AM.

i think that song should go off and arshavin moves back then adwardo will play in srike

By fezan.. Posted August 2 2009 at 11:17 AM.

arsenal r the best

By ahsan.. Posted August 2 2009 at 11:15 AM.

Rob, is this your day job ? Do you get paid for writing this gibberish ?

I ve been going to Arsenal since 1963, so feel I m well placed to review the coming season,
Firstly, the disgruntled "fans" you talk of are the "glory boys", new fans attracted by success, the true fans know the score.
We will definately be top 4, and even more in the mix, ok we need a holding midfielder, and a centre half, but the window hasnt closed yet!
Arshavin will be a sensation, Rosicky is back, and Eduardo is underrated, he will show you all this season!
Van Persie, Fabregas, Clichy, Sagna, Walcott, Nasri,
What, all journeymen Rob ?
And Wenger, suddenly a bad manager ?
Sorry mate, you aint got a clue!

By Flower.. Posted August 2 2009 at 11:27 AM.

Arsenal seems to be a target of everyone's scorn and I do not understand why....? With the amount of injuries we picked up in the last two seasons and still managing to finish in the top four, I think we are amazing.

People want to see loads of money spent, but does that spell quality? Ade-bye-whore went for 25million..Arshavin came in for 15mill does that make Ade a better player than Arsh....??? ha ha ha I don't think so..Prof Wenger knows best!!

By Gunnerstic.. Posted August 2 2009 at 10:05 AM.

Take your Chelsea shirt off Beasley. Arsenal have got rid of the rotten apple that is Adebayor. Chelsea still have Cech, Drogba and Ballack in Roman's ear.

By Sayid.. Posted August 2 2009 at 9:57 AM.

I believe Arsenal will shock a few people this season.AW hasnt become a bad manager and nobody will wipe the floor with this team.Rosicky showed yesterday that he's lost nothing in touch and is a new signing.Theres enough up front in many combinations and though another centre back would be great, I believe that Song,Djourou and Diaby will benefit from last years experience and at least one will come good.Ive supported Arsenal for fifty years, and I do get frustrated at times, but watching the youth team win the cup cup last year make me realise that there is a rythm in every part of the club that will see us good for years to come-both in winning trophies and creating revenue.People moan about not having won anything for five years, but with the brand of football played at times,we must be the best entertainers in the prem,and silver will come. Hope it happens this season, but if not, there'll still be loads to watch,and great games ahead.All to play for and all to be proved.

By jim.. Posted August 2 2009 at 9:15 AM.

From reading the comments it really sounds as though Arsenal fans aren't looking forward to the league!!!!

What you fail to mention is that last season we had no Rosicky or Eduardo. Arshavin only joined in Feb and Walcott, Fabregas, Gallas and Clichy all picked up injuries. As well as an unhappy Toure, and a lazy Adebayor we had a season of constant difficulties.

If Liverpool lose Gerrard, Torres, Kuyt and Carragher lets see how wonderful they are.

Or Utd without Rio, Vidic, Rooney and Scholes.

Or Chelsea without Drogba, Lampard, Terry and Cech.

This season we start with a fit, full, and settled squad. And Arsenal fans believe that 1 signing is needed to bring us to full strength, and it seems that soon Wenger will be bringing someone in.

By cheese.. Posted August 2 2009 at 9:02 AM.

leave wenger alone,he buys a player who he thinks will be good for the team.he has kept the squad together and this will make us stronger,they know how each other plays.make wholesale changes and the team will struggle.selling ade and kolo was good business,ade is a lazy player and kolo had had his head turned buy money in january and was not the player he was.

By john.. Posted August 2 2009 at 8:37 AM.

I like Arsenal when the whole world seems to be against them.If we can get good wins from the ist 2 games,then we will be there or thereabout for the title.Disposing adebayo is the best thing to have happened this summer,we even had a £25m reward.I like Toure,but his mind is no more with us.So all in all,god business from Prof.We need a real lunatic though in the midfield.

By Alabi.. Posted August 2 2009 at 7:35 AM.

This bloke is a prat. The season has not even started yet and he's writing us off, 2 or 3 signings from Wenger and we have a good chance of silverware, what other manager could get close to that with the money Wenger has, no 100 million here to spend!!!

By Lee.. Posted August 2 2009 at 7:32 AM.

Oh boy stop harasing the prof, he knows what to do at the right time, gbp41m for ade+kolo isnt that enough, i believe other coaches will b looking 4 a way 2 emulate him, wit benter,vp,arshar, goals are guaranted. Up gunners

By Jide okaka.. Posted August 2 2009 at 7:16 AM.

We will struggle because we lost 2 of our biggest goal scoring threat in the past 2 season(and there is no manure player that outscored bentdner last year),or we are loosing our playmaker or we'll loose key players during the african cup. Get real. last term we where fantastic after november,loosing only to chelsea in 24 games.if are one player away from being more than decent. We sold our 3rd best finisher(whose mind was somewhere else) and our 4th choice CB for £40m that was excellent if you ask me

By Solomon.. Posted August 2 2009 at 7:07 AM.

o and did u see young jack wiltshire against athletico? brilliance in the making!!
he is going to be the best thing to happen to england since gascoigne!!!

By mic84.. Posted August 2 2009 at 1:32 AM.

Arsenal are NOT the only team that will be challenged for a place in the champions league as well as the top four spots in the premier league. Arsenal are just as good as chelsea, liverpoo and man u, and they have proved that. So all the top teams will have to worry about getting into the champions league. Just because city buy some big names doesn't mean that they will play better this season. For example city's match againts barnsley ended in a draw, niether robinho nor adebayour were able to get the ball in the back of the net, in the end petrov prevented city from losing......... I think city have wasted their money!

By Luis.. Posted August 2 2009 at 1:15 AM.

Are you serious? Arsenal chase fourth? How can you say that about a team who the season before last led the league for six months? Last year, we got off to a bad start after having to revamp the entire midfield. We also ended up with the longest unbeaten run of any team in the league, most of which was without our best player and captain.

Yes, Arsenal have lost Adebayor, a striker with an attitude problem, and Toure, a player past his best and not even guaranteed to have been in the starting XI this season had he stayed. But no one seems to realize that City have just given the best judge of talent in the world, 40m pounds that can easily make his squad better than it was with Adebayor and Toure. And even if they are not replaced, none of the other big 4 have made any significant signings and United have lost two key players while Liverpool are about to be a completely different team when Alonso goes to Madrid. Chelsea, meanwhile, will be adjusting to their 45th manager in the last 2 years and an aging squad.

By natsteel.. Posted August 2 2009 at 1:02 AM.

A good run out today-It is in the centre of defence that we need another top player. We still don't defend set pieces-pretty much any of them. Everton must be licking their lips.
You are right about midfield-but it is as much about organisation as players.
Up front we have some serious quality- but still need a finisher.

By goonergerry.. Posted August 2 2009 at 1:01 AM.

Arsenal are NOT the only that will be challenged for a place in the champions league as well as a place in the top spots in the premier league. Arsenal are just as good as chelsea, Liverpool, and man u, and arsenal have proved that last season. So all
The top teams have to worry about getting into the champions.. Especially Manchester united who have now lost two of their best players, two players who basically won the league for man u. However man u are still far better than city. Just because buy some big names doesn't mean that they will better this season. Real Madrid are a perfect example of this, they spent ALOT of money buying Ronaldo and Benzema who didn't do much in the peace cup and I think that barcelona will still beat Madrid easily. Also city's match against barnsley ended in a draw, niether robinho nor adebayour were able to get the ball in the back of the net, and in the end petrov prevented city from losing, and he is worth less than 5m.

By Luis.. Posted August 2 2009 at 1:04 AM.

I think and hope you are wrong. Today's game against A. Madrid has shown that Arsenal has what it takes to win trophies again. Defenders will now have worry about Wilshire-another terror (after AA).
If AW strengthens the midfield with Viera and Matuidi, they will be very competitve. Meanwhile let opponents worry about the twin terror- AA and JW.

By Ugochukwu.. Posted August 2 2009 at 12:22 AM.

Rob.....Shut Up

By VoiceOfGooner.. Posted August 2 2009 at 12:10 AM.

What makes you so certain that Arsenal will be in a scrap for 4th next season ?????
The Mancs have lost Teves and Ronaldo
Liverpool will loose Alonso
Chelsea keep changing managers and a few of there stars are getting a bit long in the tooth.
Arsenal do in my opinion need a couple of players,
one more Centre back, and one holding midfield player, but with Carlos Vela hitting form for Mexico and Eddie getting back to form we will not miss Lazybyeor. With player like Whiltshire bursting into the squad, why spend ?? In Wenger we trust !!!!

By Rick.. Posted August 1 2009 at 11:29 PM.

Know nothing idiot !!!

Chelsea are potentially dangerous but are generally old and egotistical across the squad

Man U have sold two of their best players who arguably won them the league last year and bought Valencia Woo Hoo.

Liverpool's challenge hangs on whether Gerrard and Torres can avoid injuries. Unlikely !!

Arsenal have made 40m+ on a sulky, lazy money obsessed attacker and a 3rd choice centreback who's has declined gradually over the last two years. Yes we lack defensive depth but write us off at your peril. I will enjoy you eating you words at the end of the season

By Ben.. Posted August 1 2009 at 11:51 PM.

Why r arsenal gettin targeted for not buyin players look at liverpool they've also bought one player and two of there midfielders want to leave man u also lost two key playas to man city

By Asif hussan.. Posted August 1 2009 at 11:55 PM.

Arsenal will surprise you. Watch and learn. You forgot how Arsenal played near the end of last season? They were the team to beat! Now that everyone is back form injury we have pessimistic clouds hanging around.

The year you all said Arsenal was going to be 5th we almost won the league if it weren't for cry baby Gallas.

I am not an Arsenal fan but trust me Arsenal is a force, underestimating will bite you back!

By Zechariah.. Posted August 1 2009 at 11:34 PM.

just wait, your be eating your words

By charlie.. Posted August 1 2009 at 11:13 PM.

You're in for a big surprise this season, I promise you.

By Steve.. Posted August 1 2009 at 11:15 PM.