2021/22 Expectations

[Jase 43,479]

So after winning the Champions League last season, what are we all expecting this time around?

Premier League champions?

Champions League winners?

FA Cup winners?

Carabao Cup winners?

UEFA Super Cup winners?

Club World Cup champions?

[Blue Armour 4,161]

Based on the transfer window so far, not very optimistic.

Top 4, doable, but not sure about challenging for the title based on what we've seen.

Only accomplishments so far have been offloading Giroud and Gilmour.

I'll be concerned about Tuchel too., if we don't strengthen significantly this season. He's already made comments about needing to freshen the squad every season. 

The only player we've been linked with is Haaland and no plan B if that one falls through.

Retaining more or less the same squad has never worked well before., and is a recipe for disaster.

[NikkiCFC 7,579]

CWC and Super Cup are must! I would rather win these and get out of CL group stage than play CL final and lose them all.

PL is also big priority this season. Attack title but even with Haaland not sure we can compete with City if they get Kane and Grealish.

Two domestic cups and CL after just winning it have low priority for me but it is always nice to win more trophies.

Also please less pragmatic footy. Playing James/Azpi as RWB over CHO screams that. MM also as one of front 3 players. That means we have basically 9 players on the pitch who are not likely to score and are there for defensive purposes. 

Change that and put more offensive players.

 

[Vesper 27,302]

5 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

CWC and Super Cup are must!

so much this!

I want those goddamn trophies, especially that bloody FWCC

surely we cannot go down in history as the only Euro side to fail (and to fail TWICE) since the Brasilians won the first 3

we already are the only UEFA side to fail (we had the rotten luck to run tnto the only great non UEFA side since those 3 Brasilian sides) since the first 3

14 finals since then, the only loss was us

to lose it again, and in the last year that it is pretty easy to win (the format changes next year, it will be so much harder) would be too much to take

[Jase 43,479]

Added a poll too...

[Jype 6,398]

30 minutes ago, Blue Armour said:

Retaining more or less the same squad has never worked well before., and is a recipe for disaster.

On the other hand the squad went through a massive overhaul last year with six new high profile additions coming in so this year was always going to be a bit quieter. With pretty much no pre-season and a tightly packed season schedule last year, some of last summers signings (especially Werner, Havertz, Ziyech) are maybe still not fully settled in. Obviously I wouldn't say no to a quality addition or two (especially in the striker department) but the squad really doesn't need all that much to compete. 

Retaining the same squad doesn't work if the squad has already peaked, but most in this young group are still developing both on a personal level and on playing together as a team so I wouldn't panic even if there isn't any major signings.

Btw, after winning the UCL in 2019 the dippers didn't sign anyone aside from a new backup goalkeeper and they did alright in the following league season...

Edited July 16, 2021 by Jype

[Pizy 17,860]

Sign Haaland and I think we win the league. Sign no top striker and I think we finish 5th or 6th.

Impossible to answer the poll question until we see what (if any) business we do.

[Blue Armour 4,161]

1 minute ago, Jype said:

Retaining the same squad doesn't work if the squad has already peaked, but most in this young group are still developing both on a personal level and on playing together as a team so I wouldn't panic even if there isn't any major signings.

Btw, after winning the UCL in 2019 the dippers didn't sign anyone aside from a new backup goalkeeper and they did alright in the following league season...

Yeah, I agree that some of the key players are yet to peak, so there's some hope there.

And yeah, I admit Liverpool did alright following their UCL season. Could still be the exception to the rule though. Chelsea have tended to do this after after every successful season and it's led to problems.

Also, not sure Tuchel will feel happy about not getting new signings, especially since he has been vocal about strengthening the squad.

[Tomo 21,681]

43 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Sign Haaland and I think we win the league. Sign no top striker and I think we finish 5th or 6th.

Impossible to answer the poll question until we see what (if any) business we do.

If we finish 6th that would basically mean Tuchel is no better than Lampard (who achieved 4th with a much superior squad to this).

[Pizy 17,860]

11 minutes ago, Tomo said:

If we finish 6th that would basically mean Tuchel is no better than Lampard (who achieved 4th with a much superior squad to this).

Not for me. It would say that we stood still while those around us all improved.

City were already much better than us in the league and will spend massively. United have spent £80m and will spend much more. Leicester were neck and neck with us and have added 3 good players thus far I think. Liverpool will have all their best players back fit and bought a highly rated CB. They finished above us despite having a season from hell. Even Arse are on the verge of making their 2nd and 3rd signings whilst we don’t appear to be close to making even 1. Despite them being hilariously shit last season they finished only 6 points behind us. They should improve considerably.

Even with TT’s brilliance I think the squad we currently have is capable of 3rd or 4th AT BEST. I just don’t think we have the goal scoring firepower to compete over a 38 match season.

[Tomo 21,681]

3 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Not for me. It would say that we stood still while those around us all improved.

City were already much better than us in the league and will spend massively. United have spent £80m and will spend much more.

City don't appear to be any closer to making signings than we do,unless you've seen something I've missed, likewise United bar one signing they should have got 12 months ago.

4 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Even Arse are on the verge of making their 2nd and 3rd signings whilst we don’t appear to be close to making even 1. Despite them being hilariously shit last season they finished only 6 points behind us. They should improve considerably.

If we signed Ramsdale, Neves and Ben White this place would be in absolute meltdown so why on earth are they being considered potential game changers for Arsenal?

Also this 6 point thing is ridiculously misleading, the gap became that "close" because we had half on an eye on a CL final while they as usual strung a few wins together when there was no pressure. Also if they will improve based on signing players fighting relegation last season shouldn't the same logic apply to us having a full season of TT and our big investments being more settled?

Also if the title was won in the window, why didn't we walk the league last season?

[Vesper 27,302]

49 minutes ago, Tomo said:

no better than Lampard (who achieved 4th with a much superior squad to this).

erm, what squad under Lampard was 'much superior' to this one?

the year he finished 4th this was the squad

 
Kepa   
Willy Caballero 
Antonio Rüdiger  
Kurt Zouma  
Andreas Christensen   
Fikayo Tomori   (rookie season)
Emerson  
Marcos Alonso    
César Azpilicueta    
Reece James  (rookie season)
N'Golo Kanté   (rough time with multiple injuries)
Jorginho   
Mateo Kovacic   
Ruben Loftus-Cheek  (perma wrecked by then, only played 205 league minutes) 
Ross Barkley   
Mason Mount   (rookie season)
Callum Hudson-Odoi   (post injury, and only played 851 league minutes, was a shadow of himself)
Christian Pulisic  
Willian (Ziyech scored only 3 less goals than Willian in 1500 LESS minutes, all comps)    
Pedro   (1 league goal)
Tammy Abraham   
Michy Batshuayi   (1 league goal, was horrid)   
Olivier Giroud    

 

Tuchel has/had (new players, not on Lamps 4th place team)

Gilmour (now loaned out)
Kai Havertz    
Timo Werner   
Ben Chilwell    
Hakim Ziyech   
Edouard Mendy   
Thiago Silva

and all the ones to come this window (if any)

plus a healthy Kante

if you think the 2019/20 side was 'much superior' to last year's or the one we will end up with this season, I do not know what to say

actually

how about

KEPA was the starting keeper in 2019/20

for starters

 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2021 by Vesper

[Vesper 27,302]

2 hours ago, Jas said:

So after winning the Champions League last season, what are we all expecting this time around?

Premier League champions?

Champions League winners?

FA Cup winners?

Carabao Cup winners?

UEFA Super Cup winners?

Club World Cup champions?

UEFA Super Cup winners

Club World Cup champions

top 4

at a minimum

[Tomo 21,681]

10 minutes ago, Vesper said:

erm, what squad under Lampard was 'much superior' to thsi one?

the year he finished 4th this was the squad

 
Kepa   
Willy Caballero 
Antonio Rüdiger  
Kurt Zouma  
Andreas Christensen   
Fikayo Tomori   (rookie season)
Emerson  
Marcos Alonso    
César Azpilicueta    
Reece James  (rookie season)
N'Golo Kanté   (rough time with multiple injuries)
Jorginho   
Mateo Kovacic   
Ruben Loftus-Cheek  (perma wrecked by then, only played 205 league minutes) 
Ross Barkley   
Mason Mount   (rookie season)
Callum Hudson-Odoi   (post injury, and only played 851 league minutes, was a shadow of himself)
Christian Pulisic  
Willian (Ziyech scored only 3 less goals than Willian in 1500 LESS minutes, all comps)    
Pedro   (1 league goal)
Tammy Abraham   
Michy Batshuayi   (1 league goal, was horrid)   
Olivier Giroud    

 

Tuchel has/had (new players, not on Lamps 4th place team)

Gilmour (now loaned out)
Kai Havertz    
Timo Werner   
Ben Chilwell    
Hakim Ziyech   
Edouard Mendy   
Thiago Silva

and all the ones to come this window (if any)

plus a healthy Kante

if you think the 2019/20 side was 'much superior' to last year's or the one we will end up with this season, I do not know what to say

actually

how about

KEPA was the starting keeper in 2019/20

for starters

 

 

 

Sorry I meant to say inferior.

[Vesper 27,302]

1 minute ago, Tomo said:

Sorry I meant to say inferior.

damn, I typed all that shit out for nothing, ffs

😿

 

[Jase 43,479]

46 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Not for me. It would say that we stood still while those around us all improved.

City were already much better than us in the league and will spend massively. United have spent £80m and will spend much more. Leicester were neck and neck with us and have added 3 good players thus far I think. Liverpool will have all their best players back fit and bought a highly rated CB. They finished above us despite having a season from hell. Even Arse are on the verge of making their 2nd and 3rd signings whilst we don’t appear to be close to making even 1. Despite them being hilariously shit last season they finished only 6 points behind us. They should improve considerably.

Even with TT’s brilliance I think the squad we currently have is capable of 3rd or 4th AT BEST. I just don’t think we have the goal scoring firepower to compete over a 38 match season.

[Blue Armour 4,161]

23 minutes ago, Vesper said:

damn, I typed all that shit out for nothing, ffs

😿

 

I was thinking of posting out @Tomo s mistake., but didn't want to be that guy.

Hindsight!

[Pizy 17,860]

Unless people are mighty confident that Werner will score 20 in the league and Kai 10-15, I don’t understand how anyone can predict us to significantly improve our league position with the squad as is. Will they (and Pulisic, and Ziyech, and Mount) improve? Yes. Enough to make up 20 points on City? Not in my opinion.