22 Nov 2025 20:09:25
This year top four is wide open, win Monday and we could be 4th, and only 2 points off second c'mon united.

1.) 22 Nov 2025
22 Nov 2025 22:10:45
We will win the league this year!

2.) 23 Nov 2025
23 Nov 2025 06:38:25
hope we strengthen in jan. even a loan deal.

3.) 23 Nov 2025
23 Nov 2025 08:46:15
If we strengthen well as I've suggested, we go all the way Ahmad.

{Ed025's Note - lay off the drugs Jimbo.. :)

4.) 23 Nov 2025
23 Nov 2025 11:02:02
Or at least share them!

5.) 23 Nov 2025
23 Nov 2025 11:05:09
Still a long way to go yet, but the improvements we've made are massive. I'm so glad the new owners and people running the club have bigger balls and conviction than the last lot. So much media pressure trying to get Amorim the sack just a month ago, it was being painted that we were awful and in free fall, which given the short amount of time since and our current position proves that wasn't the case.

We had the hardest start of any team in terms of fixtures and yet we've actually done pretty well.

Clearly the league is a little topsy turvy this year, no one bar Arsenal have shown genuine league winning form, with many sides in various stages of transition.
Yet that does present us with an opportunity to really push and try and kick on. Maybe even jump a season's progression. I think most would have said a top 7 finish was the realistic aim (and that shouldn't really change), but there is an opportunity to get UCL football this year rather than Europa league. Which would be a massive boost for many reasons. The money, the prestige, and it is actually an easier competition to balance playing league and European football due to the fixtures. You probably need a deeper squad to play EL football rather than UCL due to the Thursday/Sunday schedule rather than the Tuesday/Wednesday/Saturday schedule. That extra day to travel and rest is important, especially if you have a smaller squad (which we will likely have due to our rebuilding) .

We need to be careful not to overestimate ourselves, the league is a marathon not a sprint, and we have a fairly small group of players who are both suitable for our style of play and good enough to play to the level we need. Later in the season when the AFCON takes several vital players from us, and injuries and fatigue start to take hold we might see a drop off in performances and probably results as well. There is a good chance that we end up limping across the line at the end of the season.

Our squad depth might be the thing that makes us come unstuck. Casemiro is vital, our best midfielder in this system by a mile, but he is in his twilight years and is having to play more than he should, which might bite us later in the season. Bruno also looks to be feeling the effects of his insane number of minutes played over the past 5 years, and being asked to play in a more physically demanding position. The depth beyond them is poor, Mainoo doesn't look comfortable in that deeper role in this system, hopefully he can develop the stamina to get to grips with it. While Ugarte doesn't look good enough for the EPL unfortunately.

We then have Amad as the only consistently good option at wingback, and he could miss 8 weeks due to the AFCON. Mbeumo who has been our best player could also be missing for upto 8 weeks as well. The depth behind them coming into that RWB and right sided 10 are quite a drop off in quality.

At LWB, beyond Dorgu (who as a young player can be inconsistent, and has areas he still needs to develop) the options are shocking.

MdL and Yoro have been amazing at CB, while Shaw and Maguire have been solid. Yet Yoro is young and will have dips in form and there isn't a lot of quality to come in and replace him. While Martinez is still recovering from injury and there is no saying how well he will play after so many lengthy injuries, while historically both Shaw and MdL have suffered with injuries. Both really need to have their game time and rest time carefully managed, which is difficult when there aren't many good options to replace them.

Sesko's injury has highlighted the lack of depth at CF. While we don't really have another forward who has a similar skill set to Mbeumo, meaning we lose that pace to run in behind and stretch play when he isn't there. Both Mount and Cunha are great players in their own right, but neither can do the job the Mbeumo does so well for us. Likewise none of Zirkzee or Bruno, who can also play in the inside forward role, can either.

We might need to dip into the January transfer market if possible to help see us over the line this season and take advantage of our good start and the rest of the leagues general malaise. We desperately need another midfielder, someone like João Gomes would be ideal, EPL proven and exactly the type of midfielder that suits Amorim's system. While having Casemiro and Cunha in the squad that should enable him to settle quickly. The other name we've been linked with is Semenyo, and to be honest he'd be a great signing in many ways. EPL proven (and currently one of the most in form players in the league), is capable of playing right across the front three or at wingback, and he also offers that threat in behind that we lose when Mbeumo doesn't play. The only downside is that being Ghanaian he will also be at the AFCON when we would need him most. So while a great long term signing to raise the quality in the squad, he doesn't really solve the short term issue this season. Yet it still would make sense to sign him if possible as there will be much more competition for him in the summer.

Personally if we make signings in January then they should be EPL proven players, we have seen even with players who ultimately turned out as great signings (Evra and Vidic), that they can struggle when joining in January and they haven't got EPL experience.

Hopefully we can make the most of this season, but it will be challenging and many bumps in the road yet.

6.) 23 Nov 2025
23 Nov 2025 18:37:03
No drugs for a long time, just pure belief that we have the makings of a great period. A couple of signings in Jan and we kick on.

Others are faltering, or at least will. Others have started poorly and have even more ground to make up. Others have distractions coming up that will effect their league form.

7.) 23 Nov 2025
23 Nov 2025 20:05:06
@Shappy I believe that Ghana didn't qualify for afcon this year.

8.) 23 Nov 2025
23 Nov 2025 22:21:42
Cheeky bids for Munoz or Livramento to fix the RWB, Gutierrez for LWB. Amass won't cut it for me, not seen enough of others like Leon, Overy etc.
One Central mid, and maybe even a double raid on palace for Guehi.

Title winning.
Arsenal will slip, they have Arteta at the helm still.