Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Nick Simmonett 
Date:Monday January 21 2008
Time: 9:13PM
UK time is: 21:48:43
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A Season Too Soon
I come before you fellow Gooners to inform you all that Arsenal will NOT win The Premier League this season.
That's right, Arsenal wont win the Premiership this yea, it's a season too soon. I said at the start of the season that we would not win it this year, but that we would next season. And, after little over half a season, I stand by what I said.
When Arsenal have been on form this season, they've been out of this world. No one could touch us. No one.
But We are still a very young team, and our inexperience will be our only downfall this season.
I can't look at any one player and say 'he hasn't been good enough this season.' Everyone has been excellent to date, and will continue to be so.
The only thing lacking is consistency, but that will come with experience. Players like Fabregas, Adebayor, Walcott, Clichy, Flamini, Djourou and Bendtner are all incredibly talented, but all need that little bit more experience to display the consistencey needed to win the Premiership.
Our football has been better than anyone in the Premiership this season. The only thing seperating us and united is that word I keep using - experience. Even Rooney at 22 has been playing first team football for 6 years. Then they have players like Scholes, Giggs and Ferdinand who know what winning titles is all about.
So I predict that United will win the title by 5 points this sesason.
I hope I'm wrong, of course I do. But I that is my honest opinion.
But fear not, for next season will really be one to remember. I fully believe that we will destroy everyone next year. We'll smash records, tear teams apart like they're wet paper and we'll then dominate football for a good few years.
Fabregas and Flamini will have had a full season to develop their partnership, as will Toure and Gallas. Eduardo will be settled and fingers crossed, Van Persie will be able to stay fit.
But back to this saeson briefly. I do think that we will win something. IF we beat Milan, we can win the Champions League. The Italians may be sitting mid-table in Serie A, but they've got a fantastic pedegriee, and are one of the toughest teams in Europe to beat.
Without wanting to sound like a Spurs fan, We'll do it next year...
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Your Comments
very realistic look on the things simmo, but knowing your predictions, I have a sneaky feeling we can sneakily sneak one.
G4L
Sadly, I agree. If, somehow, would could have carried that amazing form on all season, then we would have walked it, but I just get the feeling that we aren't mentally there yet. But that's ok, all I ask for is that season by season, we improve, and the titles will eventually come. I've heard many people say that Arsenal need to win something this year, I say *********. If we're getting better year by year, we'll be more than ok!!
Rocky7
We have 15 games left and I think we can challenge until the final weeks, but will probably need to lead again to win. we need manure to drop some points within the next few PL matches. and we'll be in with a great chance
JakeB
ManU are a slicker outfit at the moment but not without their weaknesses. Logically it is a season too soon and we have overachieved in terms of expectations but the players are more than half a season more experienced now and there are some key turns on the rest of the road. Much will depend on our away games at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge and the home game with Liverpool. Do well in these and we might well produce an outcome that we didn't anticipate before this season kicked off. Whatever happens this season we will have shown we are in great shape for the years ahead.
Amos.
Great dig at the Spurs fans there. :) Bravo!
RussianHammer
we are the mighty gunners ... and the fans should get behind the team and we should be encouraging the team that they can do it ... sorta disappointing and ******s me off that this is how some fans are thinking ... u can say we will do it next season and say that its a season to soon, were level on points have a great team and can win the league .... bout time everyone stops saying were a young team ... they are professional footballers on more a month then i will earn in a life time .... this season we will win the league!
Achilles
I'm more in the half-full camp on this. ManU have been strong, true, but the later part of their campaign, like Mar-Apr, is truly tough. Like Amos said, the toughest (on paper) games would be Liverpool at home, ManU and Chelsea away, otherwise ManU have a tougher fixture list in that crucial period. And I also agree with Arsene in saying that the cup runs will affect the league title race greatly in terms of building belief, fatigue, injuries, etc. It's simply too soon if not impossible to tell. And based on Simmo's prediction record, I'm glad he's not too optimistic for this year. :)
Lou the Gunneress
I admire your optomism Achilles, but what I will say is that I will support the team this season as passionately as I do every season, that never changes, but I just get the feeling, and that's all it is, a feeling, that we are a little bit lacking. There's nothing wrong with optomism, but at the same time there's nothing wrong with realism and honesty either!!!
Rocky7
Blue is the colour
Oh look.....BITC has found a new way to get across his boring predictable point. The old adage applies here, "you can't polish a turd".
Rocky7
If Rooney or Ronaldo (particular Noodle Head) are out again for any extended period of time Man Utd are *****ed, simple as. Those two play most of their games on their own and without them they are utter *****e.
Ozi Gooner
intresting one this. you probably have the most talented side in the premiership. on your day, you can beat anyone else, no matter how well they play. against the top 4, you do better than anyone else. its just the uncanny ability that chelsea and man u have to grind out victories when they arenot playing at there best that could take the title away from you - but next season, and the one after, your players will have more experiance in that kind of situation, and you wll win the games you would otherwhys draw. so basicly, you perhaps wont win the premiership this season (maybe the champions league...) - but next season, you will only keep on improoving. man u will just keep on getting older.
pompeycarpet
I totally disagree how can you say that this is a season to soon when from the start we have jumped through every hoop put before us, we were going to crumble at anfield thean at home to manure after that at home to chelsky, then come unstuck over christmas's. But hold on here we are in january joint top on points, NOT, and I want to draw your attention to this, not playing well for some time now while manure have been putting in some inpressive performances which should have enabled them to pull clear. Thats why I dont think this is a season to soon and as added bonus we could have a fully fit RVP (fingers crossed) for the last two or three months of the campaign.
Armory
Seems as though BITC is concerned that Chelski are about to crumble! Must be that article on their site about Cole being a bit of a dud buy adding to the sense of doom under Count Avoram.
Amos.
we won't have a better chance of winning the league if you think this season is a forgone conclusion. The premiership title will not come giftwraped and manutd don't have the right to win it.
49ers
I'm happy with that Simmo... if they had offered us a third place finish in the summer I would have said let's take it. I really expected the worse so I feel like everything we've seen is really a big fat bonus. There were times - like Villa away and Slavia at home - where I've stood marvelling at our displays; and at otehr times of hard-fought draws (Blackburn away, ManU at home) when I admired our grit and determination. My motto for the season (and yes I sound like a spud now as well) is "This season really IS different".
Andy-bayor
people shouldn't get upset with simmo's view mainly because at the start of the season most of us (including me) would have been delighted if someone offered us 3rd, 2nd or the position we're in right now. We'd have all taken it. Manure (unfortunately 4 us) have more experience, and sometimes that counts. I think we have an outstanding chance, but realistically speaking the mancs have a better one. Do not count out Chel$ki who again used the russian gold to buy their way out of their problems. Ozi has a point when he says that Roonie/Ronaldo injury could change a lot, but that is not something to consider atm. All said, when Wenger said he'll go a season unbeaten - they all laughed. Someone said you can't win anything with kids.
G4L
... and talking of our opponents, ManU are the most complete outfit and they have put on some fantastic displays too. I would not begrudge them winning IF they beat us at OT. I can't wait for that game and hope its the crunch match we are all expecting.
Andy-bayor
I think Chelsea will win it to be honest, with Arsenal and Manchester tied in second place and some other team will take L'poo's spot.
k_chelski
Coming back on the train from the Birmingham game I ventured the thought that it might be a season too early to the Gooner sitting opposite me. He let me have it with both barrels and I felt almost ashamed at thinking such a thing. He reckoned that the only reason I felt so 'negative' was because I had got used to losing over the last couple of seasons and didn't understand that each game took us a step further forward. His argument was that we could and would continue to improve while our competitors were trying to remain at the same level. If we can get better next season he reckons then why can't we be better in the 2nd half of this one. This will be tight and may even go to the wire but we may yet have the inside track especially if RvP is able to play enough games.
Amos.
I would not have predicted our current position in August so to be 2nd only on goal difference coming up to the end of January is fantastic. We are in this position by merit. Nobody has scored more goals than us and our defensive record is more than laudable. Last season a dip in form caused us to go out of all real competitions. Where as this season thus far we have seen a couple of blips where we've had one loss and a few dodgy draws. You could be right Simmo but I cannot see anything from this season so far to back your pessimism. Don't worry: Be happy. Come on you rip-roaring Reds.
StowGooner
Win the title or not, this team is one we are all proud of! They have defied every pundit so far, so Simmo, let's hope you are one more and they win the league. But we all agree, next year... wow! Isn't it refreshing to look at the transfer window and say, "but who do we even need!"
darinb007
Amos, that Gooner in the train had a point. I'm ALREADY seeing improvement on the start of the season. Look at Clichy and his crosses, Eduardo's adaptation, Cesc's goal-scoring, Ade's finishing, look at Bendtner, look at Hleb (he was pretty good in pre-season already, but still made a step up these 5 months), amazingly look at the Flamster, look at the Kolo/Gallas partnership, look at the improved goals and assists tally between Hleb and Rosicky, and look at how they and Eduardo played almost interchangably in the 2nd half against Fulham, the understanding, the fluency, etc etc I can go on and on. Still has some room for improvement I know - especially Ade's finishing I know some of you're shouting, and Cesc's goal-scoring has been inconsistent. All very well, but don't you see in the space of 5 months, we've already seen tangible improvements? If that was made possible, it shouldn't be beyond the realm of possibilities that the guys get even better in these 4 months ahead of us, right?
Lou the Gunneress
This is pathetic and i'm tired of people saying that if you had offered them second or third place they would have taken it.
Im not saying we will and im not saying we wont but making predictions right now is just silly. even if we beat ac milan there are still the inters, the real madrids and the barcelonas that we have to play against. and regarding the league, manchester united are not invincible and they have had their bad moments too, and in fact we are tied with them for goals scored and our away form is actually better than theirs.
When it's out of reach then you can say all you want, but for now we are in the race and i am ******** proud of these boys for defying all odds and coming on leaps and bounds since last year
yazz
That how we might lose the league if we lost belief! OK experience and consistency does matter! but nothing can beat belief , IMO, football is in the feet, Winning is in the mind. this is our year and we should not let this go away from us. last year Madrid came back from 14 pts to catch barce, and Madrid were playing OK football but they had great belief they will do it and barce lost that and it cost them the league.
i will quote from AW "" if you dont believe you can do it, You have no chance" ..Enough Said
Gooner SA
no bloody way I would have excepted third place at the start of the season!!!!!!!!!!! not even second. for the love of me, what are you all on?
man Utd have already lost THREE times this season!
I am not saying that we will deff win the league, but to think about next year when we are level on points after 20 something games is ridiculous. even liverpool fans dont think about next year. plus what is the garantee that next year will be better? who says flamini and cesc will stay, or robin wont be injured again, or eboue wont ***** off to portsmouth ;)
kidK
I must admit that I am really sad by this article and hope the lads never see it. You might recall that RVP said there was a belief in them at the beginning of the season and that is what has kept them playing so well and at the top since. If the team have the belief what is wrong with us that we can not support that belief with ours theeirby strenghthening their belief in themselves. Come on all you gooners!!!
phreddy
Head says that you're right.. heart hopes that you aren't.. I do believe that we're one season away from definitely winning the title.. and my feeling is that the ACN will do some damage to our squad. That said.. we will drive Man Utd close.. so close that they could crack under pressure.. not to mention Chelsea who are serious serious contenders as well.
arsenalrulz4ever
We have experience as well: Gallas, Kolo, Rosicky, and guys like Lehmann and Gilberto who influence the atmosphere in the dressing room. Fabregas has plenty of games under his belt, despite his age. Even the youngest have been in a cup final, most of the team in a CL final! It's in no way guaranteed, but we have as good a chance to win the title as manure.
afri-gooner
and as the season draws to a close the younger players should theoretically still have fresher legs, so that might count in our favour.
afri-gooner
THIS IS OUR SEASON !!!!! OUR TIME HAS COME !!!!
HENRY`14
Blue is the colour
Agree there afri. We may be young but I certainly think we're not inexperienced. Lehamann, Gallas, Kolo, Gilberto are all premiership champions. Guys like Cesc, Flamini, Rosicky, Hleb, Sagna are all experience. Eduardo has 94 goals in 140 European appearances mind you. Surely getting to finals of the CC and the Champions League would have done them some good. I see no reason why we cannot win the league. With Hleb, Rosicky, Eduardo and Adebayor in hot form and Cesc returning to his full prowess i see no reason why we cannot be a serious force this season. We've played 23 and have been excellent in 23 except against 'borough. We've lost only one and i don't think there are many teams that would fancy a result against us. The only way we'll lose it is if we slip up really badly or if our injury woes continue because at the moment, Man Utd are playing like Champions and even after they slip up, they bounce back with 3,4 nilers.
WouldYouBelieveIt?!
after our pre season it was clear we had it in us to go all the way. the team spirit really showed and is still showing. have faith ppl
ian7
We may not win it this year sometime the margins between success and failure are so thin, espcially when you're going for a league title. The key thing for me is that after so many games we are right up there, when in recent years we've been in Liverpool's current position. Beacuse of that fact I think we've got a damm good chance of winning. Every reason for us not to win has been brushed aside so far [they've lost Henry, not strenthend the squad, we've had an easy start, they've not played any good teams yet, the Christmas programme will catch them out] there are just two reasons left in my mind (1) We won't have the staying power and (2) Our belief. As each game goes by each of these reasons are starting to recede. I think if we are top after our games against Man Utd and Chelsea there will be nothing to stop us!
Red3
I think Man U will win, but at the same time, I know that we can win even this year. If they win, we will not be far behind. And then.... there's next year...
ArsenalRob
Always next year eh fellas? I mean losing 5-1 to spuds....naah, not really PL Champions material in a team like that.
Blue is the colour
but don't let chelski get too close
ozanne park rangers
agreed but maybe they could stop utd they would be the only ones as far as i can see
ozanne park rangers
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