True. We had good results for the first 5 games last season, but then we were shit up until around Christmas time/when Bolasie got injured. Then we went on a good run, until the start of this season when we were shit again.
I think we're just a bit shit tbh lads. We need a few fullbacks, a couple of strikers, a playmaker and some pace in the final third.
As for style of play, I wouldn't mind playing off a target man and then high tempo in the final third. I don't see the problem with that, but that's certainly not our current style as we don't have the players for it. Nor do we have the players to play like Arsenal. If you attempt an Arsenal-type style with players of lower quality, then this league will destroy you, especially with the high pressing tactics that a lot of teams play now.
We’re not awful otherwise we wouldn’t finish 7th / be 9th now.
Our problem is that we’ve never been firmly in the top 4 previously or the top 6 now.
We’ve been doing well to be close but still some way off.
Even in 13/14 we finished 5 points off 4th.
We’re (a bit) better than the rest of the league but not by enough that when we’re poor, we’re poor.
The top 6, when they are bad, are average at worst.
We’re swimming against the tide (quality wise) in comparison to the top six in that it takes real effort to get close and that when we need a breather we slip right back out again.
Arsenal don’t have to play well to finish in the top 6 for example and they’re viewed as a weak link every season.