Can we do it? Will we do it?

[VoiceOfReason]

We don't have what it takes to beat the top sides in the crucial games, so I'd have to say no.

I know where you are coming from, but against the other 5 teams in the current top 6 our record is:
Played 5, Won 2, Drawn 2, Lost 1

We still have to play 4 of those 5 teams away...but we've had a good record on the road this season so no reason to fear them!

Which is fair enough, but I don't really consider Everton and Tottenham to be 'top sides'. Sure, they're both pretty decent (much as it pains me to say it), and will definitely be pushing for Europa League places - but those aren't the six-pointers that are going to define whether or not we win the league.

From my perspective, the teams we need to be beating are Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd. Although United have fallen way off in the post-Ferguson era, they're still the Champions, and thus the team to beat. Because we often struggle to beat them, it would be a huge psychological boost too.

In any case, we've still to beat any of these sides - and Chelsea did us in the League Cup, too. Similar story in the CL, where we cruised past Marseille and Napoli, but stumbled up against Dortmund (last year's runners-up) and got pushed aside from the top slot.

Until we start beating the big sides, we're not going to be winning either the PL or the CL. The FA Cup could be a path to silverware, but that too depends on avoiding these sides in the draw for as long as possible.

[clockender1]

ask me again when we have completed both games against City, everton, chavs, liverpool and united.

we are where we are due to City and the Chavs leaky defences and united's poor legacy.

after how many games have people thought wow, great game, we really played well and we outplayed a good side ?

anyone ?

the Etihad aside, our defence and Bouldy deserve all the credit in the world. if AW does win it this year, he is the luckiest man alive.

i still 100% believe we'll be 3rd due to poor preparation and in game management

[QuartzGooner]

We are top of the league but I think there is something missing.

Just feel we are one player short.

It is logically a striker, and if I was boss I would buy or loan in a new striker now, no question.
But could also be something else instead of or in addition to a new striker; a midfielder coming into form.

When Ramsey was on fire until December we had that extra something, even if Giroud did not score we had that goalscoring belief from midfield.
Right now we do get goals from midfield, but it is nervy.

Looking back at 2002 we had Henry on fire in the first part of the season, then Pires was incredible in the middle third, then Ljungberg took over as the form player after Pires's injury.

Right now no one is especially in a purple patch, it could cost us just as much as not buying a striker.

[hut160]

We don't have what it takes to beat the top sides in the crucial games, so I'd have to say no.

It's the same old story as past seasons (as has been documented here many times over): cruise past the lower-half dross, get turned over by the legit title challengers.

On our day, in an isolated match, I think we're capable of beating anyone in the league. But I don't think we're capable of winning enough of those games, consistently, when it matters.

As this season has shown, we can turn it on against Norwich and Swansea, yet failed to beat Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd. Those are the games we need to be winning.

The only reason we're up there is because other sides have fallen away. Ferguson retired, and Man Utd are in a transitional season. Man City have a new manager, and Chelsea have a new manager. Once those sides have bedded in, we'll be back challenging for fourth in 2014/15.

It says it all that NO Premier League players were voted in FIFA's team of the year yesterday. The league is vastly inferior to what it was five years ago, and that's what's given us a glimmer of hope.

In a way though, this was AW's ultimate fantasy. Rather than actively improve his team, he'll just wait for the others to weaken, and take his chances. Obviously, our expectations have fallen so low these days that he's not even expected to succeed in this season of mediocrity, so the fans will give him a free pass purely because we're challenging half-way through the season.

Good post, agree especially with the bit about being back to competing for 4th once the others have settled back down. This is our best, and maybe only, chance for a while and i'm convinced AW is gonna fuck it for us. If we don't win it this year then I don't think we will do for a while

Do you think so?
I think with a few additions we will be around challenging years to come and not for 4th either- we have a maturing keeper who has improved, a mean defense with Per/Kos , we need new blood at right back if Sagna leaves though, the midfield - as good as any in the EPL, a mix of experience and younger players who will be around for years , the only current weakness is up front. Giroud has been great but lacks that killer instinct to make the one chance count, if we can get a world class striker that could make all the difference. Its not going to happen this window though.
Will it happen in the summer?

[robbo10]

Yes

and No

[singwordssosad]

that bloke we had in 2011-12, the one who scored 30 goals in a season and saved us from middle table obscurity, we just need to play him up front and job done.
I assume he's still here, we didn't do something stupid like sell him, surely?

Exactly IMO, another striker and defensive player, and I feel we'll do it,

[begeegs]

Can we do it? Yes. Will we? Probably not. But this has been the best year since 2008, so I am enjoying it.

Unlike other years, we do have a squad, but like what other people have said, we need a clinical striker. I like Giroud as he works hard and bullies teams, but he is not a good finisher. I don't think that he will ever be. I think that Bendtner is (hides for cover) a far better finisher. I don't expect to see another striker come in this window, but this summer it is very possible.

That being said, I worry about an injury to Mertesaker. I think that he has been the player of the season for me and he is the one person who we cannot lose to injury. With him, we are in with a shot. (I should probably echo that for Sagna - who has been excellent this year as well).

[SteveO 35]

The title isn't coming

[LeftfootlegendGooner]

17 games to go so of course we can do it as we are top of the league, if we can beat or get a draw against the two Manc clubs then that is a better points tally already compared to the first half the season.

I think losing theo has dealt us a hammer blow but who knows, we don't look that convincing at the moment but keep getting results so let's just hope we can prevail against all these other *word censored*

Edit
Forgot the "will we do it" bit

Heart says yes, head says I fuckin hope so

[topgoon]

Can we do it ?-With the current squad NO

Will we do it ?-With no addition of a covering decent CB and 15-20 a season striker, a big fat Hell No

[GranadaJoe]

Buy a top striker and we can take it to the wire. Don't and we won't.

[goonersid]

No chance, that's not to say I'm not pleased with how the team has improved from last season, but even the signing of a top class striker wouldn't be enough to carry us through, unless citeh and the chavs were both to have poor run ins.

Still think we are inferior to both sides in almost every position and the gap at the end of the season will be 10-12 points.
Next season will be even tougher, as the chavs and citeh strengthen again, pool likely to make clge. so possibly hold on to jaws and add to their squad and utd desperate to get back into top 4 will spend money they don't have and I don't think for one minute that gollum will be the man spending it.

[Chips and Chocolate]

Next three league games: Fulham, Southampton, Palace (Man City-Chelsea the day after the Palace game). If we're not top of the league after those three games then we can forget it.

[topcat]

A lot of people are pointing out that we cant do it beacause we havent picked up enough points from the top teams....

In my opinion this dosnt matter that much, its true that we dropped points to most top teams in the first half of the season, chelsea, city, everton, man utd....but we were still top after we'd played every team once, so as long as we're picking up wins against the other clubs then we can win it.

We were top after 19 games despite poor performances in the big games, so who is to say cant we do it again?

[arseofacrow]

A lot of people are pointing out that we cant do it beacause we havent picked up enough points from the top teams....

In my opinion this dosnt matter that much, its true that we dropped points to most top teams in the first half of the season, chelsea, city, everton, man utd....but we were still top after we'd played every team once, so as long as we're picking up wins against the other clubs then we can win it.

We were top after 19 games despite poor performances in the big games, so who is to say cant we do it again?

I think because those teams who faltered (City at Cardiff, away in general) and Chelsea (newc away and everton away) have raised their game, look impregenable at home and have stronger squads in general. This suggests that the second 19 games won't be the same as the first, as all of the top clubs seem to be swotting away the lower clubs so it will therefore come down to what we can get against our fellow big teams.