by PrezIke » Mon May 16, 2016 10:42 pm
How "good" is being defined is part of the problem.
We finished 4th in the league, won one of the 4 competitions we were in and made the semis of arguably the most prestigious club competition in the world. In that regard it's a "good" season. Compared to what most clubs get, even in the Premier League, you can't argue with those numbers. We scored the most goals in the Premier League this season, are among the top clubs in England and the world. If you didn't watch us play regularly you'd be in your right mind to think we did fairly well although if you followed for the last few seasons might wonder why we finished with our worst points total since 2009 and lowest final position in the league since 2010.
However, the expectations were not only higher, particularly in the league, for the team's performance on the pitch compared to what we are capable of, but seeing other clubs flounder and not take advantage of this upsets some further. Arsenal fans surely feel the same way, even whilst they finished 2nd. A mate of mine, an Arsenal fan, actually expressed those sentiments to me today. The inconsistency of our form week in and week out, the seeming lack of desire or team cohesion, the defensive lapses, the inability to defeat a single top 8 side in the league does ask questions of something. Whether it's the players, the manager, the director of football, the chairman, all of the above, this was a year, as is generally the case from now on, where we were expected to compete for the title.
The impending arrival of Pep, and how the team has been set up made Pellegrini's job harder. We can go on about the injuries, our captain being out so often, the decline/aging of key players, and how all of this affected players mentality and performance. I've heard criticisms from journalists suggesting we have the most talented squad in the league, while simultaneously hearing others say that we don't actually have as much talent for money we've spent. Whatever. It's all been what it is. It's not the best season, and surely not the worst, even for top clubs (see Chelsea or United or say Juventus when they were relegated).
Onward and upward...