This is not a jibe nor an attempt at wumming.

But I thought I'd ask the question as a cluster of clubs (Arsenal included, miraculously considering our drastic start to the campaign) in and around the top 4 positions.

What with your 3 defeats in 4 games it seems to bring into focus the argument there's a top two and then 4 or 5 others.

Do you think your team to be considered as part of a top 3 or, is it reasonable to suggest Chelsea are now one of the pack?

Your thoughts are muchly appreciated.

In a word, NO.

Hard to say at the moment but i think we will make it. Will be a fight between us, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham though.

Just to add: A fourth place is all i`m going to expect from us this season. Might have a shot at the FA or Carling Cup but the title is way out of reach already. All i want to see from this team for the rest of the season is signs of improvements, securing fourth and go as far as possible in Europe.

Do you think your team to be considered as part of a top 3 or, is it reasonable to suggest Chelsea are now one of the pack?

Right now, I think stating anything other than being one of the pack would be foolish. Critical matches have been lost against clubs with less success than Chelsea in recent years, while City and United seem to be lightyears ahead. Especially City, that is.

The situation can change rapidly, though, and I believe Chelsea will be back soon enough.

Yes i think we will finish in the top 4, Newcastle arent going to stay in the top 4 lets be honest. Chelsea will be up there come the end of the season........ and if we dont we will just win the CL and book our place in it for next season that way.

With a bit of common sense & some good old fashioned graft,I can't see why a top four finish should be a problem.

The current Chelsea team can & will play a lot better,that's for sure.

Liverpool,inspite of yesterdays result,look a supprisingly average team & lacking much real quality.

RVP at the arse will break at some point during the season & without him, bang goes the goalscoring.

Newcastle don't have the strength in the squad & Ashley won't spend much,so sooner or later they will come up short.

That just leaves the Manchester clubs & the spuds & were more than a match for those clubs if & I say if,we start getting back to what works with the current squad.

RVP at the arse will break at some point during the season & without him, bang goes the goalscoring.

Yeah but we've got Chamakh!

Oh wait.....

Not confident at all. This isn't some kind of fairy tale where we can play shockingly badly all year and come the end of the season, just make it back into the title race or just make it into the CL positions. If we continue like this, we will not finish in the top 6.

Think we will, or would at least like to think so.

We have been shocking recently and AVB has to figure it out, and quickly so.

Personally I think City will finish 1st by a country mile.

I believe 2nd-7th is pretty open.

Personally I think

1st City

2nd Man U

3rd Spuds

4th Us

5th Arsenal

6th Pool

7th Newcastle

I am banking on RVP getting injured and Arsenal's annual post-February collapse though...

I am banking on RVP getting injured and Arsenal's annual post-February collapse though...

LOL - me too. We've had an awful month, but this always cheers me up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeH9PvaD_Bc

That vid still tickles me ribs, lol.

But when you're depending on us to ensure your progress then something's patently wrong, dude.

That vid still tickles me ribs, lol.

But when you're depending on us to ensure your progress then something's patently wrong, dude.

Me too, thats how I felt y'day when Mikel & Cech combined to gift the rat munchers a goal & Malouda's ridiculous back pass vs your horrible lot.

Yeah, we need to look at this season as a transition (like the last 5yrs for Arsenal).

Welcome back to the forum Charlie!

No doubt about it we are in the sh*t right now. If we are judging by recent games, a top 4 finish is being very generous. At the moment, I am not very confident of a top 4 finish, but there's moons to go until May. In some way, we can turn it around.

Oh and I prefer the video of the young Indian lad, bless him.

Welcome back to the forum Charlie!

No doubt about it we are in the sh*t right now. If we are judging by recent games, a top 4 finish is being very generous. At the moment, I am not very confident of a top 4 finish, but there's moons to go until May. In some way, we can turn it around.

Oh and I prefer the video of the young Indian lad, bless him.

Thanks for the welcome Mod. Last i popped in you were on some kind of indefinite leave (or was it another mod?)

It's situations like this that make our league the best in the world. I'm not even sure Citeh will win the league so easily. History tells us that just because you start at a sprint doesn't necessarily mean you'll win the race.

Me too, thats how I felt y'day when Mikel & Cech combined to gift the rat munchers a goal & Malouda's ridiculous back pass vs your horrible lot.

Yeah, we need to look at this season as a transition (like the last 5yrs for Arsenal).

Spose it beats 50 years of transition, eh.

Your turn :)

Spose it beats 50 years of transition, eh.

Your turn :)

MERTESAKER.............for a starter mate.

The one and only positive I can take is that I don't think we will drop silly points at home to the bottom half teams like Liverpool have done and like Spurs and Arsenal probably will do at some side.

We will lose to City, Liverpool, Arsenal, United and Spurs home and away this season but those are just 10 games, there are still 28 others of which we have screwed up two of them (QPR and Stoke away). Take out the top sides then unlike the others (bar City) we have been pretty ruthless in that aspect, something which the others have not, you never know we may still be in with a shout of 4th or even 3rd but that is being extremely optimistic.

MERTESAKER.............for a starter mate.

First time Ive seen Mertesakers name so close to the word "turn" without it being followed by "like an oil tanker"

i doubt it

MERTESAKER.............for a starter mate.

Okay I get it, you floks need something to laugh about.

Don't I won't start digging you guys out.

All i asked was a simple question in the feint hope of reasonable discussion.

First time Ive seen Mertesakers name so close to the word "turn" without it being followed by "like an oil tanker"

To true mate & he's knocked off the ball easily as well.He looks about as durable as a fart in a hurricane.

Fighting for 5th or 6th IF we continue to play like this. My mate has a wager that his scousers will finish above us, I am not so sure because I can't see Roman letting AVB continue in this vein so I expect a big injection of cash in January whereas Liverpool don't have that capability to introduce new players, so 4th is realistic

Still believe we will get champions league. I want the team to fight for AVB.