And yet the team that lifted silverware wants to sack their manager and the team that didn't, doesn't. There's a sign there for those who would like to simplify things a bit too much.
Who had the better season? Arsenal or Man utd?
- Thread starter tentan
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One team's fans got loads of joy out of watching their team most weeks of the season and another team's fans felt embarrassed with what happened on the pitch most weeks of the season.
Yet when people look back on this season in years to come what’s going to be remembered most, the celebrations of winning a trophy or the joy of watching your team win nothing?
Not really comparable.
Arsenal fans will have enjoyed their season, although there were no real highs.
We should just enjoy this cup win: we beat Pool and Cheaty to get there. It is a big deal.
Arsenal fans will have enjoyed their season, although there were no real highs.
We should just enjoy this cup win: we beat Pool and Cheaty to get there. It is a big deal.
I don't have it in me to pretend we had a better season than Arsenal all because we won the FA cup
but I do agree that 10 years from now: Manchester United 2024 FA cup winners > Arsenal 2024 premier league runner-ups.
but I do agree that 10 years from now: Manchester United 2024 FA cup winners > Arsenal 2024 premier league runner-ups.
They had the better season for sure. We had the more successful one.
Same with Liverpool etc etc
An FA Cup isn't going to undo how bad we've been but at the end of the day we've been the second most successful Prem side this season.
It's a funny sport in that way.
Same with Liverpool etc etc
An FA Cup isn't going to undo how bad we've been but at the end of the day we've been the second most successful Prem side this season.
It's a funny sport in that way.
There's clearly a few different ways to interpret what's being asked here by the looks of it.
Some are looking at how enjoyable the season would have been for the bulk of it, with Arsenal having a much better league campaign and so enjoying the bulk of it much more.
Or looking at how far the team is down the 'project route' / how close the team are for challenging for the two biggest titles (PL and CL). And, yeah, on both of those counts Arsenal come out better than United (though haven't actually won the former for 20 years and never won the latter!)
However, by the end of it all, Arsenal once more ended a season trophyless. While United managed to 'rescue' their season by winning a major trophy and qualifying for Europe next season after all.
And so that makes it all much closer, and becomes the regular 'CL qualification but no trophy v No CL qualification but actually winning a major trophy' debate.
Personally, I'd always choose winning a proper trophy above the 'top 4 trophy' that Wenger used to be mocked for but has now become a much more commonplace view. So, at the start of the season, if offered the two options, I'd personally have chosen finishing outside the top 4 but winning a major cup.
Because for me a season with a major trophy success is always preferable by the end of it to a trophyless season but with CL qualification. Though, admittedly, until that trophy success is achieved, the season might not feel as good along the way as a strong (but ultimately fruitless) season like Arsenal's.
Some are looking at how enjoyable the season would have been for the bulk of it, with Arsenal having a much better league campaign and so enjoying the bulk of it much more.
Or looking at how far the team is down the 'project route' / how close the team are for challenging for the two biggest titles (PL and CL). And, yeah, on both of those counts Arsenal come out better than United (though haven't actually won the former for 20 years and never won the latter!)
However, by the end of it all, Arsenal once more ended a season trophyless. While United managed to 'rescue' their season by winning a major trophy and qualifying for Europe next season after all.
And so that makes it all much closer, and becomes the regular 'CL qualification but no trophy v No CL qualification but actually winning a major trophy' debate.
Personally, I'd always choose winning a proper trophy above the 'top 4 trophy' that Wenger used to be mocked for but has now become a much more commonplace view. So, at the start of the season, if offered the two options, I'd personally have chosen finishing outside the top 4 but winning a major cup.
Because for me a season with a major trophy success is always preferable by the end of it to a trophyless season but with CL qualification. Though, admittedly, until that trophy success is achieved, the season might not feel as good along the way as a strong (but ultimately fruitless) season like Arsenal's.
The fact that it’s even up for debate is hilarious. That is about as good as it gets for arsenal and they’ve yet again won absolutely feck all. That was as bad a season as we will ever have and we’ve won a major trophy.
Which is better, who gives a f*ck but our future is much brighter.
Which is better, who gives a f*ck but our future is much brighter.
We have the FA Cup. Pools got the Carborao Cup. Which is the more preferred Cup?
They also have the "Champions league qualification cup" in Wenger speak.
We ended the season on a better note with a trophy and managed to qualify for Europe after all. Shafting Newcastle along the way is also a nice touch.
Over the course of the season though, it is Arsenal.
They were in a genuine title race with City, improved this season over last and have something to build on/look forward to next season. Whereas we are in a midst of uncertainty in terms of managerial appointment and how the next season would turn out.
Over the course of the season though, it is Arsenal.
They were in a genuine title race with City, improved this season over last and have something to build on/look forward to next season. Whereas we are in a midst of uncertainty in terms of managerial appointment and how the next season would turn out.
People are so fickle. No one gives a toss about 20/21 when we were in the title race. I barely remember a single game from that season even though we finished 2nd. Our most memorable seasons will always be the ones where we win something. Do you guys remember 11/12 fondly? I'm sure Arsenal feel great about bottling the league again.
2 points off the premier league winners and playing football for most of the season that looked like they could actually win the league is obviously far more impressive than looking poor for most of the season and finishing 8th then winning the FA cup. I'm happy that Garnacho and Mainoo at least got that last bit though as they've been good enough to be in a team that wins a trophy and its certainly not their fault we are where we are in the league.
Completely agree.
Of course I look back even more fondly on the years we won the PL / CL. But the years we 'competed well enough' in them but ended up trophyless? No, they're hollow and frustrating things to look back on. Much prefer the years we ended up with a major trophy - whichever it was.
And, yeah, my fondest memories post-Fergie aren't trophyless years that we finished top 4, but the 5 major trophies that we've won. Nothing beats that moment of winning a trophy. Of course winning the PL and CL is the best. But winning any of the others is a much better feeling to look back on than finishing 2nd-4th in the league.
Technically we had the better season but we’d switch positions to where their team is in a second.
If at the start of the season you asked most United fans if they'd rather have been in the title race until a final day decider or win a domestic cup, a vast majority would say the former.
We've had a crap season let's be honest, though winning the cup and booting Saudi FC out of Europe does soften some of the edges
We've had a crap season let's be honest, though winning the cup and booting Saudi FC out of Europe does soften some of the edges
Just asked my uncle, an arsenal fan where is your trophy. Man think its better to finish 2nd than winning a trophy. They slowly getting back to their early 2000s delusion. I have missed them.
There is a reason at the beginning every season the opener game, you pit the league winner against FA cup winner you know?
Well put, it's all about perspective at a point in time. Arsenal's failure to win something these past 2 seasons will be forgotten if they build again and win major honours in the coming seasons.
Nobody would swap an FA Cup to potentially 'jeopardise' that success, but every player on earth would surely swap 10 seasons of finishing second for even one FA Cup win. Only hindsight will answer this question.
The season Arsenal had might have been better going forward but 5 years onward no one will think back to Arsenal having the better season but only what the finish was like and we ended up with two cup finals and one cup. They managed a 2nd place finish.
Ask any United fan or Arsenal fan how often they've won the league in the history and they'll probably know. Ask the same fans how often they've finished 2nd and I doubt many will.
Ask any United fan or Arsenal fan how often they've won the league in the history and they'll probably know. Ask the same fans how often they've finished 2nd and I doubt many will.
I remember us as being a better team in 11/12 and 94/95 than 03/04. I don't look back at any of them particualrly fondly.
Correct answer.
Arsenal have a better season without a doubt. They twice won the table against klopp s Liverpool itself an achievement. Pep s city just too good for any team in the world in the league format. If not pep s city man utd could have won two more league titles, liverpool three more and arsenal two more.
United despite all the negatives and injuries they won a trophy. So not bad either but arsenal had better season.
United despite all the negatives and injuries they won a trophy. So not bad either but arsenal had better season.
I prefer ours. The feeling of winning a trophy against the alleged cheating neighbours trumps winning....nothing.
YES..... we won a trophy you get feck all for 2nd place, if it was the other way round everybody under the sun ALL the ABUs would be saying it ..
So again yes Utd have had a better season we got the FA cup they got feck All again..
So again yes Utd have had a better season we got the FA cup they got feck All again..
Arsenal without a doubt
The one with the two girls involved
Clearly Arsenal played better football than us throughout the season. However, after 20 years, what matters is trophies and United has won one. However, United also broke some negative records this year, and those will probably be remembered as well.
They are in a better position than us, but I celebrated the trophy yesterday. Something Arsenal fans didn’t experience this year.
They are in a better position than us, but I celebrated the trophy yesterday. Something Arsenal fans didn’t experience this year.
Arsenal - better season; played good football pushing City to the end and set up better for the coming seasons
United - more successful season; made even more beautiful seeing two young academy graduates scoring the goals
United - more successful season; made even more beautiful seeing two young academy graduates scoring the goals
All that will be remembered probably is City winning the league. The cups used to matter a great deal, but they don't now, in this modern era of money and closer international relations in football. In this world, there are 2 trophies that matter. The Premier league and the Champions League. If you are a member of the European elite, then you have to win one (or both) of those to consider your season a success.
The cups are nice consolation prizes or little trinket additions to winning one of the big two (there are numerous doubles and trebles now, which never used to happen with this kind of regularity) but they are not enough in and of themselves anymore. LVG got sacked after winning the FA Cup and ETH could be sacked after winning the FA Cup. Getting canned immediately after winning the Premier League or the Champions League is a lot less likely.
Single season as of right now, obviously us. If this season is a springboard for them to win the league and longer term success, then you'd obviously take their season.
Arsenal fans can go into next season with a lot of optimism, that is something I don't feel we really can considering we cannot consistently finish in a champions league place and our league form is abysmal.
The answer is if we had arsenals season it would be a massive sign the club is moving back to where it should be
Where as we will be starting another season unsure of what to expect
Doesn’t mean we can’t massively celebrate the cup win though
Where as we will be starting another season unsure of what to expect
Doesn’t mean we can’t massively celebrate the cup win though
Why can't we? I think now we're in Europe, winning trophies in back to back seasons, with teenagers leading the charge, we're a fantastic destination for new talent. Players like Yoro, Doue, etc. will be excited to come here and will improve our squad.
Arsenal had the better season, United had the fairytale ending.
Arsenal are in a better place to have a better season, but haven't realised that potential yet.
United have had two better seasons despite being in a worse place.
United have had two better seasons despite being in a worse place.
united winning the cup gives them a better season than anyone else in the league except City in the history books. We won the league cup, united won the FA cup, Pep won the league. Everyone else won feck all in Europe. That being said, how in gods green earth are they thinking of firing ETH who has brought so much joy to united fans this season. He has to stay.
You couldn't help it towards the end, could you ?
I mean, I've used this to wind up any Arsenal fan I know, obviously (they always bite), but.....we have absolutely not had a better season than Arsenal
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