So how are we doing after 30 games? « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade

By Walter Broeckx

With all the commotion surrounding Kroenke I had an article prepared about the way we are doing for the moment compared to our past. And this is from before the Blackpool game.

In this table you can see how Arsenal have done in the last 30 seasons after 30 games.

	Pos		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pt
1981	8	Arsenal	30	11	12	7	43	37	6	45
1982	6	Arsenal	30	14	8	8	25	21	4	50
1983	14	Arsenal	30	11	8	11	39	37	2	41
1984	12	Arsenal	30	11	6	13	46	42	4	39
1985	6	Arsenal	30	14	6	10	48	37	11	48
1986	5	Arsenal	30	16	7	7	39	32	7	55
1987	3	Arsenal	30	15	9	6	42	18	24	54
1988	5	Arsenal	30	15	7	8	46	28	18	52
1989	1	Arsenal	30	17	8	5	58	31	27	59
1990	3	Arsenal	30	15	5	10	45	30	15	50
1991	1	Arsenal	30	19	10	1	53	13	40	65
1992	6	Arsenal	30	11	11	8	51	35	16	44
1993	13	Arsenal	30	11	7	12	27	27	0	40
1994	3	Arsenal	30	13	12	5	34	16	18	51
1995	9	Arsenal	30	10	10	10	35	32	3	40
1996	5	Arsenal	30	14	9	7	42	27	15	51
Tot	100									773
Avg	6,25									48,31
1996	5	Arsenal	29	13	9	7	39	27	12	48
1997	3	Arsenal	30	15	9	6	49	26	23	54
1998	2	Arsenal	30	17	9	4	49	26	23	60
1999	2	Arsenal	30	16	11	3	42	13	29	59
2000	4	Arsenal	30	16	6	8	53	31	22	54
2001	2	Arsenal	30	15	9	6	47	29	18	54
2002	2	Arsenal	30	18	9	3	60	32	28	63
2003	1	Arsenal	30	19	6	5	64	32	32	63
2004	1	Arsenal	30	22	8	0	58	20	38	74
2005	3	Arsenal	30	19	7	4	68	32	36	64
2006	6	Arsenal	30	15	5	10	48	23	25	50
2007	4	Arsenal	30	16	7	7	52	28	24	55
2008	2	Arsenal	30	19	10	1	58	22	36	67
2009	4	Arsenal	30	15	10	5	48	27	21	55
2010	3	Arsenal	30	20	4	6	71	33	38	64
2011	2	Arsenal	30	17	8	5	59	29	30	59
Tot	41,00									895
Avg	2,73									59,67

And I think for most of us who have been a fan in those early years this gives a very good image of the way Arsenal have been doing in those years.

As the real Arsenal fans will know in which year we became champions over those 30 years it was not really needed but I have put the years in bold. I also noted the difference between the Wenger era and the years before Wenger.

In the first 15 years of this survey we won 2 titles but for the rest it was rather an up and down period. We got an average league position of around 6^th place. So one could say we were an Europa League team in those days. If we were lucky.

The only exception in fact was the 1989-1991 period when we won the league twice and finished in third in between.  But for the rest well it wasn’t at very constant staying amongst the top teams.

It all  changed in the Wenger era. Our average position after 30 games is just below 3. We won 3 titles and only once we weren’t in the top 4. And that was in our final year at Highbury. We did managed to make it to 4^th on the last day of the season.

So being in second position now is even for the Wenger era slightly better than on average. And yet some go overboard and can’t see anything positive in the season.

And it also gives a very good picture about the fact that we never have been a team that constantly was in the top in the last 30 years. More than often we were not even close to being a top team.  A team closer to the bottom than to the top.

But since the Wenger era it changed and we have been a team constant at the top or close to the top. So many supporters will have been spoiled by those golden years. And remember in these last  years we suddenly had and have to fight against teams that are having unlimited resources and we are competing against such teams.

In fact for the moment we are in what one could say an average situation after 30 games in the Wenger era. But if you compare it to the period before we are in a golden period. And this for almost 16 years on a row.

We might make it, we might not make it. We have won leagues coming from behind, and we have lost leagues standing first after 30 games in the season.

Anything can happen, this is football you know. It always have been this way and always will stay that way: its unpredictable.  But one thing is for sure we are still in it with a chance. And this is more than could be said in the era before Wenger in most of the seasons.

On the history site: Herbert Chapman, success or failure?

The failures of Herbert Chapman: season one

Chapman’s second season – genius, or just another Wenger?

Chapman: the third season – still no trophies

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