Giroud hails season a success despite falling away once again

A top four position is not a trophy – unless you are living in the red half of north London apparently.

Arsene Wenger and his men are once again set to finish in the top four of the Premier League and secure Champions League football for next season.

That, for most clubs would be a huge achievement – in fact Arsenal’s closest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur would cut off their right leg or indeed go on a lasagne ban for life if they could achieve such a feat.

However, for a club who were once called the English version of Barcelona – not to mention the Invincibles, it is shambolic.

Approaching a decade without a trophy is one thing, but seeing your season end in February, time after time after time is totally another.

Arsenal may sit at the top of the table come the start of the Christmas period, but anyone who knows football would bet the contents of their bank account that the title challenge will peter away before Santa Clause has gotten home to the North Pole.

Now after beating Newcastle to all but secure their fourth placed spot, forward Olivier Giroud has hailed this as a success and claimed that despite falling away from the top three in their race for the title – and being battered home and away by their direct rivals, this season has been a good one for the club and their fans.

He noted: ‘If we finish fourth, we have not lost anything and it will be a good season. I think that if we finish fourth, that will be a successful season. And the FA Cup, if we win, would be a bonus.

‘To finish fourth is almost crucial for the club. We would like to end well and finish fourth.’

That kind of statement is more akin with the mentality of Spurs than that of a Chelsea or City, showing just how far certain Arsenal fans have fallen – and indeed the attitudes and expectations of their players.

Of course as the Frenchman claims, the Gunners still have a chance to win a trophy when they face Hull in the FA Cup final – and there will not be any excuses come the game at Wembley.

It seems that manager Arsene Wenger will be staying at the club past the summer – and it will be a vital summer for the Gunners.

Given Manchester United will be spending big and recruiting hard to ensure they are back in the top four next season, not to mention the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool all looking to kick on, the question of just if Arsenal will even be able to keep up with their rivals in terms of securing European football comes into doubt.

Is a top four finish and a place in the FA Cup final a success or have Arsenal lowered their expectations? Let us know your thoughts below or tweet us @LaFootyettes.