Our present first team is good enough to win the league, but that would require no injuries lasting more than one game to McGinn, Rogers, Cash, Martinez or Watkins (even in his present form). We have no adequate squad replacements for these players and the chances of them all staying completely fit between now and May are remote. That's not to say it's impossible of course.
Why anyone gives a fuck what the media thinks of us is beyond me.
Yep, we're two or three injuries from a bit of a dropoff, especially in midfield with Barkley already out. And people forget we're currently playing our THIRD choice left-sided centre-back. That said, we're probably due a bit of luck on the injury front, given the significant injuries we've had in the last couple of years.
But as you say, our first 11, if fit, is good enough to beat anyone in the league. Whether they will, or not, is yet to be determined, but there is no reason we can't hang on in there and make the last couple of months of the league season VERY interesting. Our current form won't continue indefinitely, but the key will be how long it takes to get back to winning ways when we have a less-than-perfect result.
Chelsea went three games without winning, and went from "title challengers" to "not even in the conversation now". That's what we're facing when we next fail to win a game. The thing Arsenal and Man City are good at, is bouncing back with the win when they draw or lose a game. That's what we need to do.
