Me :bow:
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Me :bow:
I think Athletico Madrid are still the favourites. They are so solid at the back, strong in midfield and have Costa and Griezmann up front. If we can somehow avoid them altogether I reckon we can win it.
Jack had a stinker. Another one. Constantly losing the ball & selfish in possession.
I'd play Elneny in his position for the rest of the season.
Really can't believe there's any debate about him vs Ramsey.
Seems stupid moaning after a 4 - 1 win but our defensive play at times ..... jeez. We're not going to get away with that against an Athletico, Lazio or Leipzig.
It's spelt Atletico.
I felt like that after the Everton game when we smashed them.
Great going forward but defensively so sloppy, you felt a better team would punish us.
And we really should have scored more, but I think we've done enough. Reckon we'll go through.
Ozil was immense tonight. Ozil :bow:
Didn't watch it.
Wenger OUT!
Quite disappointing not to score in the second half but a comfortable win that should see us through barring a complete disaster. Some bizarre defending at times but there’s nothing new there.
I think we’re going to win this competition. Atleti are the only team you could argue are better than us but I think we’d still have enough to beat them on our day. The rest of the teams are second rate.
With Wenger’s future possibly resting on winning this as well, I think the old goat is going to pull it off as the ultimate troll.
I'd love to win this competition.
Good but expected win against a pub side, CSKA are really a nothing team and that showed, Atletico are the only decent team left in this competition so they're the real challenge.
Makes me laugh that some of the people who belittled this competition now say they really want to to win it, I've always said winning a European competition is better than making up the numbers in the CL and was happy with us being in this, others however claimed it was small time and didn't even want to be in it and now suddenly are desperate for us to win it.
Personally it's a double edged sword for me, really want us to win it as winning a European trophy would be amazing, but at the same time I don't want Wenger in charge anymore and don't want him to have any chance of a new contract, winning this could give him that and of course we'd be back in the CL making money so would have no incentive to replace him.
The pro Wenger fans will also spring out of the woodwork and start telling everybody how great he is and how everyone was wrong.
Have people not learnt from the past?
We are winning this and Wenger will be staying.
It's a decent competition. Some good teams have come through it. Atletico being one of them.
I'm not watching the games at the moment and have no idea if that will change anytime soon. If we end up actually winning the thing, regardless of what it means for Wenger's future, I doubt I'll enjoy it as much as I should because I haven't been following the games. If the Board keep him for one more year, I highly doubt I'll watch the opening game for next season. Who knows where it goes from there.
Interestingly, I am watching the the Europa League games because it's something I think we could genuinely win and while it's no CL it's a cup competition I could get excited about us winning.
Dream scenario is we win it and Wenger leaves on somewhat of a high.
I suspect neither will happen.
Wenger :bow:
Sign da ting
Not watching either. It's not a conscious decision to avoid watching the match on a pirated stream, because that would be a meaningless form of protest. It's just I don't remember they are even on. I'm doing other stuff. If I was at a loose end I'd probably still watch. But Wenger has killed my interest. The nonsense has gone on for too long. I can't be bothered engaging with a thing that is all about one man and his ego. He'll throw everything into this cup now, having totally fucked up another season in all respects. It's all he has left to try to justify hanging on to his job, and when it comes to Wenger saving his own hide he'll do whatever it takes. I can see him somehow, by whatever twist of fate, scraping out a win against Atleti in the final. Maybe they'll have a man sent off, maybe they'll eat dodgy lasagne, whatever. And then the Wenger cult will reappear and claim you can't sack a manager after he's won a European trophy (even though other top teams have done just that) and so it will all go round again. The momentary buzz of winning a cup will be obliterated by the realisation this second grade, rather pathetic man will spend at least another season regurgitating his usual bullshit. Been there, seen it so many times. How is it possible to be engaged by it any more? Maybe my interest will come back as we reach the tail end of next season and his contract is up. But don't be surprised if we win this thing and they give him a longer contract - to avoid uncertainty, of course. If that happens then I'm gone for good, like many fans I suspect.
Yeah I'm with you, the thought of Wenger staying on definitely dampens the excitement of winning, it's his ticket to a new contract, as NQ says he'll luck his way to the trophy and so it will all begin again, he won't leave and may well get an extension because "he's the best man for the job", sickening really.
This is something that no Arsenal fan should want, trouble is if he wins it, people will forget everything that has gone before and revel in the win and the fact we're in the CL, basically this disastrous season (it's been a car crash let's face it) will be painted as a good season, seen this too many times before and know the way it goes
There is no way in hell we can even fluke a win against Atletico.
We have players that should be able to compete with them on a fairly even basis. It will all depend how much Wenger gets involved. If he stays out of things completely or the players ignore him then we have a decent chance. For every input he makes our chances diminish. If he has a major input then you are right, we have zero chance.
Jesus Christ Zim, can you stop with the petty attacks on "Wenger in" people?
Literally no on this place wants him to stay and barely anyone in the wider Arsenal fanbase does either. All it does it create divisions, aggravate people and make the place even more toxic than it already is.
We'd lose in a two leg tie I'm sure off but we may just be able to pull of a win in a one-off ala the Chelsea cup final last year.
I don't think they're better than us man for man tbh. The likes of Ozil, Mkhi & Lacazette are good enough to get into their team - I'd say it's pretty comparable. Where they completely shit us is as you say, the manager and tactics & setup which why they're favourites for this as long as they remain in it.
You must be in denial, there's still plenty about, you can bet your bottom dollar if he won the Europa cup and he signed a new contract people would be telling us he deserves it, you're only not seeing them much right now as it's been a car crash of a season, if it hadn't been they'd be harping on about how there's noone to replace him.
Atletico are a better team, better defensively and certainly better in midfield, they also have a better keeper, there's a reason they've been up there challenging for the big prizes in recent years, tactics, discipline, work ethic and the odd worldiie. Ozil and Lacazette may get into their team but that's about it, Mkhitaryan no chance, doesn't work hard enough and the reality is he hasn't been that impressive for years now.
I'm not avoiding games out of protest either. I'm just not fussed about watching us play or can be bothered to find a stream if it's not on TV. I used to plan weekends around the football and avoid scheduling anything that would clash with an Arsenal game. Not the case anymore. The games are low on the priority scale. Win, lose or draw, it doesn't matter anymore. Unless the Board are prepared to pull the trigger on Wenger soon, I can't see the point in following the games.
I would love us to win it and really hope that we do. Don't really care if it means he sees out the last year. I think he will see it out regardless. European trophies don't come around often and I was a little too young to really appreciate the cup winners cup.
Our attack looks good. I want us to win the thing but our defence is still suspect.
Honestly, that hasn't occurred to me because I just don't think it is feasible enough to be overly concerned about. If he wins a trophy that equates more to achieving the minimum target of qualifying for the CL rather than actually moving forward and progressive success earning a new contract. And I do think we are at a stage where a new contract would have to be 'earned', otherwise, the last 2 year contract he got might have been a 3/4 years contract.
If Kroenke goes over several senior board heads and offers him a new contract then I tend to think he is probably of a mind to do that with or without the Europa triumph.
Got to want to win it, sadly, I don't think out defence is good enough.
So if our only two options are:
Win Europa and Wenger stays, OR Lose Europa and he goes, what would you pick?
Win Europa & Wenger says. He's an old man who'll retire eventually and there's no way in hell he's getting a new contract in the current climate so it'd be one more year at most.
No point spiting the club through losing out on a European Trophy, CL football and money as well as damaging our reputation & stature just to try and get rid of the old fool. Last season should have put bed to the notion that "if we finish out of the top four Wenger will go" - an argument that used to be frequently made on here.
All a moot point as I'm certain he's going in the summer. I'll even bet my account on it.
I think I may be able to live with the fact the Wenger is here for another year if it means winning the EL. However, my fear is that he will get another contract extension if he wins it. I can deal with one more season like this, but not sure of another.
If winning EL means we have another 3 seasons of him, I hope that we dont win it.
Got to hope we win the EL, CL football next season, something for a new manager to get to grips with. Wenger will leave in summer wn't he? Promise me he will leave.