Ostersunds (H). Thursday 8.05pm. BT Shite.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

The caffeine cup isn't a huge amount more in money....and still doesn't sit that favourably set against missing out on the CL and (potentially) not winning the Europa....so in those circumstances, is Kroenke going to pull rank and offer another extension?

[Niall_Quinn]

We're very "fortunate" to have somebody as experienced in football as Josh Kroenke to step in and sort this out.

He's here to plan for Wenger's departure, apparently. He could just as easily be here to put an end to any steps being taken to force the dinosaur out. We don't know what the Kroenke's will do because we don't have much insight into why they want to own Arsenal and what they are using the club for. We can guess, but that's all.

So I'd view any sort of success, limited as it would be considering we are in for two second tier trophies with the primary stuff way off in the distance, as a severe risk of Wenger getting the nod for a contract extension. What would everyone think of the Europa cup if that was the outcome? What a horrible situation to be in as a fan. Wanting to win, but knowing each win could potentially ruin the club further. Only at Arsenal.

I reckon we'll give the gypos a good hiding. They aren't anywhere near as good as the the hype suggests. Their defence is garbage and if we discover our balls and take the game to them they'll collapse, like they did against Liverpool. If we play it slow and negative, we'll get hit by a cricket score. Even Wenger tends to take games against the gypos somewhat seriously so he might (might) plan for this one. Even so, our players are good enough to overcome that if they put their minds to the challenge.

[Cripps]

The caffeine cup isn't a huge amount more in money....and still doesn't sit that favourably set against missing out on the CL and (potentially) not winning the Europa....so in those circumstances, is Kroenke going to pull rank and offer another extension?

He got a contract extension off the FA cup.

So yes.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

That was the first year out of the CL though...this is the second with a lesser trophy.

Having said that I wouldn't be astounded if he were offered it......I just think Wenger will walk after the 2 years if he doesn't get top 4 and doesn't win the Europa as the fan discontentment will secretly hurt him.

[Cripps]

Ok think of it like this.

Kroenke flies in once a year.

The one time he flies in he sees us lift a trophy, fans jubilant, players celebrating, Wenger elated and reciprocally clapping the away fans.

Would he get the boot?

[Niall_Quinn]

That was the first year out of the CL though...this is the second with a lesser trophy.

Having said that I wouldn't be astounded if he were offered it......I just think Wenger will walk after the 2 years if he doesn't get top 4 and doesn't win the Europa as the fan discontentment will secretly hurt him.

Wenger has had several opportunities to leave on an up note. Instead he used the cup wins as an excuse to stay. He's going nowhere if it's left up to him.

[KSE Comedy Club]

Dilemma really.

If we win, it's a European trophy but it makes Wenger look good.

If we don't, Wenger could be sacked (hopefully), but it's depressing to lose out in another European tournament.

[Letters]

Half the fans have been trained, not just to accept second best, but to feel grateful for it. This has been Wenger's most intolerable achievement.

Some of the fans are old enough to remember when second best was significantly better than we generally achieved.
You are. Read Fever Pitch if you've forgotten.

This isn't about arrogance or snobbery. This is about a club with multiple times more resource than many of the clubs playing in the CL, a club with just as many resources as the chavs, more than Liverpool, more than the spuds, falling to a relatively lowly level due to the complacency of the owner, the club hierarchy, most certainly the manager (definitely that cunt) and also the fans. The fans have to carry a lot of the blame for what has happened to the club.

Pretty much agreed. This is what I call the Wenger paradox, he is the reason (certainly a part of the reason) we have these resources and this level of expectation and the reason we are not making the most of those resources and failing to reach the level those resources should get us to.

I don't accept we're not a top 4 club. Top 2, yes. We don't have more resources than City, Chelsea or Utd. There is no top 2 any more, not since Chelsea and City bought their way in. But neither should any of these sides should be miles above us. Spurs should be nowhere near us. The rest of your post is a straw man argument. Well, maybe it isn't given how a lot of fans keep paying to go to the stadium and buying the latest shirts, but it is not representative of the people on here - not even me and I've been one of the more patient people on here with Wenger.

[HCZ]

So are we likely to see a lot of changes to the team tonight given how we are playing city on Sunday and this tie should be dead?

[Marc Overmars]

I would have thought so.

Should be the second string plus Mkhi who can't play on Sunday.

I'd play Welbz though, he needs to sort his life out given he's going to lead the line for us in the next round.