:lol: That would be Wenger's best WUM yet if he played Ospina.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arsene Wenger
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:lol: That would be Wenger's best WUM yet if he played Ospina.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arsene Wenger
I don't think any English side is anywhere near the level of teams like Barca, Bayern or Real right now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Özim
Players like Cech, Ozil and Sanchez maybe give us a chance - and they also give a chance of the league too. Giroud is no Aguero but he's decent enough and supported by some of the real world class players we do have it gives us a chance.
Oh well im done with tourney for this season. English teams are lucky that the Serie A is shit, and France only have one good team. Or the PL could be in serious danger off losing a CL
This game worries me... I am worried players like Ozil, Sanchez, Ramsey will play like wild beasts and get themselves injured for our actual goal- the PL. There is NO way we will win this tie, unless we can pull Lasagnagate Pt 2 and Pt 3 during the home and away legs.
Offensively I think we can cause them problems and put on a show. Mathieu, Pique and Agent Vermaelen aren't the best CB's in the world ...... can definitely see us scoring.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
Only problem is that there isn't a hope in hell's chance we can stop any of Messi, Neymar or Suarez scoring in either leg. Especially if it's going to be Flamini and Ramsey in the middle. :doh:
Got to pray for an injury or form issues to at least a couple of those three to even stand a chance. :pray:
Athletico were literally seconds away from winning the CL when Ramos powered in that header in the last moment of the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie
Dortmund needed an 89th minute wonder goal from Robben to see them off.
Usually these games are tight edgy affairs, no matter the difference on paper and whilst of course not being favourites, we would stand a reasonable chance in a one off game against either one, whereas in a two legged tie the other team always has a chance to rec.
And for the last point, we equally are just as susceptible to let a negative result in the CL affect our confidence in our PL games. I don't think it's easy for the team to compartmentalise each tournament when you get to the latter stages.
Boring.
I'll predict next year's draws:
Group stage:
Dortmund
Arsenal
Olympiakos
Galatasaray
Last 16:
Arsenal v Bayern.
Chelsea v PSG.
What do you mean our goal? We have no chance you said. It's Liverpool's title to lose after all.Quote:
Originally Posted by fakeyank
Not unhappy with this. I don't think we'll go through, but to win the CL we would have had to play Barca or Bayern at some stage, so if we do achieve the impossible that's one of them dealt with. more likely we'll go out and be able to concentrate on the EPL.Perhaps not a bad thing.
I reckon we've more chance against this lot than Zenit or Wolfsburg. We'll be up for this whereas we'd be complacent against a smaller club. Seen it all before. We could beat them at home but we all know what we're up against away, and it's not just football. A 2-0 home win and we have a prayer, anything less and we have zero hope. Barca may have some great players but what a cunt of a club. If we could somehow knock them out that would be enough for me this season. If course we have to have a team to put on the pitch, if the injuries keep piling up we'll be in for a hiding.
Well liverpool are doing all they can to lose it, so we stand a chance... a small one of course.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kano
I don't see why some people think this is an auto-loss. I'd say we stand a decent chance of winning the tie. Granted they're a very good team but so are we. Sure we're not the best of the best of the best but any ascendancy requires a climb at first, otherwise Preston North End would still be top of the English league. I mean even if our chances of winning are only 10% they're still ten percent. I swear I caught someone here saying we have _no_ chance. That seems silly.
If we want to take that pessimistic attitude we can still, even then hope for injuries to Barca's squad, some sort of morale disaster occurring or even a referee fluking it in favour of us. Also we have the January transfer window to bolster our options which means we might get that striker we've all been hoping for.
The tie is late Feb/early March so there is plenty of time for things to change between then and now and give us a better picture of how we might do. Personally I'm relishing the tie, this is what being the fan of a major club is all about. This is the stage we get to play on.
To put it another way I'm pretty sure more of our squad are hungrier for this cup than many of Barca's squad and maybe that could make a difference on the nights.
Pass that dutch bruh..Quote:
Originally Posted by tpyo
How can you be a football fan without hope? Strikes me that if you think Arsenal not winning as accepted fact you should maybe take a break from supporting them. I'm sorry if that sounds rude but it just doesn't sound like a productive or healthy mindset.
I remember some game in the 90's it was the old Europa Cup I think, it was possibly the semi-finals or something and we were away against Inter Milan there was like less than ten minutes on the clock and we were two goals down. We were watching the game round my grandma's house and my Dad said: "ah, that's it, no good, lets go" and I spent the entire walk back home (albeit only 10 minutes) remonstrating with him over the possibility of an Arsenal win with him continually dismissing the possibility. I worked as a paper boy so the next morning woke up to the back pages that showed that Arsenal won on penalties and I think Seaman's face was in all the photos (I think he probably saved the final penalty or smth).
So its not the dutch speaking, its a memorable experience as a child I had in supporting Arsenal. So because of that I never give up, I never surrender hope and I never stop dreaming. I thought that was the the point, isn't it?
You have an exam on 12 chapters of your class.. you studied only 3 chapters. Do you expect to pass the exam? Yes, there is a small chance that the question paper will have 90% of the questions coming from the 3 chapters and you will end up passing, but what are the chances of something like that happening?
That is the problem with us as well. We do not hold a candlelight to the Barcelona team- not with our players, our manager, our mentality and most importantly our tactics. Tactics is most important because that can win you ties like this. With our manager, you know what he is going to do... we may sneak a win at home but to think we will win this tie is borderline delusional.
It's like a Bournemouth fan saying at the beginning of the season that they'll win the title.. Sure, I have hope that by some miracle we may win the tie but I know that is a pipeline dream. Realistically, we have very little going for us. If you think being realistic is not the definition of being a fan, then I have not read that dictionary. Frankly, I think fans with rose tinted glasses are one of our biggest problem. Wake up and smell the coffee!
How? Let me explain, it's called Arsene Wenger.Quote:
Originally Posted by tpyo
He leaves us fans with no hope because we know what will happen having seen it so many times, it's the same pattern and that's his biggest failing, stealing the hope from the ordinary fan, no longer are games unpredictable and that takes all of the enjoyment away.
Yes in the 90's we upset the odds, but we had a different manager and different mindset and players who had belief and a massive desire to win. That's all gone and all we're left with is tippy tappy nonsense and hollow words about how we're ready to dominate the football world.
Frankly I don't really understand how fans having seen years of same stuff still believe, I can only put it down to some people being in total denial about what's been happening in the last 10 years.
Not exactly. It's like Bournemouth looking at the calendar, seeing back to back games against Chelsea and Utd and thinking anything is possible. :lol:
Fans with rose tinted glasses are annoying but it's the same on the other end of the spectrum.
No Zim, he’s not left you with no hope - you as a person make your own decision to 'support' that way, no one else. Wenger has big faults, a lot I agree with you on, but it’s a miserable existence if you can’t look forward to watching the team you support on the weekend. Time to give up once you reach that point. A football manager doesn’t make you give up hope, only you do. Which is fair enough but at least be big enough to admit that. You’re as downbeat as you allow yourself to be.Quote:
Originally Posted by Özim
Well no because I just don't believe in his teams and the reason for this is the last decade of his management which really has taken any fun out of football, seeing the same disappointments over and over and over again, the same football, the same faults, the same problems...it's neverending.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kano
Unpredictabiity is a big factor in football and when everything is predictable almost to the point it appears scripted it gets boring fast and that's what I feel we're like, hence the reason we know there's zero chance of an upset against Barcelona.
I wish we had a proper manager like Mourinho. :(
:haha:
Sums up the unpredictability of football I guess, same happened to Klopp, doesn't make them bad managers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters To Santa
Strangely, if it happened to us I think you might be taking a different view...Quote:
Originally Posted by Özim
If we'd be winning for the last 10 years then no, because at the end of they day you can expect the odd season where it goes wrong if you're largely succesful (they'll recover anyway just like Dortmund did).Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters To Santa
I'd prefer 1 bad season in 1 if it meant we were genuine contenders for the major honours the rest of the time.
I think that's a pretty fair point :lol:
It's just lovely to see Mourinho getting his come-uppance though. He's never been at any club for very long, he's such a narcissistic prick that it seems no-one can stand working for him for long, hence the disaster that is this season so far. Long may it continue. :d
one point above the bottom 3, he doesn't seem to be able to turn round crises. also I do wonder if the reason the chavs did well was because of EBJT. they had a leader on the pitch and despite being a rascist disgusting human - was a pretty good defender. now he is shite, Chelsea are shite... also think hazard has been tapped up and will probably move in the summer. Chelsea have been pretty bad for nearly a year now as they weren't convincing end of last season either, they got off to a tremendous start when costa looked like a top striker.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters To Santa
it is so frustrating that we still lost to them though. we are certainly in the minority!!!
why? it is one of the draws they probably did want. Easy, good location, not too far to travel. pitch will be excellent to play on and they know they wont get kicked around for 90 minutes. plus they have a good record against us. It would be like us drawing Villa.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Lets just make sure we beat them then.
To other big teams we're probably a draw they want, looking at our record and how good we are in the CL why wouldn't they. We should be a a team other big clubs don't want to play, but it says a lot about our status in the eyes of others that we're not.
I really hope we beat the shit out of them. Arrogant fuckers.
That poll at the bottom says 51% of people think we will win it, says a lot about our fanbase that they still believe and shows why nothing will ever change and why there's no chance of Wenger leaving for some time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
The original source is El Mundo and there aren't any quotes, so as much I do think that Barca are a pack of reprehensible cunts, it's probably all bollocks designed to get clicks.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Though if it's true, they're idiots; us and PSG were the hardest teams in that group (Juve have been a shadow this season).
And lol Zim. You're absoutely mad or just too much of anti Arsenal/Wenger hack if you seriously believe that the big teams preferred us when there were teams like Gent, Kiev, PSV and Benfica around.
Yeah, nothing has changed, we haven't won a trophy* for 10 years :blah:
* - may require some goalpost shifting.
Juve got to the CL final last season so I'd say they'd be less desirable to play than us.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Emirates Gallactico
I'm not mad, we're a soft touch and you can almost guarantee qualification if you play us, after years of the same you would have to be somewhat delusional to think otherwise. We're easy to play against and in reality lack a competitive edge and things get tough we never come up with the answers in the CL.
Juve and PSG were the toughest some of the other teams are somewhat less predictable (Benfica, Wolfsburg and Zenit) and that's the point.
I don't doubt we have more talent than some of those teams, what we lack is a winner's mentality and competitive edge. Sure they would be happy with those other teams too, but if I was a manager Juve, PSG and Benfica would be the 3 teams I'd look to avoid as they are the most dangerous opposition IMO.
That doesn't make sense. I believe we have a shot at winning but also want Wenger gone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Özim
A shot at beating Barcelona?Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
I'm surprised to be honest, considering our record in this competition and how we go about our business I don't see how we have any hope of beating what is arguably the best team and a team that has 3 top top forwards.
We neither have the firepower to beat them nor the ability to keep their forwards out, they'll win this tie without too many problems IMO at best we'll sneak a luckyish narrow win in the 1st leg IMO.
Really?Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
That is a pretty strange combination.
I think Wenger should go if we don't seriously challenge for the title this year but having just won the FA Cup and so far this season being 2nd and having qualified for the last 16 of the CL, it would be a strange time to sack the manager.
Yes we absolutely MUST beat them, and if we can win the football match too that would be a lovely bonus. Hate these wankers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Douglas Reynholm
Fuck me you're miserable. I know, I know, it's someone else's fault.Quote:
Originally Posted by Özim
It's called being realistic, I'm not miserable at all tbh, if we lose we lose, it's no less than I expect, we've got zero chance of winning the CL ever under Wenger so IMO it's a waste of time anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kano
:haha:Quote:
Originally Posted by Özim