Europa League Semi-Final Draw (13/04, some time).

[dostoy]

What if his contract is extended on the basis of winning the Europa League? Would you be happy with that, if he gets another two years? That is certainly a possibility.

No I would not be happy with that at all but I don't think his contract would be extended on that basis this summer.

I think he will leave in June 2019 and not before.

[Özim]

No I would not be happy with that at all but I don't think his contract would be extended on that basis this summer.

I think he will leave in June 2019 and not before.

I'm not convinced to be honest, if he delivers CL football that's his target met and he might get an extension IMO.

[dostoy]

The chances of Arsenal getting in the top 4 next season are very very slim, there is more chance of finishing 3rd in the group stages of the CL, dropping into the EL and winning that.

As Arsenal are regressing every year its very unlikely.

[Letters]

Top 2. Top 4. Top 6. That's the direction we have been going with Wenger over these last 15 years.

That's a little bit disingenuous.

There is no such thing as a top 2 any more, once Chelsea and City bought their way in all that was gone and Utd haven't exactly been raking in the titles since Fergie left.
Liverpool and Spurs have sorted themselves out so now it is more of a top 6 and this season we have been rock bottom of it.
Will we stay there? Maybe.
If Spurs don't win the FA Cup and Kane leaves, if Poch leaves will their star continue to rise? Liverpool have never consistently been a top 4 side to they could implode.
But overall the competition has increased and now it seems we need a better manager to even get in the top 4 let alone properly challenge.
If you think that a manager is going to come in and we'll be top 2 every year then you're dreaming. That won't happen.
But we should definitely be challenging harder with our resources and that's what I expect from a new manager.

I think it unlikely we'll fall much further unless a bunch of other clubs get bought by billionaires and start buying their way in. Otherwise it's quite hard to fall much further.
You think we have the "worst manager in football" and we'll probably finish 6th. There are only so many big clubs and we are one of them. That is the limiting factor.
You get one off crazy stories like Leicester but ultimately we can buy a better squad than most other clubs so there is only so far we can fall whoever our manager is.

[fakeyank]

Let me see.

a) We are playing a team whose manager knows exactly how to stifle opponents
b) We are playing against Griezman
c) Diego Costa

Frankly c) is good enough to say we are losing the tie, but I added another 2 reasons why our chances of going to the final are almost nil.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

That's a little bit disingenuous.

There is no such thing as a top 2 any more, once Chelsea and City bought their way in all that was gone and Utd haven't exactly been raking in the titles since Fergie left.
Liverpool and Spurs have sorted themselves out so now it is more of a top 6 and this season we have been rock bottom of it.
Will we stay there? Maybe.
If Spurs don't win the FA Cup and Kane leaves, if Poch leaves will their star continue to rise? Liverpool have never consistently been a top 4 side to they could implode.
But overall the competition has increased and now it seems we need a better manager to even get in the top 4 let alone properly challenge.
If you think that a manager is going to come in and we'll be top 2 every year then you're dreaming. That won't happen.
But we should definitely be challenging harder with our resources and that's what I expect from a new manager.

I think it unlikely we'll fall much further unless a bunch of other clubs get bought by billionaires and start buying their way in. Otherwise it's quite hard to fall much further.
You think we have the "worst manager in football" and we'll probably finish 6th. There are only so many big clubs and we are one of them. That is the limiting factor.
You get one off crazy stories like Leicester but ultimately we can buy a better squad than most other clubs so there is only so far we can fall whoever our manager is.

Spurs could easily yoyo and will certainly do so if they don't significantly raise their wage bill.... but Liverpool are here to stay, or will be there or thereabouts.

[Letters]

The chances of Arsenal getting in the top 4 next season are very very slim, there is more chance of finishing 3rd in the group stages of the CL, dropping into the EL and winning that.

As Arsenal are regressing every year its very unlikely.

When you say regressing every year, the last 5 seasons our final place and points total has been:

4th 79
3rd 75
2nd 71
5th 75
6th 64

Obviously I've had to extrapolate for this year which is looking like Wenger's worst ever league finish and possibly points total.
My point is there hasn't been year on year consistent regression - till last season it was all fairly consistent BUT other sides around us were getting better which is why we dropped out of the top 4.
This year has gone off a cliff but I doubt we will decline the same amount next year. In fact I'm sure we won't, I just think our squad is too good for that.

Our massive problem this year has been away form. Our home form has been right up there

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/...ril-2018/home/

We have stunk the place up away

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/...ril-2018/away/

It's all added up to a mess of a season in the league. Top 4 is getting tougher generally so it will be a battle next year and every year unless Spurs and Liverpool implode which is always possible.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

The Europa league is his free ticket to a new contract, he doesn't deserve one, shouldn't even be here next year however we know how we roll, we'll be in the CL and with a European trophy in our hands, the club will claim this is what we've been striving for and this proves we're progressing and that how can we not offer the man who made this happen a new contract, it would be proposperous!

So yeah would like to win the EL but if it means more time with Wenger, no thanks I don't want him here for a second more than he has to stay here.

Why are some people painting the EL to be a great trophy now, I've always said I was looking forward to being in it but most we're very negative and thought it was mickey mouse, at leat NQ has stuck to his guns and not suddenly changed his opinion and decided it's a great prize.

Besides NQ has a point, don't want to be in the CL making up the numbers, would rather be in the Europa league which is more our level, at least we have an outside chance of doing well in that seeing as it's mostly made up of pub teams. This is the sad thing of course, the CL with it's top 4 qualification criteria has really ruined the Europa, the teams that would have been in it are now in the CL, sad really, once upon a time the UEFA Cup was really special.

...not sure that was precisely his point, lol.

[selassie]

If I thought that winning the EL would mean another, say, 10 years of Wenger then there would be more to consider. But I reckon it'll be another season...and it might be another season anyway.
In 20 years time when people remember the history of the club are they going to remember that Wenger stayed another couple of seasons and that it meant another season bumbling around failing to compete or will they remember that we won the Europa League. Given how sparse our victories in Europe have been, I'd take the EL any day.

As I said a while back, dream scenario is we win the EL and Wenger leaves with some dignity intact, I suspect neither will happen.

Yeah beggars can't be choosing and all that.....

Letters, think about this for a minute, should we even be in this position? If Wenger would have done his job properly..........maybe just maybe....we would be comfortably in top 4......oh wait...

The funny thing is we are going into the Semi finals as massive underdogs against a team that don't even need to win the thing to qualify for CL next season.

The whole thing is ridiculous.

[selassie]

I think the first leg at home is better as least we are still in the tie when we play at home.

if we defend against griezman and costa like we defend against most teams think we could be in a spot of bother. I am actually looking forward to it, I haven't looked forward to a game in a while.

I think the realisation could be that regardless of results Wenger will decide when he goes. So might as well bring home a European trophy, as the best case scenario is win the Europa league for the trophy factor not the CL football factor, Wenger decides now is the time to go as he has finally won a European trophy. A new manager comes in with the promise of CL football. Worst case we get demolished by AM, Wenger stays anyway as he convinces Kroenke that we have progressed by making the semis and we can have another crack at Europa league next year.

Spot of bother? If we defend like normal the tie will be over by half time in the first leg.

We have our work cut out here...