Match Reaction: Bayern Munich 5 Arsenal 1

[selassie]

We need to be in the Europa League.

We should know by now that concentrating on one competition doesn't benefit us. We've gone out in the first knock out stage of the CL for years now and gone onto win cups.

Cups are still are best chance of winning a trophy as one off games.

Agree with NQ, we go in the Europa and it's goodbye PL. We can't even field a proper team now with our injury list and it's like this every season. We don't have the squad to juggle Europa and PL, full of too many crocks.

[Marc Overmars]

We're just not very good in Europe. Didn't need a pasting tonight to tell you that.

Still got half a chance of going through but I'm not holding my breath.

[Kano]

Agree with NQ, we go in the Europa and it's goodbye PL. We can't even field a proper team now with our injury list and it's like this every season. We don't have the squad to juggle Europa and PL, full of too many crocks.

There are two more games in the Europa, one extra round. The same as an FA Cup replay or two. It's a complete fallacy to think we will concentrate on the league and manage ourselves well enough in that. We need as many options as possible given our manager.

[Niall_Quinn]

There are two more games in the Europa, one extra round. The same as an FA Cup replay or two. It's a complete fallacy to think we will concentrate on the league and manage ourselves well enough in that. We need as many options as possible given our manager.

But the games are on a Thursday night in Shithole Creek, huge difference. One less day recovery than all our opponents. Game over. This squad can barely handle what we have, in fact it can't even do that. We're in a shit state and the Dropout League will be the shit icing. And anyway - aren't we supposed to be up there with the elite of European football? That fucker who gets paid £3mill for his advice better start with the suggestions because we're deep in shit now. Better get his fucking crusty old, faded chequebook out in January.

[Kano]

But the games are on a Thursday night in Shithole Creek, huge difference. One less day recovery than all our opponents. Game over. This squad can barely handle what we have, in fact it can't even do that. We're in a shit state and the Dropout League will be the shit icing. And anyway - aren't we supposed to be up there with the elite of European football? That fucker who gets paid £3mill for his advice better start with the suggestions because we're deep in shit now. Better get his fucking crusty old, faded chequebook out in January.

Those obscure games happen in the group stage but the better teams in mainland Europe get through and the destinations become more normal. Thurs/Sun, Weds/Sat, what's the difference? We can kid ourselves we are up there with the elite and keep getting knocked out by the real elite every year, or go for a trophy we can win. And a trophy we'd enjoy. Beating Birmingham a few years back wouldn't exactly have been '71 all over again but enjoyable none the less for the silverware. We are absolutely kidding ourselves if we think that all our eggs in one basket will improve Wenger's management of the squad. We are built for cups not long campaigns.

[Niall_Quinn]

Those obscure games happen in the group stage but the better teams in mainland Europe get through and the destinations become more normal. Thurs/Sun, Weds/Sat, what's the difference? We can kid ourselves we are up there with the elite and keep getting knocked out by the real elite every year, or go for a trophy we can win. And a trophy we'd enjoy. Beating Birmingham a few years back wouldn't exactly have been '71 all over again but enjoyable none the less for the silverware. We are absolutely kidding ourselves if we think that all our eggs in one basket will improve Wenger's management of the squad. We are built for cups not long campaigns.

Just get rid of Wenger. That's the only way we'll be genuinely in for a serious trophy.

[Kano]

Just get rid of Wenger. That's the only way we'll be genuinely in for a serious trophy.

There's always that. New contract I read the other day.

[Niall_Quinn]

There's always that. New contract I read the other day.

Yep. The bean counters have a turn of pace when they smell fresh cash opportunities. Strike while the fans are distracted by a few wins.

[selassie]

There are two more games in the Europa, one extra round. The same as an FA Cup replay or two. It's a complete fallacy to think we will concentrate on the league and manage ourselves well enough in that. We need as many options as possible given our manager.

I personally think the league is the only competition we can manage if we are competing for it this year. I don't believe we could manage Europa on Thursday and then league games over the weekend. If everyone is fit then yes we have the squad, everyone is never fit though, it's not like these muscular injuries are one-offs, we face this problem every single season and more often than not it's the same set of players out injured throughout the season. I don't even know why Wenger is surprised, Walcott, Ramsey, Wilshere, OX, Rosicky & Arteta always miss large chunks of the season, they have done for a while now. Take them out and our squad options are decimated.

[Kano]

I personally think the league is the only competition we can manage if we are competing for it this year. I don't believe we could manage Europa on Thursday and then league games over the weekend. If everyone is fit then yes we have the squad, everyone is never fit though, it's not like these muscular injuries are one-offs, we face this problem every single season and more often than not it's the same set of players out injured throughout the season. I don't even know why Wenger is surprised, Walcott, Ramsey, Wilshere, OX, Rosicky & Arteta always miss large chunks of the season, they have done for a while now. Take them out and our squad options are decimated.

But where has this illusion come from? Being second in early November? We should all know how many times we've seen this. Nothing has created our downfall in the league before now. We've had no extended CL runs, always out in the next round. Just two extra games. So all we've had is the PL to concentrate on for years and where has that got us? We can't talk about cotton wool around our players to save them for some mystical glory run in the league when there is nothing to say the exact same thing won't happen again. Just go for whatever we can because otherwise we are just narrowing our own chances of success, star struck by early season form that has burnt us for years on end.