The Arsenal v 1. FC Köln UEFA Europa League (jesus...) Emirates Stadium, Borough of Islington, London N5 Thursday, 14 September 2017 KICKOFF: 2005 BST/1505 EST/1205 PST US TV: FS1 It only took us 17 years, but we're back in the UEFA Cup, and we start with the Derbi de Podolski.
Thanks for the early thread Darth. But don't get too disappointed if the post count is still only 20 at KO time. Raf Honigstein says that the City of Koln is TOTALLY buzzing for this match. It's their return to European play after a long haitus... of 20 years or something?? Yikes! IOW, watch out Arsenal!! But I get the feeling that their fans don't hold it against us that we hosted their prodigal son for quite a few years. Rather they are more familiar with us because of following his career. BTW, your picture of Poldi was great... wasn't that the one that the brilliant folks at Breitbart News used in a story about the African refugee crisis?
p.s. about FC Koln... Probably the first foreign soccer TV show I watched with any frequency was Soccer Made in Germany (on PBS?) in the late 70's early 80's. Toby Charles... I can still hear his voice! Anyway, at that time Koln were flying high in the Bundesliga... their glory days I guess.
According to Wiki, it's their first time in European competition since they got knocked out of the first round of the 1992-93 UEFA Cup by Celtic. Second leg of that was September 30, 1992, so nearly 25 years.
Pretty sweet for Poldi, I honestly didn't realize he was still playing. I hope he rifles one into the top corner, sprints to the touchline (without "celebrating"), grabs Wenger by the ears and plants a big wet one on his lips!!
...and my dad shares their articles. We've not talked in a while. I was going to use one of his several grinning mugshot-style pictures, but this was too good to pass up.
Ozil and Ramsey to be rested for the match, apparently. Wonder is Sanchez will also need a breather...
No idea what the Boss will do, but this is what I'd send out: 3-4-3 Ospina Chambers - BFG - Holding Debuchy - ElNeny - Wilshere - LWB (???) Theo - Meaty French Forehead - Iwobi If Coq was fit, I'd play him at LWB. This is basically our 2nd string, and I would play them for all of the Europa League group stage matches. No need to shoehorn in any more youth than is already in the side with Chambers, Holding, and Iwobi. The 2nd string needs games and this competition is perfect for providing it. If they can get out of the group, which they should, then we can reassess how we treat this competition after the first of the year depending on league place. The focus right now has to be coming away from Chelsea with at least a point on Sunday, therefore, none of the guys who started against Bournemouth should be playing tomorrow night.
Hmm. Not sure if I should be excited about a Europa League match or not. Oh hell, it's an Arsenal match so I'm looking forward to it. A chance for some of the second team players to show how good they are.
One of the young'uns at LWB. That's a decent lineup. Not going to win the PL, but plenty of talent and experience and fully capable of winning.
I watched that show a few times back then too, but it was on KWHY-TV channel 22 in L.A., and with commercials. My first foreign footy TV show was Star Soccer in 1977-78 with the late great Mario Machado on KCET-TV channel 28 in L.A., it was our PBS station at the time, and this was during my fandom of the old L.A. Aztecs of the then-top flight NASL, but I discovered the old Football League First Division with Manchester United, Leeds, Liverpool, and even Derby County playing at the old Baseball Ground in Derby at the time, fans in the then-packed terraces behind the nets went nuts every time a goal was scored, definitely a lot different than here in the NASL.
I gotta say, I wish the team would prioritize this cup. The chances of finishing atop the EPL are very slim given the current roster construction. It would seem like winning Europa League and maybe winning FA Cup again would be likelier possibilities and thus deserve as much or more attention than league games.
Did you get to see George Best when you were in the Aztecs Fan? And did you catch that interesting documentary about him on ESPN's 30-in-30 series a month or so ago?
These games should definitely be used to let the Young Guns get playing time and maybe to bring back injured players into fitness (depending on how scrappy the play is). Setting the "goal" of winning the Europa makes me feel nauseas. God, what has happened to us.The goal should be top 4 and getting the ******** out of this Thursday night....ahhh....whats the word??...oh yeah, nightmare!
and yes I know a Europa top finish gets us back into CL but it would be so much "classier" to do it the other way. I can dream can't I??