Winning the first knockout stage gets you 3.5m euros, plus the gate, plus tv money. It's a nice chunk of change.
Arsenal need to be congratulated for making it thru, but def. feels like a missed opportunity to finish top. I'd prefer PSG out of all the potential opponents.
Have not been posting because I'm quite happy with things but Arsene's mid game management today was awful, especially considering upcoming MShitty fixture. I dont know what to say about it because it was all so typical Arsene Wenger. Let's try this: Today Arsene was thinking "OK, this is like where I come in fourth".
meh, at least we wont get Drogba. Just avoid Bayern, and Im ok. Bayern will give us that work. Barca and Madrid could but they fell off this year. And PSG are still unsure. I only didnt want Bayern or Gala. Arteta was an idiot.
its not if we have wide players to give them space. When its Ozil, Rosicky/Ramsey and Cazorla (what the hell has happened to him? He has been well below par this year?) then the field is congested and its hard to break out.
They aren't exactly easy, but Wenger has two jobs per season. Get into the knockout and finish Top 4. We are now halfway home.
Yes. Rosicky is redundant when we have both Flam and Arteta out there. Theo absolutely needs to be out there when both of them are starting. I actually thought Cazorla was magnificent against Cardiff and really showed the true potential of Ozil/Cazorla. But I didn't see the game today and he has been middling this season for the most part.
Tough group. Dortmund also lost away at Napoli IMO Napoli are as strong as either Dortmund or Arsenal. Thought the tactics were correct given City at the weekend.
Napoli may be as strong as them at home but over all they may just be equal to a very thinned DOrtmund due to many injuries.
Lichsteiner if Bacary doesn't sign? No, they will have to look back at their performances in the Round of 16 matches.
Would have been nice to finish top for momentum sake, but honestly I'd rather play a big game in the round of 16 than zenit or whatever. Aside from a few extra euros, we get nothing from advancing another round except more games on the fixture list. Bring on RM! The league is the most important thing IMO.
I'm hoping for Atletico. They will be difficult enough to get the boys up for the game, but probably the easiest top seed.
I think thats harsh on Arteta the ref was eager to book people, and also the Napoli player was freefallin soon as he was touched. Fuhk Napoli glad they're home. Also what did Barhani need to do to get booked? Bring a machete and hack Giroud in the neck? Come on fams. Ref was terrible as heck. With that said I agree with you completely I think we can take anyone except Bayern.
um, advancing is the whole point. i'd take cowabunga fc followed by whointheheckistan fc if it meant our chances of winning the trophy got better.
the ref was generally ok, but that was a very bad decision. the only excuses i can offer up in his defence are possibly an accumulation of tackles or a poor view, because that tackle in itself was never a yellow.
lamb, If thats the case why was Behrani still on the field? So we'll have to go with him getting it wrong due to not seeing it. Makes sense if one looks at it that way. Jitty, Yeah I think we were caught in the "lets play for a draw" mindset which imho doesnt make for a coherent game plan with this particular group of players we had out there.
dont get me wrong, the ref let Berahmi get away with murder. But that doesnt excuse Arteta. In a normal match, that was a yellow card.