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UEL Round of 32 2nd Leg: Arsenal (1) v Benfica (1) | Thursday February 25 | KO: 17:55 UTC | BT Sport

Who Advances To The Round of 16?


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    58
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Melquiades

Active Member
I fell asleep end of first half and wake up to us just scrapping through. We were actually losing as well. The ceballos mistake is purely down to our coaching. Any hesitation go back and start over. It’s amazing how often we pass backwards. Arteta survives, he’s still an incompetent clown

I don't think I've ever seen a mistake that could be considered *less* down to coaching.

Ceballos was basically fielding a rugby box kick with a guy closing him down and muffed it up. Nothing there was due to systems or positioning or tactics or anything like that. It was an awkward ball and our player made an awkward play on it. **** happens.

The negative play from Xhaka/Elneny etc in midfield is definitely an issue, but this wasn't that sort of play.
 

Olivier_Giroud

Active Member
That game is the best example that we really need a REAL MANAGER not a COSPLAYER. Arteta has taken us as far as he can. He needs to go, he is out of of his depth. He should stop pretending to be a manager.

This is Arteta's biggest game, our biggest game of the season or it is over, and that is the BEST Arteta can come up with? To serve us the Willian Experience? We were against a team of has beens, a team whose Manager does not even want to be there. Yet we barely survive. What saved us was the quality of our players(Saka, Aubameyang) not Arteta's dreadful tactics. Tierney's passion and never give up attitude where he scored immediately after we were down and him egging on his teammates that sparked the comeback, just delayed the inevitability of Arteta's sacking.

We barely survived Benfica. Arteta has nothing to offer, let us stop lying to ourselves that he is a prodigy or the coach of the next generation. He is a low IQ pretender, that is all he is and we need to accept that.
 
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Melquiades

Active Member
Guess some posters are simply more con Arteta than pro Arsenal. That’s what you get then. Not sure why that is, but probably simple group dynamics fron what I can see. Like the GOP here getting MAGA crazier by the day.

I guess I'm the rare 'Arteta neutral' and I could understand the negativity in November/December but we've played well since Christmas and just had an awesome comeback to win a European tie against a good team in an exciting match ... and people can do nothing but complain about it. Presumably people watch this sport to enjoy it and that was the most exciting/enjoyable result of the season.

Benfica parked the bus for these two games and we struggle with that, but we generally played pretty well and were the better team and advanced despite some adversity. Well done.
 

Ac3knight

Active Member
I think we've improved on off the ball movement today. Lots of runs being made. Now we just need to fix the back/safe passes that are happening too frequently.
 

CaseUteinberger

Established Member

Country: Sweden
I guess I'm the rare 'Arteta neutral'
I think being neutral while hoping things will turn out alright quite reasonable. I wasn’t a great fan of the idea of getting an unproven manager in but now that we have him here let’s hope it turns to gold! I think defensively there has been a good improvement. Our attack still is quite stodgy.

Today we came from behind against a decent team when our backs were against the wall. I for one will be happy!
 

Legend14

Established Member
I think being neutral while hoping things will turn out alright quite reasonable. I wasn’t a great fan of the idea of getting an unproven manager in but now that we have him here let’s hope it turns to gold! I think defensively there has been a good improvement. Our attack still is quite stodgy.

Today we came from behind against a decent team when our backs were against the wall. I for one will be happy!
That team is terrible. We played at their level so questions are fair to ask.
 

Melquiades

Active Member
I think being neutral while hoping things will turn out alright quite reasonable. I wasn’t a great fan of the idea of getting an unproven manager in but now that we have him here let’s hope it turns to gold! I think defensively there has been a good improvement. Our attack still is quite stodgy.

Today we came from behind against a decent team when our backs were against the wall. I for one will be happy!

I have concerns about Arteta but I can see what we're trying to do and I can see improvement. And it's been a super weird season with a lot of extra challenges. And I think when you hire a young first-time manager you're always going to have a few growing pains. If we struggle through Christmas next year in a more 'normal' season, absolutely his job will and should be in jeopardy. But I've seen enough to think he deserves the chance for a fresh start next season. And I think it's naive to think that the problems here are all manager-based and that the grass will somehow be greener if we keep turning over managers every year.

As for tonight, yeah - great goal to win a KO game in Europe with 3 minutes left. Best moment of the season.
 

Melquiades

Active Member
That team is terrible. We played at their level so questions are fair to ask.

They're very clearly a mid-level PL squad. Major-nation internationals at almost every position. They have a West Ham roster with Crystal Palace form. This was never going to be some sort of blowout against farmers like Sp**s had.

We were clearly better - they parked the bus and had 2 scoring chances in open play in 2 games. If Auba finishes that sitter in the first game or we don't get the dodgy HB penalty against ESR, this is probably fairly comfortable.
 

dka1

100% Dark Chocolate
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
Mate if it bothers you that much supporting Arsenal then you can always go and support United or City can't you? The door is right there, nobody forcing you to stay and support us :lol:

Well I'm glad you mentioned that as I think I've gained a bit more insight into how you think.

I should point out that supporting the club is hardly comparable to participating in a forum.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I won't be able to stop supporting Arsenal so I'll vent or not vent about my frustrations with the club as I please in a forum.

What I really don't understand is continuing to participate in a forum; (which unlike supporting a club, should be easy to ignore) yet constantly complaining about the people in the forum you're participating in?

Like if I thought people were that bad in this forum as you and a few others seem to think I'd 100% without a doubt just stop reading, as I don't need to read a forum to support Arsenal.

Unless of course you've got some kind of attachment to a forum....a forum, that is comparable to your attachment to our club? In which case then I do apologise, continue as you are.
 

Rasmi

Negative Nancy

Country: England
I guess I'm the rare 'Arteta neutral' and I could understand the negativity in November/December but we've played well since Christmas and just had an awesome comeback to win a European tie against a good team in an exciting match ... and people can do nothing but complain about it. Presumably people watch this sport to enjoy it and that was the most exciting/enjoyable result of the season.

Benfica parked the bus for these two games and we struggle with that, but we generally played pretty well and were the better team and advanced despite some adversity. Well done.
The negativity is from this is the weakest benfica team in many many years. they are 15 points behind their league leaders and a club in big crisis with fans protesting before this game. And we were minutes from going out to them. This is a team who couldnt beat Glasgow rangers home and away and finished second to them in the group stages. We won because we have few players who are way better than their and their sheer brilliance took us over. But this was another huge red flag that the manager is simply out of his depth. But some people cant see where we are heading until we fully arrive there. If people want to give a manager with no track history and after 18 months has not improved the team one bit, then i really question their love for the club. Even Chelsea reacted way quicker than us and he was doing better than Arteta
 

Rasmi

Negative Nancy

Country: England
That game is the best example that we really need a REAL MANAGER not a COSPLAYER. Arteta has taken us as far as he can. He needs to go, he is out of of his depth. He should stop pretending to be a manager.

This is Arteta's biggest game, our biggest game of the season or it is over, and that is the BEST Arteta can come up with? To serve us the Willian Experience? We were against a team of has beens, a team whose Manager does not even want to be there. Yet we barely survive. What saved us was the quality of our players(Saka, Aubameyang) not Arteta's dreadful tactics. Tierney's passion and never give up attitude where he scored immediately after we were down and him egging on his teammates that sparked the comeback, just delayed the inevitability of Arteta's sacking.

We barely survived Benfica. Arteta has nothing to offer, let us stop lying to ourselves that he is a prodigy or the coach of the next generation. He is a low IQ pretender, that is all he is and we need to accept that.
Great post and I couldn't agree more. I really dont think these people understand how poor Benfica is and the problems they have and they almost took us out. Hell Molde who was in our group would have taken them out
 

Melquiades

Active Member
The negativity is from this is the weakest benfica team in many many years. they are 15 points behind their league leaders and a club in big crisis with fans protesting before this game. And we were minutes from going out to them. This is a team who couldnt beat Glasgow rangers home and away and finished second to them in the group stages. We won because we have few players who are way better than their and their sheer brilliance took us over. But this was another huge red flag that the manager is simply out of his depth. But some people cant see where we are heading until we fully arrive there. If people want to give a manager with no track history and after 18 months has not improved the team one bit, then i really question their love for the club. Even Chelsea reacted way quicker than us and he was doing better than Arteta

And we outclassed them pretty easily. The goals were 4-0 in proper open buildup/counterattack play despite Aubameyang missing a couple sitters. Again, they scored on a BS handball penalty, a wonder free kick, and a bungled back pass. They didn't come close to breaking us down and we scored 4 proper goals in buildup play.

The score was close because they were opportunistic on a couple of our mistakes and caught some luck. But this wasn't some sort of 50:50 matchup.

And again - they're in a poor run of form, but their squad is very clearly that of a mid-table PL team. And they were parking the bus. And when teams park the bus, wins don't often look that pretty.
 

Rasmi

Negative Nancy

Country: England
And we outclassed them pretty easily. The goals were 4-0 in proper open buildup/counterattack play despite Aubameyang missing a couple sitters. Again, they scored on a BS handball penalty, a wonder free kick, and a bungled back pass. They didn't come close to breaking us down and we scored 4 proper goals in buildup play.

The score was close because they were opportunistic on a couple of our mistakes and caught some luck. But this wasn't some sort of 50:50 matchup.

And again - they're in a poor run of form, but their squad is very clearly that of a mid-table PL team. And they were parking the bus. And when teams park the bus, wins don't often look that pretty.
No way is benfica midtable PL team. Thats what we are. This current Benfica team would struggle to stay up in the PL. Honestly Fulham has better quality than them
 

Melquiades

Active Member
No way is benfica midtable PL team. Thats what we are. This current Benfica team would struggle to stay up in the PL. Honestly Fulham has better quality than them

Again, almost every player in their squad is a major-nation international.

Otamendi and Vertonghen aren't what they once were but both were playing Champions League with Man City/Sp**s last year and would be easily starting for at least half of the PL.

Two current German internationals. One current Brazilian international. Several Portuguese internationals. Darwin Nunez is a huge talent headed for a huge club in the next year or so.

It's a comparable squad to most mid-table PL teams.

Absolutely they're in crap form. But this isn't some bunch of farmers. Wolves are also in crap form, but they aren't an easy win either when they're parking the bus.

And - again - this was 4-0 in terms of proper open play/buildup goals. They had a BS penalty, a wonder free kick, and a bungled back pass for their goals. They were lucky and opportunistic and it gave the impression that these two teams were closer than they actually were. They generated absolutely nothing in open play in two games.
 

Rasmi

Negative Nancy

Country: England
Again, almost every player in their squad is a major-nation international.

Otamendi and Vertonghen aren't what they once were but both were playing Champions League with Man City/Sp**s last year and would be easily starting for at least half of the PL.

Two current German internationals. One current Brazilian international. Several Portuguese internationals. Darwin Nunez is a huge talent headed for a huge club in the next year or so.

It's a comparable squad to most mid-table PL teams.

Absolutely they're in crap form. But this isn't some bunch of farmers. Wolves are also in crap form, but they aren't an easy win either when they're parking the bus.

And - again - this was 4-0 in terms of proper open play/buildup goals. They had a BS penalty, a wonder free kick, and a bungled back pass for their goals. They were lucky and opportunistic and it gave the impression that these two teams were closer than they actually were. They generated absolutely nothing in open play in two games.
Nunez is heading to big clubs next season with his 4 league goals? they have several over the hill players like Ottamendi and vertonghen. They have Haris Seferovic as a striker who wouldnt be top 5 strikers in the championship. Benfica is a great club with great history. But to suggest the worst Benfica team in decades is midtable PL club is pure madness. this is a poor team
 

Melquiades

Active Member
Nunez is heading to big clubs next season with his 4 league goals? they have several over the hill players like Ottamendi and vertonghen. They have Haris Seferovic as a striker who wouldnt be top 5 strikers in the championship. Benfica is a great club with great history. But to suggest the worst Benfica team in decades is midtable PL club is pure madness. this is a poor team

Guys like Otamendi and Vertonghen were starting for CL clubs last year. They're declining but didn't turn into Championship-level bums in 6 months. And again, would be starting for most PL teams. They're basically exact peers of David Luiz who was starting for us.

Seferovic is probably a Maupay-level player.

Waldschmidt and Everton aren't the sort of player you see on Bristol City or West Brom.

They're on a poor run of form for the last two months and are therefore having a poor season by their standards. But this is not a crap bunch of farmers we would expect to cakewalk 5-0.

And again, we DID outclass them in open play. By a wide margin.
 
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