UEL Round of 32 1st Leg: Benfica vs Arsenal | Thursday 18th February |20:00 | BT Sport

[A_G]

City next up.

Then Leicester away.

 

[GLITCH]

Got a feeling something big is going to happen this weekend (the oracle at Delphi might have said).

Have we conceded 4 goals in one game yet this season?

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

If Auba buries a couple of those chances you'd expect him to you're talking about a fairly routine win.

Wasn't a great performance but it wasn't awful either. Pretty confident we'll progress.

 

[avenellroad]

Seems like Benfica have collected all the transfer muppets of the 2010's

Ok...bar the last few times we have played in Greece, I am pretty sure our recent record isn't that great over there

No fans plus away day for Benfica too make it a lot easier this time. Need to get an early goal and put tie to bed.

 

[Riou]

Then Leicester away.

4 points minimum, imo.

I will edit this depending on how we do though.

 

[dashsnow17]

That's objectively a decent result but the aftertaste is just sour, too timid and conservative, this team is miles away

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Our decision making around the box isn't great. When they stack the box full like that we need to shoot more. We are not going to pass through and need to let it fly. A lot of good can happen with a shot inside the box. It can easily ricochet of a defender for a goal, strike a hand etc. Oedegard and Bellarin could easily have let it fly at least once each in the first half instead of trying another pass in the box.

 

[Mo Britain]

 

[freeglennhelder2]

Then Leicester away.

No real concept of 'away' this season, seems to be counting
for very little.

Mind you, they ruined us at home.

 

[OSBK]

I really hope this teams evolution isn’t putting a load of number 10’s/passers on the pitch together and hoping to “one two” our way past teams. The balance of the team looked off tonight and we were taking far too long to get the ball forward against a crap team

I agree.

When we went on our little run recently we played players in the right positions and we looked better. Now we are shoehorning players in and we dont look right.

 

[DanDare]

This season is so dead

 

[Blaziken]

Are you Turkish?

no, i am Somali.

 

[dashsnow17]

Our decision making around the box isn't great. When they stack the box full like that we need to shoot more. We are not going to pass through and need to let it fly. A lot of good can happen with a shot inside the box. It can easily ricochet of a defender for a goal, strike a hand etc. Oedegard and Bellarin could easily have let it fly at least once each in the first half instead of trying another pass in the box.

Yeah we don't take enough risks, don't shoot enough, and when we do it's always blocked somehow. Miss an Alexis type, someone that breaks the mould a bit, I guess Pepe was supposed to be that but he breaks the mould in the wrong way haha

 

[OSBK]

I would take keown now for manager.

 

[dashsnow17]

Arteta voted for unseasoned chicken

 

[Riou]

I would take keown now for manager.

He would probably immediately want to sell all the non-English players though

 

[dka1]

That's objectively a decent result but the aftertaste is just sour, too timid and conservative, this team is miles away

Yeah I think part of the reason it's frustrating is because it wasn't a "true" away tie.

If it were in a full "insert Benfica's stadium name here" then it'd feel more like a success because despite the form we'd have gone away to a top team in Portugal and gotten a good result.

As they've been reportedly in poor form this year and aren't even at home you'd hope we would do better, but really we would've won if Auba scores one of his chances.

 

[OSBK]

He would probably immediately want to sell all the non-English players though

Like willian?

 

[Rimaal]

This team is so so inconsistent it's laughable. That was so boring yet again.

Only consistent thing is the fact most games are a snore fest.

Another day closer to watching Chelsea I suppose. Night folks, especially @Rimaal.

Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of Henry.

 

[Rimaal]

Asked if we've improved from this time last year, Keown says we've changed from a back 3 to a 4! Hoddle says we now have a system. Neither said we've improved.

That's because we've regressed.