PL 2016-2017 Thread

[edd_jedi]

Well as Arsenal are technically the lowest seeded team left in the tournament, yes it will be lucky if they win it You can't really argue they were lucky to draw the only two remaining non-league teams in the last 16 too, although granted Spurs didn't exactly have difficult opposition in the last two rounds either. I was actually a little disappointed with the quarter final draw as the four teams we have left now were pretty much guaranteed places, would have been much better to see Lincoln play Milwall.

Still no news on Kane as far as I know, can pretty much rule out competing if he's injured but there are 6 weeks til the semi finals so hopefully he'll be back by then. And Spurs can't play at Wembley anyway :lol:

 

[Richard_H]

Southampton away is no easy tie - one that Arsenal do bad at.

The rest, fair enough.

I also think we got the weakest of the 3 teams in the semi. I'm sure City think the same

 

[weasel]

As for easy draws, ehhh Liverpool lost to Wolves. :lol:

 

[theforceuk]

Leicester going to win the Champions League then? :lol:

I have a feeling they might come unstuck int quarter finals.

 

[edd_jedi]

Well that's the beauty of a knock out competition, any team can have a bad day so anything is possible! I agree don't think they will go any further though.

 

[weasel]

Great result for them, I was amazed they got past Sevilla. Sevilla are a brilliant side. It just goes to show you what happens when you don't take your chances in the home leg and let the other side get an undeserved away goal. Ohh and the other side sacking their manager, rediscovering how to play football and you missing two penalties doesn't help either lol

 

[Richard_H]

Absolutely no complaints about that predictable dross. For the first time I'm now seriously worried about CL next season.

 

[weasel]

Some game between City and Pool. How that ended 1-1 I'll never know.

 

[edd_jedi]

For the first time I'm now seriously worried about CL next season.

Funny you should say that because Arsene Wenger also thinks this is a unique situation:

It leaves us in a unique situation that we've never had before

Apart from 2014:

Oh and 2012:

And probably others if I could be bothered to look. I'm sure Arsenal will finish in the top 4 because they always manage it, but this is by no means the first season they've been close to missing out. The man is seriously deluded, he still thinks 2003 was last season.

 

[weasel]

They have a pretty tricky run in though, i think. Again, I can't be assed to check. But at the minute ANY game is a tough game for Arsenal.

 

[edd_jedi]

Looks like they nicked 4th place on the last day of the 05-06 season too. Never before you say Arsene? :lol:

You're right Arsenal have some hard games coming up and Spurs have some "easy" ones. We all know what that means :lol:

 

[Richard_H]

Arsene is truly deluded. But I stand by my point - this is the first season that I am genuinely worried. The other seasons, I was confident we'd make it.

 

[theforceuk]

What you worried about? if you qualify you have little chance of winning it, if you don't qualify Wenger will find it much harder to keep his claws in. Then the future will seem a lot brighter, unless you employ someone like David Moyes! :lol:

 

[Richard_H]

We've no chance of winning it for a long time. Qualification means that you can attract better players.

 

[edd_jedi]

Yes that's a good point, I hadn't thought of that. Does buying players that are already at the top of their game really help though? For every Bale and Suarez there is a Soldado and Falcao. Might be better for them to knuckle down for a couple of seasons and grow a younger team like Spurs did. Depends if the Arsenal fans can cope with a couple of seasons without bragging rights though.

 

[Richard_H]

I'd happily invest in younger players. Dele Ali is the best player in the PL at the moment. The whole England team should be sculpted around him, like the Brazilians and Argentinians do from time to time. There are lots of hungry players who sit on benches at other clubs. Getting CL qualification will help to attract those players.

 

[theforceuk]

It helps I agree, but there are other factors which are just as important as CL football, perhaps even more important. Money is the main thing IMO and then who is in charge. The top players Arsenal have are looking for moves whether Arsenal have CL football or not next season anyway.

If Arsenal finish 5th and a new manager comes in, not only will he splash the cash, but players like Sanchez might stay.

Don't get me wrong throwing money at a problem is not the answer, but you have to try something else and compete with the other top clubs in the transfer market. Top players aren't content with finishing 4th and getting knocked out of the last 16 of the CL every season that's why Sanchez wants away.

Put it this way if someone like Neymar wanted to play for an English club which manager is at the bottom of his list out of all the top clubs?

 

[edd_jedi]

Top players aren't content with finishing 4th and getting knocked out of the last 16 of the CL every season that's why Sanchez wants away.

Good riddance to players like that IMO, nobody has a god-given right to success, especially in a team sport. I've never understood that mentality, there are teams that have never won anything with very loyal players and supporters.

 

[weasel]

I think Arsenal are helped by the fact that London is such a cosmopolitan city, with great air links to most other cities round the world. Whereas Liverpool and Manchester ehhhhh yeah!

Going back to the 'being in the CL helps you sign better players' point, while I agree in principle. Arsenal have been in the CL for 16 years now. How many of their signings in the last 3/4/5 years can really be called a success? Sanchez, obviously, but he was a superb player when they bought him. Ozil divides opinion a little, but I'd call him a good signing. Both of those players did come with mega price tags though.
Look at Wenger's other signings, Perez can't get a game. Yer boy whose name starts with X, does he look like money well spent, or does he look like a foreign Lee Cattermole!? Giroud hasn't really looked any more than a solid back up striker. Walcott (yes, I know he's been there 10 odd years) has never kicked on. Mertesacker was a stop gap option. Gabriel meh. Cech is done but wasn't a bad signing, every other keeper Wenger has signed in the last handful of years has been turd. etc etc

Maybe a year outside the CL will focus Wenger or Arsenal's minds on actually trying to get a bit of value for money with their signings and you know, maybe trying to sign players that will fill the gaps in the team, ball winner in midfield, decent striker, anyone NOT made of chocolate!

 

[theforceuk]

Top players aren't content with finishing 4th and getting knocked out of the last 16 of the CL every season that's why Sanchez wants away.

Good riddance to players like that IMO, nobody has a god-given right to success, especially in a team sport. I've never understood that mentality, there are teams that have never won anything with very loyal players and supporters.

That's a good point but surly an Arsenal fan can't be thinking good riddance to a player like Sanchez.

Loyalty in modern football is none existent, so most top players don't give a toss who they play for so it comes down to all these things that have been mentioned. CL football, money, who the manager is, location and chances of silverware. With Wenger in charge Arsenal have Location and perhaps CL football? :?

It's not enough a top player is going to choose Chelsea, either Manchester club's and I would say if he stays even Liverpool or Spurs first.