7 years since we last played a Champions League knockout game! Luck has favoured us a bit, we are visiting Porto in couple of hours and I’m all excited for it.
Mikel Arteta in his pre-match conference acknowledged the experience Porto have in Champions League, that we haven’t played a CL game in two or three months and the other teams are well prepared and can beat anyone on a given day.
In the team news, ex Porto man Fabio Vieira and Thomas Partey were back in training but remains to be seen if they make the bench. Jesus, Zinchenko and Tomiyasu are out for the game while Timber is not yet recovered. If I have to guess, we would play with our strongest playing XI, Havertz in the middle with Declan Rice, and a front three of Saka, Trossard and Martinelli.
There’s something exciting about today. We are playing Porto on the back of two big wins 5-0 and 6-0 in PL and the confidence of the lads would be touching the ceiling. With a 2-legged system, you can always make a comeback if things don’t go in your favor at first, but I don’t want it to happen. I would love it if we bury the tie today with a 2-0/3-0 win and make sure we don’t let the 2nd leg come in the way of our Premier League run.
Premier League has a very certain way of play. Most of the teams prefer playing from the back, the movements and player’s position can be read in advance and Mikel or anyone for that matter can plan their strategies accordingly. Everybody knows how Pep is going to play and how he is going to set up the team on the field. It’s not going to change. He can tweak the system a bit but on a high level, it remains same. Teams from other leagues are not that predictable. You know very less about them, they can just sit back and keep a wall, or play on counter, or play a quick one touch football. And for some of these clubs, winning a game against Arsenal or Madrid is all they want. That’s what make them dangerous and that’s why the results often in CL (or Europe) are random. It comes down to “who put their body on the line”.
Can we do it today? We will get to know soon. Short one today, game is too late for me (1.30 AM IST) but I can manage a 4 hour sleep after a 7 year wait. See you during the game.
been busy with the bread and butter job.
Ambarish
I thought you were an IT Tech guy. I didn’t realise you had a side hustle running a sandwich shop. 🥪🥪🥪
I just want a routine comfortable win tonight with the added bonus of seeing those Geordie maggots (supporters and players esp. Trippier) crying all the way home. Not sure I’ll get it but one can dream.
Marc
He’s an utter arse, and his stubbornness and intransigent ways will fuck him eventually.
Jorginho was a difference maker against the bindips. Not sure we need two pivots against the barcodes.
You not going tonight Marc?
Eddie Howe is a twat too. His face would not look out of place on a Toby Jug.
Oh no it’s Tierney.
Kroenke
He’ll fuck us and the players.
Kroenke
Just couldn’t be arsed with such a late kick off on a Saturday – May or early season in the nice weather yeah but Feb – do me a favour.
If they keep taking the piss out of the match going fans eventually they’ll see attendances drop off.
Ode shdve walloped that
Poetic justice. Dodgy goalline goal. I hope they keep their feet on Newcastle’s necks.
Those nasty cunts can stick these two up their arse. Come on, show some physicality now, you bums.
Bruno G getting his own medicine today.
Genuine question – can anyone explain why we didn’t/couldn’t do this in Portugal?
Newcastle end half-empty for their goal. And they call them brilliant fans. Fickle cunts.
just finished watching the Saturday Night cake walk…Newcastle were so woeful that the in-game betting line gave them a 0% chance of winning in the 59th minute only down by 2…good on the boys for making the most of almost every opportunity that this poorly managed side gifted them …Howe better hope they win their mid-week Cup tie or he’ll really be feeling the heat, especially considering the lifeless nature of that showing…maybe the fact that they scored at the Emirates for the first time in about a decade will somehow lower the temperature in the room…if so, how terribly pathetic is that…fact remains, he deserves some heat after opting for such a defensively-minded gameplan with Karius starting and Burns on the bench…I’ve never been a fan of his, except as a stop-gap option…like MA, I just don’t think he has what it takes at the highest of levels, regardless of the operating budget…that said, I will give him his flowers for what he achieved early on at Bournemouth, but even that ended rather unceremoniously
I was quite impressed with the manner in which we pushed for corners from the get-go, especially considering their Keeper and our propensity to score from set pieces…still not sure if that was a manager-driven tactic or simply happenchance, but I truly hope it was the former…we were likewise really effective when pressing high, which was helped immeasurably by Howe’s inexplicable desire to play out from the back far too often…if it weren’t for the fact that Ode was way off the mark early on, we likely would have won by even more…Ode let his emotions get the best of him, which was nice to see, but it certainly didn’t lift his performance…following that, it was basically the Jorginho’s show, which is fine for a one-off, but surely not a recipe for success against better sides…hopefully we’ll face some stiffer competition before our return fixture against Porto, as our cream puff schedule before our first leg clearly didn’t help matters…regardless, the 3 points and the goal differential benefits were much-appreciated
Good morning one and all.
KP the Toby jug reference got me laughing. Quote of the week.
Do we put something in the away dressing room’s water or pump some type of Indica THC fumes or similar? Because lately away teams don’t turn up until the second half – if at all.
For at least 30 minutes in the first halves teams come to the Emerites full of fear with their deer-in-the-headlights football where our lot are playing as if they’d had a bowl or methflakes pre-game. If I were the marketing people at Duracell, I’d be using a few whippets from the PL, and add some Tik Tok style clips.
Not sure Raya was too much at fault for Willock’s goal, as we had collective switched off by the 84th minute with game won at 4:0. Also, we are still not there yet for a 90+ minute flat out pressing game. We haven’t learnt when to let them have the ball to take quick recovery rests.
I was thinking it was fortuitous we were at home at fortress Emirates. A trip to geordie-land after the Porto fiasco may well have fared differently.
The result was the right one on the night, but let’s not lose sight Newcastle have shipped more goals than Sheffield this season, with the most in the PL I think. Very easy to carve openings at will for us and others.
Along with you all, my gripe is why we needed to play our potentially – Havertz notwithstanding – best 11 against a side we could and did so easily dispatch.
Perhaps El B thinks the Dubai rest did all the recharging that was necessary and on reflection of results, it’s hard to call it any different.
Apart from the mid table player, Eddie is, and our frustrations of selling Monaco’s Banging’em-in Bolagun, our subs should all have been youth players including Ethan Nwaneri who should have had a run out at false 9 with his fleet of feet, at speed dribbling. That coming through the middle would be a new dimension for us. Sadly stunted El B’s visions are continual reruns.
Any questions of why no real rotation will be met with our next fixture is March 5th at Sheffield where a fully rested squad should make light work of Sheffield who are propping up the table in last place.
Another game to get our youths involved as much as possible. Only Eddie fails to constantly deliver, and paradoxically Havertz is not much better, but is a pet so starts.
No-one is going to buy Havertz unless we subsidise his leaving package. Forget the shop window and play players who are better, such as ESR, Nelson and Ethan Nwaneri who really looks a player to be equal or better to Saka in the future.
The kid oozes class and has that Nwanko Kanu feel with his football, and the way the ball seems glued to his feet. We’ve only seen glimpses, but what we have seen has been golden at times, as Saka was. I got high hopes for that kid.
Brentford at fortress Emirates on the 10th, and another late start. I am a fan of Thomas Franc’s brand of no nonsense in-your-face football. Pretty much the way our harassing football is played.
Toney will want to make a name for himself in the continuing “will he or won’t he” come in the summer. After reading TRVL’s thoughts on El B’s choice, Toney would be far better, but not perfect: a Giroud type play with less silky feet.
Here’s a thought, could we swap Havertz or Zinchenko for Toney?
Throw in Cedric now Alo Alo is finished, and Faulty Towers has had its day. If they really wanted to drive a hard bargain, we could blow the cobwebs off Elneny – tune him up a bit, and throw him into the pot on the table.
If needs must, Havertz and Zinchenko should be a sweet enough pot for Brentford. 🙂
All in all, this will be a tough game and a difficult 3 points to win, even at home. Franc’s side’s always turn up with high octane, quick football with the players to cause any side problems.
Porto midweek where, if we’ve dispatched Sheffield & Brentford, Porto at home should be a no-brainer. I know Marc the stats from history, but on law of averages being my scientific model, I feel we’ll win and win easy at the Emirates.
Just a gut feeling, so don’t shoot the piano player if I’m wrong. My gut told me we’d get 9 from 9 from our last 3 games and we did.
Lastly, in this short group of games, we will be entertaining the Chavs and the perfect time to really lay our marker with a convincing win before our trip to City on the 31st.
All in all I see positivity in spite of El B’s shortcomings.
I see no reason why we can’t collect maximum points including making the Chavs look pre Abramovitch poor, as we so often did. I’ll never forget Winterburn’s 30-yard screamer from out wide left.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10154238818212713 Happier days…….. He had a sweet left foot like Pierce had.
That and dispatch Porto with a bloodied nose and march up to there Etihad telling them to give it their best shot swagger.
We’ve waited 20 years, so why not?
Have a great Sunday Gooners everywhere.
surprise surprise ESR had minutes on the pitch ahead of Cedric. Howe has had injury woes this season but his tactics have shown him to be a mid table manager. He was Wengers first choice to replace him – obviously by the time he made it Josh & Stan could see that Wenger was well past his sell by date.
Tony
Thanks for that clip reminding us of Nutty’s shooting prowess. Sumptuous goal.
Yeah, Eddie Howe just sounds a bit deeper and more erudite that other English managers rather than ever being the real thing. I don’t think he be there much longer (along with that awful idiot assistant) and will probably be relieved when it’s over. They ve already spent hundreds of millions with little to show from it, other that to have shaken off the yo-yo effect of relegation after promotion. But money’s no object do they’ll go for a bigger European name and shake the tree again. When Willock scored last night, he looked a little sad that he wasn’t still in red. Iwobi had a decent day yesterday for ‘one f in Fulham’ too.
If we’re going to follow the line that Arsenal have a genuine chance at winning the PL this season we need Chelsea to win the LC this afternoon.
With that said even with Liverpool’s injuries I think they have the edge.
Marc
It’s great to see them getting even more knackered in Extra Time. I hope the rent boys win as well.
This cup seems ultra meaningless these days. It reminds me of what the great Argentine writer Borges said about the Falklands/Malvinas war in the 80s – he described it as 2 bald men fighting over a comb. Maybe losing to the Hammers when we did was a blessing (but it didn’t feel like that at the time).
interesting to note that Klopp gave more minutes to his up-and-comers in the second half of a cup final than MA has since he’s arrived on the scene…now that’s a culture building moment…I so wish Arsene could have graciously given up the reigns several years earlier, when Klopp was on the make, as Jurgen would have never settled for a top 4 Wengerian reboot, unlike our makeshift MIT…as for the Final itself, it had it’s moments, with several posts being struck, a few glorious saves by both backup Keepers and a VVD goal being overturned, but with the lack of star power available for Pool it was always going to be a bit of a scrappy affair…right now I find it difficult to imagine us winning anything of consequence, but I’m certainly not without hope, as we’re a manager and two seminal pieces away from being a top 5 club in Europe…unfortunately by this time next year everyone will likely be vying for second best considering Real’s projected lineup next season
KP-good pull with the whole Borges “bald men” quote…I remember that from my University days when one of my Profs, who had just recently moved from the UK, spent an inordinate amount of time discussing Thatcher and the Falklands War…I still have my copy of Hugo Young’s One of Us