We've been drawn against AC Milan in the next round. **** just got real and if we want to progress in this comp, then I don't think we can afford to play the likes of Chambers, Holding, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Welbeck etc. I'd really like to see us try and win this comp, and I think the only way forward is to play our first team. Otherwise AC milan are going to tear us a new one.
Gattuso turning Milan's season around AC Milan are managed by ex-Rangers and Italy midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, who took over in November after they sacked Vincenzo Montella. Milan are seventh in Serie A, 25 points behind leaders Napoli, but don't think they are a soft touch. They are on a cracking run of form and are unbeaten in 10 matches, including a 1-0 win over Ludogorets of Bulgaria yesterday to seal a 4-0 aggregate win.
Absolutely right, things have got real, finally. We have a good chance in my opinion, but we have to tighten our defence if we intend to challenge. We are also missing both our main CF's but the defence and the midfield is our main concern and need to get the balance right.
I would put Nketiah in there for the away game, he's young and fearless and from what I've seen a really strong and direct CF. We don't have Lacazette or Aubameyang available and to be fair to Welbeck (who was **** at CF) he's not really a CF more of a wide player. But as you say, the defence and midfield balance is crucial. I would play our first choice back line, either Bellerin, Mustafi, Kos, Monreal. Or a back three with Bellerin and Monreal as wing backs. Also crucial to these games will be Ozil and I think we'll see Wilshere play a lot better with him and possibly Ramsey in the team.
Wenger will have to get his creative hat on and decide what's he's going to do with his front line without his two CFs. I agree, play our first choice front line, but it's going to be tough. We haven't been settled all season at the back or in our midfield. But this is a cup game so who knows.
Europa league is very exhausting competition .. every match from now on gonna be hard I remember last season, we reached a point playing badly in Europa and League bcz Jose insisted to play best 11.. team was so tired but Jose did the sensible decision at the end to play 2nd team in league. imo is best way for you guys to be back to CL.. UTD are fighting for CL position next year .. I think Arsenal are out of top4.. so better to be pragmatic.. playing 2nd team in the competition will make you lose your best real chance to go back to CL .. I still can see you beat Milan ..the only team who can beat you are Atletico .. but someone else can knock them out. so you don't may be need to play them you really have a real chance to win it ...yes this year is tougher than last season, but I still think you have better quality than rest of teams par Atletico. Good luck
I actually agree with you (for once) that, on paper, we are one of the strongest teams in the competition. The problem is that we have a team who are seriously underperforming and don't seem to utilise our strengths to the full advantage. The spine of our team is also very slow and this causes us problems when we lose possession in midfield/when we commit men forward. It seems like the players don't know or understand what their best positions are tactically or which spaces to occupy on the field. As you saw from Ostersunds, we are capable of losing to teams of far inferior quality compared to that of Milan. I know we've had some proper stinkers this season. But that was one of the worst performances I've seen, and I'd thought I'd seen it all. Had Ostersunds been even slightly more efficient than they were on Thursday, we would not be in the Last 16. Which is why, although I feel like we are a stronger outfit than Milan overall, they are more than capable of beating what is a very ordinary Arsenal team at the moment.
Welbeck against anyone doesn't fill me with confidence. The injuries he has suffered, have cost him that burst of speed over 15 yards that used to make him dangerous. He is second to every ball now and it is sad because it is just age and injury, I guess Wenger is putting it down to "Match sharpness" but I have to say, I don't think he is ever going to get that speed back. He was never the fastest, but he was sneaky quick over short distances, and that used to get him what few goals he used to get. I don't think he is even close to being good enough right now, and I just can't see how he is going to get better. You can't succeed as a striker if you are slower than the CBs you are playing against.
I don’t think he was ever quite good enough. I think the reason why many of us were happy with signing him is because we got him off united. (At least that’s why I was) If he hadn’t come from a top club we would have questioned his signing from the start. His goal scoring record has been pretty poor throughout his whole career.
I really hope that Mislintat is as ruthless with his transfer business in the summer as he was in Jan. Let's be honest this squad needs a complete refresh. I think we've given many of our players more than enough opportunity to prove themselves and they have come up short. In the summer I'd like to see us sell: Chambers Holding Debuchy Xhaka Elneny Welbeck And bring in a CB, DM, ACM and another wide player.
I would honestly play Nketiah in there. He's young and fearless and really direct. Welbeck isn't a CF anyway, he's more of a wide player.
The problem is that how bad a PL slump are the supporters prepared to tolerate for focusing on an EL win ?? In the case of Man Utd, you only finished 7 pts behind the top 4 by the end. Arsenal are already at least that far behind with 10 games of the PL yet to play and the EL last 16 stage not yet begun.
So AC Milan are 7th and no where near CL qualification. We aren't doing that well ourselves but a bit better in the league. Should on paper be a winnable game. They don't have any outstanding attacking talent either so our defence should cope. Only problem is we go in with no top strikers, but I still fancy our chances in this game.
Milan remain a shadow of their former selves. It's a tricky draw but one you should progress through. Beyond Atletico, I can't single out any team l can see beating you even at your best. Marseille and Lyon will cause plenty of problems but are beatable. As usual, I feel that your chances of winning depend entirely on the arsenal that chooses to turn up on the day. All too often this season you haven't 'lost' so much as defeated yourselves. As a Spurs fan, the ideal scenario is that you clog up your fixture list by getting all the way to the final then lose to Atletico. But the downside of that is that Wenger will probably leave in the summer. Dilemmas, dilemmas....
We are ****ing gash at the moment though. We lost at home to Ostersunds so even a flailing Milan will be a tough tie for us. But as you say, it depends on which Arsenal turn up. For the first 10 mins against City yesterday we actually looked pretty good, but then we caused our own downfall but a schoolboy error and crumbled after that. If we can score first against Milan then I think it could give us the confidence to go on and win the tie. But if we concede, then I don't think this team have got it in them to pull themselves up by the boot straps and grind out a result.
It is a strange one, on paper we should beat AC Milan. We have the better players and in a better position in the league which is tougher. Losing to City on the weekend wasn't at all surprising, but the manner of the defeat is worrying. I don't for one thing believe they are purposely playing badly for Wenger, but if you can't put in a proper shift in a cup final, then there really is something wrong. Sometimes things go well and sometimes you're up against it. Against City they were up against it and gave up at the prospect of coming back. Very poor considering they have quality. I don't think Wenger has changed much in terms of how he coaches the players, he treats them pretty much the same he always has, let's them get on with it. But the difference between players like Adams, Vieira, Henry and co, and the ones we have now, they would never throw in the towel. As you've mentioned before, there needs to be a culture of change otherwise we'll be saying the same things over and over again.
I think this is the crux of it. I remember Lee Dixon saying in an interview that when Wenger first came to the club, they couldn't believe that he said very little at HT. He thought they were going to get roasted after a poor first half performance and Wenger said nothing for 10 mins, then in the last 5 mins just told them to stick to their game and the chances would come. It seems like he's got the same approach with this lot, except these players do not seem to have it in them to motivate themselves or find solutions to their own problems. I think this team need proper coaching and directions and a boot up the arse when they are underperforming.
Arsenal was a very good side before he took them over, he just took them to the next level with his visionary ideas. He had an incredibly experienced backline that was forged in iron by George Graham, he didn't need to tell them anything, they knew how and what to do. He added flair, skill and an offensive edge to our game. His radical change never brought the same level of impact or success. If it ain't broke...But he refused to go back to a team composition that worked, which he had previously. He will surely go down as one of the most stubborn managers in history.
One of my favourite ever Arsenal games was that win in the San Siro back in 2008 with the likes of Fabregas,Hleb,Diaby and Flamini utterly bossing a star studded Milan team, we won **** all that year but that team played stunning football and gave us hope that we will win going into every big match that season,flash forward 10 years on, and we have team that gives nobody any hope and plays some of the most drab football you will ever wish to see. The mighty Danny Welbeck leading the line for Arsenal against Ac Milan in the Europa League, damn 10 years sure does feel like a long time.
