I expect to be put through a wide range of emotions between now and around 10 pm this evening. Already I can feel a knot in the pit of my stomach combined with a familiar sickly feeling that is normally reserved for just before kick off. Fear and excitement in equal measures will come and go until the outcome is settled. Then joy or depression will set in. For some of us weak souls, it will be a long day.
The way the first leg went, if we could have been going into this game 4 or 5 goals to the good , but as we know all too well, its 1-1 and the away goal is a killer.
I expect the team to be the same as started the first leg. The only change could be Mkhitaryan , but where he plays and who he replaces is beyond me. I suppose it would be either Danny or Jack, but given his injury and how well they both played, it would be both risky and harsh.
Honestly, I can’t remember ever wanting Arsenal to win a game of football as much, but I think that most weeks.
Let’s just hope for a good performance, a good Referee and a great result that gives us the chance of one last rousing goodbye to our greatest ever manager, and my personal hero.
Positively Arsenal 
No complaints- we gave 100% – just not quite sharp enough to get over the line.
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rich never mind immaculate cross, a half decent one would be a massive improvement on what we got from Monreal and Bellerin tongiht
one shot on target is not rising your game, it really isn’t
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Everything boils down to last week. That goal at the Emirates, that one moment of indecision, that error. We gave everything today and simply couldn’t find the final ball. So heartbreaking to go out like this, especially considering the fatal wound was self inflicted. That’s the season done now.
Now we say goodbye to the man that has given us everything we hold dear to date.
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Sad as sad can be.
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I reckon Atleti are probably quite good at this defending while playing at home malarkey – a surprise to me I admit !
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That was the best those players could give?
Not for the fans
But for Mr Wenger?
That at best was a ‘Don’t embarrass the shirt performance’
They did not give their all for the boss
They did not execute in the big moments
Mr Wenger has carried these players ,the first time they are asked a question they can not deliver, for the man who many claim ‘Is like a father to me’
That was not a ‘for all the marbles’ performance.
That was not what they are trained to do, they are trained to execute in the big moments
Sadly this is not a Champions League squad
It is not a Europa League squad.
This is not a PL squad.
We are at our level, an elite club with talented players of a mid-table mentality.
We just have to accept that fact.
Talent alone is not enough at this level.
The squad lack the killer instinct
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Please get a fucking grip
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Who is this “we” you speak of WWWB?
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I thought over 2 legs we got beat by a slightly better Madrid side – a semi final – one dude wins and the other loses
Suit yourself if you feel that indicates some sort of personal catastrophe
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That was a game where the the players needed to be carried out on their shields
I did not see that performance
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atleti defender are not that great individually, but they are very focus and disciplined. the fact that they played thomas who plays in the midfield for atleti and as striker for ghana in the defence and still played without any mistake says it all. its not all about talent but discipline in big games.
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martin keown is a dickhead, ranting about Ozil
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after the firt half performance, i thought welbeck will be off but the last minute goal probably changed everything. but i still would have subbed him. i have to say wenger chose to live or die with him. he didnt do much both legs
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Mandy
I can’t even take on board that injury to Kos at moment. Truly horrendous.
Not meant as sob story but toughness of moment amplified a great deal for me by my using football in an unhealthy way, or rather just not being in the best of shape happiness wise, so, in short, the new season and new hopes feel a billion miles from me, as between now and then there’s some rough stuff to deal with and I tend to deal with it by not thinking ahead more than a short distance.
So..if you’re doing better than that folks, I don’t wanna hear too much moaning!
It fucking hurts but maybe it’s true that, given all the bullshit talked about Arsene since the best days, this end is fitting in its own way.
He got less acclaim than lesser men and managers and an unfathomable amount more criticism. We know the main reasons why- £, and possibly other unsavoury elements. We just have to keep our own evaluations in mind and remember a remarkable man and manager with an incredibly positive vision of the game, who conducted himself wonderfully throughout.
A gem. And then that damn future which isn’t easy for me to think about but which I know can include good times and excitement for Arsenal supporters.
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We the fans have to accept we do not have players with elite mentality.
That is the difference between a good side and an elite side.
The players have that talent but like the ablity to execute in the big moments.
These players have been unable to execute in the biggest moments in the big games this season.
Against every single top 6 side , Arsenal have had excellent chances at big moments and have failed to deliver.
The players have been every chance to rest and recover by playing the main 1 game a week this season, there are no excuses.
The talent is there, but that is not enough.
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wenger deserved at least the final. i agree with wwwb the players (some of them) let wenger down. kos, and hector for their individual errors and welbz for generally being poor.
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Ed.
I get it on crosses. Number of times they looked like good (or great) positions; I hoped in the instant then was immediately disappointed as we didn’t seem that close to getting the goal.
I don’t really get what it means or does to be angry about it though with players in question. And really don’t get suggestion it proves they failed us and especially Wenger because of some unnacceptable lack or other on night.
Strongly suspect if it had been Ronaldo in middle he may have made right run. Or Messi crossing might have found someone who hadn’t even made unstoppable run.
We have who we have and they couldn’t crack that formidable defence marshalled by a strong shout for, in that setup, worlds best cb.
I sure wish they had.
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wenger’s after game comments, from london.football
Wenger on the result
It was a very intense game. We gave everything.
On Koscielny
It doesn’t look very good. His Achilles you can always hope for a miracle onto scan. But the first signs are not good.
It looks like it could (ruptured).
Wenger on Keown’s comments on Ozil
I don’t agree with that. I think you will see that when you analyse his physical performance that he gave a lot tonight.
Wenger on his future
I’m very, very sad to leave the club with that exit. It takes some time to recover from that, after I will see what I do with myself in the future.
I have no plans at the moment.
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Sorry to hear that Rich. Hope whatever it is gets easier to deal with with or without football
As for the future, it will take care of itself.
As someone who has been, at times, a little outspoken in frustration of certain aspects of our play this season, not with individual players, but more team issues, I have now almost put these annoyances behind me after tonite.An error cost us today, and in the first leg, but the frustration has gone, just an appreciation of what Wenger has given us, which come end of May or June, will be replaced with hopefully, if they pick well, a sense of excitement , anticipation, and hopefully, less ranting about defensive errors!
This has not been a vintage season, we have fallen to lesser teams than Athletico , next season, the new team, and backroom staff have a few things to put right, but Wenger has provided them with a superb platform, if not, sadly a coveted CL place.
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our full back dont have targets in the box to cross to. the movement of our strikers in the box were slow and poor. we missed someone like giroud.
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Wenger rues missed chances
We missed something in the final third. You look at the number of chances we created in the two games, the least you can say is we can be very frustrated.
Wenger congratulates Atletico
Congratulations to Atletico, good luck in the final. The winner of tonight’s game is the clear favourite to win the competition.
On Atletico’s defending
Overall they are a clever side who defend very well. Godin tonight saved five, six balls on crosses, absolutely, in amazing positions. They have great defenders.
Wenger on his emotions at the defeat
I am like the team, very sad and very disappointed. Even very frustrated, as well, because when you go out of a competition and you had the performances in 180 minutes that we had, it very difficult to take.
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anicoll5
This is not some angry rant at a one off performance
The players have manly been having one game a week
The only players who should be physicaly fatigued are Wilshere, Maitland-Niles and the players transitioning to the first team.
In the big games they have not executed, that is how you are measured at a Big club.
Arsenal is a Big club
To where the Arsenal shirt is not easy
It is a ‘Heavy shirt’
Some players can not bear that weight,
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we are going to have another season of Thursday – Sunday football, fuck.
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The crosses!, I despair
When did Arsenal sign Lew Alcindor ?
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Cheers Mandy. Appreciate that. Sensible words after as well
Can’t picture myself having too much to say footy wise for a while, but I’ve been wrong about that plenty of times before.
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Think recriminations and frustration are futile now, it has not been a great season, it has not been a great send off, there have been issues, some well worn, as well mitigating factors we know about , which are probably the smallest tip of the biggest iceberg.
No trophy or CL, but Wenger has given us plenty of those. Let’s just appreciate his last few games, and then look to the future. There are some new kids on the block we need to catch, with the right appointment we stand a good chance.
But words of reason aside, I will say it one final time, our defending , as a team, not calling out individuals, has annoyed the feck out of me this season!
Having got that out of my system, back to just backing the team for the rest of the season whatever happens.
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Rich, next season will be exciting, no guarantee of success, but a new birth , unless they choose certain managers I could name will provide excitement, intrigue, positivity , union and hopefully AFTV fucking off .
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Just finished watching the game, after ignoring twitter all afternoon and early evening. To my mind, against a very good defensive team, while there was a lot of effort (I had no problem with the mentality of the side) I was struck that at the critical moments none of the team was able to execute at the elite level, i.e. to make a goal out of half a chance. Which brings me to the issue raised by WWWB, are there any truly elite players in the current Arsenal squad? Who would you regard as a top-top player, i.e one who would easily walk into the 1st XI of any of the top European teams?
Ozil, to my mind is the only one. (Which tells you a lot about the stupidity of his critics.)
Ramsey maybe, but that is a huge stretch.
In my opinion, with only 2 players at or near the top-top level, should we be surprised by tonight’s results? Furthermore, going forward, are we confident that we have enough talent to easily make it back to the top-4 with a new coach?
Something to think about.
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What a shame and what a pity – and to be honest something that was always likely to happen the moment Atletico could only draw, home and away to Qarabag back in the Autumn and early Winter. Predictable anger towards manager and players, but I guess the rage has to go somewhere and unless as a fan you plan to torch a team bus the reality of our lot is we are impotent to change the unfolding events on the pitch.
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New post up
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