Havertz really is utter shyte. How did we blow 60m on that useless streak of pi55 ?

[Peter]

The one thing Arteta and the fans need at this stage is a trophy in order to keep building momentum. To go without silverware for another season with this assembled array of talent at their prime will invite more criticism and cries of bottlers.
City were out of this competition, which left a reasonable open road to Wembley. Pep has won the beer cup on numerous occasions and I’m confident that both Klopp & Howe will look to grab the opportunity.
I don’t know if we win anything else this season. We look to be slightly better placed than the last one, and while none of us are massively disappointed, last night punctuated our reliance on the first choice 11 and a decent opportunity lost.

I can't speak for other fans but wining a domestic cup would mean literally **** all to me. I want to see us progressing, staying in touch with the top 2 or 3 and coping with the champions league. That is progress.

[Peter]

Um, 7s, you are aware that in our previous match our second choice no. 9 scored a hat trick and a superb hat trick at that?

We clearly have more depth this year than last. Last night was not a tweak of our first 11, it was a wholesale change (arguably only White and Gabriel are in the first 11) and we paid the price for it.

Very true.

[WES]

I can't speak for other fans but wining a domestic cup would mean literally **** all to me. I want to see us progressing, staying in touch with the top 2 or 3 and coping with the champions league. That is progress.

Hmmm, agree partially - a league challenge and going as far in the CL as possible are the most important things to me, it's what I missed most in the latter Wenger years. Being out of the league in Dec is depressing, getting hammered 10-1 by Munich in the first knockout round of the CL equally so.

However I love the FA Cup, as much as I am indifferent to the League Cup. Mind you, I'd take a CL semi-final over an FA Cup win if I had to choose.

[redgunamo]

Agreed. Though one cannot help but feel things have changed since we signed Big Dec; not sure we're in a position to merely settle for anything any longer.

Or how many MORE hundred-million pound players do we need

Hmmm, agree partially - a league challenge and going as far in the CL as possible are the most important things to me, it's what I missed most in the latter Wenger years. Being out of the league in Dec is depressing, getting hammered 10-1 by Munich in the first knockout round of the CL equally so.

However I love the FA Cup, as much as I am indifferent to the League Cup. Mind you, I'd take a CL semi-final over an FA Cup win if I had to choose.

[redgunamo]

Mikel is on his very first managerial assignment; I'm not sure WE will be the club to see the very best of him

The one thing Arteta and the fans need at this stage is a trophy in order to keep building momentum. To go without silverware for another season with this assembled array of talent at their prime will invite more criticism and cries of bottlers.
City were out of this competition, which left a reasonable open road to Wembley. Pep has won the beer cup on numerous occasions and I’m confident that both Klopp & Howe will look to grab the opportunity.
I don’t know if we win anything else this season. We look to be slightly better placed than the last one, and while none of us are massively disappointed, last night punctuated our reliance on the first choice 11 and a decent opportunity lost.

[Peter]

Hmmm, agree partially - a league challenge and going as far in the CL as possible are the most important things to me, it's what I missed most in the latter Wenger years. Being out of the league in Dec is depressing, getting hammered 10-1 by Munich in the first knockout round of the CL equally so.

However I love the FA Cup, as much as I am indifferent to the League Cup. Mind you, I'd take a CL semi-final over an FA Cup win if I had to choose.

If I'm being honest, I don't care much for the Champions League either that is mainly because the format is dull and for bloody years we were not really good enough to compete in it. It is the one competition we simply must win at some point.