We haven't even addressed the real nightmare scenario yet

[Peter]

Don't think, even for a minute, that getting past Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday night is a done deal

If we get knocked out, Arteta is in serious ****ing trouble.

[WES]

Don't think, even for a minute, that getting past Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday night is a done deal

If we get knocked out, Arteta is in serious ****ing trouble.

Why? I'm not in the slightest bothered about losing Wed night. We have no chance of getting past any of the remaining teams given how bad we are.

Sooner Wed and Sun are over and the season is finished the better imo.

I've become to Peter what Peter was to me

[Peter]

Why? I'm not in the slightest bothered about losing Wed night. We have no chance of getting past any of the remaining teams given how bad we are.

Sooner Wed and Sun are over and the season is finished the better imo.

I've become to Peter what Peter was to me

Oh, I agree. But on the back of the three recent defeats, it is looking like our only possibility of winning anything, even though that possibility is lower than a snake's *******s.

And if we go out heroically to Athletico, that is one thing. If we stutter out against a very ordinary Sporting, at home, carrying a lead.... the fans will turn in a big way.

[Rich]

Don't think, even for a minute, that getting past Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday night is a done deal

If we get knocked out, Arteta is in serious ****ing trouble.

Arteta is signing a new contract in the summer - it's been discussed by the media a lot. Even if we lose every game between now and the end of the season.

Whether or not we get past Lisbon is irrelevant. How can we beat Athletico?

[Peter]

Arteta is signing a new contract in the summer - it's been discussed by the media a lot. Even if we lose every game between now and the end of the season.

Whether or not we get past Lisbon is irrelevant. How can we beat Athletico?

Athletico are not actually very good. But, they do have quality in attacking areas so they will punish mistakes.

The way to beat them is to get at them. So I guess you are right, we can't beat them.

I tell you what wont work. Wrestling at corners, wasting time at every restart and trying to control possession for 180 minutes.

As for Arteta's contract- there is a long time between now and the summer, and an awful lot will happen. If, as looks inevitable, we crash and burn in the remaining two competitions, the fans will turn on Arteta in a big way. Handing him a huge new contract will be a very, very bad look.......

If it were me, I would be holding some serious conversations in the club about our future plans, direction, and coaching. And nothing would get offered or signed until all of that was resolved.

One of those conversations would be around recruitment, and the relationship between Berta and Arteta. Because there were things last summer that didn't look right to me.

[PSRB]

Oh, I agree. But on the back of the three recent defeats, it is looking like our only possibility of winning anything, even though that possibility is lower than a snake's *******s.

And if we go out heroically to Athletico, that is one thing. If we stutter out against a very ordinary Sporting, at home, carrying a lead.... the fans will turn in a big way.

We need our FB's fit, Saka and Odegaard back.

[Peter]

We need our FB's fit, Saka and Odegaard back.

I think he has to sit Ben White down. He is ****ing awful.

Mosquera can do a better job at right back at the moment.

Just a personal opinion, but I don't want to see Madueke again. That first goal was his fault. Lazy, oblivious, thick as a ****ing plank.

He is very good at forcing opposition goal kicks, to be fair.....

[Pat Vegas]

Don't think, even for a minute, that getting past Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday night is a done deal

If we get knocked out, Arteta is in serious ****ing trouble.

even worserer. I am going to the match

[WES]

We need our FB's fit, Saka and Odegaard back.

Calafiori was never fit at Bologna and he'll never be fit with us. I've also given up on Odegaard ever being available consistently. I think Timber was unlucky/overplayed.

And sorry P, you can blame results on injuries, you can't blame the way we play on them, not as much anyway.

We all gave Berta/Arteta credit for building up our squad depth in the summer, it's Arteta's job to make sure we realise the benefit of that.

[Peter]

Calafiori was never fit at Bologna and he'll never be fit with us. I've also given up on Odegaard ever being available consistently. I think Timber was unlucky/overplayed.

And sorry P, you can blame results on injuries, you can't blame the way we play on them, not as much anyway.

We all gave Berta/Arteta credit for building up our squad depth in the summer, it's Arteta's job to make sure we realise the benefit of that.

But, again.... Arteta's overly scripted style of play does not lend itself well to rotation. Rotation affects structure, structure affects cohesion. We knew this from previous seasons.

So, despite the depth of squad, he has remained overly reliant on Timber, Rice, Zubimendi, the two centre backs, who have all played virtually every game. So they are all exhausted, and the likes of White, MLS and Norgaard are rusty having sat idle for most of the season.

This doesn't explain the results. The results are the natural outcome of the fine margins we impose on ourselves. It was a minor miracle that we didn't lose at home to Everton. They were the better side for much of the game. We got lucky.

Yes, we were a bit worse against Bournemouth but the same issues are there every week. You can't expect to keep dragging yourself over the line by a nose every single game.