Arsenal eyeing salvation in the Europa League..

Morning all.

Arsenal embark on their Europa League campaign against FC Koln tomorrow evening with a point to prove after missing out on the Champions League for the first time in 20 years. Liverpool and Manchester City’s final day victories in the Premier League last season consigned the Gunners to the calmer waters of Europe’s less glamorous club competition.

Manager Arsene Wenger has endured a troubled start to the current campaign, with speculation over the future of Alexis Sanchez and his failure to significantly strengthen his squad the main cause of his problems. Two wins in four league games has caused rumblings amongst the fans once again, but Thursday’s game offers a chance for some redemption.

With Koln yet to win in the Bundesliga this term, Arsenal are priced at 3/10 to pick up a victory and with a £200 bet365 bonus on offer it appears to be an excellent opportunity to boost your bankroll.

The two sides last met back in 1970/71 in the quarter-finals of the Fairs Cup, with the German side progressing to the last four on away goals. Arsenal won the home leg of that tie 2-1 and can be backed at 15/2 for a repeat performance on Thursday.

Despite his side’s troubles this season striker Alexandre Lacazette has looked a quality signing and the 7/2 on offer to score the first goal could pay dividends. With Arsenal in need of a big performance to kick-off the Europa League, odds of 13/10 to score three or more goals against Koln are also worth a second look.

Koln finished fifth in the Bundesliga last season, but Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Augsburg was their third defeat in a row this term.

Their most likely route to success at the Emirates will be to keep things tight and look to hit the Gunners on the counter attack. A 1-0 victory for the away side is available at 25/1 and that looks generous given Arsenal’s inconsistencies.

Jhon Cordoba is the likely penalty taker for the visitors, so the 9/2 odds on offer to score anytime could be a canny wager.

Arsenal are currently 8/1 second favourites to win the tournament, although the Europa League is a notoriously difficult competition to choose an outright winner with the third-placed teams from the Champions League groups still to join the competition.

BATE Borisov and Red Star Belgrade complete Group F, but Arsenal are favourites at 1/3 to top the standings. However, Red Star have made an excellent start to the season in Serbia and odds of 11/4 to progress to the next stage are tempting given Koln’s troubled beginning to the campaign

165 thoughts on “Arsenal eyeing salvation in the Europa League..

  1. Le Coq Monster says:

    Fantastic scrbblings El Rico.

    🙂

    I need to know though, you say Arsenal are second favourites, but who are 1st fav`s ? 🙂

  2. rico says:

    I didn’t write it Lc so no idea.

    But I don’t think we are anywhere near favourites, especially once clubs drop out of the Champions League. Plus I guess it depends on whether AW takes the competition seriously or not. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow evening…

  3. allezkev says:

    I see that in an interview in a French sports magazine, that Mathieu Debuchy has admitted that Arsenal were willing to give him a free transfer this summer.

    He could have gone to Brighton, decent club, interesting place to live or Nice, decent club, fantastic place to live. Personally I would have chosen Nice, but that’s just me.

    His wages thought seemed the sticking point as he’s obviously on an inflated salary at Arsenal.
    One of many on an inflated wage.

    Poor management yet again….see Keiran Gibbs…

    We also don’t know about the length of any contract offer from any interested club and as Debuchy is around 30/31 it probably wasn’t 4 years.

    Of course your average fan would say ‘don’t you just want to play football’ and I guess he does, but I’m not sure that I’d take a huge hit on my salary, so I don’t really blame him for sitting on his arse. He can walk for nothing in 12 months time, cop a signing on fee and have over £3m in his skyrocket thanks to Wenger, Law or whoever (idiot) arranged his contract.

    But we don’t need a Director of Football do we?

  4. rico says:

    Well said Kev. Either a DoF or Ivan just takes over the contracts etc role… Or maybe this new guy from Sky will sort things from now on.

    The money the club are going to lose next summer and the following one is ridiculous…. Embarrassing even…

  5. potter says:

    There’s also the comment from the German media that Ozil is off as well. Really whoever is responsible should be gone as well.

  6. Le Coq Monster says:

    As per the link I put up yesterday…….Dick Laws is considered a kind of DoF, but surely our club needs to follow and I`m puking as I say it…………the Spuds Chairman Daniel Levy !………………how does he manage to keep Kane on less wages than Theo ?……………………..it`s down to Kroenke to tell whoever…Gazidis, Wenger, anyone, that it`s their job to manage……………..their job to sort out contracts etc` etc etc…………….starts at the top, but he`s a twat !

    Agree with Herculian Fingers Kev, so is it any surprise that Wenger wont walk on £8M+ per year if Debauchery wont leave for less wages !…

  7. Le Coq Monster says:

    Scott, I put up a link yesterday, why you not risten ? hahaha

    As for Ozil, Potter………………expect Mourinho to waltz in and get him for nothing in the summer !…………………..he`d love to get that over Wenger !

  8. ScottfromOz says:

    LC, most of those aren’t DOF’s, although their titles could suggest I’m unitentionally splitting hairs.
    I guess I should really ask exactly what a DOF does.
    If Ivan can’t get anything past Arsene, is there any point to us having one?
    That situation isn’t right, but it’s what we have.

  9. Bob John says:

    Milan are favourites after spending a fortune.
    Our previous meeting with Koln in 71 was one of the biggest travesties in football history. From Arsenal not being given any footballs to warm up with to the penalty given against Bob McNab for looking at a German player in an aggressive manner! Ultimately it may have helped us win the double as it eased fixture congestion. Players from the 71 double side often refer to that game though.

  10. Le Coq Monster says:

    Just different names of the same job, Scott, Arsene would probably give our DoF a different name as well……………………WAY !………………..Who Are You !………..obviously I could put up a lot more explesive one`s than that like …….C##T………..C##t Under Narcistic Tyrant ……………KNOB……………..Knows Nothing Only Bollox
    🙂

  11. Le Coq Monster says:

    Can you imagine what the January TW will be like Rico ?…………………..it will be all about if Arsenal are going to sell Ozil and Alexis or which club are doing a pre-contract ready for the Summer when they go free !…………………….It will over ride any rumours of who we will buy and if we are out of the running for any trophies (apart from FA Cup which begins in Jan`) then the Jan TW will be just a taster for the Arsene`s Armagheddon Summer with those two definately gone and nearly every other player on last year contract…….apart from Bellerin ! hahaha

    We really could be in shit street next summer with not a loo roll in sight !

  12. Le Coq Monster says:

    Hahaha……………………I`d love to know all the AKB`s` feelings as they hang on to every word he says, in a way they are very similar to our tiny tott friends up the road…………….they are deluded ! 🙂

  13. Le Coq Monster says:

    Maybe deluded is too strong as they are fellow Arsenal supporters and it is their opinion that Arsene Know`s Best and it`s like I`m saying their opinion is rubbish which I know is not tolerated on this site, so I`m deeply sorry if I offended any of them on here !………………….not that I think there are any on here, maybe they read but dont comment ! 🙂

  14. Le Coq Monster says:

    I shall go to church now and seek forgiveness from a Catholic priest !……………………….I`m not religious or Catholic, but I fancy one of those one on one interrrogations ! hahaha

  15. Adam says:

    Evening Rico. Wenger has been divisive for years now where fans are concerned. Never more than currently. To some of us things don’t quite add up or make sense.

  16. Adam says:

    I agree Rico. There’s some strange stuff going on and I fear, some trying times around the corner. Certainly at the end of this season.

  17. micko says:

    Adam, “What happened to Monday” would be my recommendation.

    Le Coq 6.29, no AKB’s on here, are you sure, I can think of a couple just roll off the tongue but again I’m sure they’ll tell you he should have just walked in 2014 lol.

  18. ScottfromOz says:

    Micko, you’re a petty little man, always have been, but I’m sure there is no malice in your
    Comments, after all, I was told that lol
    I guess it just be nice to be able to say what you like though.

  19. ScottfromOz says:

    And yet all I remember is you being exactly the same as you are now, Micko.
    I’ve yet to see you offer a single comment that wasn’t sarcastic, but offered something of substance.
    It’s been several years so that’s a hell of a feat lol
    I guess if you’ve got nothing to offer, try to make the people laugh and they won’t notice ?
    Nobody said I was calmer, I’ve just come to the realisation that I’m an open target to the likes of you.

  20. micko says:

    Scott, lucky for you rico doesn’t have the tools to look up comments from the summer or you’d look like a right plonker and that’s the last thing I would want.

    And just for the record I’m working on my comments lol.

    New era tomorrow….nite Gooners.

  21. Le Coq Monster says:

    Oops !………………….hope my 6:29pm hasn`t started some handbags ! 😆

    Still cant say I`ve seen any AKB`s on here, maybe the odd AKOIABM…….Arsene Knows Once In A Blue Moon !……………I still haven`t forgiven him for lying and he will only redeem himself with the Title this season !…………..nope, not even an FA Cup win will do it, so dont even mention EL or League Cup !

  22. ScottfromOz says:

    LC, Micko knows arguing with me is like picking a fight with a guy who’s hands are tied behind his back, so it takes a good man and a big one, doesn’t it lol
    Micko, you know full well Rico can do that, so your sneaky and underhanded attempt at asking her to is just par for the course with you.
    Keep the “fun” coming-the entertainment value is fantastic.

  23. rico says:

    Darn you Micko, I’ve been saying all summer he should have gone in 2014.. I’m hurt…

    Morning all, handbags been put away have they?

    Kev, you’ll have to get past my specs first..

  24. rico says:

    Can’t stand the bloke but Carragher has a point Lc. People got a little overexcited with our league run in in my opinion. The teams we faced were not battling for much if anything and as he suggests, a change is as good as a rest. None of it really hid the fact that the squad was lacking in a few key areas and he only addressed one of them…

  25. ScottfromOz says:

    Morning LC.
    Let’s be honest, anything Arsene tries is just trying to make up for his shortcomings in he past several transfer windows.

  26. Le Coq Monster says:

    With you on that, Rico, plenty of them end of season games we rode our luck and only a few did we look good, the FA Cup final thankfully was a game where we looked ok, the rest far from convincing 1

    We may get lucky in a cup competition but we will never win the league untill the defence and what sits in front of it tightens up, yes it“s been said on numerous occasions, but the person who it needs to get through to is two thirds deaf, dumb and blind………..he doesn`t see it or hear it !

  27. Lee says:

    Rico, yeah as you say we went on a good run against teams that were already on the beach… if you need a reality check just look at our performances against top four teams over the last decade! Absolutely fucking diabolical a bit like our European efforts….

    Hopefully the hindrance will be off this season and we get fresh face to put things right!

  28. Le Coq Monster says:

    What triggers our form Scott ?………………without looking back it`s probably a run of so to speak easy games where we can just out score the oppo` !…………………………..we know our general form against the big 3, Bindippers and even now The Spuds is poor and that`s when it all comes unstuck !………………………………I`d take a draw now for Sundays game !

  29. ScottfromOz says:

    LC, maybe, but I’d say it’s more when the pressure is off.
    When we can’t win anything, they just go out and play.
    When there’s something to be won, we can crumble.

  30. Le Coq Monster says:

    What a contrast between tonight and Sunday then, Scott …………………….what one will we crumble ?……………………a clue is, you will probably be drinking before Sundays game and not tonight ! hahaha

  31. Le Coq Monster says:

    With you Scott !…………………………………………Let`s laugh in the face of adversity, otherwise we`ll all go mad,……………..10-0 to the good guys on Sunday !…………………………Let`s be positve in the face of shit ! hahaha

  32. Meerkat says:

    Morning all you lot.

    Listening to reports that De Boer was shat on by players going behind his back, same with the crafty foxes last season getting shot of Claudio, I can’t help but wonder where our ‘player power stands’. If the team really wanted le prof out, why aren’t they flexing their little muscles behind the scenes? ?

    It does make me think that there are more that are loyal to him than those that aren’t.
    Even those who left this year, praise him in tweets and articles. It seems that only past greats criticise him, not the more recently departed. I wonder why? ?

    TBH, I think if we keep scraping results nothing will change. It would be better to go on a losing streak, then perhaps some shit will fly. Trouble with that is, I can’t bear to think of them losing, especially to Napoleons manure.
    It has to get worse before it can get better though. Getting stuffed by BM last season clearly wasn’t enough, because we then went on to win the FA cup.?
    Gotta go. Woofers having hydrotherapy today! He still won’t be fit for the weekend though, sorry folks.?

  33. ScottfromOz says:

    Hi Meerkat,
    Stan’s love of Arsene could outweigh that, and we do have the issue of players running down contracts so I reckon all is not well in the camp, but as you say, not as bad as many suggest.

  34. Wavy says:

    Perhaps the players want to go because they know that they will be asked to ‘WORK’ for their money. The old chap just lets them have a little run around and then tells them they’re all brilliant but does nothing to extend them. A new man may make them run up 100 foot sand hills and such!
    Easy street is always better than hard graft!
    Or they all feel that the grass is really greener away from old uncle Wenger.

    I do think that the club is in a mess from top to bottom and needs a thorough scouring but that won’t be possible until the wrinkly one is put out to pasture. Two years minimum, could be longer. We need a new broom, desperately.

    Morning all sunny intervals here but a chill wind.

  35. Meerkat says:

    We’d be lucky imo, to get another manager prepared to work under Stans ownership, and his attitude to the club. Very frustrating I imagine. Could you see Napoleon, Conte or Pep there? Nah, even fat spam might turn his nose up at working under Stan the man. He is the puppet master and just wants another puppet he can pull the strings of.
    All the while we are stuck with an owner who doesn’t give a toss about success or failure (unless/until that translates to losing money), any manager will be banging his head against a wall.

    I would love a new broom to sweep clean, but from the top down, not just at manager level, as that won’t change much at all, just the coaching, and that isn’t the only problem at the club.

    I’ve said before, Wenger should walk away now, after the disastrous TW, that makes him a liar about funds available.
    He is deluded if he thinks much will change this season. We will win some, lose some, and draw some, same ol’ same ol’, and that is unacceptable at this stage. We will be the laughing stock in the EPL and lose any credibility we still have, thus preventing any top players from wanting to join the club.
    He will be driven out by fans if that is the case, so better he just walks, asap.

  36. Rick says:

    Evening Rico and the House.
    Just a short visit before tonights game.
    Kev I hope you and your boys enjoy seeing young Nelson in the flesh, you will see just how good he is.

    Wavy Have you got your champagne ready, because we are hours away from becoming champions.
    What a performance by a team of no hopers

  37. potter says:

    Ospina , Holding , Mertesacker , Monrea;l, Bellerin , Maitland Niles , Elneny , Iwobi , Sanchez , Giroud , Walcott. Subs :- Macey , Wilshere , Mustaphi , Jeff , Akpom < Nelson , Kolasinac

  38. Rick says:

    Load of trouble around Oxford Circus and in the roads leading to the Emeriat.

    20 thousand Koln fans with no tickets. Why have they come here.?

  39. potter says:

    Or points deduction or thrown out of the competition.

    With all those people in central London today , where did they expect them to go .

  40. Wavy says:

    Rick, yer! It’s great to support a team of ,winners’. It certainly is a change of feeling. It seems they have a couple of spinners and a quickie who know how to bowl! It’s been a long time, oh and several who can bat a bit too.

    Game delayed an hour…….there seems to be a suggestion that it could be called off, in the interests of crowd safety.
    You’re right Potter, UEFA, will charge Arsenal for not anticipating the Cologne fans behaviour and numbers! Tomorrow will be interesting, especially in the press.

    It seems Wenger has picked a ‘keep the peripheral players happy side’ not any of the younger players start. Well, there’s a shock. Strong side though.

  41. gnarleygeorge9 says:

    Wow! Just watched the Koln fans walking to North London. If the team is as well drilled as it’s supporters, The Arsenal should settle for a share of the points & have the game abandoned?

  42. potter says:

    Bringing politics into this apparently Cologne has a high proportion of Muslim immigrants and there have been protests about the number of Mosques being built there . Can’t help wondering how many might stay.

  43. ScottfromOz says:

    We are as Flat as a tack, but great to see Alexis back.
    First 3 touches included a pass directly to an opponent and a dispossession so he’s in top form lol
    Not sure where Arsene expected our chances to come from with this lineup.
    Maybe I’m lucky the game started an hour late as it means I don’t have to endure the second half, as work beckons.
    It didn’t take long for us to be awful.
    Oops, another turn over from Alexis as we speak.
    Should’ve sold him!

  44. ScottfromOz says:

    And AGAIN!
    Wtf is Sanchez doing?
    That’s 4 direct turnovers in 32 minutes.
    Arsene can go tomorrow but as long as he takes that little bastard with him.

  45. ScottfromOz says:

    And another.
    I’ll stop now but I do hope people are watching and seeing what’s I’ve been saying for a year now!

  46. ScottfromOz says:

    GG, Did I suggest it was?
    Of course, you and Lee conveniently ignore my criticism of Wenger but that’s just the case on here, isn’t it?
    So predictable.
    Why don’t you tell me what I’ve said of Alexis is incorrect????

  47. Lee says:

    We were apparently 2nd favourites to win this competition…with Wenger’s pathetic European pedigree, you’ve got to lay us all day long!?!?

  48. ScottfromOz says:

    But as long as Ramsey and Ozil don’t play, as you’ve been asking we should be Unbeatable.
    That’s working lol

  49. Lee says:

    Kev the common denominator is Wenger…we’ll win fuck all in Europe unless he can write a song for the Eurovision and win that!!

  50. Adam says:

    No progression, no improvement, no ambition and no real reason to expect anything other than the shambolic performances we are seeing from a club in crisis.

  51. Joaquim Moreira says:

    we haven’t a squad.
    The goal was a tremendous Ospina. mistake. I don’t know if before, the ball wasn’t out.
    Holding was the worst player. I’ve tried to understand where TW played. I conclude no where. Maybe some where.. it’s a challenge for the 2nd half.
    Well, another game away.

  52. rico says:

    I think Gg has a mind of his own. In all the time I’ve read his comments he’s never joined any ‘bandwagon’ Scott… A smart arse? Well, that’s a bit rich….

  53. Lee says:

    We’re gonna win the league
    We’re gonna win the league
    We’re gonna win the league
    We’re gonna win the league ….

    There’s only one Arsene Wenger!!

  54. ScottfromOz says:

    Rico,
    Read back and I clearly blamed Wenger for what’s happening, yet I’m obviously happy to point out what most ignore, and that’s the fact Alexis turns the ball over every game, yet is supposed to be a superstar.
    It was a smart arse comment and he knows it.
    You allow people to say to me what I can never say to them, and then you defend them lol

  55. ScottfromOz says:

    JM, are you being serious on the 15,000?
    Bloody sounds like there 100,000.
    Rico, LOL softens all manner of insults, as we see all the time and every one of us has done it.
    Shit, Alexis did somethig right.
    Nobody, least of all me, ever questioned his talent.

  56. Joaquim Moreira says:

    20.000 were travelled to London. Probably not all are inside, but they ocuppied more places then those reserved to the away teams.

  57. Meerkat says:

    Yep. Good result after an awful first half, but I reserve judgement until they play the chavs on Sunday.
    Let’s hope Jack hasn’t picked up an injury! He did seem to make the team smoother, in fact once or twice they were excellent, but thats typical Arsenal, sublime one minute and crap the next. If Theo hadn’t cocked up his pass it wouldn’t have rebounded for the goal, but he did give the ball away quite a bit, as did Sanchez first half.
    Olivier should have done better with his rather weak header, and it was a shame he didn’t get on the end of the Sanchez ball into the box for another goal. Instead the smallest player on the park (jack) was there, lol.
    Mustafi again on the bench, why?? He surely needs games?
    We do have some good players, but Sanchez is the only world class one unfortunately.
    Roll on Sunday.

  58. frednerk says:

    Evening Rico and All

    Luckily the game was for 90mins
    cologne bottom of the bundesliga league.
    We were crap 1st half,so was Sanchez.
    2nd half Sanchez different gravey world class player
    and great to see jack get involved.
    Watching Holding over play again and not
    concentrate on defending is what have been seeing
    when ever we start going over board.
    Defending is getting a yard upstairs,but most
    of all having good defenders around you.
    Some say we have a world cup winner to
    teach and lead at the back..I can’t see that yet.

  59. Wavy says:

    Hey come on Fred, have a heart. Not all World Cup players are good teachers as not all poor players are poor coaches. Look at our own manager/coach he was never a great player but as a coach…..okay you’re right!

  60. potter says:

    Looked better second half butt hat was not just defence. Mertersacker was winning headers and was positionallly sound. Holding needs more protection to let him develop.At the moment he is on the same track as Chambers was.

  61. Meerkat says:

    Agreed. Holding isn’t playing as well as I expected him to this season. In fact, positionally at times, he has been awful.
    He needs a good defencive coach, and I don’t think Bould is up to it tbh.
    I thought Mustafi should have been in the team tonight. I know his move broke down, but perhaps it’s not too late to get him playing. He isn’t the best, but we aren’t exactly flush with good defenders.

  62. ScottfromOz says:

    Unfortunately, we couldn’t afford to send Holding out for a loan spell because we are already short at the back.
    It may have helped him.
    It’s incredible to think players could and would learn more at a lower league club than they do at Arsenal.
    I can’t wait to see the second half and have Alexis make me eat crow.
    More importantly, I really do hope he gets his head down and gives his best all season.
    Not sure what changed at half time with him, as he was bloody woeful before that, but then, we were as a team equally bad.

  63. Adam says:

    The days when Arsenal could set out their team to be strong and disciplined from the first whistle to the last are long gone. Good teams and that doesn’t include Cologne, will put us away in the first half. Relying on touches of second-half brilliance after a good half time team talk is a dubious tactical approach.
    There’s a malaise hovering over this squad.

  64. ScottfromOz says:

    Adam, I wonder how many of them seriously would look at each other and be confident his team mate will get the job done?

  65. ScottfromOz says:

    Before anyone chimes in, I’ll add I wonder how many are confident with playing positions, formations and tactics?

  66. frednerk says:

    Mentioned the same pattern Holding is
    going months ago,it looks like Chambers
    all over again.
    Sorry to disagree on Bouldy,
    But I rate Steve Bould one the best defenders
    I have seen..Very underrated.

  67. Lee says:

    Will the chavs be more of a test than those European power houses Cologne?
    Methinks!

    One game closer to Wenger’s au revoir!

  68. Lee says:

    We’re really going to struggle to replace Sanchez’s input when he goes…
    38 games 24 goals 10 assists last season!
    That coupled with his work ethic will be a huge loss imo.

  69. Wavy says:

    In my view, Sanchez goal was scored because he didn’t trust any of his colleagues to even get close if he passed the ball when running away from goal……..so he assumed the responsibility, shot and he scored! Great goal too, so unexpected!
    When he goes unless a very lot of money is spent to replace him, we are fckd!

    Morning all. Drizzling here, just.

  70. ScottfromOz says:

    Sanchez is an absolute weapon when making runs and taking on players around the box, but, imo, he does it when too deep and that’s when he turns the ball over, and whether people like it to admit it or not, he turns it over a hell of a lot.
    Wavy, you are probably right in saying he does not true his team mates, but he needs to realise he’s not a one man band.
    We all know Wenger can’t and won’t replace him with anything close to a player or his ability because there’ll be no cash from his leaving.
    Brilliant stuff.

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