Morning all.
July 1906, Sporting Lisbon was born. It’s biggest rival is Benfica and the two clubs along with Porto are known in their homeland to be one of the “Três Grandes” (Big Three) clubs in Portugal. Never have Sporting been relegated from the Primeira Liga, not since 1934 anyway. One only has to type their name into google to see they’ve won plenty of silverware. Not for a while though and certainly not in Europe. They’re usually in one or the other of the two competitions but like us, have really just been making up the numbers.
The only player in their squad I recognise the name of is Nani, the ex Man Utd guy.
Like Arsenal, Sporting are going through changes. They lost of number of key players back in the summer and again like us, they’ve lost two matches so far this campaign. They sit fifth in what’s considered to be a three club league while we are in a marginally better position in our own league.
Uunai Emery:
“For us first this competition is very, very important and the opposition tomorrow is a very good team with a very good experience in this competition and with good players.
“Sporting changed players and also the coach this year but for us in this moment we are two teams both in the first position and our mind is to arrive first in this group and to continue in our way thinking how we can improve
His comments leave me wondering if we won’t see a stronger team selection to the previous Europa fixtures as he’s clearly determined to secure top spot. Whether or not Sporting feel the same I don’t know but I’d imagine so. Top spot in the group usually means a less tough opponent in the first knockout stage but not always. What won’t help us though is the clubs who drop down from the Champions League. There’s a few tasty sides looking pretty vulnerable right now. PSG, Totts, Benfica and Monaco, although the latter is far from being as good as the side which knocked us out of the Champions League a few years back.
Again like Arsenal, Porting appointed a new manager back in the summer. In José Peseiro. His managerial career has a list of clubs as long as you’re arm, including a previous stint with Sporting. None of the other clubs he’s been at are household names but regardless, expectation will be high.
As we talked about yesterday, tonight’s opposition have a decent record against English clubs in this competition but they’ll be aware of Emery’s record which is exceptional. He’s lost just one of his 20 group stage fixtures. in the Europa, (W11, D8) which includes his time at Valencia, Sevilla and now Arsenal. His counterpart tonight has won nothing on the European stage.
Yes, Sporting have a great record against English clubs in European competitions and yes, Arsenal have never won there but this is a very different Sporting Lisbon, just as we are a very different Arsenal. Back in the Spring, towards the end of the season, the Portuguese club was pretty much in a crisis. A group of fifty odd masked ‘fans’ attacked the team and staff whilst they were training/working. They were without a manager at the time and any chance of securing Champions League was gone. Players wanted out. They feared for their lives that day and didn’t want to hang around for it to happen again. The clubs president left too among all the departures.
Any club would struggle to come back quickly from all they’ve been through which is probably why they sit where they do in the league.
History might favour the home side tonight but the present might not.
Good morning Rico, “History is Bunk” as Henry Ford famously said. Arsenal can make their own history tonight and I see no reason to doubt that we won’t come away with a “historical” win.
Nice interview with Alexander Hleb in this morning’s Telegraph. He’s in London to play against one of his best buddies Cesc Fabregas. He sincerely regrets leaving Arsenal for Barca, where he quickly fell out with Guardiola and was a peripheral presence in his time there.
Hi Rico
Like you, I’m really looking forward to the match tonight, it will tell us a lot,.
I’ve been looking up the rules for the draw, the seeded teams are the first team in each group and the four third placed teams from the champions league groups with the best records – there’s no guarantee that S***s will be one of them, but we can’t be drawn against another English team anyway.
Unai’s team choice will be interesting as well.
Brian
Morning Cicero.
The grass isn’t always greener. Alexis is finding that out and soon, so will Ramsey I reckon.
Hi Brian.
Don’t know why but I’m quietly confident we’ll get something from the game…
Hoping Totts finish bottom of their group, not because they are to be feared but it would be funny…
Morning all and thank you Rico for a very Sporting post.
We know Dick takes this cup seriously, but I prefer he saves his strongest team for C Palace.
Love Spursy stuff, they generously fill my life with glee most of the time and here is a link that doesn`t disappoint !
😆
https://talksport.com/football/437562/tottenham-stadium-news-champions-league-poster-mocked-fans/
PS……………………dont forget Gooners, it`s an earlier 17:55pm kick off !
Who will JM be supporting ?
I blame early kids tv for my sense of humour ! 😆
Sporting I’d imagine Lc, after all Jm reckons we have no chance I think. We’ll see.
I watched Rainbow too but thankfully it didn’t have the same influence on me as it did you… lol
Morning all1
Ãrsenal of course!
I don’t like Sporting but I have many fans in my family.
Who is your team Jm? Benfica?
F. C. Porto!
Thanks for that Brian, shows the value in winning the group, but Unai will know all about that.
Morning Gooners
Morning Rico.
Interesting post Rico, I always enjoy a bit of a historical slant to things, because … 😀
as George Santayana once said ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it’
By the way, off the top of my noggin 1906 was an important year for Arsenal, because as Woolwich Arsenal we reached our first ever FACup SemiFinal.
There, that’s enriched everybody’s life… 😄
Did you have a rattle and rosette that day Kev ? 🙂
I always like the fact that we were called Royal Arsenal before Real(Royal) Madrid !………………………..and although I love the name Arsenal, I wish we could revert back to Royal Arsenal…………………………….The Royal Arsenal !………………….I feel a groin warming moment coming on !…………………. lucky I`m in the freezer isle in Tesco`s
🙂
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DqSDY6mXgAAV3PK.jpg
Dont forget the small print.
Morning Kev, thanks. I’ve no hope then because I don’t remember anything much so I wouldn’t know if I was repeating history… 😆
I have to admit Cocker, that I have actually had a rosette in the past, but never a rattle,
how are your abbs btw…? 🙂
A bit of trivia makes the world go around Rico. 😀
One of my aunts, a lifelong Arsenal supporter sadly no longer with us, Knitted a red and white bobble hat, a red and white scarf, a red and white rosette. We secretly believed that on match days she wore red and white knitted knickers… the truth went with her to the grave.
The abs are rippling, Kev, after a gym workout. I just lifted 212kg(over 33 stone in old money) off the rack on my shoulders but didn`t try to squat it in fear of becoming a human concertina !
Was reading the other day something about cabs becoming driverless in London and wondered how you will get your tips whilst remote controlling it from your house ? 🙂
See Merson is dissing our 10 match winning streak !…………………………….I sometimes wonder if he is me in disquise ! 😆
Cicero, do you secretly think she had yellow and blue knickers for away games ?……………………although the red and white one`s are not a secret now you have blurted it all out over the internet !
Xhaka at left back tonight…
Indeed Kev, not that I’m good at that either.. lol
Team to play Sporting Lisbon:
Leno, Lichtsteiner, Sokratis, Holding, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Elneny, Ramsey, Mkhitaryan, Welbeck, Aubameyang
Subs: Martinez, Jenkinson, Mustafi, Torreira, Iwobi, Ozil, Lacazette
The sportTV were talking about Arsenal since 3 hours ago.
Many fans inside
Scrappy old game.
Lucky Sokratis…
Agree with that Rico, Arsenal gradually taking control. Aubameyang has had two good chances and scuffed them both.
I expect better from Arsenal in the second half.
I would like to see Lacazette on for Ramsey, he’s doing little or nothing.
Lucky Sokratis
Lack of concentration of many players
Not a good image
The usual un-joined-up first half.
The game needs something Cicero. Or someone.
Some of our passing is really off.
Job done. Night all.
Eleven on the trot !…………………this is becoming boring ! 😆
Keep watching it but still dont know why Welb`s disallowed goal was disallowed ?………………….he hardly touched the defender !
Cocker, have you heard the one about driverless vans, it’s coming to your town soon believe me…
I couldn’t see all of the game as my granddaughter demanded my attention, but I thought, considering all the chicanery that Nani and Co got up to, that we kept our cool and did a good job, in fact we probably should have won by 2 or 3 clear goals.
I had to laugh at all the shithousery that Sokratis and Lichtsteiner got up to, a pair of street wise wind up merchants, no more naive nicey nicey Arsenal and bloody good job.
In fact I was surprised that Sporting finished with 11 players on the field as they gradually lost control of themselves.
Señor Emery knows how to play the european game and good for him and us…
Well that’s another history book consigned to the dustbin.
Morning guys.
New post up now..