Champions League Round of 16: Porto v Arsenal

[DJ_Markstar]

I am not sure we can call ourselves a massive club unless we win the CL. We are obviously bigger than the likes of Villa and Sp**s without question.

I would actually prefer if we can make a real go at trying to win the Champions League this year. This control game we are playing might be better suited to Europe

Yeah for sure, we've been unlucky not to win it in 06 but yeah we need to be there more often, not sure how A-M would have handled being pummeled in the final every year by Barca, ManUre style but I guess that's what you have to do to win it every now and then.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

This is harder in the PL though. Real and Barce get the majority of La Liga money IIRC. PL clubs distribute the money more evenly and the PL is the richest league by far.

United are still one of the richest clubs in the world and spent the most alongside Man City in the last decade. They've just recruited really poorly. This may improve under the new ownership model. They're essentially a sleeping giant, who could easily become Tier A again in the next 3-4 years if they get the right players and manager.

Ironically they'd need an Arteta style "process" and you'd have legions of fans malding at what would need to be done, I also think the sleeping giant possibility is waning as the years pass because, frankly, they don't have the pull they once did, either financially or from recent success in comparison to half a dozen clubs in the PL.

 

[ArsenesCoatMaker]

Ironically they'd need an Arteta style "process" and you'd have legions of fans malding at what would need to be done, I also think the sleeping giant possibility is waning as the years pass because, frankly, they don't have the pull they once did, either financially or from recent success in comparison to half a dozen clubs in the PL.

Lucky for them fans don't change clubs too often. I suppose flat out glory supporters may do. But United generated 688m Euros in revenue compared to Arsenal's 433m Euros in the lastest accounts.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Lucky for them fans don't change clubs too often. I suppose flat out glory supporters may do. But United generated 688m Euros in revenue compared to Arsenal's 433m Euros in the lastest accounts.

That's true but they still have success a decade ago that generated a ton of fans...wait until they're still average in 10-20 years and you'll see the "sleeping giant" stuff become "hey they used to be decent back in the day" in the same way you hear Forest or Villa described. You could even point to Liverpool who were a joke from the early 90s right up until Klopp took charge. Sure they won the CL in 2005 but no one expected it and they had the rules changed to allow them back in due to their pathetic finish in the league that same season.

 

[Rex Stone]

This is harder in the PL though. Real and Barce get the majority of La Liga money IIRC. PL clubs distribute the money more evenly and the PL is the richest league by far.

United are still one of the richest clubs in the world and spent the most alongside Man City in the last decade. They've just recruited really poorly. This may improve under the new ownership model. They're essentially a sleeping giant, who could easily become Tier A again in the next 3-4 years if they get the right players and manager.

Yeah it’s harder for English clubs but Utd should be one of the first clubs you write down as CL qualifiers with the advantages they have over almost every club in England.

We’ve been saying they’re just the right managers and players away for a decade. Something awfully rotten over there.

 

[ArsenesCoatMaker]

That's true but they still have success a decade ago that generated a ton of fans...wait until they're still average in 10-20 years and you'll see the "sleeping giant" stuff become "hey they used to be decent back in the day" in the same way you hear Forest or Villa described. You could even point to Liverpool who were a joke from the early 90s right up until Klopp took charge. Sure they won the CL in 2005 but no one expected it and they had the rules changed to allow them back in due to their pathetic finish in the league that same season.

I'm not so sure about that. Remember Liverpool were able to be a sleeping giant for 30 years pretty much and still keep much of their fanbase. United were mediocre and even got relegated for about 20 years before Fergie won them a league title. Yet they were still spending as much as Liverpool in the 80s if not more

As mediocre as United have been for the last decade they've still picked up an FA Cup, a Europa Cup and a League Cup and a couple of second place finishes.

 

[Riou]

I will come to Northern Ireland and sh!t in your breakfast.

 

[TheEliteMaster100_]

How many times have we been knocked out at the Emirates under Arteta?

3 times in the Europa league (Olympiacos, Villarreal and Sporting Lisbon)

3 times in the league cup (Man City 2020/2021, Liverpool 2021/22 and Brighton 2022/23 season )

1 time in the F.A CUP (Liverpool 23/24 season)

Shameless.

 

[bergholt]

I'm not so sure about that. Remember Liverpool were able to be a sleeping giant for 30 years pretty much and still keep much of their fanbase.

Spot on. In Australia there seem to be more Liverpool fans than anything else, and that was the case through the 90s and 00s when they were terrible. I'm sure the same applies to ManU fans, they'll be rusted on for decades until finally they get good again.

 

[avenellroad]

I'm not so sure about that. Remember Liverpool were able to be a sleeping giant for 30 years pretty much and still keep much of their fanbase. United were mediocre and even got relegated for about 20 years before Fergie won them a league title. Yet they were still spending as much as Liverpool in the 80s if not more

As mediocre as United have been for the last decade they've still picked up an FA Cup, a Europa Cup and a League Cup and a couple of second place finishes.

True. Liverpool had won the European Cup 4 times by the time they hit their lean spell in the 90’s. United are still commercially the biggest club in the world after maybe Real Madrid. Their fans aren’t going to suddenly disappear just because they’ve had a lean decade or two.

 

[Tnegs]

Utd have a big advantage over clubs like ours with their revenue and that will be even more important now FFP is being enforced. Things move quickly in football bring in a new manager and sporting director and they could be back on top in a couple of years.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

Utd have a big advantage over clubs like ours with their revenue and that will be even more important now FFP is being enforced. Things move quickly in football bring in a new manager and sporting director and they could be back on top in a couple of years.

This would ensure they remain part of the running pack.

What their fans must realize is, with the departure of Sir Alex, the days when they could utterly dominate the league are gone for good. Never to return.

 

[grange]

Do we have a date for this yet?

 

[albakos]

Do we have a date for this yet?

Yes, it's on our website

 

[grange]

Yes, it's on our website

View attachment 21295

There is no need for me to visit Arsenal.com when I have AM. Come to think of it, I just clicked the Home page of AM to see what this actual website looks like.

 

[A_G]

Yes, it's on our website

View attachment 21295

Btw this wasn’t meant to be the match thread, just for the draw. Don’t want to step on @Oxeki ‘s toes.

 

[UpTheGunnerz]

If we lose these ties however, I think I’m leaning Arteta out

Who are their danger players? Jesus corona still knocking about?

 

[albakos]

Btw this wasn’t meant to be the match thread, just for the draw. Don’t want to step on @Oxeki ‘s toes.

I fixed the title back to how it was

 

[albakos]

There is no need for me to visit Arsenal.com when I have AM. Come to think of it, I just clicked the Home page of AM to see what this actual website looks like.

It probably looked like another galaxy didn't it

 

[grange]

It probably looked like another galaxy didn't it

There are no mentions of Sexuals anywhere!