Reflections on Conference League

[Risso]

It's like the Anglo-Italian had a baby with the Simod Cup.

[Ads]

I thought he’d take us all the way. Very disappointing.  Will keep one foot on the floor next season.

Yeah, you wouldn't want to get carried away would you.

[eamonn]

Let’s be honest, it’s basically just the Intertoto.

A sort of European Watney’s Cup.

You mean Dave Collett was right all along?!

[Monty]

If Fiorentina win it might as well be renamed the Anglo-Italian.

[Demitri_C]

One of the biggest disappointments for me tonight was the absolutely appalling set plays. I know fatigue is a issue but seriously cant blame fatigue for some of these set pieces. The freekicks corners all really bad tonight

[Footy-Vill]

Well done to the soothsayers who forecasted our exit in February.

Reach Semi Final : Chicago Lion , Mpls Villa, Tax dodger, Edgy Satsuma 89, Eamonn, Legion.

And Dogtanian semi final/final

[Ads]

If Fiorentina win it might as well be renamed the Anglo-Italian.

They looked pretty tasty against Brugge 2nd half. Oh well. Semi finals the bare minimum across the board from now on. Champions League notwithstanding.

[DC1874]

Yes but in answer to Watneys and Intertoto comparisons we look shitter than a Moyes West Ham 12 months ago!

[KevinGage]

One thing to point out from my perspective, because this seems to come up a lot, it is both possible to be delighted with what Emery has done, and be fully aware how far we’ve come - we’re on the cusp of the Champions League. But simultaneously not be impressed with our level in the two legs of this semi-final. We are very short of options, but with the players on the pitch the level should have been better. We didn’t actually look like we had a plan, not saying that is the case (I’m sure it wasn’t) but it’s how it looked. We were favourites to win the Conference League, so this is a failure for me. Hopefully we’ll complete our overachievement in the league.

On balance, I'd say that's fair.

The better teams find a way.

[pauliewalnuts]

Well done to the soothsayers who forecasted our exit in February.

Reach Semi Final : Chicago Lion , Mpls Villa, Tax dodger, Edgy Satsuma 89, Eamonn, Legion.

And Dogtanian semi final/final

Dogtanian gaming the system there by effectively having two guesses.

[Ads]

Yes but in answer to Watneys and Intertoto comparisons we look shitter than a Moyes West Ham 12 months ago!

We've payed proper fucking teams throughout not some chumps from a resort in fucking Cyprus.

[trinityoap]

If ,after the loss to Fulham last season, anyone had said that at the end of the following season we would reach the semi -final of  European competition and finish fifth in the league they would probably been regarded as a hopelessly deluded optimist. The fact that in spite of the extent of the disruption we have suffered through injuries to key players at various times  we would now feel a sense of disappointment at such an outcome shows what a spectacular turn around there has been. I can't remember seeing us play such exciting football for donkey's years and I've bloody loved it.

[Percy McCarthy]

Down to our last 11 senior players, some playing out of position, all mentally exhausted. It’s the alertness of thought, and sharpness of passing that has deserted us. It’s the definition of hitting the wall.

It’s genuinely perplexing to me that intelligent people can’t see this.

[brontebilly]

Injuries don't explain why Diaby is playing like a drain or why Emery keeps playing Konsa at right back.

This ‘oh no, Konsa at right back’ theme. He was right back in both wins over Arsenal and the home game v Man City. How many better performances have there been when he’s played Cash there?

Plenty, plus Konsa was hooked in that first Arsenal game as he was getting roasted. It's the same argument put forward for Carlos (but Haaland, but Arsenal), are we to ignore nearly every other game?

Emery has been itching to play 3 x CBs all season. If Mings hadn't got injured we would have seen a lot more of it. He's obviously trying to replicate, with Konsa, what Arteta has done with Ben White but all it does is weaken the centre of our defence and limits our ability to bring our RB into the play. If he simply doesn't rate Cash then he needs to move him on. Every manager has a weakness and I think this is his.

[Ads]

Have we ever had injuries like this? I'm struggling to recall.