Will we qualify for the CL?

[PaulWinch again]

Yeah agreed. Essentially we’ve got two routes back into the Champions League and a real opportunity to win a trophy.

[tomd2103]

As Emery said we really lost out on the CL in the first part of the season. We will do it two ways next season. Europa winners and league position. We will come back stronger.

When it comes down to fine margins, you are always going to look back at various points over the season, but in the end it came down to yesterday and we blew it. 

[Toronto Villa]

As Emery said we really lost out on the CL in the first part of the season. We will do it two ways next season. Europa winners and league position. We will come back stronger.

When it comes down to fine margins, you are always going to look back at various points over the season, but in the end it came down to yesterday and we blew it. 

We certainly could have played better. But then again we have played well there or other places and lost. Fine margins also comes down to the refs decision to blow his whistle. We somehow got to that point 0-0 with a man down. I’d have put money on us finding a way to hold on to at least a point with 20 to go.

[BoVillan esq]

As Emery said we really lost out on the CL in the first part of the season. We will do it two ways next season. Europa winners and league position. We will come back stronger.

When it comes down to fine margins, you are always going to look back at various points over the season, but in the end it came down to yesterday and we blew it.

You can't argue with this, absolutely correct, none of this conversation would be taking place had we won, plus when you think how other results went our way, who would have bet on Everton, difficult team, but Newcastle at Newcastle, wow!, the thing is, its possible there are things we are not seeing here that would account for such a dire performance, when it was so badly needed, its possible that this team have peaked, its possible that there are a number of players who's heads are turned, looking elsewhere, and of course the unmentionable..its possible Uni Emry himself has peaked and has nothing left to offer, i read a brilliant footy analysis on the life of a football manager in the modern game, 3 seasons and the stats show the games up, move on, some even earlier some never get the team/club right.

As said it was up to the team to do there stuff yesterday, but why was is so very poor.

[VillaTim]

Very much the "nearly" season, we have shown Arsenal levels of choking in the big games when it mattered most .

[tomd2103]

As Emery said we really lost out on the CL in the first part of the season. We will do it two ways next season. Europa winners and league position. We will come back stronger.

When it comes down to fine margins, you are always going to look back at various points over the season, but in the end it came down to yesterday and we blew it. 

We certainly could have played better. But then again we have played well there or other places and lost. Fine margins also comes down to the refs decision to blow his whistle. We somehow got to that point 0-0 with a man down. I’d have put money on us finding a way to hold on to at least a point with 20 to go.

That's true TV and I agree that I don't think we lose that game if we go ahead at that point.  We were dreadful yesterday though and made it extremely difficult for ourselves. 

[brontebilly]

Very much the "nearly" season, we have shown Arsenal levels of choking in the big games when it mattered most .

The fact we finished with 66 points and went deep in two cup competitions does suggest Emery got a lot right and the players in the main performed strongly. You don't get to the big games without mastering the run of the mill stuff.

[cdbearsfan]

We won pretty much every "big game" at home. We lost every one against our rivals for the Champions League away from home and were knocked out of the cup the first time we played a team from our own division outside Aston.

I think we maybe lack a bit of pace on the break. Teams can't commit so many players forward when they know you have someone like Diaby or Bailey (anywhere near his best) to catch them out on the counter. Compare that to the last ten minutes at Forest, or pretty much the whole game in Paris or even against a fucking dreadful Man U team yesterday where they were camped in our half.

Even at the time, Philogene never looked like a signing who would replace the output of Diaby, and we've been unlucky with Bailey being injured and struggling for form when he has been available.

Tl;dr: go sign some fast as fuck wingers.

[tomd2103]

We won pretty much every "big game" at home. We lost every one against our rivals for the Champions League away from home and were knocked out of the cup the first time we played a team from our own division outside Aston.

I think we maybe lack a bit of pace on the break. Teams can't commit so many players forward when they know you have someone like Diaby or Bailey (anywhere near his best) to catch them out on the counter. Compare that to the last ten minutes at Forest, or pretty much the whole game in Paris or even against a fucking dreadful Man U team yesterday where they were camped in our half.

Even at the time, Philogene never looked like a signing who would replace the output of Diaby, and we've been unlucky with Bailey being injured and struggling for form when he has been available.

Tl;dr: go sign some fast as fuck wingers.

Agree about the need for pace.  We have, however, had a handful of absolutely stinking performances this season and they have all involved the whole attacking unit giving tne ball away far too often.  It means we have been under constant pressure in those games and have cracked.

Rogers and Watkins had absolute howlers yesterday and gave the ball away pretty much every time they had it. 

[VillaTim]

We do lack pace , and pace is essential in this league .

[pauliewalnuts]

We do lack pace , and pace is essential in this league .

Not that essential if, despite having none of it, we've just finished sixth.

[VillaTim]

We do lack pace , and pace is essential in this league .

Not that essential if, despite having none of it, we've just finished sixth.

It's essential if you want to actually win anything . Other than the 6th place Trophy and missing out on the ECL land of milk and honey .

[Ads]

Sounds really easy this. I guess if we buy two fast players, we'll win two trophies instead of one.

[PaulWinch again]

Indeed - pace is an important component, but it’s part of a wider picture.

[Dave]

I imagine if we really tried to bully Fulham we might be able to get Adama Traore back.