Only the most optimistic of Arsenal fans will still believe that Arsene Wenger has a chance of guiding the team to a Premier League title this season, despite all the events of the weekend meaning that the Gunners cut the gap to Chelsea to 12 points. Even if the league leaders continue to slip up it will be Man City not us that overhaul them.
And although we are still looking at a tough test among many clubs to finish in the top four, Arsenal are now looking for a trophy to put some gloss on another season hampered by the ongoing injury problems. Clearly the FA cup looks the easier of the two even though our next game is away to Man United, but the one we all really want is the Champions League.
Both Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck have been talking up our chances this week as the Gunners have a great chance of making it to the quarter-finals for the first time in five years. As reported by Arsenal.com, Welbeck is not taking for granted that we will get past Monaco but he does sound very confident about our ability to have a good run in the competition with the squad that Arsene Wenger has.
He said, “It’s a special competition. You get to play against different styles of play, the best sides in Europe and it’s something that a lot of the players look forward to. It’s massive if you can get far in the competition and that’s what we’re going to be doing this season.
“I would love to keep on progressing to the last stages of the competition and that’s the aim for all the players here. Testing yourself against the world’s best players in the Champions League is a great challenge.
“At this level every match you play is going to be a challenge, but all players enjoy it. We just need to be strong on the day and play to our strengths.
“We’re obviously all looking forward to playing against Monaco. Any team you get in the Champions League will be a difficult opponent and it will be no different with Monaco. They have strong players and it’s going to be a big challenge for us over the two legs.”
Giroud was even more bullish about the Gunners’ chances, as an ESPN report reveals. Our French striker believes that the boss has been building a really powerful Arsenal team that now has the quality to compete with anybody on our day. And that is what makes a successful cup side, along with a healthy dash of luck at the right time.
Giroud said, “Winning the Champions League remains an objective. In recent years, our recruitment has been significant, we’re building a team to challenge the biggest sides.
“Alexis, we call him ‘Duracell’. He allies talent and determination. Ozil, he’s quietly strong; he’s very calm, almost introverted, very at ease technically, and when his confidence is up, he makes the difference.
“Cazorla reads the game very well. I have a special relationship with him, we arrived at the same time, we find each other very well. [Laurent] Koscielny holds things together at the back. He’s surgical in his interventions, we’re calmer when he’s there.”
There are others of course and the squad really does look a lot stronger than when Giroud joined, but is it really good enough to finally add the European cup to the Arsenal trophy cabinet?
“can Arsenal REALLY win Champions League”…Really Now – 1 step at a time, lets beat Monaco then talk about next fixture….
Off Topic – Who won the Just Arsenal T-Shirt for the Predict the Score vs CP?
Has anyone ever won??? Apart from fellow gunner, Nostradamus.
C’mon, OG!!! What have you got against De German Super Rhino??? Not even a mention…
not gonna happen…every season there is always such article…
living in denial
Allow me guys to stray please, but did any of you see Mourhino’s interview on Goals on Sunday, how he made reference to the fact he likes our team a lot and has always done but fell short of saying that if he was in charge we would have won things. I thought it was an indirect assault on Wenger’s management style of not getting the best out of these fantastic individuals he’s had over the trophiless years! I thought he had a point myself!
I think he was referencing more to Arsene’s cushy position he has within our club, where as Jose is sitting in an electric chair with Abromovich’s finger just itching to flick the switch. He also forgets that Wenger hasn’t had as much time as he states to build a winning squad. All those years we had financial restraints building the stadium, our key players also left season after season forcing Wenger to rebuild time and again. Whether Jose would have been able to accomplish a top 4 finish under these circumstances we will never know, but what we do know is that he has been successful only at wealthy clubs with considerable backing. In fact, he didn’t do that well at Madrid, so does he really have much room to speak?
@Big Gun: You wouldn’t call Porto nor even lately Inter Milan wealthy yet he won with these teams! All his players will go through a wall for him and they have said so themselves.
If you had witnessed that interview, you would realise he was being very cautious in appearing to be directly offensive hence his choice of words when referring to Wenger. However read between the lines, and you’ll also understand he was on the one hand praising our players’ class and quality yet on another hand questioning why players of such qualities have not won anything in the last 9 years!
Perhaps not wealthy but Inter had won Serie A in each of the 4 seasons prior to Mourinho. Porto had won the league 7 out of the 10 seasons before JM and 7 out of the 10 seasons after he left. The evidence suggests his league titles were not that great a feat. Credit due though for CL wins but we shouldn’t forget both Inter and Porto were the dominant teams in their leagues and both were littered with world class talent (Porto: Deco, Carvalho, Maniche, Costinha – a team in many peoples top 10 team of the decade. Inter: Sniejder, Eto’o, Pandev, Bonacci, Lucio, Motta). I also refuse to forget the manner of both victories – dull and cynical doesn’t begin to describe it.
Off topic
Anyone notice Morinho lately, He cracking up.GOOD!
totally agree on this one…
we need a change!!
first signing in the summer should be a manager
lets get mourinho as coach, we will win trophies 🙁
Mou only goes to oil Rich Clubs, so can buy who he feels like and pay them fat salaries to do well…In PL he will never leave Chelsh!t, unless its for Man Shity or maybe Manure…..I wish he could manage a team like Everton and make them win the league – Then that’ll show true talent!!!
The journey of a 1000 miles begins with taking the first step forward. For our beloved Arsenal FC to win this year’s CL, they will have to first overcome Monaco FC. Then the rest can follow. I believe the Gunners have started their game preparation from yesterday for the hosting of Monaco FC on Wednesday. And we the Gooners are optimistic as ever, the Gunners will crediblely triumphed over the Red and Whites of Monaco FC by God’s Grace. After our Wednesday’s CL home game. We will turn our full focus on Man Utd for the FA Cup Q/final game between the RedDevils and the Gunners at Old Traford on Monday’s night. But for now, let’s be prayersfull for a remarkable success over Monaco FC as we concentrate totally on that our Wed’s CL game at the Emirates stadium with the visiting Monaco FC.
but is it really good
enough to finally add the European cup to the Arsenal
trophy cabinet?…….HELL YEAH!
but is it really good
enough to finally add the European cup to the Arsenal
trophy cabinet?…….HELL YEAH! that last paragraph was really dumb u know
Morinho needs lots of cash to succeed while Wenger had to balance the books.Don’t get me wrong,I now would like a manager change but Morinho, no thanks.Though he’s a winner he leaves too many bad skeletons in his locker.No class at all. Arsenal is big on dignity,that’s what gets up other clubs noses. good.
COYG. W e’ll get there without his sort.He’s a 2 faced slimebag who gobs off too much.They do say his mum’s nice though.