If you have not already heard, the European governing body has this week confirmed some rule changes that will affect Arsenal next season, unless we can somehow overhaul Chelsea and win the Premier League or unless we suffer a shocking collapse and fail to qualify for the Champions League at all.
What looks most likely, however, is that the Gunners will be in the hat for next season’s group stage but the new rules mean we will not be in the primary pot. That will now be filled with the title winners of the top seven European leagues; England, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal and Russia with the last place going to the holders or if the winners are also champions, the Dutch title holders.
There are two ways of looking at this though, because you could say that the team which won its league might be better than one who just happens to have a strong coefficient because of their country and past performances. But it does mean that Arsenal could be in the same group as real powerhouses like Bayern Munich and one of the Spanish giants.
Just when the Gunners are improving and hoping to win our group next season, this could be a real blow but we just have to cope with it and hope for a friendly draw. Now if the good people at Uefa could just change that pesky away goals rule that keeps causing Arsenal such pain……you listening Monsieur Platini?
None, you still have to get out of the group & beat the best teams in Europe.
Exactly this, although it in fact punishes the champions of the big leagues in Europe as they now have to face an Arsenal/Dortmund vs a PSV/Kiev.
Basically they made a crappy system a bit worse. UEFA are special
doesn’t matter at all,if Arsenal is good enough they will win champ league anyway.
next season wenger should go all out for league title and think less about champ league
Not really too bad. Top 7 leagues in Europe + the holders make up the top seeds. That means the champions of Spain, England, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal & someone else + the holders will have their own group, unless the holders are also champions in which case it’ll be the 8th best european league I think? We can’t draw England, which leaves 7 other groups. Spain or Germany will obviously be the tough one, but the rest? Not too bothered really. If let’s say Barca are holders and Madrid are champions, that creates 3 tough groups though. So 4/7 or 5/7 groups are winnable, and even the tough groups we can go through in 2nd place.
With all those league winners out of the rankings, the second pot, which we’ll be in, should contain all the other good teams from Europe, so teams from pots 3 & 4 probably won’t trouble us in getting through to the knockout rounds.
Anyways who’s worried? After next season, we’ll be taking the spot for English Champions, right?
we can win all if we dispose of our dead woods starting from Wack Wheelchair. our worst performances last season and this season coincided with wheelchair being forced to be a new Fabregas.
if he remains let him be on d bench and see if he can displace Ozil as d number 10. which he can’t. I ll rather deploy Ox to play anywhere Wheelchair plays.
damn, even spuds fans are not that harsh to our players, whats a big deal? he will prove you wrong even with cigaret in his mouth
i see no difference,we’re always gonna face top teams that’s why it’s the champions league..
instead i’ll be hoping AW makes the right enforcement this summer and if he does, other big teams will be the ones scared of us…stay positive gunners, we’re almost there
listen to wheelchair talk ” Ox is a good player but Walcott offers us more. he already saw himself as a starter and a key decision maker.
well let me reply on behalf of Ox ” wheelchair is wacky and Ramsey offers us so much more.
Wenger pls sell Wack Wheelchair for $30m to M. City and get Milner. or get Barkley and let him compete with Ramsey.
I repeat pls Wenger we don’t want Wacky overpaid Wheelchair near our first team next season.
Yu just can’t keep a 4th place junkie from oding on Walcott and Ramsey … But Milner. … That really is shooting up some low grade s***
You want wilner or warkley? That is where you lost those who you hadn’t already lost.
I myself am a big fan of warkley but warkley hasnt been great this year in fact jack has been better.
It’ll also make for a more interesting tournament. Real Madrid could get drawn in the same group as Bayern for example, or Chelsea. We could face Barcelona in the group stages. More top quality opposition for us to face I guess. Playing teams like Anderlecht and Galatasaray isn’t really what the Champions League is about. For the club it might be, getting eay teams so we get the extra money for going through to the knockout stages. But for the fans, and the players too, it’s about facing the top sides in Europe and seeing where you stand (hopefully as winners).
Yes I wanna play Barca or
Real Madrid go to the
Nou Camp or the Bernabeu .
Sick of dumb old Fernerbache
Olympiacos or Anderlecht
Mind you they might be saying
the same about us 🙂
This isnt blow at all, in matter fact i like it, i would really like Real in group so we can defeat them, we didnt play against Real since Henrys great run on Bernabeu, and if you want to win it you need to beat big teams, after sunday and our win against chelski you guys will feel same like me, Wenga show them whats football all about
OFF TOPIC: Just saw an article about Jack Wilshere revealing reasons for us winning a couple of big games this season. Imo, the biggest reason we’re on top form currently (in fact very good in the second half of the season) is because Jack has been sidelined (no more losing the ball in the midfield and opponent fast break and everyone know wt happens with Mert at the back) Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of Jack and i love his passion, fighting spirit, loyalty and of course his hatred for spuds.
However, Wenger has been treating him too well and he has shown no progress in recent years. I really would like to see him go on loan for a year, especially when our midfield is already full of CAM like ozil ramsey cazorla rosicky, not mentioning if for real Schneiderlin or Wanyama (or even Isco) is coming in summer, there will be no place for Wilshere. Instead of putting him out of position on the flanks (we know wenger), why not repeat the miracle of Coq? He’s got the No.10 shirt and (hopefully) he’ll be the future Arsenal cap he needs to fight and earn for his place. He should realise he’s not getting the same treatment when wenger retires.
COYG!!!
i dont understand this hate towards Jack, he is good player, and if you critisize Jack it means you are critisizing Wenger, becouse Wenger is playing him and training so if Wenger belives in him why wont you? Ramsey anybody
First and foremost, I think we’ve had enough of “BOOM”, can we go back to “BANG”?????
Well, like some before me have said, makes no dfrens. Just get the right players, the right tactics and attitude…
how bout some “WOW” for a change?
The last four months proves
Arsenal has 12 decent players
who can beat any one in the EPL.
Ospina Bellerin Mertz Kos Gabe Monreal
Coq Ramsey Cazorla Ozil Sanchez Giroud.
We now have more tactical nous
and the attitude is rock solid.
The key now is to select the next 13 to round out the 25 man squad.
My picks are Cech Szcz Debuchy Gibbs Chambers
Arteta (because Wenger will keep him)
Schneiderlin Wilshere Walcott Chamberlain
Draxler Wellbeck Striker?
Sell Podolski 10 mill Campbell 5 mill.
Loan Jenkinson Sanogo Hayden Gnabry Akpom
Release Diaby Flamini Rosicky Ryo.
Youth squad. Bielik Crowley Niles Zelalem Graciar
I love Jack. But he is so
injury prone that’s all.
So too Diaby and Ox
Wallcot Gibbs Ramsey and yes even Sanogo.
Unfortunately they only have a 3-4 game
spurt then they are injured again.
They are all still young and worth keeping
another couple of years but there is a limit.
all deadwoods including Wenger has to go…
Yes they should go home and have a good nights rest, they’ll need it sunday.
This could be just in our advantage. Playing a “giant” early in the season could lift us to better performances sooner rather than late in the season like we seem to do a lot..
wilshere plays the deeper lying role for england and against shaqiri in englands first qualifier he handled him weel if arsene can instill more discipline to stop him losing the ball and go forward at the right times i beleive he has the potential to compete with ramsey for the b2b role
In summer we need another dm preferably schneiderlin (although chelsea are now interested and willing to give john obi mikel) and a forward that plays completely opposite to giroud (lacazette)
Our current squad without injuries is up there with the best and i believe a 2nd FA cup and a victory over chelsea will make us a favourite to win the league next year
COYG
shame on us for being flat at home vs monoco, no doubt we would be in the top 4, i would love to see this team as playing now line up against real madrid, I think we have good odds, vs munich or barca, not as confident,
The rule is a big joke.. Imagine barca/ real madrid on the second pot….
Anyway, if we are lucky we might meet the champions of Dutch, Russia or Portugal which will be comparatively easier:)
Actually this creates an inflated second pot and some of the more annoying teams to play get ruled out of our group. Yes, we may end up with a big boy from Spain/Germany but in a way I’d prefer to be second fiddle in a group to them then have a semi big boy like ourselves and wind up second fiddle and playing a big boy in the last 16. This makes it more likely that we can either A. Win our group and play a smaller team in the last 16 OR B. Finish runners up in our group and avoid a giant in the last 16.
Ultimately to win the competition you need to beat everyone though – so realistically if we continue to improve as we’ve done this year then the group we’re in should be of little consequence and we should be aiming to beat any team we play.