Arsenal v Olympiakos

[arsenalmorris]

Does anyone know if we can get a beer at Champions League games this season - I cant see anything on the website?

[bergkamp10]

Does anyone else find the atmosphere generated by fans of Greek and Turkish teams to be both annoying and monotonous?

They are clearly very passionate. But it seems to me that what they mainly do during a match is a lot of jumping up and down creating a repetitive and tuneless noise that bears no resemblance to what's happening on the pitch. Often they're not even looking at the pitch. And unlike a good British atmosphere they dont seem to influence what happens on the pitch the way the noise they generate should do.

I love a good atmosphere under the lights but fans of team like Olympiacos get on my bloody nerves

Yeah, I'm passing on this one. I went last year and can't really be bothered to pay for this one. I am heading to the next one against Schalke. Their away support is suppose to be pretty good. By the time I was able to get a ticket I had to go upper tier, so I got seats just above the away support. It should be the best away support in this group, ans in turn, hopefully the best atmosphere and match during the group stage.

All CL games I been to are totally poor atmosphere wise.....Even if we'll 4-0 up..

[arseofacrow]

Does anyone know if we can get a beer at Champions League games this season - I cant see anything on the website?

[wellingRed]

Does anyone else find the atmosphere generated by fans of Greek and Turkish teams to be both annoying and monotonous?

They are clearly very passionate. But it seems to me that what they mainly do during a match is a lot of jumping up and down creating a repetitive and tuneless noise that bears no resemblance to what's happening on the pitch. Often they're not even looking at the pitch. And unlike a good British atmosphere they dont seem to influence what happens on the pitch the way the noise they generate should do.

I love a good atmosphere under the lights but fans of team like Olympiacos get on my bloody nerves

Yeah, I'm passing on this one. I went last year and can't really be bothered to pay for this one. I am heading to the next one against Schalke. Their away support is suppose to be pretty good. By the time I was able to get a ticket I had to go upper tier, so I got seats just above the away support. It should be the best away support in this group, ans in turn, hopefully the best atmosphere and match during the group stage.

All CL games I been to are totally poor atmosphere wise.....Even if we'll 4-0 up..

Yeah because theres no beer

[northbank123]

Be another comfortable win against a fucking dross CL side I imagine, the CL group stages really are boring.

[Clash]

Be another comfortable win against a fucking dross CL side I imagine, the CL group stages really are boring.

Agreed. Dull as fuck! I'd actually prefer us to lose our seeding so we got a more exciting group. There is this huge fuss made about us qualifying for the CL but as a spectacle what do us fans really get from it? We never get any decent opposition till the knockout stages ... and we all know what happens then.

I contacted the club around April 2011 requesting they give us the option of a league games only season ticket. It couldnt be more simple for them to treat CL and FA cup games the same was as they do the league cup. I listed the reasons why I thought this was a fair request (poor standard of opposition, final game often being meaningless etc.)

The response I (eventually) got was that it wouldnt be a popular decision among the majority of suppoters (so they ignored the ''option'' part of what I said) and that the attendances for these games backed up their policy (but of course most people will go when they've been made to pay over 40 quid up front ... even if the opposition is dross, which invariably it is).

Clearly, just like everything else, the people who run the club put themselves and their finances above the interests of the fans they are meant to be serving.

[Top Gun 49]

can't agree on this one.

I am one of those who like the CL group stages. I sit in the Clock End for them and the away support is usually some of the best of the season which makes for a great atmosphere. Dortmund brought loads over I remember last season. They even had a section in the upper tier!

Anyway I reckon this will be our last season in the CL for a while - I am struggling to see this team making the top 4 this season. If we don't then we will realise that the Europa League group stages are 10 times worse!

[augie]

Agree. My issue is that the CL group stage is a similar such bore. Undoubtedly we'll progress through this snoozefest of a group (spread over almost 3 months.....zzzzzzz.........zzzzzzzz........zzzzzzzz), and maybe be lucky enough to get a modest runner-up in the last 16 before an inevitable dicking when we draw any of the top half a dozen clubs

Massively. Truth is I don't really give a fuck if we do get a poor result because there's so many shit teams in CL group stages that we'll inevitably qualify again, and to a lesser extent we'll end up getting a dicking further down the line anyway.

Nail on the head for me Every year it is the same old shite - we qualify for the group stages and cos that brings in the cash the people running the club are satisfied and can continue to bleat bullshit about x many consecutive seasons in this bullshit competition The truth is that we don't have a bigger enough squad both in numbers and in quality so I don't see the point in investing time and effort in a comp that we have fcuk all chance of winning For me the league and fa cup should without doubt be the priority competitions this season and with that in mind maybe getting knocked out of European competition early (all competitions) might be a blessing in disguise ? I know I certainly won't travel over for any of the group games cos the hassle of organizing somebody to cover me at work and then the fact that it is an overnighter just isn't worth the effort when you consider the quality of opposition

[EC3]

I'm a season ticket holder and have been since 1981, but i really can't be bothered going tomorrow, so won't.

Will sit in pub or at home and watch it.

For me the CL needs a major shake up, these group stages are becoming boring with pretty much the same old teams and knowing the majority of teams that will qualify.

[piresistible]

gotta be in it to win it lads..
would ya rather the team not be in the cl then? just ask the scousers.
five or six minimum please.

[bergkamp10]

Agree. My issue is that the CL group stage is a similar such bore. Undoubtedly we'll progress through this snoozefest of a group (spread over almost 3 months.....zzzzzzz.........zzzzzzzz........zzzzzzzz), and maybe be lucky enough to get a modest runner-up in the last 16 before an inevitable dicking when we draw any of the top half a dozen clubs

Massively. Truth is I don't really give a fuck if we do get a poor result because there's so many shit teams in CL group stages that we'll inevitably qualify again, and to a lesser extent we'll end up getting a dicking further down the line anyway.

Nail on the head for me Every year it is the same old shite - we qualify for the group stages and cos that brings in the cash the people running the club are satisfied and can continue to bleat bullshit about x many consecutive seasons in this bullshit competition The truth is that we don't have a bigger enough squad both in numbers and in quality so I don't see the point in investing time and effort in a comp that we have fcuk all chance of winning For me the league and fa cup should without doubt be the priority competitions this season and with that in mind maybe getting knocked out of European competition early (all competitions) might be a blessing in disguise ? I know I certainly won't travel over for any of the group games cos the hassle of organizing somebody to cover me at work and then the fact that it is an overnighter just isn't worth the effort when you consider the quality of opposition

Augie, exactly spot on. let's plan to win the League and FA Cup this season. The club sadly treat us like fools.

[northbank123]

can't agree on this one.

I am one of those who like the CL group stages. I sit in the Clock End for them and the away support is usually some of the best of the season which makes for a great atmosphere. Dortmund brought loads over I remember last season. They even had a section in the upper tier!

Anyway I reckon this will be our last season in the CL for a while - I am struggling to see this team making the top 4 this season. If we don't then we will realise that the Europa League group stages are 10 times worse!

We'll finish above Spurs I'm certain, their squad is still very thin on real quality.

Regarding the CL, I appreciate what you say about atmosphere but for me it just doesn't hold the buzz when you know we're going to cruise through most likely and ignoring the fact we normally win our 3 home games without much fuss we've not really struggled to qualify out of it since we moved to the Emirates. Knowing that we can afford to drop points we really shouldn't without any real ramifications take the edge off it in my view.

[Skooner]

Arteta to have a fitness test apparently, guessing that will mean a start for Coquelin which I think is a good thing. I'd start Giroud in this one as well.

[clockender1]

Augie, exactly spot on. let's plan to win the League and FA Cup this season.

+1.

the CL is like the girl who flirts and will let you take her home but not put out.

I'd rather be League Champions and FA cup Winners - that's our bread and butter. the CL should just be a bonus for the cash and to blood some younger players.

the Mail has Serge Gnabry in the squad btw.

[nut flush gooner]

Does anyone else find the atmosphere generated by fans of Greek and Turkish teams to be both annoying and monotonous?

They are clearly very passionate. But it seems to me that what they mainly do during a match is a lot of jumping up and down creating a repetitive and tuneless noise that bears no resemblance to what's happening on the pitch. Often they're not even looking at the pitch. And unlike a good British atmosphere they dont seem to influence what happens on the pitch the way the noise they generate should do.

I love a good atmosphere under the lights but fans of team like Olympiacos get on my bloody nerves

Yeah, I'm passing on this one. I went last year and can't really be bothered to pay for this one. I am heading to the next one against Schalke. Their away support is suppose to be pretty good. By the time I was able to get a ticket I had to go upper tier, so I got seats just above the away support. It should be the best away support in this group, ans in turn, hopefully the best atmosphere and match during the group stage.

All CL games I been to are totally poor atmosphere wise.....Even if we'll 4-0 up..

Yeah because theres no beer

Don't expect an atmosphere at a home match in the CL group stages, you get more prawn sandwich munchers in the upper tier than for a usual game.

As for the beer, I had a beer in the ground after the southampton game, I wont be doing that again for a long time. If I want to drink a pint of piss I would have taken a bottle with me to the urinal at half time, much better value.

Better option is a pint of efes in the constolia on holloway road. Its a kebab restaurant but they dont mind if you just want to have a beer. £4 a pint but probably the crispest pint of lager you'll get around the emirates. It tastes like the stuff you get in europe, not the paint stripper served up in London. They even give you some nice bread to soak up the alcohol for free.

PS their kebabs are soo good you could eat them sober and not regret it the following day, really tasty and not at all greasy.