Our CL record under Wenger

[Top Londoner]

Mind you it would be (Sweetly enjoyable) and Ironic if by some Miracle - yes, i know, I know - But I'm used to hoping beyond hope these days - If somehow managed a miracle and did progress onto the Qf's - Imagine all the twitter's van Judas would get....

Oh! Please God just this once - welllllll, until the next time...

Well. Gibbs will be back for it, sooooooooooooo.

[highburyJD]

Recently we've made it out of the group stage only to fall against the first good team we've faced, that isn't good enough either

agreed
but consistency in qualification makes a record better not worse

[flash gunner]

Recently we've made it out of the group stage only to fall against the first good team we've faced, that isn't good enough either

agreed
but consistency in qualification makes a record better not worse

Its all about targets JD. After 16 years in a competition i would expect us to be having a shot at winning it but if anything we're going backwards. Getting out of the group is a tiny step if you're aiming to win the whole competition

[northbank123]

Recently we've made it out of the group stage only to fall against the first good team we've faced, that isn't good enough either

agreed
but consistency in qualification makes a record better not worse

Yes - in the sense that it's a better record to qualify for last 16 every year and lose rather than going out in the group stages half the years and last 16 the other half. Although either way you're nowhere near winning it so not much difference imo.

But some people laud consistency over actual success. Liverpool have been in the CL intermittently and have suffered some pretty embarrassing campaigns but still have a recent win and runners-up spot to show for it. Chelsea weren't qualifying until a decade ago and they have embarrassed themselves by crashing out at the group stage this year, yet they still have a win and a runners-up medal to show for it. The way some people go on it's like they'd prefer to be crashing out in last 16/possibly last 8 every year rather than going out earlier or maybe not even qualifying but having a chance of actually winning the thing.

[highburyJD]

in 2006 we failed, because we didn't win it
everybody except Barca (who won only their 2nd EC) failed that year

I think Barca had 1 win and 1 losing final before they beat us
can we have some perspective here?

[flash gunner]

in 2006 we failed, because we didn't win it
everybody except Barca (who won only their 2nd EC) failed that year

I think Barca had 1 win and 1 losing final before they beat us
can we have some perspective here?

I dont need other teams success' or failures to have perspective i am only considering Arsenal with what i have written above.

Getting out of group stages only to fall at the next round is NOT an achievement. Lets think about the FA Cup to be drawn against big teams and win in round 3 and round 4 but go out in round 5 is no achievement for Arsenal, it might be for Rochdale but we are no Rochdale of Europe are we?

In 16 consecutive years of qualifying and the cash that goes with that the standard of our players should be going up and our record in going further (going nearer to win) should be getting better not worse

[VoiceOfReason]

Getting past the group stages is the equivalent of getting past the third round of the FA Cup.

[kiwomya]

Getting past the group stages is the equivalent of getting past the third round of the FA Cup.

No it's not. Since when do Premier League teams play 6 games in the third round of the FA Cup?

[VoiceOfReason]

Getting past the group stages is the equivalent of getting past the third round of the FA Cup.

No it's not. Since when do Premier League teams play 6 games in the third round of the FA Cup?

If anything, the CL group stage is easier, because you can afford to lose a couple of games and still progress.

[franksav63]

Totally agree with Flash and VOR, Wenger's record in the CL is fucking shit and something he or his wanky braindead fans shudn't be proud of!

[northbank123]

in 2006 we failed, because we didn't win it
everybody except Barca (who won only their 2nd EC) failed that year

I think Barca had 1 win and 1 losing final before they beat us
can we have some perspective here?

Agree that in one sense everything except winning is failure (very un-Arsene like approach to take)!

But we can't even point to many near misses - other than 2006 we've only made the semi-final on one other occasion which was too fucking embarrassing to recount.

Bottom line is we don't even try and win the competition - of course that's not saying we're getting knocked out on purpose but if we were we would realise that selling your best players every season just to make a profit isn't going to win you the CL.

Not sure what perspective you're asking for when Wenger and co ram it down our throats that qualification in the last few years has been a success when you and I know that we've been completely embarrassed the last 4 years.

[mcdowell42]

in 2006 we failed, because we didn't win it
everybody except Barca (who won only their 2nd EC) failed that year

I think Barca had 1 win and 1 losing final before they beat us
can we have some perspective here?

Agree that in one sense everything except winning is failure (very un-Arsene like approach to take)!

But we can't even point to many near misses - other than 2006 we've only made the semi-final on one other occasion which was too fucking embarrassing to recount.

Bottom line is we don't even try and win the competition - of course that's not saying we're getting knocked out on purpose but if we were we would realise that selling your best players every season just to make a profit isn't going to win you the CL.

Not sure what perspective you're asking for when Wenger and co ram it down our throats that qualification in the last few years has been a success when you and I know that we've been completely embarrassed the last 4 years.

Its the loser mentality we have inside and outside the club,but arsene and his disciples seem to be ok with it

[highburyJD]

Not sure what perspective you're asking for when Wenger and co ram it down our throats that qualification in the last few years has been a success when you and I know that we've been completely embarrassed the last 4 years.

completely embarrassed compared to who?
Not even qualifying (like we may do this season) is embarrassing
Not getting out the groups: ManUre, ManShitty and Chelski in last two seasons is embarrassing
Losing by one goal is not 'embarrassing' - Bendtner score v Barca we're through, vanStaplecunt scores v AC it's 4-4
As I said Barca scoring two late goals v 10 men in the final gave them their SECOND Champions League EVER

The perspective I'm asking for is comparative reality: should we automatically be ahead of Chelski, ManShitty and ManUre? Should we automatically be better than AC or Inter?
Bayern are the biggest club in the biggest country in Europe - is it 'embarrassing' that they're better than us?
I hope we can beat all of these clubs to trophies.
IMO anyone that thinks we automatically should
and that it's embarrassing whenever we don't is simply unrealistic.

these are the last 4 years last 16s
Bayern, Fiorentina, AC, ManUre, Lyon, RMad, Olympiakos, Bordeaux, Inter, Chelski, CSKA, Seville, Porto, Arsenal, Stuttgart, Barca (AC, Real, Chels, Porto all go out)

Lyon, RealMadrid, AC Milan, Sperz, Arsenal, Barca, Roma, Shaktar, Inter, Bayern, Valencia, Schalke, Copenhagen, Chelski, Marseille, ManUre (AC, Arsenal, Bayern, Valencia go out)

Marseille, Inter, Basel, Bayern, Lyon, Apoel, CSKA, Real Madrid, Zenit, Benfica, Napoli, Chelski, AC Milan, Arsenal, Barca, Bayer Lev (Inter, Arsenal go out)

Gala, Schalke, Celtic, Juve, Arsenal, Bayern, Shaktar, Dortmund, AC Milan, Barca, RealM, ManUre, Valencia, PSG, Porto, Malaga (ManUre are out, so are one of AC and Barca)

[officepest]

Jd,

I can't be arsed to list the teams that have won the European Cup from your list, you'll know them anyway but to defend Wenger's record seems bizarre.

We should have won in '04 but fucked it royally, '06 was ruined by Jens' brainfart and Henry's misses but that's it. For someone who bangs on about 'consecutive qualifications' as if it were a trophy, just as he does with 4th place in the league, his record is bollocks.

He has no chance of winning it, I'm sure it grates with him, and I'm sure he'd love to - but he never, ever will. His chance has gone and now we're happy just to cash UEFA's cheques and make whoever we draw in the last sixteen happy.

I just can't get exicted about qualifying for a trophy we're never going to fucking win with our squad, our board, but most importantly - our manager.

[Herd]

Get that Stone Island number on, chuck on the old Burberry scarf and cap.......and be off wiv ya

It's been many years since I bought anything Stone Island and I've never had Burberry Hat.

The Anti Wenger Brigade are now so warped that they try to argue anything positive into a negative and are as deluded as the AKB's .
Our qualification record and going on to the latter stages is very good end of story and this oft repeated notion of their being no point staying in the competition if we cant win it is farcical in the extreme.
Hopes that non qualification will assist in regime change is as laughable too ,all it will do is ensure the slow downward spiral will begin to gather a little momentum as we set our sights ever lower in the Ligue 1 bargain basement for new talent .