Champion's League Semi Finals (with apostrophe)

But no one’s talking about how harsh it would’ve been on PSG as Bayern got away with a few challenges early on that were every bit as caution-worthy or more than the Mendes challenge on Olise. It’s all a bit lame to say the least.

2 yellows make a red. Both were clear as day tactical yellows where Olise would've been through on the wing.

The team that executed their match plan far better in these 90 minutes went through.

But a game altering obvious red card after 25 mins in the game is once again not given. PSG deserve that final. Ref still screwed Bayern over though.
 
You mean the oil aspect I presume? Because in every other way, they are a wonderful advert for modern football. Amazing individual talent working their asses of for the collective. Kicks the shit out of watching anything in England.
The style they play with and the talent at every position is truly fun to watch as a neutral. I hope they beat the shit out of corner fc
 
2 yellows make a red. Both were clear as day tactical yellows where Olise would've been through on the wing.

The team that executed their match plan far better in these 90 minutes went through.

But a game altering obvious red card after 25 mins in the game is once again not given. PSG deserve that final. Ref still screwed Bayern over though.
Laimer got away with the same against Kvara right after the Mendes yellow. There was one or two others Bayern got away with before that incident as well. Again who’s to say how it any of this plays out without the ref getting every single decision spot on which is just too much to ask.

In the end Bayern were a distant second best tonight.
 
Got a sinking feeling it might be the Gooner twats year. I think their defence is good enough to hold PSG back.
 
I'm more than happy with the hatred, it means we're doing something right.

You'd be great at backing a side with Suarez / Greenwood / Partey in it. Wait, you already have experience with one of them. :)

This worldview of gaining reinforced validation from the disgust of opponents is so MAGA-esque. Not that Arsenal fans care as long as it ends their trophy drought.
 
Got a sinking feeling it might be the Gooner twats year. I think their defence is good enough to hold PSG back.
PSG will need to take their chances better than they did tonight but that goes both ways. Arsenal will create sweet feck all. Their wingers will be completely nullified and Gyokeres will get rag-dolled by Pacho and Marquinhos.
 
Enrique is clearly a special coach - this PSG side, while fielding fantastic individuals, it's so much more than the sum of their parts. This is exactly what was lacking from PSG during their Messi,-Neymar-Mbappe years.
 
You'd be great at backing a side with Suarez / Greenwood / Partey in it. Wait, you already have experience with one of them. :)

This worldview of gaining reinforced validation from the disgust of opponents is so MAGA-esque. Not that Arsenal fans care as long as it ends their trophy drought.

Maybe go and read what I said about partey.

And you think all arsenal fans are ok with rapists? Now that's maga-esque.
 
I feel Arsenal's best chance is a smash and grab (the ultimate tribute to Mourinho) or benefiting off of PSG defensive lapses. Their defense at their best can limit but not completely shut out PSG.
 
I don't think every handball has to be a yellow card.

The yellow cards for handball should be reserved for blatantly deliberate where the player has moved their arm to the ball to stop an attack.

Having your arm away from your body in the middle of the pitch and someone hits the ball against it is not a yellow card. Would have been ridiculous if an innocuous incident like that resulted in a red.
 
Maybe go and read what I said about partey.

And you think all arsenal fans are ok with rapists? Now that's maga-esque.

The Partey bit was meant to be hyperbole to make a point, but I pulled at the thread out of curiousity, and I don't think you've been as unequivocal in your position against Partey as one would think:
To be honest I mostly browse matchday threads but fans are pretty much the same everywhere so I would assume a similar situation to greenwood would see very similar results if it were partey.

But now I'm curious, what clear evidence do you feel exists that make you think arsenal should fire him.

Do you feel the two cases are similar? Is there any clear evidence I've missed?

I really wish the police would say something, one way or the other, because it makes me unconformable thinking something might have happened and we're playing him.

It's insane, especially people making comparisons between greenwood and antony or partey. Maybe they're all abusers, who knows, but greenwood definitely is one. Audio and pictures never denied, but somehow people come up with crazy scenarios to justify it, being the roleplay the most hilarious one.

I'm pretty much open to the possibility partey did something really bad and I would prefer if arsenal sold him. But every time someone tries to be clever with this comparison, I always ask for the audio and pictures of what partey did so I can be 100% convinced. So far no one has provided this info. Maybe it will be you...

I'm not trying to take any kind of horse. I rarely check social media and greenwood stuff was so all over it that even I saw it. I didn't see anything about partey (pics or audios). If anyone cares to send me links I'll check it out.

Again, not a gotcha or any kind of moral high ground. I even said I would prefer for him to go and said last season when he returned from injury I would rather he didn't play.

But I simply haven't seen what everyone is saying is out there and easy to find and I find it odd the greenwood stuff made it to my eyes without me looking for it and the party stuff didn't.

Your position seemed to be - Partey's situation is not as bad as Greenwood's because there was no viral audio / video that was recorded, and that you refuse to believe the allegations unless there's clear cut evidence that you yourself get to see. Which is the standard position people take when they don't want to explicitly say - I don't believe the accusers, even there's so many of them. Yes, there's a chance the accusations are fake - like it was with Antony, but even then we dropped him and he was booed by United fans for a long time before he cleared his name. And yes, it wasn't open and shut like Greenwood, so it's definitely not as bad - but most instances never have clear and obvious evidence, the nature of this allegation is mostly my word against yours - and usually powerful men get away with it.

It's funny that even after proceedings have been opened on more than 7 alleged counts of the word I will not use here (more counts trickling in, last I heard), you never went out and said - shit I was wrong. Maybe I missed that post in my quick search. And you don't seem to have a problem with everyone else who enabled and defended him, starting with your manager. Maybe I missed that post, too.

I don't think all Arsenal fans support Partey, because I personally happen to know many who distanced themselves from the club when the allegations came (much like a lot of us did with Greenwood here), and still hate Arteta for the man he is before they even consider his anti-football.

But hey, as long as you do the double, eh? I've derailed the thread enough, I'll stop.
 

Yeah you missed quite a bit. Almost as if you were quite selective in the posts you quoted.

In fact, you only see in my posts my position that partey's situation was not as clear cut as greenwood's because the evidence was quite different. You're suggestion that that means I'm willing to excuse a possible rape for football reasons is only happening in your head, not in anything I wrote.

Maybe check the more recent posts when things became much more clearer and it was revealed arsenal was aware of a lot more details. Here's my first post after the more recent accusations and what the club knew became public.

The club fecked up big time, I hope some heads roll. We deserve all the shit we're getting.

As for your last sentence, I'll just assume you don't read many of my posts when it comes to football vs social issues, because if you did you would know how ridiculous that suggestion is.

Let me make it easy for you. Assuming the allegations regarding partey and arsenal's reaction are true, and they seem to be:

- partey can rot in a jail cell
- arsenal behaved horrendously
- if arteta was sacked over this I'd have no issues with it
 
These are just narratives that get spread and that's it, they become "fact". Porto played good football, most goals in the league and of course, close shop when playing stronger opponents. We are 2 goals behind city I think and we've played plenty of decent football. The difference is that many matches that normally ended up as draws and fecked us over are now converted into ugly wins. All champions have them.

That Porto side played horrible football, were notorious for diving / play acting and they were paying off refs to get favour in domestic games.
 
How can I make this about me?
How can I point out the painfully obvious, that it is incredibly difficult to achieve team success in professional football at the highest level, and any occasion to celebrate, especially reaching the fecking final of the Champions League, should be utilised completely, keyboard warriors notwithstanding.
 
How can I point out the painfully obvious, that it is incredibly difficult to achieve team success in professional football at the highest level, and any occasion to celebrate, especially reaching the fecking final of the Champions League, should be utilised completely, keyboard warriors notwithstanding.
Yeah but your team also celebrate corners :lol:
 
Yeah but your team also celebrate corners :lol:
To be fair, it is by all reports our only source of goals.

And every single one, despite being VAR-checked, is the result of our rugby tackling our opponents to the ground.
 
I think PSG has a better chance of beating Arsenal than Bayern. Arsenal has beaten Bayern with a weaker team 3-1 in the group stage and this PSG team seems to have the aura of Real Madrid in Champions League, when everything clicks for them, they're just unstoppable.
 
To be fair, it is by all reports our only source of goals.

And every single one, despite being VAR-checked, is the result of our rugby tackling our opponents to the ground.
The famously consistent and well working VAR.
 
To be fair, it is by all reports our only source of goals.

And every single one, despite being VAR-checked, is the result of our rugby tackling our opponents to the ground.
You forgot to mention that every goal potentially scored against you is negated by Gabriel diving or pulling someone to the ground without consequence, otherwise I agree with you.
 
You forgot to mention that every goal potentially scored against you is negated by Gabriel diving or pulling someone to the ground without consequence, otherwise I agree with you.
After Arteta has ventured so far from his technical area that he is able to play the ball off their full back in order to win said corner.
 
Get over it.

I wouldn't when you see what's going on in Italy with the head of referees already under criminal investigation and the Barcelona ref payments case which is still going through the Spanish courts.
 
I wouldn't when you see what's going on in Italy with the head of referees already under criminal investigation and the Barcelona ref payments case which is still going through the Spanish courts.
What does it achieve? You can’t change these things. The only thing you can influence, is how you deal with it. And as a club, we are horrible at dealing with these things. They destroy our focus and we end up losing valuable time, because we are more concerned with the ref, than with our own game. We’ve been there before against Real. It just doesn’t matter. Complaining doesn’t achieve anything. We need more resilience instead.
 
I'm afraid, Kompany setting up his very much physical squad as a ballet ensemble (Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Stanisic, Pavlovic, even Kimmich mimicking Brazil 70) instead of feeding Kane in the box from the flanks (Olise & Diaz.. wtf, hero balls berserkers all night long) is way bigger than any ref blunder or mistake.
 
Both games had shocking decisions. Arsenal should have conceded a penalty at least twice and PSG should have got a red. But refs are useless and we all know nothing will be done about it so just move on.

Ultimately, the two teams that were better went through.
 
I wouldn't when you see what's going on in Italy with the head of referees already under criminal investigation and the Barcelona ref payments case which is still going through the Spanish courts.
With Inter involved, nothing is going to happen anyway, also because they do not need to ask at all, it is just the common interests and aims working together like an orchestra, from the FIGC with Gravina/Ceferin to the media, politics and the courts. If you however want to ride this dead horse, you should know you were playing against Khelaifi aka the main sponsor of Ceferin and his "law & order" approach to UEFA.
 
Get over it.
No, after one night i'm certainly not over a bad decision that most probably cost us the CL final.

In the video you can even see that the ref first wants to rule Mendes hand ball until the 4th official (wtf) intervenes.

Good thing the portuguese 4th official could inform the portuguese ref before he had to send off the portuguese player...
 
What does it achieve? You can’t change these things. The only thing you can influence, is how you deal with it. And as a club, we are horrible at dealing with these things. They destroy our focus and we end up losing valuable time, because we are more concerned with the ref, than with our own game. We’ve been there before against Real. It just doesn’t matter. Complaining doesn’t achieve anything. We need more resilience instead.

It's disappointing that players reputation saved narratives live and die by these games, especially Bayern players for whom domestic performances don't really get considered. Then these losses are used as ways to discredit their performances, Bayern were great and could gotten a place in the final had the referee made correct decisions.

That 2017 loss to Madrid in extra time was gut wrenching. Hummels and Boateng were playing at 50% fitness and were amazing all game but completely ran out of fumes by the end.
 
No, after one night i'm certainly not over a bad decision that most probably cost us the CL final.
Big talk as you were two goals down at this point already. It wasn't a pen decision in a draw at 90' + 3 - you would have had a better chance to go through but "most probably" is quite generous.
 
With Inter involved, nothing is going to happen anyway, also because they do not need to ask at all, it is just the common interests and aims working together like an orchestra, from the FIGC with Gravina/Ceferin to the media, politics and the courts. If you however want to ride this dead horse, you should know you were playing against Khelaifi aka the main sponsor of Ceferin and his "law & order" approach to UEFA.
So far, Inter is only involved in your mind but ok.
 
I quite liked the referee last night. He ignored a lot of the play acting which was refreshing. I wish he was harder on players asking for bookings to be handed out but then the game would have been forfeited by one of the teams for too few players.

Probably got a few things wrong but PSG were the better team overall.
 
I wouldn't when you see what's going on in Italy with the head of referees already under criminal investigation and the Barcelona ref payments case which is still going through the Spanish courts.

The thing it's that this works for EVERYONE, Bayern or any huge club included, football is a dirty mess, at times some will get exposed yet everyone it's in the mix.

Also when comes to plays/situations, this includes even lost of genuine mistakes that are part of the game, to duel too much on it (possible bad stuff and genuine mistakes), like @HTG said, it's really a bad path.

PD: as aside note, WTF with the title in the middle of the vid.
 
So far, Inter is only involved in your mind but ok.
The only rational explanation is you are one of their Gazzetta or Corriere della Sera minions so they pay you, otherwise it's troubling indeed. Congrats for your scudetto.
 
Odd that you'd appoint a Portuguese referee if one of the teams is like 50% Portuguese.

Just saying...
Eberl, when asked if the ref explained the Laimer/Mendes handball situation after the game said:

'I think he spoke with his Portuguese player colleagues. He always accompanied them to the corner kicks. Maybe he explained something there. He didn't explain it to me. But you're also not allowed inside, it's a high security zone.'
 
Eberl, when asked if the ref explained the Laimer/Mendes handball situation after the game said:

'I think he spoke with his Portuguese player colleagues. He always accompanied them to the corner kicks. Maybe he explained something there. He didn't explain it to me. But you're also not allowed inside, it's a high security zone.'
Quality whining