Europa League 2017/18

[Bilo]

Östersund have got two at Arsenal now. Fucked up, that team. There's just no explaining anything they do.

 

[SALTIRE]

Östersund have got two at Arsenal now. Fucked up, that team. There's just no explaining anything they do.

Oooh, going to need to watch this! Come on Ostersund!

 

[Bilo]

The next Prem team outside the top six to sack their manager has to hire Graham Potter. I'm struggling to think of a single managerial achievement ever more difficult than what he's done with Östersund. This is absolutely beyond impossible. It doesn't make him a guaranteed success but Everton should be all over him tbf.

 

[Stevencc]

Östersund have got two at Arsenal now. Fucked up, that team. There's just no explaining anything they do.

Which one?

 

[Bilo]

Which one?

The until rather recently Swedish third tier side mate. Arsenal are very easily explained.

 

[Benji]

How have Ostersund managed to become so good so quickly, Mr Bilo?

 

[Bilo]

How have Ostersund managed to become so good so quickly, Mr Bilo?

Nobody's got a clue mate. But the Leicester saga is a predictable borefest in comparison. I think foreigners sometimes underestimate just how ridiculously shit the Swedish third tier is, especially in the northern regions. I'd back a few of us to hold down a place in some of the teams and now they're 2-0 up at Arsenal in the knockout stages of the Europa.

 

[Benji]

Would you say it's more of a fluke than a sustainable rise? They don't look any worse than plenty of other Europa League teams rom what I've seen.

 

[mistermagic]

Atalanta 1-0 up vs Dortmund at half-time. Dortmund goalie Bürki pussied out of a challenge on a corner and Toloi put the ball in the empty net. Atalanta had great chances to make it 2 and Dortmund were awful until the half-hour mark. Then we saw more Götze and Dortmund are getting better. They need to get rid of Schürrle though. Two-bob midtable Buli player he is.
Also, BvB miss Weigl. Big time.

 

[mistermagic]

Nobody's got a clue mate. But the Leicester saga is a predictable borefest in comparison. I think foreigners sometimes underestimate just how ridiculously shit the Swedish third tier is, especially in the northern regions. I'd back a few of us to hold down a place in some of the teams and now they're 2-0 up at Arsenal in the knockout stages of the Europa.

Don't mean to diminish in any way their achievement but I reckon them being 2-0 up at the Emirates may have something to do with Arsenal winning the first 3-0...

 

[Ale18]

I'm watching Atalanta - Borussia Dortmund

The italians play very well and are putting the germans in serious trouble

Ilicic e Gomez are very dangerous for all the Borussia's defender

Do you know Atalanta? Do you think about this team?

 

[Bilo]

Would you say it's more of a fluke than a sustainable rise? They don't look any worse than plenty of other Europa League teams rom what I've seen.

It's not a fluke, they made it here by winning the Swedish cup which is an incredible feat in itself, and that was in 2017. Also, they don't win by sitting back and going on the counter; they play some very good football. The only real explanation that makes any sense is that Graham Potter knows something that the rest of the world doesn't. Östersund are from a skiing region with absolutely no tradition of playing football whatsoever. He took over when they were in the third division where, like I said, some of us definitely wouldn't look out of place. He's had absolutely nothing to work with and he's taken them further than any Swedish side has made it since the 90's, and then we're talking Gothenburg and Malmo whom have hundreds and hundreds times the resources of Östersund.

There's not a single manager past or present I'd back to repeat what he's done. I'd give you a 100 to 1 odds, take your pick. It's absurd. It's like cheating on FM or something.

Don't mean to diminish in any way their achievement but I reckon them being 2-0 up at the Emirates may have something to do with Arsenal winning the first 3-0...

It's just a nice way of saying it. It was beyond incredible when they knocked out Galatasaray in the qualifiers.

 

[Super_horns]

Go on Zenit, dirty Celtic. Very little interest in the Arsenal game later tbh.

Arsenal were doing their best to make the tie interesting...

Chambers seems to be another young English player hyped up but hasn't progressed at all in his career.

 

[JimJams]

I think foreigners sometimes underestimate just how ridiculously shit the Swedish third tier is

Yeah but so is the top tier.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Arsenal's best and probably only route of getting Champions League football next season and they are trying their best to throw it away.

 

[Bilo]

Yeah but so is the top tier.

This makes no sense.

 

[JimJams]

It does. Suck it up!

 

[Ale18]

Arsenal's best and probably only route of getting Champions League football next season and they are trying their best to throw it away.

Yes, two years without champions league would be a failure

 

[mistermagic]

This makes no sense.

Some of chimp's puns don't have the desired effect but credit to the guy, he keeps trying.

Dortmund equalised late on in Italy via a goalkeeping error. Rubbish second half. Atalanta will feel that had they tried a bit harder they'd be through to the last 16. Oh well.

 

[JimJams]

It's not a pun.
The Swedish 3rd tier is shit. So is the Swedish top tier. I don't see how that point is hard to extract from the exchange we had.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Europa League Round of 16 Draw

Lazio v Dynamo Kyiv
RB Leipzig v Zenit
Atletico v Lokomotiv Moscow
CSKA Moscow v Lyon
Marseille v Athletic Bilbao
Sporting v Plzen
Borussia Dortmund v Salzburg
AC Milan v Arsenal

 

[Dirk]

Damn, I had hoped that the 2 Red Bulls are playing against each other. So Dortmund against the Austrians then. No disrespect here, especially after Dortmund's lacklustre performance yesterday (and in the Championsleague before) but when they can't beat the Austrians, they can't beat anyone
Leipzig against Russians...eeeekkk!!

For me, the most interesting match is AC Milan vs Arsenal.

 

[Bilo]

Lazio v Dynamo Kyiv
RB Leipzig v Zenit
Atletico v Lokomotiv Moscow
CSKA Moscow v Lyon
Marseille v Athletic Bilbao
Sporting v Plzen
Borussia Dortmund v Salzburg
AC Milan v Arsenal

Most of the ties feel pretty straight forward, aside from Milan v Arsenal. CSKA certainly stand a chance against Lyon and Marseille are ok, but it's only really the giants of the round that feels genuinely unpredictable and interesting. I reckon Milan will nick it because Arsenal are just so shit.

 

[SALTIRE]

Milan ain't any better.

 

[JimJams]

Bilbao are shit, what makes you think they will win? The fact they were a half decent outfit in the past?

 

[epic73]

Most of the ties feel pretty straight forward, aside from Milan v Arsenal. CSKA certainly stand a chance against Lyon and Marseille are ok, but it's only really the giants of the round that feels genuinely unpredictable and interesting. I reckon Milan will nick it because Arsenal are just so shit.

Bilbao are currently 14th in their league, Marseille are 3rd. What makes you think it's so straightforward?

 

[Bilo]

Bilbao are shit, what makes you think they will win? The fact they were a half decent outfit in the past?

I find them entertaining and I never watch Marseille now piss off and make your own prediction chimp

 

[Super_horns]

Arsenal and AC Milan are probably two of the sides wo will be relying on winning this to get into the Champions league.

 

[JimJams]

Both French sides should get through. The only factor against both is that they occupy 3rd and 4th in France, so might not put as much into this so's to ensure CL footy, but Marseille have a nice cushion which'd make Lyon more likely to be flippant in thsi competition.
Other than those I approve of your predictions!

 

[JimJams]

Arsenal and AC Milan are probably two of the sides wo will be relying on winning this to get into the Champions league.

Arsenal have no chance. They basically fcked over any chance in January when they sold the majority of their goals to other teams. Giroud, Sanchez even Walcott, all gone, Auba cup tied, Lacazette (currently) injured and not exactly firing when fit either. Sooooooo that leaves the prolific Danny Welbeck to lead them to glory. HA!