Champions League — Semi-Finals: 2nd Leg

Another chance to watch that kid, Yamal.

Only 17 and he's already played over 100 games... that is insane.

Mind you, if we had a decent manager at the time instead of David Moyes, then perhaps Wayne Rooney's development would have been as impressive…

Not to mention a Chairman too, Michael.

The one we had was selling him to Newcastle, then went running to his mam when the Mancs came in with an equally derisory offer, crying "They've took our boy, Mum!"

True, Colin, talk about selling us short. Kewright set a precedent that lasted for... well, we're still selling them cheap!

We'll see what happens with Branthwaite... the noise seems to have subsided at least.

This season:

50 Appearances
15 goals
24 Assists!

I think that shows how unselfish he is.

Saturday reminded me that Branthwaite is not having a season to justify a £60M price-tag.

I have a hunch that he might follow Jonathan Woodgate to Real. (That worked out well, didn't it?)

A few poor passes from Yamal...

But I shouldn't be so critical.

This is a fascinating game. The inter coach esp has adjusted his tactics from last week. Barca's high line verges on surrealism at times!

Hansi Flick is the only manager still in the competition who has won it before. For some reason the same managers seem to win it over and over. For that reason I suspect Barce will win -- although I'd prefer Inter

I was about to say that this Barca high line looks very breakable to me.

Super goal — a silly high-line goal.

Paul,

Jarrad might not be at his best, but he is still by far our biggest asset. Take a look at this Quansah fella across the park, this guy was picked above Jarrad by Southgate (!!??) — he is having a nightmare every time he plays for the RS.

I don't know you personally, Paul, but I reckon we both know a quality player when we see one.

got the player before the ball - pen

Cheers Edward. Oh Jarrad is quality. I mentioned yesterday that he is one of two of our players who would get into a top 6 team - JP is the other one in my opinion. But I still don't think that Jarrad has had a consistent season. In my mind/memory he had a better first one.

Even 'kopites' come down hard on Quansah on 606. Was Southgate trying to make some sort of statement? But to who? When he reaches his prime Jarrad will have left little Gareth far behind in the centre-half stakes.

This is going to be a great second half.

Definitely a pen. Went through players foot. Barca now whinging.

Inter dominated and Inzaghi definitely learnt a lot from first leg. Big halftime for Herr Flick

Great match. Inter must be the most well organised team in Europe. They have some excellent players but it is as a team they excel. And a few players like Dumfries and Thuram have taken their game to a new level.

I don’t think that was a penalty. Definitely played the ball first before any contact with the Milan player..

Players tend to get better when they are well coached and have that desire to improve, Robert.

Dumfries has been everywhere.

Sorry Rob. Foot first. Never got the ball at all. And I'm for Barca.

Top level, top quality football.

The Inter tactics have been spot on.

Barca now relying on genius

He never touched the ball at all. He hits Martinez foot and it's Martinez foot which moves the ball.

At speed it looks like he gets it, but it's an optical illusion.

Nah defender got Martinez foot first which pushed Martinez’s foot onto the ball, but was it a clear and obvious error by the ref in real time?
Isn’t that what VAR is for?

Yep Jeff, I'd say that's exactly what VAR is for. In real time, from behind, there'd be no way for the ref to see the defender hadn't gotten the ball.

Nah, defender definitely played the ball first. That is not a clear and obvious error by the referee and the penalty should not have been awarded.

Just shows how shite Barca's high-line is against well-organised teams. Inter coasted that half and Limahl was hardly in the game. I don't think that Flick has radical rethink in him but Barca need to be a different team in this half. Inter deserve to go through so far.

That Limahl has been 'Too Shy' in the first half, Paul.

'eye to eye' mate

Strange dogmaarism there, Rob.

It seemed clear and obvious on the slo-mo that the defender's foot is contacting the Milan player's foot, pushing it onto the ball.

The defender made no contact with the ball.

Penalty was the correct decision. I'd say watch it again but you should have seen that already!

Something needs to change from Barca. They are second to everything and just whinging all the time at every decision.

Game on

Great finish

that was a Limahl finish

Barca back in it. Should be level except for a poor penalty decision against them.

What a save by Sommer

Thought that was pickford in goal v Chelsea there!

Incredible sequence. What a miss.

It was well a pen Rob 🤣

Astonishing save Dave Lawson

Not a great save. The player hit the ball straight at the keeper. I'd have saved that

What a tie this is

Didn't save that one though!

That was easy!

Wow, all square

What a game!

Enjoy this lads as anything could happen!

Come on inter.

Booommmm Barca

Every Barca game has been like this recently. Extraordinary drama.

Barca now favourites?

My My 2--2 must be nice if you can watch this football every week

Inter will be gutted at letting in a free header (in at least 5 yards of space) like that

Come on Bill. It's was 2-2 for Everton on Saturday

Wasn’t that easy, the cross was brilliant, Olmo holds his run very well too.

Football is only difficult if you make it difficult. Good team like Barcelona pass quickly and into a man in space, then move into space themselves. It's not difficult unless you play for Everton

Penalty all day long.

What you think Rob?

Outside by an inch.

Barca absolutely cheated tonight

Outside the box

Brought him down in the penalty area. Should have been a penalty

Hit his own man.

Foul starts an inch outside but continues inside, pen.

That’s the rule I believe.

Football is a simple game, but is incredibly difficult. That's why hardly anyone can play attacking football like Barca.

That’s how I see it too Jeff

Just seems a matter of time before Barca’s winner.
Game of two halves.

Another ridiculous save. Sommer's having a career night.

For all Inter were brilliant in the first half, in the second they resemble Everton against Soton away just before Xmas.

Inter still win this.

Is right Jeff. There may have been contact outside the area, but Yamal didn’t go down. He only went down when there was further contact inside the area. Barca are being cheated here.

Could still go either way

Hewey would’ve saved that one too Mike!

BARCAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

Well it's not just us that's let 2 goal leads slip.

Unbelievable, Jeff

Oh. My. Word.

Lord a mighty.

Wtf

Best match I’ve seen in years this! Absolutely sensational game

Best match I've seen since the match last week 😅

Can you imagine being there????

Tarks in the Derby x10

Inzaghi on the phone with his brother:

"Fillipo remember that time when you were 2-0 up in a Champions league semi at home and the your team screwed it all up and you went down 2-3 v Man Utd? Same shit just happened to me. But I have a cunning plan."

Michael Keane style finish from the centre back

Bloody hell I've turned it off and gone bed. Thought Barcelona would win.

Think they still will, PH, but you gotta stay up.

A game(s) for the ages, Paul. Barca slowed the game down and paid the price. I told my son before kick off that this would end up 4-3. I should’ve placed a bet on it

Inzaghi has aged that much during the game he's starting to look like Bob Mortimer

Fackin Hell, what a game

INSANE GAME

INTER INTER GET FUCKING IN

Is Clive Thomas the ref?

It must feel like the Neverending Story to Limahl, this game

What a save

GET IN INTER INTER GOODNIGHT BARCA 😂😂😂😂😂

Half decent game that. Defending was suspect though.

Barca fucked it up by trying to walk it with 5 mins to go. And their subs were shite

Allez, Allez Paris

Inter/Arsenal final - Inter in a one-off final will be interesting.

Another great game of real football just like last weeks, we’re getting kidded over here!

Dave 98 Never a truer word said.

The premier league teams just distribute the money to mainly players who aren't capable of what we have seen over the last couple of weeks in the champions league.

I bet that inter squad cost less than the average prem team.

Will we ever reach that level?

Rob

Inter players are paid well. Martinez for example 300k plus per week. But to your point one time Everton target Dumfries — now a title winner and preparing for his second CL final is paid 80k per week — same amount as Michael Keane. So Inter pay similar wages to say Arsenal but then there is a huge drop off in wages in Serie A whereas most EPL teams outside the top six pay wages a little less than Inter. That is crazy. People like Holgate shouldn’t be earning anywhere close to players at Inter earn. God knows if we’d signed Dumfries we’d probably have paid him twice what Inter do.

Kieran 101 I take your point, if your competing for the champions league and domestic league every year I expect the inter players to be rewarded.

I was referring more to the transfer fees involved. As you say we probably matched the valuation for Dumfries and besides the likes of Martinez is there a player in the inter squad that they have paid massive amounts of money for.

That is why we watch football.

Dumfries would have been a snip at the reported price he went for. At the time I thought we were dithering (not Moyes!!!!), but despite the supposed lure of the Premier League, he was probably holding out for something bigger and better in Europe.

Rob #102, inter have settled into a system where they spend about £30m on a player each summer - with the rest being sub £20m

Martinez cost €25m in 2018. Expensive for a player bought direct from south America but worth every penny.

This works for them because Serie A produces good players at much lower cost than Premier Lesgue players

Signing other Premier Lesgue players provides terrible value - and often very mediocre players too

Why do people think Dumfries would ever have chosen Everton over Inter?

40 years after Heysel, it's quite possible that there could be another English - Italian final.

Last night's game was absolutely brilliant for every single football lover in the world, bar the Barcelona fans. It was a throwback to a time when football wasn't mostly about defending.

Tony, if this game had been played in the 70’s it would have been a war. Both sides were known for being dirty and masters of the Dark Arts. How times have changed.

Brilliant games to watch. I hope tonight’s game is just as good. I hope PSG go all the way.

Andrew, it was widely reported that both clubs and the player had agreed terms. It was the FSW who pulled the plug and opted for Patterson. That’s what I heard.

Andrew, I don't think anyone thinks that. It was reference to us being strongly linked before Inter entered the frame. Only one winner then.

I watched an interview on the BBC News this morning with two survivors of the Bradford fire tragedy. Very moving accounts.

I wonder if I Heysels will be mentioned later this month and if UEFA will recognise it at the final in Munich on 31st May, just 2 days after the 40th anniversary.

Back to last night, a total joy to watch. I had hoped for a Barcelona v PSG final, but Inter deserve their place. Big shoes to fill for tonight's Arsenal v PSG match, but there have been some great matches in the latter stages of this competition.

If Dyche would could have been manager of Barcelona, for just seven minutes, I think they’d be looking forward to a champions league final this morning!

I’d love to know who really gave the go-ahead for the signings of Patterson and Mykolenko, right after the sale of Luca Digne, Colin.

Benitez only lasted another few weeks after we signed three players who weren’t ready yet in that January transfer window

Colin (107), if that game had been played in the 70’s it would have been the opposite of last nights game because Inter Milan were a very defensive team then and let the opposition have the ball as much as they wanted in two thirds of the pitch but that last third was defended like a hill in a war zone——nevertheless it won them plenty of honours— one of them the European Cup in 1964 after beating Everton early in the competition by one goal over the two legs.

I meant to say @(110) that last night they won by one goal over two legs 7-6 and they beat Everton by one goal over two legs 1-0, and there was masses of excitement between two teams and unlimited boredom between the other two although Everton were playing the team who provided the boredom!

It's an interesting point Dave.

Traditionally, we associate the Italian teams with negative tactics and defending. Maybe Napoli in the 80s were an exception, but they had Maradona. I know we talk about it being a team game, and it is.

But every now and then, you get a player who is effectively a one-man show. Cruyff was probably similar in his prime. A player who has a turn named after him, that we still teach kids today.

I say that, but I'm not sure the knees and ankles could handle a perfect demonstration now.

I'm looking forward to watching the winger Doue play for PSG tonight. He has been exiting to watch in this competition. If Arteta is brave tonight, he will play Declan Rice in a more advanced position. He impacts the game more there as opposed to when he is held back as a holding player.

Danny (112),

Yes, I think Johann Cruyff was a special player who most football fans looked forward to watching, together with three or four players in that great Dutch team of the time.

I think Arteta has been playing Rice in a more forward position in the last couple of games and he made two or three attacking moves with the ball in that game v PSG last week so he might have to let him off the hook completely tonight to get through to the final.

That was a very good game last week and I hope we get another one tonight.

I reckon Vitinha is the main man tonight.

If Cruyff had gone to the World Cup in Argentina in 1978, the Dutch would probably have won it.

Christy (114),

Yes, I going to mention that — Cruyff and another Dutch player had fallen out with the Dutch manager and refused to go to Argentina with the Dutch team.

Dave #115,

Ruud Gullitt was on The Overlap last week, worth a look, he was saying Cruyff was a genius as a player and manager.

He said he was way ahead of his time with his formation and tactics.

Dave, the main reason Cruyff didn't go to that World Cup was because there was an attempted kidnap of his family, quite common with famous people in Spain at the time.

He/they were so shook up that he didn't want to leave them for a few weeks. The police ordered him to be quiet about the kidnap attempt, so the public reason went back to his fallout with the coach.

Cruyff was particularly forthright, even for a Dutch person (my wife is Dutch, so I have good experience of this!), as some of us will remember when he was part of the World Cup panel on ITV.

Tony,

I know we'd been looking at Patterson for a while, and it was Kenwright that negotiated the deal, described by Rangers as 'a pleasure to deal with'.

It looked to me like Digne wanted to leave, and Ferguson states this in his book. Benitez didn't like him and it seemed a win-win to get a higher earning player off the books.

But then we spent more money on the two replacements that weren't as good!

That transfer window was utter madness, Paul T.

We sold a very good fullback who wasn't really fancied by Benitez, and replaced him with two very inexperienced full-backs who were not quite ready, and we took a player from Villa to allegedly help the Luca Digne transfer go through a bit smoother.

A few weeks later, Benitez was gone and suddenly Frank Lampard was the manager, and in came Dele Alli.

"How not to run a football club" is how most people viewed it, unless you were fortunate enough to be involved in football, because rumour had it that Everton usually got things right…

Yes Tony, in Ferguson's book, he talks about his interview for the manager's job and when Moshiri told him they were signing Alli and Van Der Beek, he replied 'You're fucking joking, aren't you?'

Duncan correctly asserted that we needed a strong central midfielder. The rest is history, to our cost.

Colin #107, I didn't need another reason to hate that guy -- his treatment of Digne and generally odious presence were reasons enough -- but thanks for the background.

PT and Christy, it was Cruyff who made me a Barca supporter around 1974 or 75, as Sheedy made me an Evertonian a decade later. Barca came through Chicago on a summer tour, as many top teams did at that time, and they played some Bundesliga team in a mudhole called Hanson Stadium, which hosted probably eight games every weekend between the local ethnic semipro clubs. While every other player on the pitch was skidding around in the muck, Cruyff seemed to glide over the top of it, playing keepy-uppies. Then lit up a cig at halftime, right on the bench. I was hooked.

I saw Pele on the same pitch, probably that same summer, when his Santos played Lazio. He scored two goals and fell down in the mud.

My Uncle (a Red) told me about the night Ajax battered them 5-1 at Anfield. The 17-year-old Cruyff got a standing ovation after he'd cut them to ribbons.

Me and me Dad were watching him do that turn in the 1974 World Cup, Cruyff sent us into another room and we were only watching! Even his book is an absolute cracker.

Amazing game last night. What would it take to get us to that sort of level?

Personally I think it starts with massive investment into the academy. The longer we wait to do this, the longer we go without reaping the rewards.

It's nearly 10 years since Moshiri took over. If we'd switched focus to the academy at that point - we could now realistically expect a crop of high quality players aged between about 18 and 24.

Paul Tran, having livd on the German-Dutch border and worked with "cloggies", I have experience of them.

If you didn't know them, you would consider them rude. But they are just very direct and don't hold back. They make Scousers appear like diplomats.

Why we let Digne go is still beyond me. It could only have been through necessity to sell, or the manager's own ego??

Yes Danny, they tell it like it is and you need to be ready for it. I find it really easy to go with, though it's not every Brit's cup of tea.

It seemed to me that Benitez thought he knew more about transfers than the DoF, more about fitness than the physios (I think he knackered Calvert-Lewin) and nothing about keeping up with football's evolution. Moshiri was another thick, rich owner who fell for the 'he won the Champions League' history lesson.

I'm hearing social media rumours that a request has gone in to play the first four games away from home next season because the ground doesn't have it's certificate yet.

Anybody heard anything?

Andrew, see post 39 on the Rumours thread. 😉

The Premier League era is a horrible story of incompetence at Everton. It is extraordinary that we have muddled through this without a long period in the wilderness, like Man City, Leeds Utd, Nottm Forest, and (still now) Sheffield Wednesday — or at least the brief indignity of relegation like Aston Villa and Newcastle Utd.

I honestly put it down to the fans and some exceptional contributions from a few players and a few managers.

This summer is the start of a rebuild that should end in a team which competes for cups and Champions League spots.

Danny #124, from what Digne has said, it was because he had the temerity to tell the FSW exactly what he thought of his coaching and tactics. Benitez required obedience.

I used to hate Benitez, but still welcomed him into our club, because I thought he was going to be the divisive figure that was needed to get rid of the most divisive man, who has ever been connected to Everton Football club.

I heard he didn’t rate Digne, and although I have got no evidence, I don’t believe he would have been responsible for the signings of Patterson or Mykolenko.

Benitez the most incredibly divisive managerial appointment was given £1.5 million, to begin with after being promised more money if he cut the wage-bill.

He cut the wage-bill, got crucified for getting rid of an injury prone Rodriguez, a player that the club simply couldn’t afford, and was allowed to sign Rondon, on a free transfer, as a reward!

Patterson was getting talked about for a long time, and probably a lot longer than the six months Benitez, was manager, and there is evidence of Bill Kenwright, playing a major part in the negotiations, just like he was allegedly involved in the Deli Ali, deal.

The club, was a shambles, an absolute fucking shambles. It was full of nepotism and was nothing short of a gravy-train, for a lot of very mediocre footballers, directors of football, coaches, directors, chief executives and a complete conman acting as a chairman.

Let’s hope that Bramley-Moore, is the catalyst because there is so much about Everton, that I can’t identify about the club, I first started supporting, over 50 years ago.

Tony yes absolutely.

It's a miracle we didn't go out of business, as would have happened if we'd been relegated.

Not only did Benitez not like Digne, the DoF wanted to sign Dumfries, but the red shite decided to spend around £16M on Patterson who had little first team football, Dumfries would have cost £12.4M.

We've had plenty of those christy.

Patterson vs Dumfries
Funes Mori vs Van Dijk
Godfrey vs Gabriel
Dion Dublin vs Angel
Gerrard vs Martyn

The director of football had already gone, even though we never did get to find out who he was alluding to when he said to the irate fan, “It's not just the players!”

Quick get rid of him, Bill, give him a few quid and makes sure there is something written down, just in case he decides to tell everyone who else it was besides the players… 😂

I know the one from here is a kopite Paul

Does anybody know if there's any truth in the PSG Goalie being partial to a Kebab during half time ? Or is it just a ......

From the heart, Tony.

You know me and many others to know what this club of ours means to us. And it is ours. No-one will ever take it away from us.

I was uncomfortable with Benitez, but thought give it a go. I think the dogs talked me around. But it went sour quickly. It was always going to.

This club has hung us out to dry and taken our loyalty for granted. I always say that dogs have unconditional love that humans can only hope for and talk about. I feel like that about Everton no matter what they put me through.

A lot of people, fellow Evertonians included, struggle to understand me. Like you, I've struggled to identify with what Everton became in recent decades.

But as the words to When Skies Are Grey say, please don't take my Everton away. They may have tried, but they can't. Us the supporters will refuse to accept that. Our club. Not theirs.

Gloryhunter Alan or did the holy spirit guide him?

Daftpunk – Get Lucky banging out at PSG with lazar lights.

Brill song; brill setting; brill viewing; brill thinking.

I've just read that Chris Beesley article on the Echo website and my first opinion is that he's talking absolute pony.

Everton spent around £1.5M in that summer transfer window, and I don't believe there was any more money available[ if there was, then surely it would have been spent?

I remember bumping into Brands in Manchester, and asked him why was he shopping when he should have been working on signing us some new players?

"We won't be spending much money, unless things change towards the end of the window" he replied, and things never changed because we signed a very unfit Solomon Rondon.

Paul @140, after reading that… Gnarls Barclay singing Crazy, just came to me mate.

What a song, it reminds me of the great time I had with my mates and my kids in Germany, attending the 2006 World Cup, and as we all know…. You have got to be a little bit crazy, to be a toffee!

Anyone else heard anything of Beto to Leeds part of Harrison deal?

Brilliant save. Arsenal well on top.

Joe#144.
Clickbait bullshit mate.

Didn't 'teta once play for PSG (before Rangers?) or am I imagining things?

Quality strike but criminal amount of space.

Arteta was on loan at PSG for about 18 months, Paul, from I think it was Real Sociedad. Could be wrong though.

Cheers Rob. It would have been Real Sociedad.

I remember watching a programme on the telly about transfers. Fabian Ruiz was one of the players (Sevilla or Betis) at the time and it was about his potential transfer to PSG.

His mum was his agent (fierce looking woman) and he had a high pitched girly voice. Good player though.

Joe 144, Beto be right

Christy (132),

The Rangers chairman congratulated Bill Kenwright for the excellent way he negotiated the deal with him over Patterson.

Danny (124),

It was the necessity to sell and get his high wages off the books we'd got a few good years out Digne and he hadn't been playing all that good for the last 12 months he was here and we made a decent profit on him.

Dave 152, was that before or after he pulled Bill's trousers down?!

Anyone else think Arteta might be under pressure next season before Xmas (sorry)?

Soft penalty but silly lad had his hand out.

What a shite penalty. He just strolled up and passed the ball to Raya.

Shit pen with arrogance.

Thumpng finish. Game over surely.

Take a bow son. What a finish.

Back to the penalty, why do players do those silly run ups?

Wow, open goal for Saka and he blasts it over the bar.

Close but no cigar.

Back to the penalty? Decisions like that, scrutinised to fuck, but not enough to realise that the brush of the hand did absolutely nothing to stop the shot.

I love football, which means I get a sickening feeling when I see decisions like that, especially on a game of such magnitude, and I'm pretty certain I could end up not watching football in the future because of these very selective and subjective decisions.

No, Sean #154,

Wenger survived by qualifying for the Champions League for quite a few years. I think Arsenal will give him another season, perhaps two.

Dave # 152, completely agree - the weird thing wasn't the sale of Digne. That made sense at the time.

The weird thing was investing the proceeds in Mykolenko and Patterson - both of whom seemed to cost twice as much as you might expect.

I don't believe for a moment that Dumfries was going to join us once Inter wanted him, but there were plenty of more obvious candidates around for the kind of money spent.

Tony,

Most VAR penalty reviews look at ways to give a pen. They are not objective enough nor do they use common sense.

Last night's penalty was the same: defender got a decent touch but the attacker put his foot across to make sure there was contact. VAR is killing the game and more often rewards the cheat.

Different times Brendan, but maybe you might be right.

Wenger might have had the lowest net spend in the division, and but for his brilliance, there is no way Arsenal would have been able to build the fantastic Emerites Stadium, whereas I’m sure Arteta has spent over £800 million, and hasn’t got that much to show for it.

People say he’s Pep-light, but just I see a man, who spent a long time playing for a cautious manager, whilst he was a player, and although I understand how hard it must be playing without a recognised centre forward at this level, I just don’t see enough intensity, in Arsenal’s play on a regular basis?

I thought it was a penalty when I saw it from the other angle Sean, but when Rice, got booked when giving away the free kick which led to the first PSG goal, my thoughts after seeing the replay, were exactly the thoughts you had on last night’s penalty, mate

Different class. Another hard luck story for Arsenal. No centre-forward, no intensity.

Arsenal played okay but this is Champions League and they have hit their glass ceiling.

Just spit balling Tony #166

I read something towards the beginning of the season regarding how young this Arsenal team is. Of course that doesn't mean they will necessarily get better but I think Arsenal will give Arteta time to see.

If Arteta's management style has been influenced by Davey Moyes... I don't think I've ever seen it... no matter what I've been drinking/smoking!

Robert (164),

Yes, Patterson's price seemed to go up each timeI read the papers and I doubt there was any other clubs interested in signing him.

As for Mykolenko, the first game he played against Hull City in the FA Cup, I thin most of us thought "Oh for fuck's sake! What have we bought?!?!"

That's three English teams on the bounce PSG have knocked out of this competition and the only team that had them in real trouble was Aston Villa.

Next season in the Premier League is going to be very interesting, and it wouldn't surprise me to see a shift in power that moves slightly away from the teams that have dominated the last few seasons. That's a big shout, especially with regards Manchester City, but I can see Chelsea, Newcastle and Villa, getting a lot closer, and they are definitely not far away now

Don't you see a lot of caution in Arteta's young team at times, Brendan?

I do and although I believe it can be a sensible approach, sometimes I get the feeling that Arsenal are way too rigid and play to orders just a little bit too much.

Barry (153)

I think it was as soon as he heard Kenwright talking about football!

Not a penalty for me. The player makes no deliberate attempt to handle. Those who have played know that is natural momentum of the body.

Shocking miss by Saka. He had time to take a touch. He didn't need to hit it first time. Hes a great player, but a more experienced player would have used the time to compose himself.

Ive been impressed by PSG, but tonight they looked nervous and the occasion seemed to get to them.

I think Inter might do them in München.

The atmosphere created by the Parisians made me jealous and start to imagine what the new Everton Stadium will be like under the lights when we get back into Europe.

Arteta’s stubborness by not signing a centre forward for the last two seasons has been his biggest downfall and come back to haunt him.

I think Arteta has questions to answer after tonight.

PSG made 10 changes on the weekend to rest players for tonight. Arteta played a full strength team against Bournemouth. Why?

The Red Shite had the league won 🤮🤮 and Arsenal qualified for Champions League next season. I think the lack of intensity was because they were jaded.

Arteta is a good manager, just not good enough.

Good point Sean, but it's very rare that I see Arsenal going for the jugular, especially when I look at the skill and the speed that they possess in the wide areas.

Colin #175

There's a lot of them about.

Arteta made mistakes and it cost him dearly.

They came out fighting but getting that first goal was crucial. They couldn't get one at the emirates which they should have to take to Paris but blew it.

Passing wise they are great to watch like Man.City but they do suffer from doing one pass too many.

They are iffy on defense which is why they dropped so many points this season and basically handed the title to RS way back.

Lewis -Skelly has burst on the scene in the Prem. but had a poor game today making a few bad passes and getting caught in his own third.

They need a few new buys which I am sure they will get but maybe Arteta will be replaced. Dyche is available… LOL.

Arsenal, SF in Champ League. 2nd, maybe 3rd in PL. SF in League Cup.

Spurs - lousy all season. Beat Bodø/Glimt and then United and win more trophies.

Got to hurt in NW London.

Rumor has Arsenal going in for attacking reinforcements come summer... specifically one Ademola Lookman from Atalanta.

I know I shouldn't do it, but I had Talk Sport on in the car this morning.

There was actually an interesting debate about European competitions.

Questioning whether it should be named the Champions League, as most involved are not their nations' champions. I'm all for reverting to the old format. The counter argument was that it would be too small and over quickly. So what? Make the Europa League (previously the UEFA Cup) a bigger competition.

And dismissal of the Europa Conference. It's a competition. It's a trophy and a journey that most of us would be more than glad to experience.

In my lifetime there were always 3 European competitions in the European Cup (the true champions competition), the UEFA Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup.

It didn't matter which one we were in. No one snubbed the Bayern Munich semi final or dismissed the Rotterdam experience.

A lesser profile one, but this is what it means to follow Everton in Europe.

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