Astra - Home - Thursday 25th August - Europa League 2nd Leg

claretandbluesky

I would have loved to have got through but just think we don't have the team to compete if not fielding out first 11, as Astra have proven two years on the trot now.

I also feel that the Europa league is organised in a really dysfunctional way. My first gripe is the league format that most teams will find difficult to manage with respective league commitments, why not have a two leg knock out competition?

The idea that teams eliminated from the Champions league can just get in at the latter stage is also nonsense and adds nothing to the competition, leaving teams who have ambitiously given everything to the tournament having a new challenge half way through. I don't mind the league format with the Champions league as the squads can mostly cope with it but not at Europa level.

OldCastleSwift

McHammer said:

Pearces_Left_Foot said:

Group E: Plzen, Roma, Austria Vienna, FC Astra Giurgiu ;puzzled

That 3rd team means nothing to me!

This needs a second outing ;clap

Slaven_Cups_His_Beard

I'm with IH

Not literally, on the Slav TV stuff and all that

IronHerb

Slavs said he had a knock. Not sure who to believe at the moment. ;hmm

MrsGrey

easthammer said:

I thought at the time and still do that we missed Noble badly. That IMO was Slavens big mistake.

In the pre-match interview, Slav said that Noble wasn't injured per se but had been 'feeling something' for a while and implied that it was a medical decision - to play him would be risk injury, when instead his body needed to not play, to recover from whatever it was that had been niggling.

So it wasn't a straightforward 'rest/play' decision - the physical condition of the player meant that it would be best to not play him ;ok

Slaven_Cups_His_Beard

Read that it was a wrist injury?

MarkNobleLocalHero

Kouyate has had a wrist injury for the last two years, doesn't stop him playing.

Slaven_Cups_His_Beard

Are they all the same then?

CleverTrevor

I see they have arrested the guy who threw the punches at the game that was caught on video. I hope they throw away the key!! I thought those days were long gone!!

secrethammersfan

A month ago we had a massive argument pleasant discussion on here about whether a European run was a good idea. At least that's sorted now.
I care less and less about the grand statements of the management and board, because they are just placating the temperamental toddlers that some of the fans are (case in point: "sorry, could you sit down, my kids can't see" "WE ARE WEAT HAM, WE STAND WHERE WE WANT!") If it shuts up the tantrum-throwers, it's best to say we'll give it 100% rather than we'll see how it goes, as we've planned CL in 7 years, and that's what we're focused on.
I saw arguments on here of "face it, we're a second rate team, with only one world-class player, and we don't deserve to be in Europe". Then why expect more in the transfer window?
Last point of this random collection of reactions: Callieri is at the club a week. I would still be suffering from jet lag. Give him a few minutes to see whether he's any good.

I also love maltesers.

Ravel49

Personally I'm on a #SnickersHype at the moment ;wahoo

secrethammersfan

Love for one does not exclude one for the other. May you find at least two whole nuts in your snickers!

ASLEFshrugged

What's got a hazelnut in every bite?

grey_til_I_dye

That will do!

Bazshuayi

If we're going there..... "Nuts! Whole hazel nuts! Cadburys take 'em and they cover them in chocolate" ;lol ;run

Fortuneseeker

;deadhorse

Lest we all forget, we could have been doing something completely different tonight!

Would have quite fancied a "Viennese Waltz" ;angry

SuzanneClaret

Ooo me too.

Ravel49

Bake off ;wahoo

MrsGrey

#dampfnudel

#steamoff