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He's right. We'd have probably lost if we played them. Better to go with the tried and tested to secure our losses. These players don't give a shit about the club or the fans, that much is very, very obvious. It's all badge kissing TV theatrics and pay-me-money interviews. Whatever happens , they'll still all be getting 100K a week.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
Said it many times, sticking with it. Modern players are shit and they aren't fit to lace the boots pf real players.
After all that. we're going to finish below City. That's disgraceful, every last person down to the tea lady - and CERTAINLY half the loser fans - are responsible for this.
Apparently, while PSG also lost this weekend, they very much rotated players, that's what smart grown-up managers do
Arteta's naivete will cost us on Wednesday, he's trashed all we had left
PSG who have already got the title sewn up ? That PSG?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
I’d wager that we still wouldn’t have won even if we had rotated heavily today.
This team has burned out, only something miraculous will get them going now. They were never good enough this season, it’s been a sham.
:gp: Couldn't watch the game as I was too busy living life...which I encourage more of us do as tying your day to a disappointment like Arteta, will eventually take its toll on your physical health.Quote:
Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn
I have to hope against hope that we are able to turn it on against PSG...... however whatever happens in the CL, Arteta deserves the sack or at least a clear ultimatum.
It doesn't alter the fact that Enrique demonstrably realises that rotating your players ahead of a major game is the way to goQuote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
Playing the first team hasn't helped our league position so what good has it done
I literally said before the game, what will it do for confidence or momentum if we play the first team and lose, it's on the first page of this thread...
Wait...but NQ said that winners keep going regardless of that. :unsure:Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
Why don't you just answer him instead of trying to be something that is beyond you - a smart arse. Cut the smart and you are what you are.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters
If PSG disrespected their game today then my argument holds up just fine. That argument being - football is now a fashion parade where hairstyles are more important than the game itself. And I haven't seen a team since Leicester that makes me think differently.
That is one thing we are largely aligned on. It's why I prefer going to see the mighty Enfield Town FC play. Fan owned club and it feels more fun at that level.Quote:
Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn
This idea that choosing a different side is disrespectlul to paying fans holds no weight with me, I'm one of the few people on here to go and watch the games and I actually want to see more of the Academy players or fringe players given a chance, I enjoy seeing a new talent coming through
Butler-Oyedeji had a decent shot vs Ipswich when he came on recently, why not give him a chance today when we needed a goal instead of Sterling?
Oh and btw, for all the must-get-second-place fanatics, Liverpool were third last year...
Yes but the point of playing your first team is to (in principle) ensure you don’t loseQuote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
You come at it from the perspective that we have nothing to play for in the league and that unfortunately has proven to be incorrect.
Arteta did rest players between European games, not sufficiently enough for your liking but he did and we arguably landed ourselves in a situation where we needed to play the first team tonight because of how close things are.
So really I don’t get the logic. Could easily be argued that if we’d played a stronger team against say Brentford or Palace (although Palace most of the first team started) we could have put out a jumbled team tonight
Actually I'm not saying there's nothing to play for, though I'm not bothered about second as much as others, I'm saying that failing to rotate doesn't help us in either the league or the CL, as has been proved today, by being naive and playing the first team, Arteta has now decreased our chances of winning on Weds
Ok not sure what that’s relevant toQuote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
I don’t want second place because we can’t win the title next season without it. I want second place because I want us to finish as high up the table as possible.
It’s consistently proven that it doesn’t matter whether we rotate or not. We are simply not good enough to get over the line when we find ourselves in positions to win things.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
It boils down to standards and a bit of winning mentality. I didn’t mind the team had out for this, they’ve not really earned a rest at all with how shit the league results have been.
Ok, but as i said elsewhere every team needs competition from within, including this one, otherwise there's complacency.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
I want Saka to feel like Nwaneri is threatening his position, I want Saliba to think White is threatening his, I want Trossard and Martinelli to be competing for LW instead of Trossard being wasted playing down the middle, I want Butler-Oyedeji competing to start at 9, I want Tierney competing to start at LB
It all comes back to Arteta failing to recruit going forward or to give enough opportunity to other players, even Nwaneri who we all agree looks special
He thinks it gives him the excuse to keep playing the same team, but there's always alternatives, he just doesn't use them
So this didn’t get much discussion, but I’ve looked at that Evanilson goal from every possible angle and there’s no legitimate reason for that goal to be given.
Oh it wasn’t clear it came off his elbow ?
I mean a) yes it was and b) it was far more blatant than the “handball” they chalked off Havertz’s goal against Aston Villa
I’ve never known so many of these decisions go against us in one season, but it also needs to be said that we aren’t scoring enough goals to avoid being punished points wise.
We weren’t good yesterday but we should have been two or three to the good before they got those goals
Yeah, saw it. But the reason the goal was given was because it's us. Surely you have noticed the trend this season?Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
It's not choosing a different side that's the problem, it's failing to treat the game seriously and failing to put in 100% effort.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
As for Sterling - has there even been a more worthless loan? I assume he;s going back at the end of the season? Surely?
Because the post you’re replying to in no way alludes to thatQuote:
Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn
Irony spurned. Okay.Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
No. I don't think that was a legitimate goal.
:gp:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
I want some balance to be restored between the fans and the players. It's funny how the fans can be soaked for mega expensive season tickets, plus a triple TV subscription at crazy money, plus all the merch shite if you are dumb enough, yet the 200K a week players think it's slavery if they are asked to do a job. When you step back and think about it, that Bosman cunt, when he referred to the conditions imposed on players as akin to farmyard animals, and the uber-cunt Blatter actually going as far as to use the term "slaves" - I wonder what modern days slaves think abut that comparison, or slaves from the past if they could time warp from the Roman legions or the cotton fields?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
Bosman tried to pretend football players are just like normal workers. Well maybe back in the days of George Graham and his mates down the pub, perhaps. Perhaps the limitations on transfers were too restrictive. But look at what it has led to. Players now soak the clubs for every last penny and then some, regardless of their contribution. Even kids are getting 30K a week now just to stop them fucking off from the academy that invested in them to the highest bidder.
It's a nice idea for Saka to be fighting for his place - and I agree wholeheartedly. But what do you think the outcome would be if Nwaneri took his place? I think we can all guess.
Question is, who are the players that actually respect the fans, I mean genuinely respect them? Who are the players that feel absolutely privileged to be doing what they do? Are there any players that stand out with those attributes? Maybe there are, maybe there's a Tony Adams still playing in this league, or a Matt LeTiss. I find them hard to spot though.
But you aren't wrong. These players should be honing their skills every day for fear of being replaced by somebody hungrier and more committed. But you know how it goes in the world of football. Once you get that name and the pundits start doing the "best ever" thing, well I guess you have to have a certain character to spurn the free ride that comes thereafter.
I was actually listening to some Arsenal fans and media pundits purr about how good Odegard was after that Ipswich match. When he was utter shit. They were judging it on the scoreline, not the individual player performance. So much bullshit connected to football now. Back in the day, Liam Brady - good player, Gus Caesar - well, if that's all we have - good lad, not going to stop the orld though. Was the same with my fake counterpart Niall Quinn - not exactly Geoff Hurst, but you go with what you have. But we all knew what was what and what they had.
Nowadays, some kid scores a goal and he's worth 50mill. Just like that. All hype. And the modern player knows how to milk that hype.