Arsenal 5-1 Man City, Player rating and Match Reaction

[Mac76]

Also he’s useless at tracking runs, and putting out danger

he did just that yesterday on more than one occasion

1If we bring in Zubimendi would make sense to move Rice on ... Or keep him on the bench for when we play away at big sides and need to stodge up the game

A player that cost £105m on the bench, yes great idea

[HCZ_Reborn]

Partey. Knew it.

So the Rice thing is just a byproduct of the Partey thing? Not going to spend the next 2 days arguing about why the idea of Partey in that role would be catastrophic. But the amount of balls we'd give away in critical areas of the pitch ought to be enough to knock that on the head. If he's useless at tracking runs and putting out danger for the back four, why would we ever want him further up the field applying these special talents?

No, not spending the 2 days. So we'll let you have Partey there.

How old is Partey? How much longer will he be here? Almost left in the summer didn't he? Is he here next year if we can't bring in a more attacking midfielder to double pivot with Odegard? We'll have sold Rice, or he'd have demanded a move to keep his international career afloat rather than warming the bench for us. Sold at a loss I would think, and a big one.

It's one way to go I guess. We're bringing in Zubimendi, big wages there, and hopefully a striker, big wages. We'll save some on getting rid of Rice, of course. So maybe there is some room to bring in a more attacking midfielder to double pivot with Odegard.

But who? Any names spring to mind? Somebody who could be double pivoting up top with Odegard, and Partey, Rice and Jorginho all booted? We'd have Trossard, Martinelli, Saka, Zubimendi, and don't forget Sterling if he stays. Which leaves Merino as the steel in the middle, given the bloke we dump Rice for will be pivoting away up front.

You sure you thought this through fully?

Your problem is (and in fairness I’m guilty of it as well) that brevity is just not your friend. I don’t know where letters finds the time to break down your interminable ramblings and answer each point but I suspect that’s because he could be made redundant and no one would even notice.

All I can say is you seem to come to a lot of conclusions here that don’t really necessary follow from anything I’ve said, and given you pontificate so much about how football was so much better in the 1980s gives me every impression that you stopped watching after May 26th 1989.

I’ll tell you what, when I’m finished for the day I’ll consider giving this a response it doesn’t deserve, but consider only mind you

[Niall_Quinn]

Your problem is (and in fairness I’m guilty of it as well) that brevity is just not your friend. I don’t know where letters finds the time to break down your interminable ramblings and answer each point but I suspect that’s because he could be made redundant and no one would even notice.

All I can say is you seem to come to a lot of conclusions here that don’t really necessary follow from anything I’ve said, and given you pontificate so much about how football was so much better in the 1980s gives me every impression that you stopped watching after May 26th 1989.

I’ll tell you what, when I’m finished for the day I’ll consider giving this a response it doesn’t deserve, but consider only mind you

I wouldn't worry.

You've said we should sell Rice and play Partey in his place.

I think you've said enough already.

[HCZ_Reborn]

he did just that yesterday on more than one occasion



A player that cost £105m on the bench, yes great idea

Partey tracked his runner is like saying you posted something that was insightful and thoughtful and showed signs of intellectual curiosity. It veers beyond the unlikely


I agree, having him on the bench would be a bit of a waste. Maybe because he’s English we’d recoup most of the money for him as well. It’s no disrespect to Rice but what I’ve seen of Zubimendi he has the ability to surpass Rodri and we simply don’t need both him and Rice in the same team most of the time


Of course Zubimendi hasn’t been confirmed yet so don’t want to count my chickens

[HCZ_Reborn]

I wouldn't worry.

You've said we should sell Rice and play Partey in his place.

I think you've said enough already.

Of course that’s not at all what I said. But I absolutely understand that your rambling shambles of a post might make sense, if you were unable or unwilling to read what I actually said (at least I’m honest enough to admit this)

[Niall_Quinn]

Partey tracked his runner is like saying you posted something that was insightful and thoughtful and showed signs of intellectual curiosity. It veers beyond the unlikely


I agree, having him on the bench would be a bit of a waste. Maybe because he’s English we’d recoup most of the money for him as well. It’s no disrespect to Rice but what I’ve seen of Zubimendi he has the ability to surpass Rodri and we simply don’t need both him and Rice in the same team most of the time


Of course Zubimendi hasn’t been confirmed yet so don’t want to count my chickens

Take a pause and start digging up.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Take a pause and start digging up.

If I have to explain again it will involve hand puppets

For this season Partey should play the more advanced midfield role with Rice at 6.


Going forward, partey will be gone in the summer and if Zubimendi is brought in to replace him….we should consider selling Rice because we don’t need two number 6s in the same team. Rice is 6, Zubimendi is 6 with a far better passing ability.


It wasn’t that difficult for you not to wilfully misinterpret

[Mac76]

It’s no disrespect to Rice but what I’ve seen of Zubimendi he has the ability to surpass Rodri and we simply don’t need both him and Rice in the same team most of the time

It's a massive disrespect to a player who can demonsttrably play well at 8 and got two assists yesterday

I love (not) the way you dismiss people getting, like, goals and stuff like it's immaterial to what football is about

[Niall_Quinn]

If I have to explain again it will involve hand puppets

For this season Partey should play the more advanced midfield role with Rice at 6.


Going forward, partey will be gone in the summer and if Zubimendi is brought in to replace him….we should consider selling Rice because we don’t need two number 6s in the same team. Rice is 6, Zubimendi is 6 with a far better passing ability.


It wasn’t that difficult for you not to wilfully misinterpret

Nah, I'm going to need the hand puppet version...

We are selling Rice because?

[HCZ_Reborn]

It's a massive disrespect to a player who can demonsttrably play well at 8 and got two assists yesterday

I love (not) the way you dismiss people getting, like, goals and stuff like it's immaterial to what football is about

I think we’ve established over the last hour or so that you understand football about as well as you understand politics. At least NQ has the excuse that he doesn’t actually watch football all that often

No it’s not disrespectful in the least bit, your argument makes about as much sense as saying it’s disrespectful to say Gabriel probably shouldn’t play up front unless it’s an emergency, and citing the goals he’s scored a few times this season as evidence of it