Credit West Ham, but this has been an embarrassing implosion by Arsenal. Will this be Wenger's last failure to win the title again; I think perhaps it should be.
Football Neutrals Thread - Part 2
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Originally Posted by CGG_12:
“LOL!
I take back what I said about West Ham they look really up for this after an awful start. might be one last push in them for top 4 yet”
“LOL!
I take back what I said about West Ham they look really up for this after an awful start. might be one last push in them for top 4 yet”
As it stands currently fiifth. One point clear of united and seven points clear of southampton
Originally Posted by NiteOwl12:
“Will this be Wenger's last failure to win the title again; I think perhaps it should be.”
“Will this be Wenger's last failure to win the title again; I think perhaps it should be.”
Didn't Arsenal's biggest shareholder say recently that he thinks Wenger should be allowed to choose when he leaves?
Arsenal is a peculiar football club in the sense that the emphasis on winning honours - which would seem to be the point of a football club - seems to play second fiddle to the emphasis on having a healthy balance sheet.
And as long as Wenger achieves the outcome which ensures the latter - qualifying for the Champions League - there'll be no movement for change within the Emirates Stadium.
Originally Posted by Jason C:
“Didn't Arsenal's biggest shareholder say reason that he thinks Wenger should be allowed to choose when he leaves?”
“Didn't Arsenal's biggest shareholder say reason that he thinks Wenger should be allowed to choose when he leaves?”
And also let him choose his successor? Sounds frighteningly similar to United and Fergie and look how that has turned out.
While the game is hugely entertaining,much of that is rooted in unbelievably crass defending. Arsenal, in particular, seem to be playing under instructions not to attempt to tackle, or in any way impede, a West Ham player when he has the ball between the two penalty areas. I don't think I have seen a team play with that tactic before. I've certainly never seen one win a league title doing so.
Only way Arsenal were going to win the title is if they crept from behind.
Left themselves far too much to do. Point at West Ham isn't bad, but given the circumstances, they bottled it yet again.
Not exactly a great result for United and City either.
Left themselves far too much to do. Point at West Ham isn't bad, but given the circumstances, they bottled it yet again.
Not exactly a great result for United and City either.
With the 3 o'clocks about to start, it's worth reiterating that Aston Villa will be mathematically relegated from the Premier League if they get a worse result against Bournemouth than Norwich do at Palace.
(Realistically, they need to get a better result as matching Norwich would put Villa 15 behind with 15 remaining and a vastly inferior goal difference.)
(Realistically, they need to get a better result as matching Norwich would put Villa 15 behind with 15 remaining and a vastly inferior goal difference.)
Originally Posted by Eddie hunter:
“Im not picking the team.
I dont see why you are finding this so difficult to fathom. I get that you dont want him to go but I dont understand your apparent lack of comprehension over the very concept.”
“Im not picking the team.
I dont see why you are finding this so difficult to fathom. I get that you dont want him to go but I dont understand your apparent lack of comprehension over the very concept.”
You might not be picking the team, but this is a discussion forum, and on this point I am just wondering how far back you go with Whilshire, in terms of international games, to get a good idea of why he should be in the upcoming squad for the European Championships?
Surely a player should be there on some sort of merit, rather on name value?
It is good to see him play for Arsenal's under 21's, but he would surely have to somehow play in the rest of Arsenal's league games here on out, and do well in them, to warrant being picked?
Unlike other injured players on the comeback trail like Rooney for example, Whilshire has no form this season on which to fall back on currently, so as to show just why he should be included in the squad.
It has nothing to do with liking him or not, or not wanting him to go, and is just to do with trying to find out just why and on what basis he should be picked.
He should be picked, again, in the SQUAD, not first team starter, on the basis that we know he's a good player, and if he is fit he'll do a job when called upon. If he was fit all season he'd probably go and start every game but more likely he'll just fill up the squad, or the inches squad, whatever it is he's competing for a place in.
Originally Posted by TheMunch:
“He should be picked, again, in the SQUAD, not first team starter, on the basis that we know he's a good player, and if he is fit he'll do a job when called upon. If he was fit all season he'd probably go and start every game but more likely he'll just fill up the squad, or the inches squad, whatever it is he's competing for a place in.”
“He should be picked, again, in the SQUAD, not first team starter, on the basis that we know he's a good player, and if he is fit he'll do a job when called upon. If he was fit all season he'd probably go and start every game but more likely he'll just fill up the squad, or the inches squad, whatever it is he's competing for a place in.”
Fair enough if you feel that way, personally I would only have players that have played well this season in the squad, if he comes into the Arsenal squad for the last few games and plays well, then I wouldn't be against him being included, as at least then he would have a reason to be there.
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“Fair enough if you feel that way, personally I would only have players that have played well this season in the squad, if he comes into the Arsenal squad for the last few games and plays well, then I wouldn't be against him being included, as at least then he would have a reason to be there.”
“Fair enough if you feel that way, personally I would only have players that have played well this season in the squad, if he comes into the Arsenal squad for the last few games and plays well, then I wouldn't be against him being included, as at least then he would have a reason to be there.”
Does that mean you would not pick Rooney?
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“Big ask for Newcastle to come back from behind against a good Southampton side.”
“Big ask for Newcastle to come back from behind against a good Southampton side.”
what a great move it was, employing rafa!
Southampton double their lead, and it is looking like Newcastle will be going down, and Rafa will be looking elsewhere for another job, as I cannot see him wanting to manage in the Championship.
Nigel Pearson to be their new manager for next season perhaps, or maybe Moyes? I guess the former might be a better fit.
Nigel Pearson to be their new manager for next season perhaps, or maybe Moyes? I guess the former might be a better fit.
Originally Posted by NiteOwl12:
“Does that mean you would not pick Rooney?”
“Does that mean you would not pick Rooney?”
Rooney whilst not having his best season by a very long stretch, has at least contributed towards where we currently are in the league table, so I would pick him in the squad, but personally I wouldn't start with him.
Vardy and Kane would be my two strikers up front.
Originally Posted by codeblue:
“what a great move it was, employing rafa!”
“what a great move it was, employing rafa!”
With the squad they have...don't think any manager would have improved the situation.
Originally Posted by codeblue:
“what a great move it was, employing rafa!”
“what a great move it was, employing rafa!”
You know as well as anybody that McClaren will be the guilty man if - and seemingly now when - Newcastle go down, not Benitez.
Bournemouth lead at Villa and are sending them down as things stand.
If Swansea can hold onto this lead and beat Chelsea, and Sunderland and Newcastle both get beat, and Norwich can get at least a point, then this weekend could see the relegation places done and dusted.
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“Rooney whilst not having his best season by a very long stretch, has at least contributed towards where we currently are in the league table, so I would pick him in the squad, but personally I wouldn't start with him.
Vardy and Kane would be my two strikers up front.”
“Rooney whilst not having his best season by a very long stretch, has at least contributed towards where we currently are in the league table, so I would pick him in the squad, but personally I wouldn't start with him.
Vardy and Kane would be my two strikers up front.”
That's very reasonable. I wonder if Hodgson has left himself the leeway not to start with Rooney. He has banged the drum so firmly for his captain, especially when defending him from some pretty harsh criticism this year, (when Rooney was not even playing) I'm not sure Hodgson hasn't effectively committed himself to pick him in his starting lineup. I doubt Rooney would be best pleased if he didn't which could have a pretty awful effect on morale in the camp.
Last edited by NiteOwl12 : 09-04-2016 at 16:02
Pretty impressive work by Randy Lerner to be the (former) owner of an NFL team (Cleveland Browns) that hasn't made the playoffs since 2002, AND the owner of a club about to be relegated for the first time in about 30 years.
That's a level of failure you don't see everyday.
That's a level of failure you don't see everyday.
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