Match Day Thread 2016/17 Premier League, Cups & Euro Watch

Obviously at 36 he was used sparingly, Fergie was always very clever about when he used the likes of Scholes and Giggs as they got older. But when Scholes played that season he was superb, as he always was. You say RVP was the main reason we won that title, and yes he was a big part, but without Scholes we wouldn't have won it either. I suggest you listen to RVP about who the best player he has ever played with was? He will even say Scholes, despite not playing alongside him until Scholes was 36.

The problem with Scholes getting older was that you can't just go out and buy a replacement for him, as Scholes had a rare ability that no other Premier League midfielder ever has had. Scholes was never the quickest, never the strongest, nor was he ever the most physical player. But from a technical point of view Scholes was light years ahead of the rest, no other player in the league could pass the way Scholes could, nor did they have the same composure in possession that Scholes had. This was why Scholes was brought back out of retirement, as he was irreplaceable.

Most midfielders are finished at the top level by the time they hit their early 30s, as they rely on their physical attributes. Scholes though was that good he could dominate a midfield through skill and talent. Very few players could do this. Xavi and Pirlo are the only other players in recent years who I recall being on that level.

 

FA cup final has a strong bearing on Wenger's future. If Arsenal wins the FA cup, not a bad season, they might give him another year, otherwise he is going to leave.

 

The fans don't give a ****, they're bored of being #nailedon to not #legit compete for the PL or CL every year

Winning the FA Cup and seeing Wenger celebrate would just be a WUM to them

They're fuming over yesterday when Wenger #bottled the lap of honour then did an interview acting a dick saying "I'll look into it over summer where we lost that one point" which proves he only cares about top 4 and is never interested in how many point off 1st he finished

 

He gave them both barrells yesterday about it was their fault they made a bad atmosphere at home and arsenal ****ed up as a result

The reality is thier points finishes are:

2005–06 67 4th
2006–07 68 4th
2007–08 83 3rd Adebayor gets 30 goals (5th got 65 points)
2008–09 72 4th
2009–10 75 3rd
2010–11 68 4th
2011–12 70 3rd
2012–13 73 4th celebrated beating spurs to get it (5th got 72 points.)
2013–14 79 4th utd 7th and chelsea 3rd, exception year (5th got 72 points.)
2014–15 75 3rd
2015–16 71 2nd
2016-17 75 5th

The fact is they RARELY have gone and done this well and we beaten to it by another team.

I would also point out that of the years highlighted they have only beaten that total twice and tied it once. so... out of 12 years thats 4 times 75 or above. so 66% of season they don't even do this well.

There is not sharp decline in evidence over the period. they dropped off in 2004 and have stayed off the pace since. Its just this year there were 6 contenders not 4 and they ended up 5th out of 6 teams. the reason why is also simple enough.

At home in direct contradiction to wengers claim of home crowd effect actually arsenal were 3rd best in league with 45 home points and 14 wins, 3 draws.

away form home though they only took 30 points with 9 wins and 3 draws meaning 7 losses away.

Interesting LFc were only 5th best at home but 4th best away.

Arsenal lost 4th by losing away to everton (3-1) city (2-1) cheslea (3-1) LFC, (3-1) west brom (3-1) Palace (3-0 and miserable), Spurs (2-0)
Theres a little pattern there. They threw in goals basically. Most of those games they were actually well beaten on the road and had they just drawn with LFC for example or just everton, west brom, palace they'd have easily taken 4th

Clealry it was not the emirates that cost them. It was flakey away form.

 

Can't stand Paul Scholes, with his nardy tackling and continuous avoiding of red cards with his little red scamp idiom. Has to be said though, the best English footballer since Gazza, and possibly since Charlton himself. The nearest England have come to producing a Platini. I absolutely love midfielders who play with their heads up and rarely have to look at the ball to receive, control and pass it - just look at how rare that seemingly basic skill is. Alonso was in that class, but the nearest Englishman we've had to it is Redknapp, but still a long way short of Scholes' pedigree.

I can watch these players, and number 10's like Ford, Silva, Mata and suchlike all day long. Just a tragedy that Scholes wore that Rag shirt, like Charlton.

 

I agree. His record in europe was far different to that in the prem where basically he was let away with everything.

IMO he was by far the best English midfielder but yet had a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. Ther eis an interesting trend with utd players and international teams. Keane and ireland, scholes and england, giggs and wales, savage admitted binning wales in a fit of pique.

scholes was begged about 5 occasions to play for england and wouldn't.

he was ineeded head and shoulders above others like lamaprd of the era and utd replacement was carrick and fletcher. they couldn't find another like him.

 

I thought the same thing during that interview, 'we were 1 point away' - so out of touch with what the fans are expecting

 

Dick move by Terry yesterday orchestrating his own subbing to the extent where he's the one who comes up with the idea

Typifies the class that the Stamford Bridge outfit and their personnel always, without fail, represent

 

Well as you've even admitted yourself, he was the best English midfield player. Yet he was played completely out of position on the left. This was an easy option taken by the manager as he had 3 star midfield players going for 2 positions. So rather than drop one he stuck one out wide. It was a complete disregard for Scholes talent to expect him to play wide, especially when Frank Lampard was filling his position in the middle. So not suprising he got pissed off. I actually rated Lampard as a player, and admired his dedication to improve, but to play him in the middle over Scholes was just ridiculous.

Scholes was also 29 when he retired from international duty, yes it's still young enough, but it's still not young. His reasons where to prolong his club career apparently, and you have to say it probably did prolong his club career.

You can slate Scholes for retiring so early from international duty, but Carragher did a similar thing when England had an injury crisis, and he refused to be in the squad because he thought he'd only be a back up player.

 

Scholes is arguably the best central midfielder this country has produced. I wouldn't put lampard or Gerrard in that bracket because their best performances came in more advanced positions.

Scholes, Keane, Vieira are the best CM's the PL Has seen.

 

FA rules on fixing
"Fixing is arranging in advance the result or conduct of a match or competition, or any event within a match or competition. Fixing is prohibited and is treated very seriously"

It turns out Paddy power have paid out 3 people who bet on odds of 100/1 for Terry to get substituted on 26th minute.

Surely Chelsea could be in big trouble and Sunderland for that matter, they knew about it

 

Absolutely needs punishment for the integrity of the game

 

listen to a "fan" on 606 chastising savage yesterday.

highlights

saw nothing at all wrong

savage is totally biased against terry for some reason

we got "our" trophy back...

total plastic nasty ****.

 

clearly the Fa will do nothing so someone should report them to the cops.

anyone who bet on him lasting 90mins for instance.

 

ehhh no..

alonso

 

They've got to do something. It's match fixing of some form. Yeah had no effect on result but as others said, people made money on that so especially as the clubs have admitted that it was pre planned!

 

yes.... but... you've just admitted he got the hump and binned it.

Only a moron would ask a slow arse like scholes to play wide left. it was patently obvious you have got to bench one... and given gerrard could at least at one point kick a few lads you bin lampard or at least TRY a 433 to get three central. Egnaldn's issue was no LW so they tried gerrard on left too. anyhting bar actually think about it.

I would agree about lampard he really applied himself and learned his trade like shooting off his bad foot (completely mechanical action but still)

As you bring up carragher, i don't deny he got the hump but he did return when asked...

Like... oyu must admit scholes has shown that huge chip on his shoulder towards utd and all. he's been poking at successive managers and got himself the sack

 

It was not a testimonial. It was a serious game.

Lets face it barton got done for putting small bets on games over a long period. Cricket players got jail for arranging a no ball.

It is outside the rules and should actually be hammered. I think something like a 4 point deduction for each club this season should do nicely. a meaningless but clealr gesture

but most of all John terry.. no class.

Continues his self aggrandisement with no thought to anything but himself.

The full kit when he should be in a suit was rightly pillioried
His affairs with team mates wife was rightly called
his antics as young england player got swept under carpet
But this... wow this takes some ego to even ask. How moyes and conte even allowed it..... mind you conte got done for match fixing in italy.. you'd think he'd know better

 

You'd hope so wouldn't you, but who knows?
Even if the betting was innocent, it was a stupid, cringe-worthy stunt more suited to the showbiz attitude to sport over in the US than a serious game.