Rival watch

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
BrunelGunner said:
Although I can get along with most of what you're saying, this is where I totally disagree.

I don't think an elite manager would come to us; if we wanted a manager like Conte, I think that ship has sailed. And even someone the bracket below that i.e. Rodgers would most likely be out of reach. However, the idea that our only other option after Arteta would be a fairly unproven Patrick Vieira isn't something I cannot see eye to eye with you on.

I think if we tried to get someone like Graham Potter, who has done a very good job at Brighton, I think he'd jump ship without question. I think Kovac has done a good job at Monaco, despite a tough patch he's gone through recently. He's within the realms of possibility.
If we tried for Hassenhuttl at Southampton, who also has done a great job under very testing circumstances at Southampton, he would enjoy the opportunity to come to us. I also think we could take Christophe Galtier from Nice, if we tried.

The point I'm making is there are absolutely better options than Vieira out there who are still within our grasp, even if they're not in the upper echelons of managers.

The other thing to note is that a lot of the players we've bought are very young so there is still a higher ceiling for them to improve and show what they're capable of. We're still lacking in some areas (RB, CB, CM), but a new manager would look to develop them to a significantly higher level than we're seeing now.

Make no mistake. Things are very, very bad right now. The worst I've ever seen an Arsenal side in my life. However, I don't think prospective managers or players view things as cynically as fans do. Whether that's right or not is immaterial.
Click to expand...

One thing that amazes me about many Arsenal fans is your optimism that your youngsters will 100% come good and elevate you to previously dreamed of levels.

Football just doesn't work like that. I'm sure you'll recall when Callum Chambers was going to be the next big thing. And Rob Holding. And Alex Iwobi. And Serge Gnabry. And Yaya Sanogo. And Matteo Guendouzi. And Lucas Torreira. The way you lot hailed William Saliba as the second coming of Marcel Desaille was laughable, made all the more comical by the fact that he's barely kicked a ball for you in years.

Not having a dig at those players as the harsh reality is that most young players don't make it at elite level for a dozen different reasons. You could just as easily point to the likes of Winks, Onomah, Edwards, Sterling, Carter-Vickers etc. and say the same thing.

Often the reason youngsters don't kick on is because they don't have mentors in the senior squad. If the older players are dross and/or prima donnas, that will stunt a young player's development. That seems to be a major problem at Arsenal.

Right now you're relying on Smith-Rowe, Saka, Tierney, Balogun, Lokonga, White, Gabriel, Ramsdale, Odegaard, Tavares and Martinelli to mostly or all kick on and grow exponentially over the next few years. It's massively optimistic and tbh has only ever worked once and that was United's class of '92 under Ferguson.
 
Citizen Kane. said:
One thing that amazes me about many Arsenal fans is your optimism that your youngsters will 100% come good and elevate you to previously dreamed of levels.

Football just doesn't work like that. I'm sure you'll recall when Callum Chambers was going to be the next big thing. And Rob Holding. And Alex Iwobi. And Serge Gnabry. And Yaya Sanogo. And Matteo Guendouzi. And Lucas Torreira. The way you lot hailed William Saliba as the second coming of Marcel Desaille was laughable, made all the more comical by the fact that he's barely kicked a ball for you in years.

Not having a dig at those players as the harsh reality is that most young players don't make it at elite level for a dozen different reasons. You could just as easily point to the likes of Winks, Onomah, Edwards, Sterling, Carter-Vickers etc. and say the same thing.

Often the reason youngsters don't kick on is because they don't have mentors in the senior squad. If the older players are dross and/or prima donnas, that will stunt a young player's development. That seems to be a major problem at Arsenal.

Right now you're relying on Smith-Rowe, Saka, Tierney, Balogun, Lokonga, White, Gabriel, Ramsdale, Odegaard, Tavares and Martinelli to mostly or all kick on and grow exponentially over the next few years. It's massively optimistic and tbh has only ever worked once and that was United's class of '92 under Ferguson.
Click to expand...

CK, I think you misunderstood me mate. I'm not saying these players will 100% come good or become top class, but I do believe the likes of Lokonga, Tierney, White, Martinelli, Maitland-Niles, Tavares etc are capable of showing far more than what they have in both pre-season and the opening few games.

This obviously doesn't mean we'll compete for a top-4 spot, but I refuse to believe that what we're seeing right now is the absolute maximum these players have to offer. A new manager can get more out of these players which, in my view, would lead to a big improvement in performance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Citizen Kane.
BrunelGunner said:
CK, I think you misunderstood me mate. I'm not saying these players will 100% come good or become top class, but I do believe the likes of Lokonga, Tierney, White, Martinelli, Maitland-Niles, Tavares etc are capable of showing far more than what they have in both pre-season and the opening few games.

This obviously doesn't mean we'll compete for a top-4 spot, but I refuse to believe that what we're seeing right now is the absolute maximum these players have to offer. A new manager can get more out of these players which, in my view, would lead to a big improvement in performance.
Click to expand...
They'll definitely be a lot better next season. In the Championship. <whistle>
 
  • Like
Reactions: remembercolinlee, No Kane No Gain and BrunelGunner
BrunelGunner said:
<laugh> Enjoy your time at the top of the league because it won't be lasting long.
Click to expand...

Don't think any of us are getting carried away, there is hardly a Spurs fan anywhere who wasn't expecting a Watford equaliser this afternoon.

But what we will enjoy is a league table with us top with 3 clean sheets, and your lot bottom without a goal scored.
 
  • Like
Reactions: maggie blanchflower, BrunelGunner, remembercolinlee and 2 others
No Kane No Gain said:
It really is a bad challenge, isn't it? Xhaka got sent off for something similar yesterday.
Click to expand...
It's not a red, for me, but it's over the ball and studs up on the shin. Easily a yellow.
Ludicrous that VAR doesn't call it a foul and I'm not surprised that Andy Townsend gets it utterly wrong.
 
PleaseNotPoll said:
It's not a red, for me, but it's over the ball and studs up on the shin. Easily a yellow.
Ludicrous that VAR doesn't call it a foul and I'm not surprised that Andy Townsend gets it utterly wrong.
Click to expand...

His legs off the ground, and it's still on his shin. If the leg is planted, Pogba's definitely getting a red.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PleaseNotPoll
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back