Rival watch
- Thread starter Spurlock
- Start date
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Don’t usually bother with MOTD but might make an exception tonight
Trossard's more at fault than Saliba, I think. Absolute suicide ball.
The defender just needs to avoid doing anything stupid, though. Going 1-0 down at that point would've been a lot better than losing a man.
You've got to question Arteta's team selection, though.
No offence to Bournemouth, but going there with an XI made up of four centre-halves, three holding midfielders and no striker is mental.
Failing to replace or utilise Smith-Rowe is looking like a terrible decision right now, too.
Yup. Bournemouth weren't creating much from open play even when we went down to 10.
I get it's not ideal to chuck a 17-year old on, but Nwaneri has shown serious quality and has traits that our other players don't, which could have helped us in a game like this.
I have bigger concerns that extend beyond this game, though.
I appreciate it's Arteta's 1st job in management, but it's hard to keep pointing to that at almost 5 full years in this role.
He shouldn't be making the types of errors that he is.
I feel like we're sometimes inhibited by Arteta's insecurities and over-reliance on experienced players.
Fear of being open AND fear of conceding chances. So he sets up a stale, slow defensive-minded team which means we don’t have the control or attacking patterns to create and score sustainably and puts too much pressure on defenders to be spotless to win games.
And every time you think he's learned his lesson, the cycle starts again.
3 red cards in 8 games is utterly atrocious. Our disciplinary record under him generally is pitiful. People can point the fingers at referees, but when it happens this much, then it's a pattern and it's a pattern that has become more noticeable under Arteta's tutelage.
We had one of the best defences in the league last season, now we're conceding 2 goals per game against the likes of Southampton and Leicester.
Controlling and sustaining pressure high up the field only happens when you have the right balance of profiles on the pitch.
This is the thing about Paelladyce: the lack of discipline and the victim mentality the players show is uncannily like what we saw from long-tenured Chelsea players under the ubermensch, or for that matter long-tenured Man Utd players under The Other Purple One
The difference is those managers actually ****ing won something while instilling this mentality, but what Paelladyce has unintentionally done is make his players look like a bunch of sore losers because when you have them howling season after season about conspiracies against them you inevitably come to the conclusion that they are incapable of taking responsibility for their shortcomings - and it doesn't take long to figure out where that is coming from
Clear dive by Savinho in the Wolves match. I think VAR should be allowed to intervene to stop such cheating
Continuing failure to sign a proper striker looks like an even worse decision tbh.
You haven't had anyone come close to scoring 20 in a season in 4-5 years.
They’ve spent big money on Jesus and Havertz when they should have gone all out on a proper striker
Whilst I hate cheating, if var was getting involved with that then games would be even more stop/start. The solution is better refs that actually notice these things instead of being substandard
1) It would actually be less stop start because there would be no point in diving if you knew it would be reviewed.
2) what is the plan for making refs better...what should be done that isn't already being tried?
1) I agree in principle, but you have to take into account that many/most professional footballers aren't Mensa candidates
2) I do think that the speed of the game now means that one on field ref is not sufficient. So as an alternative to expansion of VAR I'd like to see an experiment with 2 (one each half) and 4 assistants (one for each quarter line.)
Arsenal fans are suddenly very concerned with players blocking off the goalkeeper on corners! 
I'm not saying that Liverpool are getting outplayed, but Anfield's alternating between silence and fury.
Big dive by Salah now, which is unpunished, as usual.
Big dive by Salah now, which is unpunished, as usual.
Liverpool’s penalty appeal overturned by VAR and Chelsea goal given as onside by VAR.
But officials favour teams in red all the time right?
But officials favour teams in red all the time right?
Both are neither one thing or another.
Both were deemed surplus to requirements at other top level PL clubs.
Utility squad players at best.
But both would look like superstars at Utd
Both are neither one thing or another.
Both were deemed surplus to requirements at other top level PL clubs.
Utility squad players at best.
But both would look like superstars at Utd
Agree but it’s £100 million spent on two players that probably should have been spent on an out and out striker.