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I hate to admit it but Gary Neville is right!

Discussion in 'Arsenal' started by Topgun, Apr 2, 2012.

  1. Topgun

    Topgun Member

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    Here is a link to a very interesting article by Gary Neville. Please take the time to read it.

    Now I'm no Gary Neville fan, and he was certainly very biased as a player, however he is spot on with this article. i think this is why United win titles even though I don't rate their team very highly. Also its fair to say this is the reason we dont win titles nowadays!

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...itles-won-head-stage-season-Gary-Neville.html
     
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  2. PleaseNotPoll

    PleaseNotPoll Well-Known Member
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    I couldn't stand Neville as a player, but he's a surprisingly good pundit and analyst.
     
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  3. omogooner

    omogooner Well-Known Member

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    Neville speaks a lot of sense, however I feel the Fergie factor is worth at least 12points a season. English referees are scared of him, he seems to always get 50/50 decisions his way... (I know they say these things even themselves out over the seasoon). The premier league is no longer a level playing field, it is skewed in favour of Manure. I know we have not covered ourselves in glory this term and deserve to be where we are, but Manure really have no business being top of the table, and it is not about mental toughness of that team, it is also the prowess of their manager, any other manager with that squad of players, will struggle to make top 4!
     
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  4. Arsenal4life

    Arsenal4life Well-Known Member

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    When fergie goes man u wont dominate in this way again. It is pretty dull that every year they pretty much win the title. We must have statistically the most 1 sided league in europe over the last 20 years <ok>
     
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  5. District Line

    District Line Well-Known Member
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    This <ok>
     
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  6. District Line

    District Line Well-Known Member
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    Agree with you on both points. I think the United/Fergie era is coming to an end. City may lose the battle but ultimately they will win the war.

    Only 4 different winners of the PL in nearly 20 years.

    In that time Spain have had 5 different Champions, Germany 6 and Italy 5 <ok>
     
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  7. I think he his spot on with this - and it's something that has been talked about a lot with the recent arsenal teams.
     
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  8. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

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    Can't argue with that. He's a pretty insightful pundit.
     
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  9. Sign Da Ting

    Sign Da Ting Well-Known Member

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    Wow... I have to say, I wasn't expecting much but I was impressed. Neville for the England manager? Maybe he can instill this mental strength that England always seem to lack.
     
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  10. TenG

    TenG Member

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    A case of perception winning out over facts maybe.

    Perhaps the reason why United get so many key decisions is because they have the lions share of possesion in games, and they tend to put teams under a lot more intense pressure for lomger periods than any other teams, meaning the opponets are often having to play at breaking point to keep them at bay.

    Every manager has a go at refs, doesn;'t matter if it's Fergie or Wenger or Hughes, they are all at it.

    Quite simply, United have been the best team in the league for 2 decades now, and have developed a strong, never say die, winning mentality which gives them an aura of unbeatability. They'll get the odd decision their way, sure, but so wil everyone else.
     
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  11. Mostly agree - though I do think that Utd get more decisions at crucial times than any other team. This year I don't care though - i would rather that than City win the league.
     
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  12. District Line

    District Line Well-Known Member
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    Definitely. If they hadn't of got those penalties against us they would probably have gone onto not only lose the game but lose the title. The comeback against us was actually the turning point in their season.

    A few years ago with Spurs it was similar, if they had not got that decision they would not have beaten Spurs and Liverpool would have had the chance to overtake them. The same with the (in)famous Steve Bruce goals in 93 where they effectively played Golden Goal. That's where the infamous saying "play till United win" comes from.
     
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  13. Or the crucial 'penalty' after a dive by Rooney when losing to Arsenal, etc.., etc, etc.

    As i said though - even if the refs. openly cheat for them to ensure they win the league this year, then that is preferable to City winning it.
     
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  14. Bergkamp a Dutch master

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    i don't really think I care much.
    On one hand its tiresome for SAF and his hold over media and refs and FA ETC.
    But on the other for the Oilwell billions to just buy buy buy until they win is disgusting.

    If we can't then I'd have voted for Newcastle or Sunderland <laugh>
     
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  15. Topgun

    Topgun Member

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    It does seem that this particular Arsenal team are mentally Fragile. We have some really talented players but I do think they get knocked back when things go wrong pretty easily. In my opinion we only have 2 possibly three outfield players who are capable of picking themselves up after a bad result or bad individual mistake and that is Van P, Sagna and Verm, the rest fade too easily. It was Sagna's passion and determination against Spurs that got us back in to that game with his power header that he piled through their defence to score, and that game sparked our winning run. I fear that if it goes wrong against City it could get much much worse!
     
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  16. theHotHead

    theHotHead New Member

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    People have been saying this for years, who is really surprised ? Arsenal lack mental toughness hence the reason our season collapses every March.

    We have needed steel throughout the team for years but Wenger refuses to address this most important side of the game. Steel at the back and steel in the middle. Standing in your changing room getting fired up by the captain, on the pitch being reminded of expectations and getting bollockings, who does that for Arsenal ? Kids don't have mental toughness .. men do. Men can make kids tougher but you can't expect kids to look to other kids for support.

    Neville is a very good pundit - even though his Manc voice jars me.
     
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  17. TenG

    TenG Member

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    What astonishes me about United is that they achieve success despite having a squad full of unremarkable players like Carrick, Fletcher, Anderson, Young, Wellbeck. None of these are established international class players, and even in their united roles they aren't ever looking kik eworld beaters, yet they manage to put in consistently effective performances to provide the one ior two stars (and it is only one or two) with the ammunition.

    I reckon in midfield and attack we've probably had "better"/classier players than united, but they have shown what can be achieved with tactics, know-how, and the art of putting teams under intense pressure till they buckle. Take tonights win, how many teams would have just giot frustrated and got weaker. United keep going.

    I have every respect for their achievements and their mastery of mental strength, and think that their perceived good fortune with decisions is a direct result of teh fact that they are the best side and have nore of the ball, pose more of a threat for sustained periods than any other team. Put another way, when watching united it is often the case that you feel a goal or 2 is imminent, and that means they are all over the opponents, playing in the opponents third and looking threatening. This causes defending teams to makes more tackles, and therefore run the risk of having more decisioons go against them. Law of averages means refs will make a proportion of decisions tha tare wromg, but because uniteds dominance create more decisions for teh refs means a greater number will be wrong. Hence the perceived favouritism.

    To put anything nmore than the proportionate average fortunate decisions down to uniteds success is a gross failure of recognising their pedigree and teh brilliance of their manager.
     
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  18. Agent Bruce

    Agent Bruce Well-Known Member

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    Hi guys, just a quick visit, I was wondering if any of you had seen Kyle? around lately? He's quite a regular poster on our board and somebody is worried about him. Any news would be appreciated. Thanks.
     
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  19. Sanj

    Sanj Well-Known Member

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    Checked his account and it says he is banned. He was really having a go at the Liverpool fans last time I saw him. Maybe something to do with that.
     
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  20. Agent Bruce

    Agent Bruce Well-Known Member

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    So he gets banned for having a go at Liverpool fans? Don't they have a go at everybody?

    Any idea how long he's banned for?
     
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