First choice is to played nicely and win trophies. Second best is to play poorly and win trophies. Third best is to play nicely and not win trophies (as that would give us hope). Last choice is to play poorly and not win trophies. Currently we're flitting between options 3 and 4. You're deluded if you think us winning games ugly at the moment equates to being at point 2 on that scale because we've not been near winning the league for years. And no... winning a few home games and beating Championship standard teams in an FA Cup this year would not paper over that.
Indeed, speaking as a supporter of a team that became Champions of Europe playing, lets say, not the most attractive style of football, playing poorly and winning trophies brings immense joy.....provided you actually DO win the damned trophy at the end. If not, then you just played poorly. If you win, the history books wont record that you played badly, just that you won. Like they say, history is written by the winners. If you actually end up with a trophy at the end of all this, then you can say you played the required way to secure victory.....if not, and you lose.....then you were just s**t. Way it goes I am afraid.
Does that mean in 100 years our students of the future will study History books written by John Terry?
At 32 I expect both Sagna and Arteta will leave this Summer. Wenger is still bizzarely oldschool on this. Players are going on longer these days but we are not adjusting.
if you play brilliantly , logic alone dictates that one day you will win something. If you play crap , you will win nothing. Sure you will get away with it , against the dross. But then you will meet a team that doesnt play cr@p , and you will lose 6-0 5-1 6- 3 etc. In fact the big teams will spank you without breaking a sweat . This has been demonstrated . Its not revolutionary. You keep talking about fans seeing "the bigger picture " and not basing the situation on one game . With your arguement of getting 3 points , however you do it , however dire you play , this is the OPPOSITE of the big picture. This is so short term its unreal . Your season is determined by the next 90 minutes and hoping we turn up. Get the FOOTBALL right , the points will take care of themselves.
For years though we were accused of playing brilliant football with no end product. This year we've played more doggedly and won games that we would have drawn or lost a few years ago.
yes we were in it till January but we failed to reinforce the squad even though we needed to. if we had more players to choose from then we could choose to rest some and then they wouldn't get injured so much. it is a simple idea, have a bigger squad and rotate every other game, and refresh squad with new players every transfer window. spend the money we have on new players to get success which in turn earns us more money which we can then spend on more players which then earns more success and earns more money. like how a business runs itself, and you would think that a board of businessmen and 2 billionaires would know how to be successful.
I am torn on this. Think he is a quality RB and great utility player along the defence. But if reports are to be beilieved that he is asking for 100kpw and 6mn that makes it 21 mn for a player who will decline. My fear is if we do let him go is we want reinforce. If wenger went and got Coleman or the ilk then fine let him go. But if promoting Jenkinsion and signing a youngster are the solution then just offer him a contract. I am okay losing a player (almost any) but not replacing him is what I am afraid off especially as we are horribly guilty of it.
You're actually being serious that you think we were in the race? Even when you look at our position now?? That's like saying a marathon runner was challenging for victory even after giving up and just walking 5 miles from the end.
You can be 90% certain we won't replace him with similar quality if he goes. It will be a downgrade whichever way you look at it. We just have too many other priorities.
Agree. This is the rub. He might be getting old but he's still top quality, in three years he might not be. But we need to be thinking about the immediate effect which would probably be Jenkinson taking his place and it would be a downgrade.