Rice was to replace xhaka and add to a team that was Ramsdale White saliba Gabriel zinchenko Xhaka partey Odengaard Saka jesus martinelli. Since then jesus and zinchenko were injured or just dropped by arteta Partey has aged and been found to be a deviant. Arteta bought havertz and made the team worse. Arteta has focused on defenders while the team has just dropped off. Imo they have not got back near that level of performance where they raced to a big lead then lost to city and fell apart. They didn't have to squad to cope with a couple of key injuries so went out and bought too many defenders and the balance has just gone. They loaned in sterling which was ridiculous and it now looks like a deal arteta didn't want. Their first team attack saka havertz martinelli was never right and martinelli needs support. Their second string is sterling, jesus and trossard. I don't know who they think they are going to sell or how they will address this but it's fairly clear they need some flexibility in the forwards they buy
It’s an odd one as they used to be very good going forward and rightly or wrongly arteta really shored up the defence and they had a great balance pushing city. but it seems even more odd that they then got even more defensive recruits when it didn’t seem needed and he’s tried to turn them into a team that just never concedes which isn’t bad thing, but has had a huge impact going forward. even start of the year when they had fully fit players they scored so many goals from set pieces which papered over some of the open play cracks. They were playing ok but not creating tonnes but would win by a couple goals thanks to some corners and all was well. That’s even wi th saka odegaard martinelli havertz jesus all fit.
Arsenal have seven (winnable) games before they play us again- they would need to win 5 of those to pull level even if we lose every game in that same interval.
I've read about this new rule for keepers coming in (release the ball within eight seconds or the opposition get a corner) but can't see anything about how it's going to be implemented. Is the referee expected to apply the rule? They did a terrible job with the previous six seconds rule which was implemented after the referees failed to apply the 'minimum steps' rule (3 steps with ball in hand?) Or will it be the VAR (or similar) team that highlights the foul play? Also, when does the eight second start? Whilst on the floor with the ball in hand or one they've stood up?
Just seems like another attempt to reduce a dynamic, organic game to a set of numbers. Refs already have the authority to punish keepers for fannying about wasting time, also they're supposed to add time on for it. Why not just enforce the rules rather than keep introducing new ones?
Well, that's why I was asking if anyone knows how it'll be enforced. If left to the referees, they'll implement for the first game or two before it gets forgotten about.
I think you are right. It will be ignored. Keeper holds a ball, jogs about his box. Holds it some.more cos some forward is "too close" and then the ref gets accussed of favouring a forward preventing a keeper playing it. Refs don't want to know. Refs are quite happy with time wasting as they can rest while it goes on. They constntly indulge it.
There are a variety of legitimate reasons why a keeper holds onto a ball for differing lengths of time, but we can all recognise blatant time-wasting when we see it. Like I said, just apply the current rules properly.
Depends who implemented it. They could tell the on field referee not to police it and let VAR officials intervene if more than eight seconds is taken. Not like they be doing anything at this point.
From when the keeper has full control of the ball, the ref will give a 5 second countdown to warn the keeper so they should know when they need to release the ball by. I think it’s less about punishing them for actually doing it and more a deterrent. You’ll prob get some bits where they have it for 9 or maybe 10 as ref starts the ‘countdown’ a bit later but the idea is to stop them having it for 15/20/25 seconds which is a good thing. I don’t think you’ll actually see it punished unless a keeper is stupid as referee is giving them the countdown so worse case the keeper just drops it on the floor to stop the time, or boots it long out the hands. Be interesting to see if teams start leaving a forward next to the keeper to force them to go long out there hands though rather than being able to put ball on the floor and play a pass
I think it’s a great thing to bring in. I can’t see any negative impact it has. Get the ball in play and stop the slowing down and pathetic time wasting.
