Quite how is was considered acceptable to play Fazio when we didn't trust him against Carrier Bag I don't know. I could have accepted resting one or two players in positions we have adequate cover (Wimmer for example had looked solid in his time on the pitch, Vorm is a good keeper if not of Lloris's class, Rose/Davies is a close call, jury very much out on Trippier...) but frankly we should have had our first choice midfield and forwards out there and arguably the entire first XI, if nothing else because we have no alternatives to the first choice players right now due to injuries and a poor transfer window. I've been a Pochettino fan because I think he sets the right tone at the club in many ways, but his apparent attitude to the NLD was not at all what I ever want to see from him, or anyone else at the club, ever again. I don't care what the context of the occasion is, its Arsenal. Buck your ideas up. If we get a result against City then does it justify last night? Maybe if we qualify for the CL by 3 points or less.....but even then only just, and frankly I think its unlikely in any case.
At THAT time we had the excuse of being in the CL ... I was at that match and after 2 years of exciting football, with matches against werder breman, and milan to come was prepared to trust Redknapps judgement even though I didn't agree with it. Yesterday was a joke...no goals conceded in our last 3 prem matches and only a penalty against us in our last 4 matches...and he brings in Fazio...really? I am totally with OS on this...my only disagreement is it weren't yellow of MP it was plain stupidity.
So for future reference, it's okay to lose a North London Derby 4-1 as long as we're in the Champions League? That makes no sense: either we should be annoyed that we lose a NLD because the manager fielded a weakened side, or not give a toss because it's the League Cup - being annoyed when one manager does but making excuses when another does the same thing doesn't make sense.
"At THAT time we had the excuse of being in the CL" Isn't the story that there are NO EXCUSES for fielding weak sides in an NLD ?? That aside, for the listed squad : 1. I didn't even know young Caulker started in that one (such was my general horror at the starting XI) 2. That was a quadruple winning starting XI, compared to what Arry sent away to play PAOK the season after.
I said I could see Redknapps logic...even though i did not agree If you are going to argue against me at least have the courtesy to present my actual view instead of a parody of it.
I am against fielding weakened teams against the goons ever...my post clearly states that i disagreed with that decision by redknapp Those justifying last night say it is because we should be concentrating on getting top 4....my point about redknapp was that being in the CL gave him an excuse and giving us 2 yrs of exciting football bought him the patience from the likes of old bastards like me.
"Those justifying last night say it is because we should be concentrating on getting top 4" I justify last night by trying to play the weakest possible side to get the job done and not risk injury to players who have a long(ish) season ahead. Just like Arry did for said game. And just like Arry, he got it wrong. And just like for Arry, the post mortem will scrutinise the specifics (Fazio etc) .
But he is a highly paid manager so choosing fazio is unforgivable He is shocking...apart from Kaboul he was our worst player last season...before kick off we all knew he'd be awful and boy did he live up (or down) to expectations. No tackles won, only 68% pass success, didn't close down for first goal and his **** clearance led to the second goal....and his performance was not a surprise to anyone except our manager...and that worries the **** out of me. I have always stuck up for MP but I have lost a lot of confidence in him playing fazio (who is only at the club cos he refused to join west brom) when I know he is not fit to wear a spurs shirt
The problem is your view contradicts itself. For the sake of argument, when Celtic got to the UEFA Cup final a dozen years ago that was their first chance of European glory in decades, if O'Neill fielded a weakened team in an Old Firm match in the weeks leading up to the final the Celtic fans would've probably reacted in an...intriguing manner to say the least. As I said a couple of times in the thread already, picking Fazio was a clear mistake: his derp that led to Flamini's second was something that actually deserves a facepalm emoji, his performance was shambolic (0 completed tackles and 68% passing accuracy are unacceptable stats for a goalkeeper, let alone a centre back), an he's far better suited to playing against teams that hit high balls into the box which Arsenal aren't known for. The problem is everyone is fixating one one player, what about the other ten players on the pitch? Similar can be said for Twitter's vendetta against Carroll. What's infuriating about the result is that a couple of small things could've drastically changed the result: Kane's shot being cleared off the line, and Fazio's clearance being aimed at...buggered if anyone knows who or what he was aiming at, we just know where it landed and what happened. The latter could've feasibly been avoided if Alderweireld started instead of Fazio, unless Alderweireld had a 'mare of epic proportions, but the score would've still been 1-1 with extra time looming.
Before last nights game, in the pub, most of us were confident of getting a result. Then we saw the team news and that confidence disappeared straight away. 8 changes (although to be fair the goons made 10 changes) including the keeper and entire defence was pathetic. Both managers mugged off the fans, we ended up watching 2 average teams play a bang average game. There weren't many pluses to take, but Wimmer done well, Rose was ok, I thought Carrol was ok - unlike most others on here! Kane looked hungry and Dier was ok. The rest were either very poor - Fazio- or bang average.
I just can't fathom what's gone wrong with Vorm. I like many others was delighted when he signed; for a second choice keeper it looked like coup of the decade. But he just looks like Gomes Mark II - capable of sublime reaction saves but at the expense of a howler per game.
How quickly time passes and things change - just a year ago we had both Fazio *and* Kaboul at the club making total arses of themselves. And we had Chiriches! Holy cow. So, in light of this how about we at least all feel a bit more optimistic about our recruitment policies and the future of the team? In Alderweireld and Wimmer we look to have brought in two non-clown CB and we've lost Kaboul and Chiriches. Apparently we really wanted rid of Fazio and it nearly happened. At a push we also have that inexpensive, very bloody useful young man, Eric Dier. This alone has to be cause for optimism, no? It really looks like the appalling recruitment under Baldini has been replaced by something a hell of a lot more successful. TBH the only real problem with the team I had yesterday was Fazio because he's been proven time and again to be a liability. BUt we started with Kane and Eriksen - our most dangerous players by far (though Son might change that) and we had Dier in the middle who has become central to this team. Townsend for Lamela, Rose for Davies, Trippier for Walker etc is just not too much of a risk IMO. I know it sounds like hypebole but I really do not want to see Fazio play for Spurs again. Terrible signing.
Think he needs to be playing week in week out. Not many players including keepers can come in sporadically and perform well. Ledley King was one of few that could do this.
I'm not so sure. Brad always used to come in and do a job. Same when Keller and Cudicini were our back ups as far as I recall. I think GK is probably the only position where you don't need to play regularly to retain match sharpness. Maybe it is a confidence thing - but surely he couldn't have thought he'd be #1 with Hugo at the club?
Yeah - Ledley was such a freak that there should be a sort of Godwin's Law for talking about Spurs players where, as talk of what players are capable of and what we can reasonable expect them to do continues, the likelihood of his name cropping up (and being irrelevant) approaches 1. Just a God of a player. Not fair to compare others to him.
M Maybe Cudicini was actually by far the best goalkeeper of his generation but no one ever got to discover this cos he was never a number 1. Maybe he would have been a monster if he'd played week in, week out...
Yes, Sevilla are a good side - Europa league champions. You don't get to play for them unless you have something going for you. What's happened to Fazio since we bought him, I don't know.
