Fixtures Tuesday January 20th - Inter Milan - Stadio Giuseppe Meazza - UEFA CL - 8:00 Pm

Kick-Off

       Injuries                 Steve Gleiber



Get the Latest Post Go to the Bottom of Page It is currently Mon Jan 19, 2026 6:35 pm

All times are UTC


  


Reply to topic

Users browsing this forum: 1979gooner, Bing [Bot], Decaf, warrior and 17 guests

 
Post #408201  Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2025 9:51 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:30 pm
Posts: 8810

Rich wrote:
grantyboy wrote:

Saw the same spaces open up for Eze and he didn’t even bother taking it forward. Attacking with numbers at pace just isn’t our game it seems unless it’s Martinelli making a run.

The game turned in to a basketball match, you attack, we attack. I can say for certain Arteta would have hated it. We didn’t keep possession of the football and didn’t close the passing lanes. Think how hard it’s been for teams to even get a shot at our goal in the last 4 months, Villa cut through us far too easily. Gabriel and Saliba missing is a big factor, huge in how they are aggressive and organise the defence, but the players looked fatigued. We’ve had injuries which doesn’t help the rotation but Arteta has undersided some players as well
Nørgaard, 31, former premier league captain - surely he would have helped in those final 20 minutes v Villa. If not then, then when? We can’t have 3-4 players in the team who are only going to play dead rubbers, league cup ties and early round FA Cup

Nørgaard, Nwaneri and MLS are getting very little game time. We know that Nwaneri and MLS are well capable of slotting into the side and in Nørgaard's case, he looked a very competent footballer at Brentford. We really need to utilise these guys more.

_________________
"I just kept going pretty lively. Them killers wasn't too healthy company."


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408202  Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2025 10:31 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:30 pm
Posts: 8810

Decaf wrote:
dec wrote:
Unless we improve at centre forward, we are going to have many games which are in the balance right up to the final whistle. Still early days, but Gyökeres is a worry. In my view Havertz isn't good enough to be the striker for a top side. He is a very good player but not a natural striker at all, yet still seems to be a better option than Gyökeres when fit. Jesus barely counts due to his terrible injury record.

I doubt the solution (with the current squad) is going to be one player scoring lots of goals. Maybe Gyökeres will click but I am not banking on that. So what we need is an attacking unit with multiple goal threats (Saka, Martinelli/Trossard, and hopefully Eze/Ødegaard) as well as goals from set pieces, Rice, etc. This is pretty much what we are doing, and (with reasonable luck with injuries) I think we have the resource to do it a lot better.

Hopefully, Havertz can hit the ground running when he comes back. He was never a long term solution, but Ollie Watkins might just have been a better fit in the summer transfer window.

_________________
"I just kept going pretty lively. Them killers wasn't too healthy company."


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408203  Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2025 4:45 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

https://x.com/skysportspl/status/199796 ... -j6VVZXEoA

Only just seeing the latest in a long line of Romero awful tackles. I agree that this is lucky not to be a red. It’s a terrible tackle and lucky not to injure the player.

This is what retrospective punishment needs to come in for. Sod the guff about re refereeing the game, it needs punishing if the ref and var miss it. There needs to be a panel to review missed potential red cards each weekend and swift sanctions handed out so suspensions are served immediately


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408204  Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2025 5:38 pm 
Online

Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2021 7:27 am
Posts: 763

Red card for Romero

Highly out of control, designed to injure with scissoring motion


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408205  Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2025 6:46 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

Brugge have sacked their manager 2 days before they play us.

In the CL they beat Monaco, drew with Barcelona (!), got hammered by Bayern and Sporting and were narrowly beaten by Atalanta


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408206  Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2025 7:22 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

Portsmouth away in the FA cup 3rd round.
At least we’ve finally avoided a tough prem team. Should be rotating heavily for that game.

Spurs v Villa
Man U v Brighton
Newcastle v Bournemouth
Everton v Sunderland

4 all prem ties

I think I can see us being picked for the late night TV game, the TV companies will want to ramp up the chance of an upset


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408207  Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2025 7:35 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

We played Portsmouth in the fa cup in 2020, this was the team:

Martinez, Sokratis, Luiz, Mari, Saka (left back) Guendouzi, Torreira, Nelson, Willock, Martinelli, Nketiah.

We won 2-0 and went on to lift the fa cup that season


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408208  Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2025 9:16 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

This Wolves team are wide open. Making Man U look good!
56 minutes in and Man U have had 19 shots


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408209  Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2025 9:23 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:02 pm
Posts: 20768

Like something off partridge

Carragher making a *%^@ of himself


https://x.com/theawayfans/status/199813 ... 2SVs7ar8TQ


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408210  Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2025 10:57 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

Rich wrote:
Such a strange take and one from Carragher that is dropping in a narrative he wants to push and a desperation for Arsenal to fail.

I could accept the argument in 22/23 we were naive and emotional in the run in, but we were a team everyone thought would finish 5th at best. There was nothing emotional about 23/24 and 89 points when we won 16 of the final 18, we were robotic. Last year we were never really in it but I don’t recall OTT celebrations. Similar this season we’ve been pretty robotic, only one late winner. In fact it’s been Liverpool that have struggled for maturity and shape late in games as they let their emotions over late goals or chasing late goals disturb them.

https://x.com/imzftbi/status/1998136066 ... -j6VVZXEoA

So following on from his column where Carragher is desperate to paint us as an over emotional team despite all evidence pointing to the opposite of that this season we have Carragher still peddling this narrative by using a video of our crestfallen players at conceding a last minute winner. I can tell you now whenever it suits Carragher he will weave in us being an emotional team as the reason for any dropped points or when we win and in his view celebrate too much.

Punditry in this league.
1. Pick an reason why a team won’t win a very difficult prize to win
2. That reason can’t be ‘they just weren’t good enough’
3. It helps if the reason is mental or workrate based rather than skill based. Phrases like ‘emotional’ ‘wanted it more’ ‘out fought’ ‘know how’ always go well here
4. Ignore any time your point is disproved
5. Weave your reason in to any time that team doesn’t win a game and ensure you tell everyone it’s the primary reason points were dropped
6 if the team do win the big prize tell everyone how you saw them overcome those flaws you correctly pointed out in the season or
7. Of the team doesn’t win the big prize tell everyone you were right all along about your reason being the only thing that stopped them winning


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408211  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 6:20 am 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

https://x.com/skysportspl/status/199812 ... -j6VVZXEoA

Calamitous first goal for Man U. There are 3 wolves players who could get back to help and only 1 belatedly sprints back and nearly saves it. That’s a worrying sign for the manager and fans


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408212  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 8:51 am 
Offline

Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:42 pm
Posts: 6838

Rich wrote:
This Wolves team are wide open. Making Man U look good!
56 minutes in and Man U have had 19 shots

I'd fancy the Arsenal Women's team to beat Wolves. Awful.

_________________
"If you do not believe you can do it then you have no chance at all"


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408213  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 9:45 am 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

Gunfire wrote:
Rich wrote:
This Wolves team are wide open. Making Man U look good!
56 minutes in and Man U have had 19 shots

I'd fancy the Arsenal Women's team to beat Wolves. Awful.

It was one of the worst performances I've seen for a while. Teams have been beaten by more but it was the lack of any proper tactics, the workrate was awful as well. I've seen really weak teams decide to defend deep and rely on grit and determination, just tackle, block, head, close down and they can make it difficult for any team - Wolves didn't do that. Their forwards were chasing down the ball and the defence was back in their own half, made them so easy to play through. Man U nearly topped 30 shots. I can't see them being that bad against us as they will surely go to box retreat mode. The key for us as always in these games is the tempo of our play and passing. If we play slow and let them get settled in a back 10 pretty much all holding hands then we'll get frustrated. The passing has to be quick, the movement and runs behind have to be there. Look at Mount's goal last night, a midfield run, no one from Wolves tracked him and its a very easy goal


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408214  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 9:48 am 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

If we win our next 4 in the league we'd be on 45 points at the halfway point - on target for a 90 point season with (in theory) easier fixtures to come.
Next 4 are wolves (h), everton (a), Brighton (h), Villa (h). Not easy to win all 4 but it feels like 4 games we do need to find a way to win if we really want to be champions this year.

Chelsea and City haven't played each other at all yet. Villa are yet to play Chelsea or Man U.

Both City and Villa have 3 away and 1 home to round off the halfway point. Lets see after 19 games what the table looks like


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408215  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 10:43 am 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

https://x.com/MoSalah/status/1998331841296683068?s=20
First twitter post in 3 weeks from Salah a picture of him alone in the gym while his team mates are in Milan for the game tonight. He's really doubling down on this fight.

Saudi clubs need to play this to their advantage, give Salah the high wage he wants but don't give Liverpool a fee. He's a £400k a week problem for Liverpool, the Saudi clubs hold all the cards now.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408216  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 12:55 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

Saliba is back with the squad and will travel to Belgium for the CL game. We desperately need him back. It would be nice if Jesus could get some minutes. I don't know if I'm a fool but I still find Jesus as an enticing player capable of technical brilliance and can really add something to our attack. Even that little spell he had last season before the ACL showed a skillset in a striker we don't currently have.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408217  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 2:07 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:02 pm
Posts: 20768

Ken: (as he stares at a tower, excited) Come up?

Ray: (Still not enjoying this, and cold) What’s up there?

Ken: The view.

Ray: The view of what? The view of down here? I can see that down here.

Ken: Ray, you’re about the worst tourist in the whole world.

Ray: Ken, I grew up in Dublin. I love Dublin. If I’d grown up in a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me, but I didn’t, so it doesn’t.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408218  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 3:20 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

Paul Scholes :‘I still don’t think they’re (City) quite right but they always get better in the second-half of the season and the thing with Arsenal is they can’t win a big game. ‘Until they start winning big games they’ve got no chance of winning the league.

‘They lost to Liverpool, they couldn’t beat Man City at home when they were struggling. Aston Villa are a good team, don’t get me wrong, but Arsenal just can’t win big games. They couldn’t beat Chelsea after they went down to ten men.

‘If you’re going to win the league you’ve got to start winning some big games, you’ve got to beat your rivals, and they can’t do it


It is such a strange narrative to continually beat us with, Scholes is famous for also saying you HAVE to beat your nearest rival away from home to win the league. We've beaten Man U and Newcastle away from home. City lost away to Newcastle and also lost away to Villa.

We went 3 seasons without losing to a big 6 side. Last year we beat City at home and drew with them away, we drew twice with Liverpool. The season before we beat City and Liverpool at home and drew with them both away.

I posted earlier about pundits having their chosen narrative and constantly peddling it despite any actual evidence.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408219  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 4:25 pm 
Online

Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2021 7:27 am
Posts: 763

Scholes is even thicker than Carragher and Neville, plus deeply biased

I won’t waste my breath on such an ignorant cretin


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408220  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 7:49 pm 
Online

Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2021 7:27 am
Posts: 763

“And then we have the situation of Gabi, who we were expecting to be training with us by the end of December. But Gabi has been pushing every single day and he kept telling everybody ‘I am going to be earlier, earlier, earlier!’ and he has done it.

Very good on Gabi…..touch wood


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408221  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 7:49 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:42 pm
Posts: 6838

1979gooner wrote:
Scholes is even thicker than Carragher and Neville, plus deeply biased

I won’t waste my breath on such an ignorant cretin


Because someone was a good player doesn't make them a good pundit. A lesson TV stations need to learn. Apart from Rich no one cares what the pundits think.

_________________
"If you do not believe you can do it then you have no chance at all"


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408222  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 7:49 pm 
Online

Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2021 7:27 am
Posts: 763

“And then we have the situation of Gabi, who we were expecting to be training with us by the end of December. But Gabi has been pushing every single day and he kept telling everybody ‘I am going to be earlier, earlier, earlier!’ and he has done it.

Very good on Gabi…..touch wood


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408223  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 7:50 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:42 pm
Posts: 6838

Forza Atalanta!

_________________
"If you do not believe you can do it then you have no chance at all"


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408224  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 8:38 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

Gunfire wrote:
1979gooner wrote:
Scholes is even thicker than Carragher and Neville, plus deeply biased

I won’t waste my breath on such an ignorant cretin


Because someone was a good player doesn't make them a good pundit. A lesson TV stations need to learn. Apart from Rich no one cares what the pundits think.

You mistake me caring what pundits say with caring that we have to put up with terrible punditry.
https://onefootball.com/en/news/paul-sc ... y-42066366
The irony here of Scholes telling Keown he was biased in his co comms, the years and years we've had to put up with virtually every pundit being ex Man U or ex Liverpool and the first hint any of them has that an ex Gooner might be a bit partisan and they're calling them out. Keown is definitely biased to Arsenal just as all pundits are, but they rarely call each other out for it unless its part of the act of a Neville and Carragher argument.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408225  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 8:42 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:02 pm
Posts: 20768

So saka and Ødegaard have travelled. I have to say I’d have given saka the night off.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408226  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 8:44 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

awful defending for spurs goal there, comedy own goal. When I saw the Leeds v Liverpool goals there was one foe Ekitike that the defender just passed straight to him and he ran through on goal and scored. No pressure on the ball just a woeful mistake. It made me wonder how many of our goals are from genuine terrible mistakes from the opponent, where we did nothing to deserve the goal, no hard work, no pressure - just a gift. I can't think of many times that has happened to us.

I always have a similar thought on the 'var reprieve', where the onfield decision is a goal against arsenal, or a penalty against arsenal etc and we get the microscopic scrutiny of var helping us out of a jam. When do they happen? I see plenty that get chalked off for us - so deflating when it happens. I can't recall the last time someone scored against us, everyone thinks its a goal as no infringement is clear and var rules it out?


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408227  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 8:47 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:02 pm
Posts: 20768

I think scholes and carragher have reached Elon musk levels of twatiness if I’m honest.

Saw musk and Ted Cruz lambasting the judge who sentenced turbo div Joey Barton earlier like Britain was some authoritarian state. It’s so boring that behaving like an absolute *%^@ seems to be a talent these days and my goodness a lot of the culture comes from the US


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408228  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 8:53 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:36 pm
Posts: 4902

TOP GUN wrote:
I think scholes and carragher have reached Elon musk levels of twatiness if I’m honest.

Saw musk and Ted Cruz lambasting the judge who sentenced turbo div Joey Barton earlier like Britain was some authoritarian state. It’s so boring that behaving like an absolute *%^@ seems to be a talent these days and my goodness a lot of the culture comes from the US


The fairly transparent current tactic of undermining Britain by that lot is, well it’s Russian through and through. What possible advantage to the USA is there in that?? Plenty for Putin’s Russia though. I cannot eat the amount I want to vomit over them both.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408229  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 9:24 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:02 pm
Posts: 20768

Ash wrote:
TOP GUN wrote:
I think scholes and carragher have reached Elon musk levels of twatiness if I’m honest.

Saw musk and Ted Cruz lambasting the judge who sentenced turbo div Joey Barton earlier like Britain was some authoritarian state. It’s so boring that behaving like an absolute *%^@ seems to be a talent these days and my goodness a lot of the culture comes from the US


The fairly transparent current tactic of undermining Britain by that lot is, well it’s Russian through and through. What possible advantage to the USA is there in that?? Plenty for Putin’s Russia though. I cannot eat the amount I want to vomit over them both.

I think you can only hope that it’s temporary communication in the lead up to a peace deal to appease the Russians then after it’s done normality is resumed and the ridiculous rhetoric about Europe and the EU subsides.

The strategy of sourcing our arms from the US needs review though. The MAGA lot can’t be trusted with supply chain dependencies and the SA80 replacement should come from Europe.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408230  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 9:30 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

Mason Greenwood is flying for Marseille, he has 31 goals in 48 league games for them, added 2 more in the champions league tonight. But for his history every big English team would be desperate to sign him right now. I don’t think there is a way he can come back and play in this country - it will be interesting to see what happens of Marseille have to play an English club away in the knock out rounds


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408231  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 9:52 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

Just as I was talking about getting absolute gifts Liverpool have just been given a total joke of a penalty by VAR in the last 5 mins v Inter. The defender has hold of Wirtz shirt but it’s fleeting and then Wirtz just throws himself down - utter joke penalty.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408232  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 9:53 pm 
Online

Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2021 7:27 am
Posts: 763

Wirtz should be booked for diving. Awful refereeing


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408233  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 10:04 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:36 pm
Posts: 4902

We have 15 points and a home banker last game against Kairat Almaty. So we can call that 18. Liverpool are in 8th with 10 less goals on 12 points maximum they can get is 18 and they aren’t toppling our gd. Basically I think we’ve got top 8 already.

A point against Brugge tomorrow with no serious injuries, rest some first team ever-presents and minutes for Gyökeres and Madueke and anyone else coming back is a great result for me.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408234  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 10:05 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:36 pm
Posts: 4902

1979gooner wrote:
Wirtz should be booked for diving. Awful refereeing


He’s got to look for some advantage from weighing less than 3 sparrows and a woodlouse soaking wet.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408235  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 10:24 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:36 pm
Posts: 4902

If Liverpool make the top 8 at city’s expense who will then play two extra games I won’t be too sad about that.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408236  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 10:25 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

Rice had a sickness bug, likely played with it v Villa. Touch and go for tomorrow. Just give him a rest, play Nørgaard/Merino/Nwaneri/Eze in his place.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408237  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 11:20 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:04 am
Posts: 7924
Location: Townsville Australia

Rich wrote:
Saliba is back with the squad and will travel to Belgium for the CL game. We desperately need him back. It would be nice if Jesus could get some minutes. I don't know if I'm a fool but I still find Jesus as an enticing player capable of technical brilliance and can really add something to our attack. Even that little spell he had last season before the ACL showed a skillset in a striker we don't currently have.

Sorry Rich, you and I think totally different. Saliba: 'we desperately need him back.'
We are playing Bruges and Wolves in the next 2 games. If we can't win these games with a second team then 'the process' is a total failure. If Saliba travels to Bruges it is ridiculous and if he does and plays even 1 minute in Bruges then we set ourselves up for more injuries. 10-15 minutes against Wolves at most and no sitting on a plane. Watch the game on TV. Play the long game. But I would give Jesus some time if he is fit. We may be able to flog him off in January.

Good man management is for Arteta to speak to the current CB's: tell them Saliba is fit but tell them that he has every faith in their ability and he's not needed in Bruges & for Wolves, if they concentrate. Embolden them. Its man management 101. And if you say, what if they get injured. Well last time I looked a bloke White plays and he was a CB, there is your back-up.

_________________
If this policy does not deliver then I would say we have to change it.
AW 150810


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408238  Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 11:21 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:04 am
Posts: 7924
Location: Townsville Australia

Rich wrote:
Rice had a sickness bug, likely played with it v Villa. Touch and go for tomorrow. Just give him a rest, play Nørgaard/Merino/Nwaneri/Eze in his place.

Leave Rice home FFS. And give him a rest from Wolves as well.

_________________
If this policy does not deliver then I would say we have to change it.
AW 150810


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408239  Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2025 7:28 am 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:57 pm
Posts: 32459

Gaz from Oz wrote:
Rich wrote:
Saliba is back with the squad and will travel to Belgium for the CL game. We desperately need him back. It would be nice if Jesus could get some minutes. I don't know if I'm a fool but I still find Jesus as an enticing player capable of technical brilliance and can really add something to our attack. Even that little spell he had last season before the ACL showed a skillset in a striker we don't currently have.

Sorry Rich, you and I think totally different. Saliba: 'we desperately need him back.'
We are playing Bruges and Wolves in the next 2 games. If we can't win these games with a second team then 'the process' is a total failure. If Saliba travels to Bruges it is ridiculous and if he does and plays even 1 minute in Bruges then we set ourselves up for more injuries. 10-15 minutes against Wolves at most and no sitting on a plane. Watch the game on TV. Play the long game. But I would give Jesus some time if he is fit. We may be able to flog him off in January.

Good man management is for Arteta to speak to the current CB's: tell them Saliba is fit but tell them that he has every faith in their ability and he's not needed in Bruges & for Wolves, if they concentrate. Embolden them. Its man management 101. And if you say, what if they get injured. Well last time I looked a bloke White plays and he was a CB, there is your back-up.

My ‘desperately need Saliba back’ is a more general thought rather than desperately need him to play against Brugge even if he’s not 100% fit. We’re down to the bare bones in defence so we need him back.
Arteta himself spoke in his press conference that the knock on effect of injuries is the extra loading others have to take. White playing 3 games in a week after not playing much all season isn’t ideal, timber hasn’t had a rest all season.


 Profile  
 
 
Post #408240  Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2025 8:52 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:22 pm
Posts: 21198

If Arteta doesn't rotate heavily tonight then I will begin to wonder if he will ever get us over the line.

We are already seeing the fruits of overplaying players again this season. Despite having a stronger squad to call on.

I get the bit where cluster injuries are not easy to cope with but the likes of Nwaneri and Nørgaard have barely had a sniff all season. No wonder players are not fully up to speed when they do eventually get a chance.

Our players look dead on their feet and yet we are only 2 points ahead of City who have lost 4 games already and 3 ahead of Villa who had a dismal start to their season.


 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
     [ 410283 posts ] 
Go to page Previous  1 ... 10203, 10204, 10205, 10206, 10207, 10208, 10209 ... 10258  Next

All times are UTC

Gooners Online - Click to see what Everyones Doing

Colour Key:  Visited Profile    Members Profile      Admin

Get Latest Post

Users browsing this forum: 1979gooner, Bing [Bot], Decaf, warrior and 17 guests


Search for:

Go to Top

Powered by php BB © 1993 - 2018