Yes but if you're not the best at everything then you must be absolutely awful, remember.
Yes but if you're not the best at everything then you must be absolutely awful, remember.
Reminds me of Roy Keane's absolutely appalling analysis - literally any bad performance is due to a lack of DETERMINATION, BOTTLE, MENTALITY. He was saying that Walker has been shit recently because he can't handle the pressure of the media criticism - e.g. MENTALITY - rather than him just getting old.
I don't think it's unreasonable to say Arsenal lack a certain mental resilience when you consider them bottling the title race last season and also finishing as the bridesmaid for the last three seasons.
I also don't think it helps that, that was very much Arteta as a player too. You need that first one to get the monkey off your back so to speak.
I look at Klopp here and in terms of trophy count, he really didn't start to do anything until that Champions League win. Yet if you only look at the trophies, you don't take into account the seasons where he got us to a high 90s point finish and came second. Just because we didn't win those times, didn't mean we were suddenly bad. Yet, when he got that first one, cup finals became very common and the trophies flowed nicely.
This Arsenal team is 1, maybe 2 players away from being what he wants and what will get him there. The bad luck comes in here that this would/still could be a great chance as City need to spend again and Liverpool have already had a couple of wobbles so far. But the players keep breaking down and he has to play Havertz up front.
Don't think I've enjoyed a Villa quite so much given I had to consume it in dribs and drabs on the tube, in a Sainsbury's and on a bus. Might have caused a small scene on the bus when Arsenal got VAR'd at the end.
If anything I'd say they have more mental resilience than average. Showed a lot of it in the City game, for example, and in various forgotten wins. They just aren't as good at football as Liverpool are.
It's just trying to build narratives in the WWEification of footy ennit
I just feel like they don’t have that extra bit to get across the line, they have basically sacked the cup competitions off in the past 2 years when the Europa League in 22/23 would have been a good chance for them to win a trophy for example as they were comfortably the best team in it. I feel there’s something in that, you might only have a top team for 2/3 years you have to win things in that timescale but once you get across the line once it makes the next one easier.
Also in the league their actual points totals have only been close because City have dropped off a bit from their mental totals as well. If you look at them this season they look like they will struggle to break 80 points based on the points they currently have and they don’t strike me as if they are going to win 15 of the last 16 for example.
Liverpool have thrown away more point leads in the league in the recent years than Arsenal
You’re literally talking about Liverpool. Youre just making things up because it’s not the team you like. The Europa League that we sacked off would be the one where we rushed back Saliba who then got a big injury resulting in us playing Rob Holding in a title decider vs City. Just say ‘I don’t like Arsenal’ next time instead of inventing reasons why you’re actually able to understand what ‘winning mentality’ is when you’re just a bloke who sells mortgages in Norwich. MarkFromPeepShowWankSign.gif.Originally Posted by Luke Emia
I don’t live in Norwich. Spot on with the rest though…
I feel there are definitely more teams that can take points off each other this season than there has been for a while, which probably doesn't help with Arsenal's style of solidly doing enough - before they could grind more teams to death, now some of those teams are fighting back and stealing points. They've had too many draws. Not really sure how that squares with Liverpool pissing everything though, as they are nowhere near the level of those 90 point season teams. Maybe their approach, which appears to be more accepting of risk, but also having a good blend of quality, strength in depth and experience, works better in those fine margin games.
A relentless City could still chase them down if they were in Arsenal's position, but I'm not sure this Arsenal have it in them. I wonder how many dry seasons until Saka and Saliba look for pastures new?
I think Salah scoring 18 goals and assisting 13 more in 21 games might have a larger influence than '%age risk approach per 90'. The margins are thin, Arsenal have had 1 of their 2 best attacking players out for 5 months by the time Sakas back and Salahs gone on a career high run and Liverpool are still only 4 points ahead. It's got fuck all to do with mentality or tactics. Good players play well and bad players play bad and decisions need to go your way in the Premier League sponsored by Howard Webb.
The seethe is real.
Whilst I approve of the sentiment, isn't everything in modern football about percentage risk or benefit of X, shape, structure, tactics, discipline?
Mentality is a bit like the victor's justice that comes after a war.
One Hundred Percent. My reaction might be slightly affected by my Christmas visit to my cousins and her Liverpool supporting husband who's really into AI and when I mentioned the red cards earlier on in the season asked if I 'wanted to see a graph' and I wanted to keep access to the wine cellar so I pretended to agree with him.
The seethe is real.
Whilst I approve of the sentiment, isn't everything in modern football about percentage risk or benefit of X, shape, structure, tactics, discipline?
Mentality is a bit like the victor's justice that comes after a war.
Bournemouth were bloody impressive.
Both teams were unbeaten in 8 odd games and Bournemouth, without their main striker, and injuries to other key players just took Newcastle to the cleaners.
Shows you if you have the structure and team spirit, others just step in and do the role.
If it wasn’t for Forest, Bournemouth would be the surprise package everyone is talking about. In fact, I think they should start talking about them now.
Mad season where the elite is getting tested not just one but by a few.
That Havertz goal being disallowed is such a stupid consequence of VAR.
In other VAR moaning I'm not sure how I feel about Bournemouth having that goal disallowed for it having gone out. It's not like it went out in the phase of play directly before the goal, as in it was a cross that was clearly out, it was a clearance, if Newcastle had gone up the other end and scored would it have been ruled out? If Bournemouth had had the ball, but not scored, and then Newcastle went up the pitch and scored would it have been ruled out? What is the time proximity? The fact the ball went out had no bearing on the goal and provided no advantage to Bournemouth and yet here we are.
At least it had no bearing on the result. Bournemouth looked ridiculously good, particularly considering they have as much right as anyone to complain about injuries. Good job they didn't sack Andoni after losing his first 4 games or whatever it was.
Did the ball going out of play have any impact on the goal? What am I reading?
Despite spending the first 10 minutes defending as if I was playing, we beat Bristol City 1-0 yesterday to make it three home clean sheets in a row. Another Frank Lampard defensive masterclass
Not really, but yeah, it's hard to explain.
Bournemouth were on the attack and the consequence was the ball ended up heading out for what was going to be a corner. Tonali volleyed it clear to prevent the corner and it ended up around the middle of the defensive half with a Bournemouth player, who then may or may not have played it to another player, the ball ended up going out wide, getting crossed and then Bournemouth scored. And then VAR wound it back however many seconds and gave Bournemouth the corner. Just felt there was a lack of any immediate link between the goal and the thing that was used to rule out the goal.
I think the contrast was that level of intervention, when goals scored from incorrectly awarded set pieces [ref Arsenal v Spurs] where there is a much stronger causal link between the error and the outcome are 'out of scope' - the quest for consistency is a myth, as is the case in all video review systems. 'Unfair' outcomes are inevitable.
Last edited by niko_cee; 19-01-2025 at 12:14 PM.
We were well beaten, by a much better team and it was the difference between a 3-1 loss and a 3-0 loss, but Southend had this disallowed yesterday.
Get VAR in.
At lower levels they should clearly just err on the side of letting things go. A lot of referees are really anti that though.
Far better to allow a goal that was marginally offside/whatever than to disallow one which was marginally legal. But a lot of them (I read a lot of reffing discussions to help with my umpiring) are massively pro whistle.
Another absolutely useless goalkeeper in the Spurs net. No doubt they signed him as their number 2/3 due to being 'good with his feet'.
Refereeing so far in the United game has been absolutely appalling.
How does Fernandes get away with all the petulant shit he pulls off?
Yeah like the Arsenal game where he got booked for Jesus kicking his boot off.
This Spurs-Everton game is outrageously low quality. Neither team can defend for shit. Dragusin and Branthwaite are both trash.
Branthwaite is nothing more than a clumsy oaf. I've never understood why the clever people think him to be so special.
And there's Dragusin who should still be playing for FC Brasov or whoever. Are there really not better players than him in the Championship and League One that they could sign?
Spurs need to realise that Bergvall is not a holding midfielder. Players running off him for fun.
Cracking goal from Ndiaye. Big Ange gone tonight, I reckon.
Indeed. Didn't see much of him last season, but there was a lot of hype. Whenever I've seen him this season, he's been a bit of a carthorse.
Zirkzee is starting to look like a footballer.
How is Ange "Ange" Postecoglu still in the job? It was a fun little experiment, but it's been clear for some time that this doesn't work in a proper league. Maybe it would work for City, but clearly not for Spurs.
They probably should have beaten West Ham to Potter.
Dragusin now appears to be getting stitched up on the field. 5 minute stoppage for a little cut on his eyebrow. #WhenIWasALad
Edit: taking his shirt off in a way as to not mess up his hair
Ange to be the first EPL manager sacked at half time?
I think they give Ange the semi-final. If Liverpool turn it around on him, he's done.
That said, didn't this lot sack Mourinho a day before the league cup final before?
Didn't they sack Jol during a game?
I dunno, how many of this line-up are in their first choice eleven? Porro, Son, Maddison, Kulusevski? Dragusin is miles out of his depth and Gray was only getting the odd minute at his preferred position before being shoved in at centre back.
I reckon they'll keep him and be good again next season.
You'd think they'd give him the semi, but then, if this lot turn up and just the play we way mate it they'll likely get spannered and not be in a cup final, whereas a new manager boost defensive shithouse might just get them there.
They have a lot of injuries, but that has been the case for most of his tenure and, remember, this is Everton. Nobody serious loses to Everton.
I know what I'm doing with the monthly thread titles.
I hope that Hudson Odoi injury isn’t bad. Blowing his leg up 5/6 years ago nearly cost him but he’s been brilliant for a year again now. The original star boy
City are BACK.
The Evertonian I was watching the game with thanks you for your service.
I was thinking this, and checked, their maximum points is 86 in the league. Think they're too far back, thankfully.
I’m kidding, they literally threw a 2 goal lead away a few days ago. Easy win next week though and imagine they’ll finish 2nd or at least 3rd with absolute ease. They’ll probably bring someone else in as well just because why not
Was that the one where Fernandes threw the boot in frustration. Seems like he's lacking mental resilience.
Amorin saying this Man Utd team is the worst in their history (according to the headline). Seems a bit harsh.
Also had the same thought but didn't want to rag on brave on the ball Ipswich too much seeing as Liverpool play them next. They're about to spaff hundreds of millions on transfers so I reckon they're more likely to be back than not. That said, hopefully Salah Mk2 goes the way of most expensive striker acquisitions from Eintracht Frankfurt.
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