Arsenal are still top of the Premier League but not scoring a lot of goals. Is that part of the Mikel Arteta process?
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Man Utd fan gets riled after a rare win
Good one by Yiembe but there are some pretty f***ing obvious reasons, even for a neutral (I’m not one however).
– Arsenal played that game with their best possible 11. United were missing their best 3 attackers, CBs, other important players, lost Mount at HT, etc.
– Arsenal got battered that game when going into it we were told it was ‘their year’ and legopep was the GOAT manager… United are shite and have been for a while so the expectations aren’t remotely close.
– look at the stats, Arsenal f***ing stunk and gave away an obvious penalty and I can’t even remember the goal but assuming it was Bayandir’s fault and a yawnsome thrown in or some shit.
– By ‘shots rained down on goal’ you would be referring to the 3 shots on goal by Newcastle? That’s one every 32ish mins… not even a spit my friend. Even shite United over doubled that vs Arsenal and over doubled the total shots Arsenal had.
– Now if you’d said Newcastle rained crosses to no one, you would have been correct. Moyes didn’t get credit for raining them on Fulham all those years ago and this was pretty similar.
– Everyone expected United to concede the other day because of United and how we usually always concede, not because of Newcastle.
Hope that helps Yiembe.
Moses
Sixteen minutes later…
Jesus what a day for the mailbox, a United victory still has the power to blast sand right up the vagina huh.
– Eddie doesn’t need to get on his knees but he could start by not getting caught on camera right at the beginning of the game telling his players to FAKE INJURY to stop the game so he could figure sh*t out. Literal first primary go-to tactic, ‘fake injury boys, I haven’t got a f***ing clue what’s going on’.
– Dorgu got poked in the eyes repeatedly. No concussion protocol for that laddo.
– Tonali’s yellow was pretty standard. Given or not, not sure it’s worth getting the tinfoil out.
Nice email mate, send it to the PGMOL. You were sh*t against a patched up, mostly B-team of one of the worst United teams ever. Get over it.
Moses
Newcastle were blatantly cheating
The cheek of Chris C (Toon Army) complaining about Dorgu going down too many times with head injuries. Eddie Howe literally told one of his players to get Ramsdale to go down injured so he could have a first half conflab with his players, after Ruby sprung a surprise formation change. They even had the cheek to ask Pope to warm up!! Good to see them getting their comeuppance for such blatant cheating.
As for Yiembe, the Arsenal fan bemoaning why his team gets treated differently than Utd. You are league challengers who finished second last season, and have been building a team under the same manager for years. We finished 15th!! My god man.
Slightly concerned Wolves are looking better and can’t possibly keep losing all season, plus we are missing half our team. Yikes. Although to be fair, Liverpool can make anyone look good this season.
Garey Vance, MUFC
Aston Villa on Cloud 9
9 wins in a row in the Premier League. 11 in all competitions.
It doesn’t matter if Villa lose a couple in the coming weeks. It doesn’t matter if Chris Sutton thinks this run is unsustainable or if Paul Merson think we lack squad depth. It doesn’t matter if ‘StatsGuru529’ on Twitter (it’s Twitter!) is concerned about our xG over performance.
It’s an historic run whatever happens from now on. No one can burst our bubble or take it away. It’s been a truly incredible run. If you can’t let a fan of their club enjoy that, then I’m not sure how I can help you.
Gary AVFC, nearing Sydney (Would probably take a draw tomorrow)
READ: Aston Villa’s most ridiculous turnaround yet keeps them firmly in Premier League title contention
Arsenal under instruction to be boring…
I’d like to add some rationalism in amidst the usual surface level analyses saying that “Arsenal are boring and slowing down”.
I think it’s possible that Arteta is trying to manage the team’s fitness and fatigue at this busy period in the season by advising the players not to play too hard and fast. Considering the revolving door of injuries we continuously have and the absences of key players in previous seasons during the crunch period it makes sense to get the players to slow down and simply achieve managed victories.
The plan is probably something like this:
1. Play with a moderate level of energy in the first 60 mins and try to get a goal.
2. Conserve energy and counter with speedy wide players like Martinellli when we’re a goal up. Avoid stretching yourselves too much to reach every ball and make every possible run.
3. Rely on the sturdy, versatile players like Saka and Rice to pull us out of trouble and maintain order.
4. Throw yourselves in the way of the other teams’ shots and narrow the shooting lanes.
The goal is to lower risks to player fitness and grind out the 3 points. This doesn’t necessarily make for great viewing but the league is a marathon and fitness has almost always been our biggest issue. I’m really worried that Saka will get injured, I just wish Arteta had pulled him off earlier for a rest.
Vish (AFC), Melbourne
READ: Man City 4 Arsenal 3 in Premier League XI of season so far
Time for adults to run PGMOL
As I previously mentioned and as Hesh (LFC) referenced, the PGMOL’s VAR circus invites bias – conscious or not – by shielding on-field refs. Ex referees have ex-whistlers admitted they have altered the decision outcome to protect their chums on field.
Worse, though, is that referees are reneging on decisions, punting to VAR’s background check… which then shrugs without an egregious gaffe. Circular logic at its finest, leaving fans fuming.
Compare to the adult way Rugby union uses video. After watching a few Rugby Union International and Prem games, the difference is stark. The on field referee is in charge, officials behave like grown-ups, not a protected species. The Ref states an “on-field decision”, then asks the TMO to find a reason not to give the decision, openly chatting with TMO over replays – audible to stadium and TV. No hidden whispers; just “what am I seeing?” and clear evidence to flip or stick. Linesmen and the TMO can flag the referee if something serious is spotted. They work as a single team.
It’s so refreshing.
Why can’t we adapt it for the EPL, elongating the match-long snoozes: ref leads reviews for goals/pens/reds/identity (tack on blatant shirt-tugs), VAR does proactive real-time sweeps but flags only slam-dunks, live audio kills bias whiffs (Ref Cam’s already testing it.)
Rugby’s model owns accountability without the boys own club bias. Time for the PGMOL to grow up – fans deserve it.
However, having listened to so many PGMOL refs it’s clear the bar is not set high in terms of clarity of thought. It’s one thing to ‘know the rules’ and apply them, another to manage the process. Not hopeful.
Paul McDevitt
Spirit of goodwill to all referees
Easy to whine about refs. Deservedly rare to give them a little love…but it is the season.
Another weekend of various players obviously diving, rolling around and expecting a free kick, to being assiduously ignored by the refs who are allowing the games to continue to flow. Miraculously in every case, said diver has then gotten up and on with it.
Likewise some “nothing” challenges where cards might have been given, are just being given a “carry-on!” wave. It’s a pleasant surprise. Kudos to the Refs association for returning English football back to more of its natural flowing best.
Paul Chipperton, Englehart, Canada
Does RHT/TS deserve a Stewie warning?
RHT/TS x’s email made me feel a bit sorry for whoever they are.
Maybe they’re trying really hard to be funny but imagine spending a lovely Christmas surrounded by loved ones to then sit down and write something so desperately bitter. I know Stewie winds up Arsenal fans but at least he only seems to hate watch the team he supports. RHT seemingly has time to hate watch Liverpool and Egypt and then is obviously fuming the results didn’t pan his way.
I’ll put aside the silly assertions of who is or isn’t a waste of money because anyone that thinks a player can be judged after 18 games clearly hasn’t seen much football in their lives. Deriding Wirtz when he’s just won MOTM in his last 2 games is also bad timing for your desperate narrative.
I’m not sure what Arsenal did to you as a kid but I’m sure it wasn’t on purpose. You can dislike Arsenal fan TV but also love Ian Wright and Thierry Henry. There’s room for positivity everywhere if you’re willing to look.
I’ve seen criticism of the mailbox and the site in general and it’s tough in an age fighting for clicks when the AI overviews have destroyed traffic for a lot of websites but is there not an argument that quality analysis and thought gets shared more than vitriol and garbage opinions?
I remember a time when a quality mail sparked four thoughtful replies but now it feels like it’s only the absurd and ill thought out which gets the keyboards pumping.
I also appreciate how ironically I’m not helping the situation by responding to the shite click bait as opposed to Hesh (LFC)’s email about who really should be the VAR or Chris C, Toon Army DC wondering if Eddie Howe has upset someone at the PGMOL by failing to fellate them. The fact that line didn’t get censored made me chuckle.
Minty, LFC
…’Hysterical’ mail from RHT/TS comparing Reinders and Wirtz earlier. This guy really needs a gig doing stand-up.
Apparently he (or she) ‘did tell y’all that Cherki was a better player than the wafty German ballerina before the season started’. I’d like to see proof of this please.
(Here you go – Ed)
And then he goes on to confidently assert that Semenyo isn’t going to so sign for Liverpool because ‘the fact that all that shite they bought in the summer looks like it might be a contributing factor’. He need to provide a source for this too, as I have been following this story and have never seen this suggested as the reasoning behind Semenyo wanting to sign for Human Rights X 115 FC.
Lastly, Tiijani Rejinders does not sound remotely like Timmy Reindeers…perhaps this is why RHT/TS didn’t make it in comedy.
A, LFC, Montreal
…The best thing F365 have done is put a ‘Stewie warning’ before his mails. I’m all for freedom of speech, but his is tiresome and pathetic so being able to easily skip it is good for me.
RHT/TS (initials I’m certain stand for: Ridiculous Horseshit Thrower/Total Simpleton) is even worse though and I agree with the people calling for his mails to no longer be printed. Stewie is a troll, his sole intention to wind up Gunners fans with his disparaging remarks and childish nicknames, with his rants vaguely about football.
However, Total Simpleton takes it far beyond that and is representative of the worst parts of our society – full of hate, anger and bitterness, spewing his vile words purely to cause offense and insult. People like that don’t deserve a public platform for their despicable rhetoric.
F365, I know you won’t stop printing their mails, and I understand that but can we also have a warning for their mails too? Maybe print Total Simpleton’s and Stewie’s mails at the end under a generic ‘Twat Alert’ caption?
Clive, This Means More FC
