I didn’t mean to have a go at Arteta last night.

The sad fact is that tactics have become so intricate, so convoluted and so overwhelming, they’ve sucked all the joy out of the game. Honestly, I find it tedious these days.

Double pivot. Inverted full backs. Gegenpressing. **** it all out the window and get back to, you know… playing football as God intended. 442 or 433, pass and move, pace and power.

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Originally Posted by Sir C

442 or 433, pass and move, pace and power.

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pfffft! Old hat, that ****, sc. And get with the project, you dinosaur...
;-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sir C

The sad fact is that tactics have become so intricate, so convoluted and so overwhelming, they’ve sucked all the joy out of the game. Honestly, I find it tedious these days.

Double pivot. Inverted full backs. Gegenpressing. **** it all out the window and get back to, you know… playing football as God intended. 442 or 433, pass and move, pace and power.

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To be fair, the majority of the time we play some lovely football. WE just haven't mastered the art of balancing this in a more cautious and structured way. We end up as toothless, static drones, knocking balls across our lines for 90 minutes until someone falls over and we concede a goal.

So sorry to hear about the missus. Best wishes :-(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peter

To be fair, the majority of the time we play some lovely football. WE just haven't mastered the art of balancing this in a more cautious and structured way. We end up as toothless, static drones, knocking balls across our lines for 90 minutes until someone falls over and we concede a goal.

So sorry to hear about the missus. Best wishes :-(

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Well, we're are just two points off the top of the most difficult league in Europe, Peter. So we aren't *that* bad.

If the point that Charles is making is that football is all a bit samey, then I agree with him. Everyone seems to play the same system, endless pressing, flood midfield, get the ball back as quickly as possible when you lose it, push forward again.

Teams used to be about players only, so every team was different. Now it's just who does the same thing the best.

If that's his point, I agree with him.

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Originally Posted by WES

Teams used to be about players only, so every team was different. Now it's just who does the same thing the best.

If that's his point, I agree with him.

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There is a current theme across football of stopping the opposition playing football and maintaining possession and being tight at the back - it's like Catenaccio never went away.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IUFG

There is a current theme across football of stopping the opposition playing football and maintaining possession and being tight at the back - it's like Catenaccio never went away.

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Think of it practically, how often do you see a player go off on a mazy run nowadays? Or turn a game with a sublime piece of skill?

I'm not so sure that happens as often.

Still, our PL/CL double is absolutely on :thumbup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sir C

The sad fact is that tactics have become so intricate, so convoluted and so overwhelming, they’ve sucked all the joy out of the game. Honestly, I find it tedious these days.

Double pivot. Inverted full backs. Gegenpressing. **** it all out the window and get back to, you know… playing football as God intended. 442 or 433, pass and move, pace and power.

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Old Arsene was saying the same thing last night, when questioned (on the telly, I mean, of course. I didn't buttonhole him in the pub). He couldn't quite bring himself to admit it though, further than suggesting that now the physical, technical and tactical sides of the game have developed so much, it was now time for the artistic, creative, exciting particulars to catch up. And match up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WES

Think of it practically, how often do you see a player go off on a mazy run nowadays? Or turn a game with a sublime piece of skill?

I'm not so sure that happens as often.

Still, our PL/CL double is absolutely on :thumbup:

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I was alluding to this the other day regarding Martinelli. He has the ability, I assume he's just told not to.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WES

Think of it practically, how often do you see a player go off on a mazy run nowadays? Or turn a game with a sublime piece of skill?

I'm not so sure that happens as often.

Still, our PL/CL double is absolutely on :thumbup:

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See how Pep has killed all the excitingness out of Grealish.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WES

Well, we're are just two points off the top of the most difficult league in Europe, Peter. So we aren't *that* bad.

If the point that Charles is making is that football is all a bit samey, then I agree with him. Everyone seems to play the same system, endless pressing, flood midfield, get the ball back as quickly as possible when you lose it, push forward again.

Teams used to be about players only, so every team was different. Now it's just who does the same thing the best.

If that's his point, I agree with him.

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We are 5 points off the top of the league and I didn't say we were bad. I said we hadn't mastered the balance of controlling games without becoming unbelievably ****ing dull.

I don't think all teams play the same way although I do agree that teams are more about teams than individuals these days. I quite like that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peter

To be fair, the majority of the time we play some lovely football. WE just haven't mastered the art of balancing this in a more cautious and structured way. We end up as toothless, static drones, knocking balls across our lines for 90 minutes until someone falls over and we concede a goal.

So sorry to hear about the missus. Best wishes :-(

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Thank you Peter.

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Originally Posted by IUFG

pfffft! Old hat, that ****, sc. And get with the project, you dinosaur...
;-)

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I admit it i, I’m as old as the hills.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WES

Well, we're are just two points off the top of the most difficult league in Europe, Peter. So we aren't *that* bad.

If the point that Charles is making is that football is all a bit samey, then I agree with him. Everyone seems to play the same system, endless pressing, flood midfield, get the ball back as quickly as possible when you lose it, push forward again.

Teams used to be about players only, so every team was different. Now it's just who does the same thing the best.

If that's his point, I agree with him.

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That’s my point :thumbup:

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Originally Posted by Sir C

That’s my point :thumbup:

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My dad used to watch Wenger's sides and sit there muttering about George Eastham.

I guess it happens to us all :-(

Well, not me. Not with football anyway.

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Originally Posted by Peter

My dad used to watch Wenger's sides and sit there muttering about George Eastham.

I guess it happens to us all :-(

Well, not me. Not with football anyway.

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Now I come to think of it, cars are no good any more, the weather’s ****, movies are all rubbish these days… and don’t get me started on music. The last album worth buying was The Rising ffs.

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Originally Posted by Sir C

Now I come to think of it, cars are no good any more, the weather’s ****, movies are all rubbish these days… and don’t get me started on music. The last album worth buying was The Rising ffs.

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You didn't like Wrecking Ball?

The only area where I think I am becoming genuinely old fashioned is politics- I still seem to think that men don't become women and that anti semitism is generally bad.

I suppose I need 'educating'......

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Originally Posted by Peter

You didn't like Wrecking Ball?

The only area where I think I am becoming genuinely old fashioned is politics- I still seem to think that men don't become women and that anti semitism is generally bad.

I suppose I need 'educating'......

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You need to spend some time with that nice old Mr Corbyn, p. He’ll put you right :thumbup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peter

You didn't like Wrecking Ball?

The only area where I think I am becoming genuinely old fashioned is politics- I still seem to think that men don't become women and that anti semitism is generally bad.

I suppose I need 'educating'......

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If it's any consolation, my daughters get that women don't have cocks and there are only 2 genders.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

If it's any consolation, my daughters get that women don't have cocks and there are only 2 genders.

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I'm 1 for 2. Daughter is old skool, son is as woke as you like.

I got massively told off for calling some footballer a faggot for diving around feigning injury the other month. What's the world come to when you can't call someone a faggot for that? When I was a younger man and playing hockey, football and basketball you couldn't get through a game without being called that word and using that word against an opponent.

I swear every one of us started every game we ever played with that word on the edge of our tongues.

It's right up there with the 'n' word nowadays appazza :shrug:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WES

I'm 1 for 2. Daughter is old skool, son is as woke as you like.

I got massively told off for calling some footballer a faggot for diving around feigning injury the other month. What's the world come to when you can't call someone a faggot for that? When I was a younger man and playing hockey, football and basketball you couldn't get through a game without being called that word and using that word against an opponent.

I swear every one of us started every game we ever played with that word on the edge of our tongues.

It's right up there with the 'n' word nowadays appazza :shrug:

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Faggot is a very North American insult, hence when you saying you're going for a fag :smokin: you always get an odd look from your lot.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peter

We are 5 points off the top of the league and I didn't say we were bad. I said we hadn't mastered the balance of controlling games without becoming unbelievably ****ing dull.

I don't think all teams play the same way although I do agree that teams are more about teams than individuals these days. I quite like that.

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2 points if we win the game in hand, stop being silly.

And 'We end up as toothless, static drones, knocking balls across our lines for 90 minutes until someone falls over and we concede a goal' sounds pretty bad to me, Peter

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PSRB

If it's any consolation, my daughters get that women don't have cocks and there are only 2 genders.

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Well, they have clearly been brought up well :-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PSRB

Faggot is a very North American insult, hence when you saying you're going for a fag :smokin: you always get an odd look from your lot.

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So when you were playing football as a boy in England and someone went studs up into you and you then dusted yourself off and put your face in his, what did you call him? :rubchin:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WES

2 points if we win the game in hand, stop being silly.

And 'We end up as toothless, static drones, knocking balls across our lines for 90 minutes until someone falls over and we concede a goal' sounds pretty bad to me, Peter

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Simple arithmetic doesn't do 'ifs' Wes :-)

I wasn't being entirely serious with that description and I think you know that.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WES

So when you were playing football as a boy in England and someone went studs up into you and you then dusted yourself off and put your face in his, what did you call him? :rubchin:

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A ****ing ****.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sir C

You need to spend some time with that nice old Mr Corbyn, p. He’ll put you right :thumbup:

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Do NOT mention that man's name around me again. I beg you :mad:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peter

A ****ing ****.

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:thumbup: That's the one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peter

A ****ing ****.

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Without the **** please, Pedro

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sir C

Now I come to think of it, cars are no good any more, the weather’s ****, movies are all rubbish these days… and don’t get me started on music. The last album worth buying was The Rising ffs.

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Cars are all the same, except the ugly electric ones driven by the sanctimonius, because the big groups homogenize them. With their shítty software on their tablet like dashboards :rolleyes:

Music? - I listened to BBC R1X in a courtesy car recently. My ****ing god...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IUFG

Cars are all the same, except the ugly electric ones driven by the sanctimonius, because the big groups homogenize them. With their shítty software on their tablet like dashboards :rolleyes:

Music? - I listened to BBC R1X in a courtesy car recently. My ****ing god...

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Oppenheimer was very good imo

Electric cars are for tossers, some people will pay any price to be on the edge of the technical curve, no matter how painful it is. Certain ex-AWIMbers, as an example

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PSRB

If it's any consolation, my daughters get that women don't have cocks and there are only 2 genders.

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Same.

She's at dance school/Uni now - I said choose a northern one, not one in London with all the wokey ****ers in it.
She's in Manchester :-(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IUFG

Same.

She's at dance school/Uni now - I said choose a northern one, not one in London with all the wokey ****ers in it.
She's in Manchester :-(

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Um - you're still in HR IUFG? :rubchin:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WES

Um - you're still in HR IUFG? :rubchin:

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Sadly, yes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WES

Oppenheimer was very good imo

Electric cars are for tossers, some people will pay any price to be on the edge of the technical curve, no matter how painful it is. Certain ex-AWIMbers, as an example

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I'm not sure Ears still lurks here...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IUFG

There is a current theme across football of stopping the opposition playing football and maintaining possession and being tight at the back - it's like Catenaccio never went away.

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These things come and go like fashion though. Not too long ago, the complaint was that nobody knew, or even cared about how to defend anymore.