Nice 2 week break in Dubai for the squad

[WES]

It's sad to say, however you're quite correct. And a fat lot of good it's done us!

Indeed, things are so bad that the only decent team in ANY league is always the one managed by Pep Guardiola, he seems to be the only one that accepts that certain things in football HAVE to happen, HAVE to be that way, simply because the game itself demands it.

It may not make sense, even to HIM, given his dreams of playing eleven tricky midgets every week, but enough good people around him know and understand and have convinced him that it simply doesn't work that way. Which is why he has always been sure to have at least one of the world's best goal-scoring number nines in his squad, all the while successfully gaslighting weak-minded football folk that all those victories and trophies is about tiki-taka. *******o

Correct - even with his ultimate masterpiece (Barcelona with Messi/Xavi/Iniesta) I lost count of the times that they got to 70 minutes 0-0 with 90% possession. Then Messi scores a wonder goal, the opposition come out and it finishes 3 or 4 nil and we have to hear about tiki-taka blah blah blah.

So it was inevitable that Haaland ended up there

[WES]

Completely agree. I like Onana, I don't think Toney is right for us at all. And I dont really see where the money is coming from.

Saka and Odegaard badly need a break. I am still not willing to accept that our current forwards are incapable of delivering goals as they did last season. I think Arteta needs to change their mindset. Everything is too cautious and hesitant at the moment.

The irony is that Havertz was bought with the idea of getting more goals from midfield, I think

And yes, we've just gone through a bad patch in front of goal, these things happen. We have too much talent going forward to not score goals and then all of this will be forgotten.

Meanwhile, three bad results and the usual characters are losing their sh1t on here and dragging out the cliches they so desperately want to be true so that they can be proven to be 'correct'.

I'd be far more worried about losing Saliba for an extended period of time than a run of games where we created loads but didn't take our chances.

[Pat Vegas]

Probably very good timing for this. Reset and go again.

Not sure about Onana from Everton....is that what we need?

it's good timing for the current players and mangement but overall probably bad timing for the club

[Peter]

The irony is that Havertz was bought with the idea of getting more goals from midfield, I think

And yes, we've just gone through a bad patch in front of goal, these things happen. We have too much talent going forward to not score goals and then all of this will be forgotten.

Meanwhile, three bad results and the usual characters are losing their sh1t on here and dragging out the cliches they so desperately want to be true so that they can be proven to be 'correct'.

I'd be far more worried about losing Saliba for an extended period of time than a run of games where we created loads but didn't take our chances.

Hmmmm.... mainly agree, although if this prompts Arteta to spend some time considering our tactical balance, it will have been worthwhile.

[Peter]

It's sad to say, however you're quite correct. And a fat lot of good it's done us!

Indeed, things are so bad that the only decent team in ANY league is always the one managed by Pep Guardiola, he seems to be the only one that accepts that certain things in football HAVE to happen, HAVE to be that way, simply because the game itself demands it.

It may not make sense, even to HIM, given his dreams of playing eleven tricky midgets every week, but enough good people around him know and understand and have convinced him that it simply doesn't work that way. Which is why he has always been sure to have at least one of the world's best goal-scoring number nines in his squad, all the while successfully gaslighting weak-minded football folk that all those victories and trophies is about tiki-taka. *******o

World class goalscorers are all very well for those who can afford them, financially and tactically.

Number 9s, well that is a different question. For some time now the world's best goalscorers have made their living as inside forwards. Liverpool's still does.

[7sisters]

The irony is that Havertz was bought with the idea of getting more goals from midfield, I think

And yes, we've just gone through a bad patch in front of goal, these things happen. We have too much talent going forward to not score goals and then all of this will be forgotten.

Meanwhile, three bad results and the usual characters are losing their sh1t on here and dragging out the cliches they so desperately want to be true so that they can be proven to be 'correct'.

I'd be far more worried about losing Saliba for an extended period of time than a run of games where we created loads but didn't take our chances.

I’m still struggling to think of any world class side in history where a gangly string bean strongly featured, outside of central defence.
They’re not built for it. They lack mobility and it takes an age for their brains to trigger signals to their feet, see ?
You want lots of 5ft 10 mesomorphs. That’s just the way of things

[WES]

I’m still struggling to think of any world class side in history where a gangly string bean strongly featured, outside of central defence.
They’re not built for it. They lack mobility and it takes an age for their brains to trigger signals to their feet, see ?
You want lots of 5ft 10 mesomorphs. That’s just the way of things

:cough: Patrick Vieira :cough:

[Luis Anaconda]

I’m still struggling to think of any world class side in history where a gangly string bean strongly featured, outside of central defence.
They’re not built for it. They lack mobility and it takes an age for their brains to trigger signals to their feet, see ?
You want lots of 5ft 10 mesomorphs. That’s just the way of things

Zidane 6ft1 and Steffan Effenberg 6ft 2 might disagree

Berbatov, Zlatan - also fairly useful and 6ft plus. Dennis was 6ft. Kanu 6ft 4 Were the invincible world-class? Yaya Toure 6ft 2

(I did get the irony in the original post, btw, but made me think of which players have "quick/good feet for a big man")

[Luis Anaconda]

Zidane 6ft1 and Steffan Effenberg 6ft 2 might disagree

Berbatov, Zlatan - also fairly useful and 6ft plus. Dennis was 6ft. Kanu 6ft 4 Were the invincible world-class? Yaya Toure 6ft 2

(I did get the irony in the original post, btw, but made me think of which players have "quick/good feet for a big man")

Robert Prosinečki and Zvonomir Boban - both 6ft. Also Niall Quinn - ok, I'll stop now

[Peter]

Robert Prosinečki and Zvonomir Boban - both 6ft. Also Niall Quinn - ok, I'll stop now

Quinny could play once he had grown up a bit.

Henry was 6 ft 2. He could play a bit