"Plenty of strikers can score goals," he said, gesturing to the famous old stands casting shadows around us.
"But a lot have found it difficult wearing the number 9 shirt for The Arsenal."
You do realise, don't you, that referring to appearances as "minutes" is simply asking for it? Just egging them on, encouraging them.
Anyway, to your point; perhaps squad hierarchy demands that other players' needs come first, more senior individuals' also need "minutes"? Cedric in the Champions League, for example, had a greater, more long-standing claim to a spot than the youngsters everyone wanted to see?
Not certain what young ESR's preferred position is but suppose it's where the captain and the Kraut also play. We can see why he might struggle for games, when the three of them are available.
"Plenty of strikers can score goals," he said, gesturing to the famous old stands casting shadows around us.
"But a lot have found it difficult wearing the number 9 shirt for The Arsenal."
I like Kai but he solves a problem we didn't really have. Like Dave the goalie.
I've always said, the trouble with young managers is not that they don't have all the answers, but that they have too many questions. We hired him knowing he was young and inexperienced and full of "ideas" though so we have to let him get on with it and support him.
"Plenty of strikers can score goals," he said, gesturing to the famous old stands casting shadows around us.
"But a lot have found it difficult wearing the number 9 shirt for The Arsenal."