So Gabby gets injured in a meaningless friendly for Brazil managed by a former Chav..

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

When that's exactly the sort of game to rest Gabby and to experiment with an alternative LCH. They're doing it on purpose.

[Peter]

When that's exactly the sort of game to rest Gabby and to experiment with an alternative LCH. They're doing it on purpose.

It is best not to think about it. We won't know how many we've lost until Friday.

Time for the new Ecuadorian lad to show his worth

We have to hope to God that Gabriel isn't out for a long time.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

It is best not to think about it. We won't know how many we've lost until Friday.

Time for the new Ecuadorian lad to show his worth

We have to hope to God that Gabriel isn't out for a long time.

It was the fact it was a meaningless friendly. How would Brazil feel if, at the end of the season but the weekend before the WC squads meet up, we played some meaningless friendly against a Korean select XI for loads of moolah and we got all 3 Gabbies injured before the WC? They'd be fuming.

I obviously don't follow the Brazil team but I'd imagine that Gabby is nailed on LCH. So surely that's a game where Brazil should try out his replacements in case he gets injured in the tournament or a different formation.

It would be like if in the LC, we had a fit Norgy but decided to play Zubi despite him always playing and then Zubi got injured. That would be on us. But the LC is actually a trophy, a friendly against Senegal isn't. Ancelotti gets him injured for the Chelsea game. Cheers, Chav.

He would learn nothing from playing Gabby in that game. Plays as well as normal, no news. Makes one of his once a season errors that leads to a goal and so what? You're not gonna drop him, every player makes mistakes at some point.

Last season was boogered by Odin and Ricky C getting injured in pointless friendlies. There is too much football and the intl teams and clubs need to work together. It would have been better for everyone if Gabby had sat this one out.

If Eng play a friendly, rest Kane and B to try alternatives cos those two are both nailed on.

[redgunamo]

It was the fact it was a meaningless friendly. How would Brazil feel if, at the end of the season but the weekend before the WC squads meet up, we played some meaningless friendly against a Korean select XI for loads of moolah and we got all 3 Gabbies injured before the WC? They'd be fuming.

I obviously don't follow the Brazil team but I'd imagine that Gabby is nailed on LCH. So surely that's a game where Brazil should try out his replacements in case he gets injured in the tournament or a different formation.

It would be like if in the LC, we had a fit Norgy but decided to play Zubi despite him always playing and then Zubi got injured. That would be on us. But the LC is actually a trophy, a friendly against Senegal isn't. Ancelotti gets him injured for the Chelsea game. Cheers, Chav.

He would learn nothing from playing Gabby in that game. Plays as well as normal, no news. Makes one of his once a season errors that leads to a goal and so what? You're not gonna drop him, every player makes mistakes at some point.

Last season was boogered by Odin and Ricky C getting injured in pointless friendlies. There is too much football and the intl teams and clubs need to work together. It would have been better for everyone if Gabby had sat this one out.

If Eng play a friendly, rest Kane and B to try alternatives cos those two are both nailed on.

We look at it the wrong way. All players actually WANT to play international football, even friendlies.
Possibly because it's a great honour, I guess. But there's also the difference between a few hundred thousand of your team's football supporters celebrating with you, and your whole country joining in, lionising you for life; the majority not usually giving a stuff about football. And "neutrals" is where the real money is.

Internationals is a large and crucial element of the game's economy. Everybody in football accepts this. It is not either/or, it's all one and the same. Professionals simply want to play every single match they are available for because it's their job, it is what they DO.

Club football is trying its best but it has no chance. One must actually be a football supporter to have any idea what is going on. Anybody can simply wave a flag though. The Brazil national team is a globally-recognised brand. Everyone knows their star players, whereas club football is a strictly local concern. Can anyone even name the current Brazilian champions? I googled it

[Peter]

It was the fact it was a meaningless friendly. How would Brazil feel if, at the end of the season but the weekend before the WC squads meet up, we played some meaningless friendly against a Korean select XI for loads of moolah and we got all 3 Gabbies injured before the WC? They'd be fuming.

I obviously don't follow the Brazil team but I'd imagine that Gabby is nailed on LCH. So surely that's a game where Brazil should try out his replacements in case he gets injured in the tournament or a different formation.

It would be like if in the LC, we had a fit Norgy but decided to play Zubi despite him always playing and then Zubi got injured. That would be on us. But the LC is actually a trophy, a friendly against Senegal isn't. Ancelotti gets him injured for the Chelsea game. Cheers, Chav.

He would learn nothing from playing Gabby in that game. Plays as well as normal, no news. Makes one of his once a season errors that leads to a goal and so what? You're not gonna drop him, every player makes mistakes at some point.

Last season was boogered by Odin and Ricky C getting injured in pointless friendlies. There is too much football and the intl teams and clubs need to work together. It would have been better for everyone if Gabby had sat this one out.

If Eng play a friendly, rest Kane and B to try alternatives cos those two are both nailed on.

Well, yes. Clearly I agree.

But if it is a workload issue, and it seems to be, we are not without blame. We force him and saliba to play too many minutes and we lose one of then for a substantial period each year. And it has cost us.

Looking like this could be a fairly bad one, and at least 2 or 3 weeks at best.

Great

[Peter]

We look at it the wrong way. All players actually WANT to play international football, even friendlies.
Possibly because it's a great honour, I guess. But there's also the difference between a few hundred thousand of your team's football supporters celebrating with you, and your whole country joining in, lionising you for life; the majority not usually giving a stuff about football. And "neutrals" is where the real money is.

Internationals is a large and crucial element of the game's economy. Everybody in football accepts this. It is not either/or, it's all one and the same. Professionals simply want to play every single match they are available for because it's their job, it is what they DO.

Club football is trying its best but it has no chance. One must actually be a football supporter to have any idea what is going on. Anybody can simply wave a flag though. The Brazil national team is a globally-recognised brand. Everyone knows their star players, whereas club football is a strictly local concern. Can anyone even name the current Brazilian champions? I googled it

Ben White doesn't... .

[Peter]

We look at it the wrong way. All players actually WANT to play international football, even friendlies.
Possibly because it's a great honour, I guess. But there's also the difference between a few hundred thousand of your team's football supporters celebrating with you, and your whole country joining in, lionising you for life; the majority not usually giving a stuff about football. And "neutrals" is where the real money is.

Internationals is a large and crucial element of the game's economy. Everybody in football accepts this. It is not either/or, it's all one and the same. Professionals simply want to play every single match they are available for because it's their job, it is what they DO.

Club football is trying its best but it has no chance. One must actually be a football supporter to have any idea what is going on. Anybody can simply wave a flag though. The Brazil national team is a globally-recognised brand. Everyone knows their star players, whereas club football is a strictly local concern. Can anyone even name the current Brazilian champions? I googled it

Let's not pretend the Premier league is a 'strictly local concern'. It couldn't be less so. The bigger clubs have global fanbases rivalled only by Real Madrid and Barcelona, and a gigantic global audience each week that generates billions. They are globally recognised brands. I accept this is not the case for the other leagues.

Outside of the major tournaments, international football is utter tripe and holds little interest to anyone. It has a hugely important role but it should stick to it. There is too much at stake at club level for players to be wasting their time mid season on idiotic friendlies.

And football is too important to be interrupted by silly football for people who don't like football.

If they want to wave flags they can go on right wing marches

[redgunamo]

Ben White doesn't... .

Yes, he does, now. I checked and he has made himself available.

He'll need to play some games for the Arsenal first though naturally, if he wants to go to the World Cup. That's rather trickier

[Peter]

Yes, he does, now. I checked and he has made himself available.

He'll need to play some games for the Arsenal first though naturally, if he wants to go to the World Cup. That's rather trickier

It's funny. Arteta said when he arrived that his aim was to have two world class players in every position. Yet he has consistently shown he doesn't want to use them.

Ben hardly ever gets a look in. Surely Timber is human, and would benefit from a rest?

[redgunamo]

It's funny. Arteta said when he arrived that his aim was to have two world class players in every position. Yet he has consistently shown he doesn't want to use them.

Ben hardly ever gets a look in. Surely Timber is human, and would benefit from a rest?

Right. Good point. That's why we're apparently after Jurien's twin brother on a free in the summer, I suppose

[Peter]

Right. Good point. That's why we're apparently after Jurien's twin brother on a free in the summer, I suppose

Looks like we are going to see some rotation in the back four now, but it is forced. The bad kind.

He really does need to get braver on this and start making the decisions himself rather than waiting for the injuries to do it for him.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Let's not pretend the Premier league is a 'strictly local concern'. It couldn't be less so. The bigger clubs have global fanbases rivalled only by Real Madrid and Barcelona, and a gigantic global audience each week that generates billions. They are globally recognised brands. I accept this is not the case for the other leagues.

Outside of the major tournaments, international football is utter tripe and holds little interest to anyone. It has a hugely important role but it should stick to it. There is too much at stake at club level for players to be wasting their time mid season on idiotic friendlies.

And football is too important to be interrupted by silly football for people who don't like football.

If they want to wave flags they can go on right wing marches

No need to come over all woke, P. If they want to wave flags, they can watch the cricket or rugby. Beat the ABs, have the Ashes coming up. That's sufficient flag waving so we don't need football internationals.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

It's funny. Arteta said when he arrived that his aim was to have two world class players in every position. Yet he has consistently shown he doesn't want to use them.

Ben hardly ever gets a look in. Surely Timber is human, and would benefit from a rest?

I totally agree. We could be rotating the FBs more. 3 years of coming 2nd in which our B-BW-Odin axis was our main attacking threat. And MLS has been astounding for his age. We should be rotating and keeping all 4 both fit/fresh and with regular minutes.

[Peter]

I totally agree. We could be rotating the FBs more. 3 years of coming 2nd in which our B-BW-Odin axis was our main attacking threat. And MLS has been astounding for his age. We should be rotating and keeping all 4 both fit/fresh and with regular minutes.

And to a lesser extent, I'd say the same with the centre backs. You cant ask Gabriel and Saliba to play 90 minutes twice a week, every week, and not expect them to pick up injuries.

Surely there is the odd game here and there where our 50 million quid replacements can fill in....

[redgunamo]

Looks like we are going to see some rotation in the back four now, but it is forced. The bad kind.

He really does need to get braver on this and start making the decisions himself rather than waiting for the injuries to do it for him.

If injuries are indeed unavoidable, inevitable, then I'm not sure what difference it makes? Just let them play until they get crocked then pick the new blokes and hope that when the first choice is healed, he has to actually sweat over getting back into the team.

Managers will always have their favourites so the best you can get is that his preferences are at least based on performances.