Arsenal Thread | 2024/25

[Vienna_70]

Kaveh Fuckwit on Sty just said that Rice shouldn’t have received a second yellow for kicking the ball away, and he would have been happy with a yellow for Saliba yesterday.

No wonder we call him Fuckwit.

 

[KentBlue]

The sending off yesterday was -I believe- referees cracking down on Arsenal's appalling lack of gamesmanship. What started out last season as sly and underhanded tactics has become a blatant disregard for the spirit of the game, and Arteta sticking two fingers up at the officials. He was never going to get away with it for long.
His ultra-negativity was highlighted to such dramatic effect with us: millions of people saw the time-wasting, the niggly fouls, the constant diving and cheating, every aspect of dark-arts football there is - and more. The Prem were never going to sit back and allow this sort of cheating to prosper in front of such large audiences.

A few years ago most football fans had a distinct 'couldn't-care-less' attitude towards Arsenal, but now most of them have an active and intense dislike for the club - because of Arteta.

He may be a good manager, he may even be a successful manager one day, but until he stops the silly and childish antics of tantrum-throwing and encouraging cheats and time-wasters to get the points on board, he will always be known as a sullen, confrontational, immature and insignificant little man with a chip on his shoulder. And if that's the legacy Arsenal fans will be happy with because it justifies their quest for the Prem trophy, let them go ahead.

 

[BlueTG]

I’d be livid if that red card was given against City, tbh.

 

[The Future’s Blue!]

I think most fair-minded fans will accept it if a team changes its tactics in order to become more difficult to beat, often having to sacrifice the style of play to a more pragmatic one.

Clearly Arteta has seen the team as being too easy to be got at, and thus changed his structure and approach. No real criticism of that imo.

However, what he has done since is to adopt the blatant time-wasting, play-acting tactics that disrupts the play, allows informal touchline coaching/instructions, etc.

This for me is where he has clearly decided to bring such tactics into their game, seeking to help make them more robust as a team. He will feel justified in this change, whereas to supporters of other teams, this is just crude and unacceptable excuses for his win at all costs approach.

Added to the fact that arsenal as a club are clearly one of the main drivers of the PL's constant attacks on City, the hateful 8 letter etc, hypocrisy of their sponsorship alignments etc all add up to a distasteful aura surrounding the club as a whole.

I don't honestly understand why Pep can see behind the mask Arteta wears and still believe him to be a friend.

His actions, and those of the club are pretty shabby imo for a club of their " standing " and with a history of such good football in the past, despite Wenger's constant moans about us.

I think Pep does see behind the mask and over the years, the trust that was built between them has eroded, as shown during and after our previous game.

As for his tactics of breaking the play, there is also the downside of not trusting and empowering his players to play out a game, using unorthodox tactics to gain an advantage. Is this detrimental to team cohesion and unity, leading to indiscipline and a lack of selfless commitment?

 

[bridgeno1]

Exactly.
They think they're so much better than us..they have never won a European trophy for fucks sake.
Not like a team with no history who won one in 1969.
.
But we are better.
Not just better than you are now.
But better than you have ever been.
And I'll put a lot of money that arsenal will never have a team that's better than we are now.
Never .

Firstly we won the Cup Winners Cup and secondly there's a strong argument to be said that the Arsenal side that remained unbeaten and had players like Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Cole, Campbell etc in it was a superior team to the current City team.

But we'll never find out. But for sure neither City nor Arsenal will have a side that's better than the peak Pep Barcelona side with Messi, Xavi and Iniesta etc.

 

[SebastianBlue]

I’d be livid if that red card was given against City, tbh.

Why?

 

[moomba]

I’d be livid if that red card was given against City, tbh.

Really. Was a pretty obvious decision for me, and if it went against us I wouldn't have a problem at all.

 

[urban genie]

Firstly we won the Cup Winners Cup and secondly there's a strong argument to be said that the Arsenal side that remained unbeaten and had players like Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Cole, Campbell etc in it was a superior team to the current City team.

But we'll never find out. But for sure neither City nor Arsenal will have a side that's better than the peak Pep Barcelona side with Messi, Xavi and Iniesta etc.

how is there an arguement on that? the league was less competative then, they drew upmpteen amount of games and went out of every cup with a wimper.
I would argue Joses chelsea team that only lost to us was a better team than that arse one

the invincibles is such a shit acolade to cling to as a fan, you could draw 38 games and go invincible, but you would still be in the championship the year after.

though it would be piss funny to do it just to annoy these cunts and wind them up plus shutting down them claiming to be the only ones (which they ain't) but does anyone care if we didn't, meaningless feat compared to doubles/trebles/100points

 

[paulchapo]

The sending off yesterday was -I believe- referees cracking down on Arsenal's appalling lack of gamesmanship. What started out last season as sly and underhanded tactics has become a blatant disregard for the spirit of the game, and Arteta sticking two fingers up at the officials. He was never going to get away with it for long.
His ultra-negativity was highlighted to such dramatic effect with us: millions of people saw the time-wasting, the niggly fouls, the constant diving and cheating, every aspect of dark-arts football there is - and more. The Prem were never going to sit back and allow this sort of cheating to prosper in front of such large audiences.

A few years ago most football fans had a distinct 'couldn't-care-less' attitude towards Arsenal, but now most of them have an active and intense dislike for the club - because of Arteta.

He may be a good manager, he may even be a successful manager one day, but until he stops the silly and childish antics of tantrum-throwing and encouraging cheats and time-wasters to get the points on board, he will always be known as a sullen, confrontational, immature and insignificant little man with a chip on his shoulder. And if that's the legacy Arsenal fans will be happy with because it justifies their quest for the Prem trophy, let them go ahead.

Yes, totally agree. The officials are human and even if subconsciously most humans dislike cheating, dark arts and play acting to win at all costs. Add to that Arteta's rants and sarcasm and he's starting to grate on everybody. People also underestimate the influence and power the likes of Neville and the rest of the pundits have in their words. Remember when they started the tactical foul nonsense about Fernandinho? He was then under constant scrutiny and everybody mentioned it in every game. Hopefully more scrutiny will be put on their behaviour at corners and that will nullify them even more.

 

[SebastianBlue]

Really. Was a pretty obvious decision for me, and if it went against us I wouldn't have a problem at all.

Same for me.

Evanilson was clear favourite to get to the ball and, with a good touch, would be 1v1 with Raya. Saliba was behind him, no other Arsenal defender had any hope of covering, and Saliba clearly took him down. Evanilson couldn’t be offside because an Arsenal player passes the ball back.

I was actually frustrated, as I have been with a number of decisions where the referee let VAR effectively make the decisions for them, that only a yellow was initially given, when it was an obvious red to begin with.