Fulham FP H Sat 26th August KO 3pm

[Perryashburtongroves]

Trossard had to go

He didn't have a good first half for sure Rodders, but for me, Eddie on for Havertz was the decision to make. Sadly, the new favourite will be as untouchable as Xhaka was.

When it comes down to it, Trossard is more likely to score or create something than Havertz, you is fucking terrible.

Bit harsh Perry, I was making the same point.

Sorry. He is fucking terrible. You are nowhere near as bad

[Thynker]

Looks like Zinchenko gave the ball way cheaply and then missed the recovery tackle leading to the corner they scored from.

Their goal was absolutely caused by the defence being all out of position.
Partey the right back was in the centre circle and White the RCB was in a right wing back position leaving a huge hole straight up the middle

[Clummo99]

Looks like Zinchenko gave the ball way cheaply and then missed the recovery tackle leading to the corner they scored from.

Their goal was absolutely caused by the defence being all out of position.
Partey the right back was in the centre circle and White the RCB was in a right wing back position leaving a huge hole straight up the middle

Is that referring to the first goal? If so, you really don't have a clue mate do you.

[the playing mantis]

These are the last days of Arteta. Believe me he will be gone by Christmas.
[/quote

You really think that the Kroenkes will sack him after he nearly took us to the title last season ?
Look how long it took to get rid of Wenger. He will stay as long as he wants.

Yep he will Rob. That 2nd place has given him a job for life and as can be seen on here he can do no wrong in some fans eyes and it will ever be this just like the akbs until it really becomes infighting and untenable but it will take years as it did with wenger.


We are worse than last season all because of team selection tactics and pure self harm.

Instead of adding to what we had on what appeared to be a potentially winnng formula, by improving certain positions and adding backup strength, which is what we thought the signings had done, he's completely jumped the shark and ripped up what we had to either try and be clever or because he's facking insane.

It all seems to be to accommodate his love child havertz. Wtf has he started each game? Why disrupt a winning team for this no mark who's done nothing to justify a starting place? Bring him off the bench ok, but completely change us to start this non entity is lunacy.

Complete imbalance. White was not the best last season but i thought he was pretty effective at right back, working well with saka, and he's a poor CB, yet no, partey ffs in a position he's never played before, simply to accommodate havertz who is worse than xhaka ffs!!!

Breaking up a pretty strong CD partnership for no reason, a disgraceful situation at left back getting rid of the best albeit injury prone defender when we are short and making us weaker there (fine let him go if timber hadn't got injured but he has) not giving esr, one of the brightest talents and more potential than saka imo, a chance, the willful neglect of even pretending to be interested in signing a goalscoring striker.

The crazy GK situation...ramsdale is error prone but not the biggest area of need yet we sign another number 1 of similar level...completely pointless...fine do it if your gonna bin ramsdale off immediatly but just do it straight away and get him out of the club. This 2 number 1s is madness and going to cause issues.

The manager seems to have believed his own hype and gone mad...I was full of hope, and even thought maybe havertz was not so bad having not watched much of chavs, despite not rating at all what I had seen, yet he's utterly awful and arteta has destroyed what we had last season to fit him in and making bizarre choices as mentioned above to leave us weaker than last season.

It's baffling. Self harm.

Piss easy start to the season and we have made hard work of it. It's gonna be a struggle and this side will be well below the victims and chavs and Saudis, let alone city unless big changes are made ASAP.

United are shite but if they beat us its a crisis imo if not already.

Yes a home draw to Fulham after 2 wins isn't the end of the world but we look so disjointed and poor.

Add to it all the media cream their pangs over scum and the BAP effect and its incredibly frustrating.

I was never convinced on arteta but felt he earned this season to be truly judged. So far it seems he's gone batshit and willfully making us worse.

I simply don't undertsand it.

[Retro Gunner]

Don’t know if Mantis or Rob made that post above (I think it’s Mantis), but it’s bang on the money.

[the playing mantis]

Twas me.

Sure we will have nutty and co giving it the le Grove bllx in the morning about how this is being done to make us less predictable and more fluid and when it clicks it will go bang. .short term pain etc..what a load of cack. Back to the wenger days judge me in May.

It's an excuse to justify the complete restructure to fit havertz in.

Last season was a burn out issue mostly No bench power. We killed the 13.

Yes at times no plan b last season but it was pretty tough to have a plan b when so few players to rely on.

We now have some strength in depth.. well not at left back or upfront but still, so burnout shouldn't be such an issue.

All this playing people out of position being a masterstroke is pure unadulterated akb jam tomorrow nonsense. And they know it.

It's madness and all to accommodate havertz who is utter gash yet I'm sure the football philsophers will mention all the space he makes and he's off the ball work etc. Again bllx by blind loyalists to try to justify a crap player. His inclusion in the starting xi is making us worse as any one with eyes can see.

Experiment arteta yes for a plan b, but when you are 3 nil up and introduce new ideas off the bench and new players who have zero proven talent (havertz) gradually off the bench.

Willful self harm for zero reason. If we carry on we will come unstuck big time and will do well to finish top 6.

[Thynker]

Looks like Zinchenko gave the ball way cheaply and then missed the recovery tackle leading to the corner they scored from.

Their goal was absolutely caused by the defence being all out of position.
Partey the right back was in the centre circle and White the RCB was in a right wing back position leaving a huge hole straight up the middle

Is that referring to the first goal? If so, you really don't have a clue mate do you.

First paragraph 2nd goal.
Second paragraph 1st goal

Id hardly be blaming Zinchenko on the first goal qhen he wasn't on the pitch.

[rodders999]

Alcohol is only a temporary refuge from the pain I can regretfully confirm.

Massively pissed off about the self harm nature of yesterday. If it was a one off shit happens scenario, I could suck it up and it would be easier to compartmentalise but 3 times, in what is it now, our last 10 home games?, we’ve managed to concede within 60 fucking seconds and two of those came from us passing the ball directly to the opposition?

What the actual fuck?

That’s 100% an attitude issue because it doesn’t happen away from home. For it to happen at home 3 times in a few months means it’s not some random turn of events, it’s something deeper.

Bournemouth, Southampton and Fulham - 3 teams the players would have gone out on the field expecting to beat comfortably, poor attitude, careless start with everyone not tuned in.

Not fucking good enough, there’s ways to drop points at home, their keeper has a worldie, we pepper the goal, hit the post, off the line, it’s just not your day, that shit can happen. But providing the assist by carelessly passing the fucking ball to the opposition is fucking self harm FC and not acceptable

[Clummo99]

Looks like Zinchenko gave the ball way cheaply and then missed the recovery tackle leading to the corner they scored from.

Their goal was absolutely caused by the defence being all out of position.
Partey the right back was in the centre circle and White the RCB was in a right wing back position leaving a huge hole straight up the middle

Is that referring to the first goal? If so, you really don't have a clue mate do you.

First paragraph 2nd goal.
Second paragraph 1st goal

Id hardly be blaming Zinchenko on the first goal qhen he wasn't on the pitch.

Well I didn't want to assume after reading the majority of your posts.

We were in comfortable possession with the ball at Saka's feet, looking to build an attack. Therefore Partey is supposed to be in midfield and White moves across to a wide right centreback position (Kiwior doing the same on the left) because we transition to a back three when we are attacking. Ramsdale steps up to the edge of his box to make a fourth "defender" if required.

Saka is the only player at fault for that goal by giving the ball away.

The lack of tactical knowledge on here astounds me at times. People can't seem to get their heads around the fact that football has moved on from the rigid 442 of yesteryear.

I'm sure that now Zinny has proven his fitness he'll be back in next week and White will revert to rightback. This won't be as a reaction to yesterday, it will be by design. Partey has only played at RB because of Zinny's and Timber's absence.

And please don't bring up your tired argument about KT because he is a traditional style fullback with limited ability and doesn't fit into our style of play.

Cue the usual pigheaded haters and naysayers who can't see what's in front of their faces and still think football is played like it was in the 70's and 80's.

[mcdowell42]

KT is in Spain now to finalise a season long loan,and Balogun is in France also having a medical with Monaco ahead of his £45m move

SSN reporting 45m sterling

[the playing mantis]

Here we go! Championship managers who think they see more into it than there actually is to try to defend some very odd decisions.

Can't see what's in front of you...

Making us worse.

'Zinny' was a liability last season and will be again. Funny how teams targeted that area constantly last season or didn't you see what was in front of you?!

Why is Gabriel not playing why shoehorn a completely out of form (effeftive ability?) havertz in and not introduce from the bench?

O clummo drink the kool aid this crazy experiment has to end. You experiment in preseason or when a game is won.

If he persists with this I'm turning to the augie side.

Likewise if we sell Gabriel this late in the window and don't replace him (and sell for peanuts).

This result and performances so far have really bothered me...I think it's the optimism and hope of the summer and frustration at the self harm by both players and team selection.

[the playing mantis]

KT is in Spain now to finalise a season long loan,and Balogun is in France also having a medical with Monaco ahead of his £45m move

SSN reporting 45m sterling

Makes no odds we won't reinvest it. We have done spending and weirdly find ourselves weaker defensively given timbers injury ignoring 65m wasted on havertz and the odd raya decision (odd in not getting rid of ramsdale if signing raya)

Back to top 6 scramble I fear.

[Clummo99]

Here we go! Championship managers who think they see more into it than there actually is to try to defend some very odd decisions.

Can't see what's in front of you...

Making us worse.

'Zinny' was a liability last season and will be again. Funny how teams targeted that area constantly last season or didn't you see what was in front of you?!

Why is Gabriel not playing why shoehorn a completely out of form (effeftive ability?) havertz in and not introduce from the bench?

O clummo drink the kool aid this crazy experiment has to end. You experiment in preseason or when a game is won.

If he persists with this I'm turning to the augie side.

Likewise if we sell Gabriel this late in the window and don't replace him (and sell for peanuts).

This result and performances so far have really bothered me...I think it's the optimism and hope of the summer and frustration at the self harm by both players and team selection.

Championship Manager??? I'm too long in the tooth for that shite. Never played it or FIFA. I leave that to my kids.

You obviously lack the intelligence to understand modern football and are one of the naysayers that I predicted would pop up.

Do one mate.

[Clummo99]

BTW for clarity, not once have I said I agree with it, not once have I defended Arteta for the tactics and formations because basically I don't. It's just modern football for you, its the way the game is now played and I'm just trying to explain to Thynker why, in his opinion, players were out of position and there were holes in the defensive setup.

I'd hate to hear people's opinions if we set up like Spuds under Fat Ange where BOTH fullbacks invert! It would be unbelievable.

[the playing mantis]

BTW for clarity, not once have I said I agree with it, not once have I defended Arteta for the tactics and formations because basically I don't. It's just modern football for you, its the way the game is now played and I'm just trying to explain to Thynker why, in his opinion, players were out of position and there were holes in the defensive setup.

I'd hate to hear people's opinions if we set up like Spuds under Fat Ange where BOTH fullbacks invert! It would be unbelievable.

They are winning with from a base of crap and did it in preseason. Luckily as they should have lost against Brentford and an awful United but still