09 Jan 2024 19:27:36
For a while now i've had a few things in my mind i wanted to write about. Somewhat surprisingly today i'm having a lot of free time in the evening so might as well take advantage of that.

About the latest games - apart from the Fulham game in my opinion our general play has been quite good excluding the obvious weak area, finishing. There's not a single in-form forward in the team at the moment so of course that will make things way harder than they should be. Has the pressure got to our players? If so, i hope we will use this break to relax a bit and hopefully that will result in a bit more composure in front of goal when we return.

In terms of January signings i'm not expecting much. Short term deals at best but that'd be fine as well. I believe we can improve the team if we want to. This is something my heart wants probably more than my head, but i'd take Giroud on loan or even on a 1,5 year contract in a heartbeat. Once dubbed as one of the best super subs and surely capable of starting the odd premier league game as well. AC Milan are 9 points behind the leaders in their league and out of UCL so he won't be missing much. Let's make it happen.

They say prices are inflated in January so let's use that to our advantage. Get some inflated fees on Nketiah and Smith Rowe (sorry but he's obviously not in Arteta's plans) , then get the short term deals to boost the end of this season and in the summer spend big.

Back to the current squad. I want to give some appreciation for someone who does not seem to be that loved among the fans - Jorginho. I get it that he's a very limited player. Reminds me of Arteta when he was asked to play pivot alongside the likes of Wilshere and Ramsey. He was not strong enough to protect the defense. But this team is different. Jorginho has Rice for company. And i think they might just be the perfect complimentary players for each other. What Jorginho can do extremely well? Play pivot. He can sit in the middle of the opposition block, receive the ball with his back turned, turn with the ball in a tight space and then play the pass. That's i would say the one and only main thing Rice is lacking. Rice plays outside the opposition block and then usually plays the ball to the side. So credit to Jorginho for being able to do something the absolute monster named Declan Rice cannot do.

Finally, i want to say something about the officiating. Not just VAR, but officiating in general. I've seen so many times the ref being placed absolutely perfectly when an "incident" happens. The ref let's play go on and when there's the next break, VAR will be checking the "incident". Why? Can't the on-field referee just say to his microphone "i saw it and this is the decision"? Are the on-field refs too scared to take responsibility or is VAR simply built in a way that it will check all the major incidents no matter what the on-field ref does? We see time and again VAR being criticised but i don't think it's fair to only put VAR in the spotlight. We should be talking about officiating as a whole instead.

So quite a few random things squeezed into a single post. Sorry for the somewhat disjointed structure but hopefully you've enjoyed the reading anyway!

1.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 20:36:45
I would like to see the wingers swap sides more often, and get in behind the packed box, and get the defence turning towards their own goal.

Our buld up is too slow, even the few teams that don't play a low block against, always have time to get every one behind the ball.

VAR, initially I thought it was good idea, the refs need help, especially from the con men on the pitch. But it hasn't helped, if anything it's worse. I watched a few cup games where VAR wasn't available, and generally the games were a much better watch.

2.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 20:46:51
Absolutely Davy mate. last season during games Saka and Gabi were swapping wings and pulling defenders all over the place.
Also like you said me don't make defenders turn, instead we try to play neat little one twos in a packed penalty area and it doesn't come off.

3.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 23:01:31
Agree totally with the above and yes get Giroud absolutely quality.

4.) 10 Jan 2024
10 Jan 2024 23:43:14
I watched a Championship game recently without VAR. It was so much better.

5.) 11 Jan 2024
11 Jan 2024 07:47:56
Agree the game is better off without var.

6.) 11 Jan 2024
11 Jan 2024 19:33:38
Personally i'd like var to be another assistant to the main ref. I'd like them to be able to freely talk and just like with the linesmen (at least i imagine the linesmen work with the main ref like this) the ref would be able to ask the video referee if he saw an incident and if he thought it was a foul. And the video ref could notify the on-pitch ref for any incident he saw fit to talk about. So basically make the interaction between them less restricted. And ditch the var check screens and long pauses. The video ref can watch the game live from a different perspective and rewind once or twice if needed. Surely that's enough to come to a respectable decision?

So in a nutshell i want var to be far more usable for the on-field ref and far less intrusive for everyone else.

7.) 12 Jan 2024
12 Jan 2024 11:07:05
Wish football would do what rugby do show it on the big screen stop the clock and you can hear the refs talk to each other its so much better.

{Ed002's Note - Football fans are very different to rugby fans and it would never work.}

8.) 14 Jan 2024
14 Jan 2024 18:45:47
I agree most football fans find it difficult to see what they don't want see and not defend their teams interest regardless of evidence or even fact. Many fans are as dogmatic in their beliefs as religious people.