Mikel Arteta has reiterated Arsenal’s need to strengthen their attacking options this month but stressed that any resolution doesn’t solely depend on the club.
With Gabriel Jesus sidelined by a long-term knee injury and Bukayo Saka nursing a hamstring problem, the Gunners heavily rely on their remaining forwards to play every three days.
As Arsenal battles for the Premier League title and aims to go deep in the Champions League, it’s a situation that feels unsustainable – or at the very least, fraught with risk. Unsurprisingly, the club has been linked with moves for a host of strikers, most notably RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Wolves’ Matheus Cunha.
It sounds like the former is staying put in Germany while the latter is currently discussing a new contract at Molineux. As the clock ticks on the window, the pressure is on for interim Sporting Director Jason Ayto.
Ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Wolves, Arteta was asked whether he, like everyone else in football, thinks it’s essential he adds to his forward line. The Spaniard didn’t take too kindly to the initial wording of the question, replying, “Have I ever said no to a striker?”
When he eventually understood what was being asked, he continued:
“My opinion is clear, we lost two very, very important players, Bukayo Saka and Gabi Jesus. So we lack goals, we lack people, we lack options in the front line, it is clear.
“If we can get the right player, that is what we are actively looking at. Any player? No. Someone that makes us better and has an impact on the team.
“It is clear that for the period that we have lost them, ideally, we need some help because we are very short already and we are even shorter. But the team still copes with that. But we have to do what is right for the club.”
Asked how he’d feel if the window closed without adding a player, he continued: “That is an option because it doesn’t depend on us. It doesn’t depend just on Arsenal or Mikel or our will. It depends on the market and many other factors.”
Arteta went on to confirm that targets had been identified and that work was going on behind the scenes.
He also dismissed suggestions that one of his two Premier League loanees – Neto and Raheem Sterling – would be returned to their parent club to make room for another temporary domestic signing.
In recent January windows, Arsenal has turned to experienced players to fill gaps—most notably Leandro Trossard and Jorginho. However, with the squad’s age profile on the rise, it’s been suggested that Arteta’s squad can’t absorb any more older profiles.
Arteta denied that. “Yes, it can, because I think you need to find the right chemistry and the right balance in the squad.
“That goes with age, that goes with personalities, that goes with characters. That goes with different skill sets to adapt to very different demands that the game can throw at us. So I think the squad is in a good place.”
He also admitted that he discusses potential signings with his existing players to get a complete picture of the individuals involved.
“Especially if they know them, because that’s getting away from the computer and what the data is saying, and it’s real,” he said.
“I’ve seen it, I sense it. A player can score a lot of goals, great. So how this player acted when he hasn’t scored for six, seven games? This is what I’m interested in.
“Watch an interview of a player that hasn’t scored for six games. And then what kind of goals does he score? Against which teams, in what context? The first half, the second half? Is it only right foot, is it only head? Is it only in open spaces? Does he like the physical contact of this league? It’s a lot of things.
“So when you have a player that has spent a lot of days with him, that’s really valuable information to have.”
Sterling can also be considered as injured.
Cunha believe it?!
Did anyone watch the monster target man face-off between Šeško and Gyokeres yesterday when Sporting played Leipzig? Although they both got on the scoresheet, from that match alone I thought Gyokeres looked the more complete striker although I’d put that down to his age; Šeško, however, looks like a player who could be coached to his level or higher. I think both would be really good additions to this team though, the strength, pace and directness is something I feel would add another dimension to our attack. I really liked Vlahovic’s profile a couple years back as he had similar… Read more »
Vlahovic turned us down. I prefer never to look at him ever, he can rot wherever he is. If you turn Arsenal down, you can go screw yourself.
Yup. Sesko looks the part. Make them an offer they can’t refuse NOW and stop dragging heels and acting like a club that is ok with finishing second every year…
„I think both would be really good additions to this team“ get them both!
There looks to be an unnecessary reluctance to sign a forward. Its been over a month since our best player got injured and a couple of weeks since we lost Jesus. Coupled with the fact our forwards are going through a loss of form doesn’t inspire much faith in our chances of success this season. Again. City are having their worst season for a while and they signed, completely unchallenged I might add for a very in-form forward in Marmoush. They’ve signed a couple of squad fillers/prospects as well. If we signed Sesko, Gyokeres, Gonzales, or Cunha now it would… Read more »
Did you even read the article ?
I don’t follow. Have you understood my comment? What part of it is contrary to the article? The injuries to key players? The loss of form of our forwards? The lack of options up front? The fact that Man City are having a poor season? Arteta saying he understands it is just hyperbole, 9 days remaining in the transfer window and the only real chance of signing someone is playing against us this weekend and he was signing a contract extension a couple of weeks ago.
Your very first sentence is wrong at best. There has never been any reluctance from Arteta to sign a striker.
David Ornstein again confirmed recently that Arteta asked for Isak when he was still at Real Sociedad and for Sesko last summer.
Remember that transfer window when we had all those sightings of Isak cruising N5 in his blingmobile with the I5AK plates?
I do, I think it was The S*n which even mentioned that Arsenal fans might be able to solve Tupac’s murder
Asked for Isak , put no bid in, signed which striker then? Asked for Sesko signed Calafiori, Merino, Neto. Sterling was a desperate gamble which has fallen flat. So no plan. Just one specific striker and if that doesn’t come off, sign a midfielder, defender. That is a reluctance to have variation on strikers or have any kind of back up.
Well he does not decide on transfers on its own. Several people are involved in the decision making. We also had several needs last summer and had to fill them as well.
I disagree on Sterling, see below my anwser to George on the topic.
I am not solely blaming Arteta. I said a reluctance, not Arteta has a reluctance. The transfer team as a whole has not signed a bona fide striker since Wenger signed Aubameyang and Lacazette. Too slowly we tried Nketiah, Jesus had a decent couple of months when he first signed and now attacking midfielder Havertz, who is not a striker. We have had 2/3 players in Saka and Odegaard and one season Martinelli who shared the goals. In that time period, if we had a proper striker we could have won the league. Unless this is addressed we will all… Read more »
My bad for the focus on Mikel then (although whole article is about him) but still does not agree on the “reluctance”.
We did not find the right person that does not mean we are not looking for it.
Where does he say in his first sentence that Arteta is being reluctant? The club is being reluctant obviously.
I think the point is we’ve needed a striker for quite some time – it’s not just about this season. Arteta seems fixed on the ‘ideal’ forward and, perfect being the enemy of good, won’t sign anyone. In reality, if we’re relying on set pieces and crosses into the box, we might as well get Chris Wood.
“we might as well get Chris Wood” – but obviously we shouldn’t do that.
Arteta wants a forward, that’s clear.
Arteta doesn’t want just any old forward though. Not sure it’s as much about finding the ‘ideal’ guy, as making sure we don’t get the wrong guy.
While we probably don’t want Chris Wood because of his age profile, he has scored 14 league goals in the league season so he couldn’t much worse for us. Its not like Forest have the creativity we have either. We’ve needed a striker for a while, someone who stay in the box, sniff defensive lapses – we signed a hybrid forward last season. Prior to that Jesus who didn’t exactly score for fun at City. We’ve not really replaced Aubameyang.
Yes his age profile does not match scouting targets but that this not the only reason why we did not sign a target man such as Chris Wood.
We do not play like Forrest, we do not have similar profiles at other positions, etc
Yeah but Raheem Sterling. Not sure what exactly might have indicated he was the right guy. Just seems the determination to get this exactly right is preventing us doing anything at all until two minutes to the transfer deadline and oh hey, I remember him from City, he was good then. Just wish we’d be more proactive in recruiting for this part of the pitch, even if there’s a chance we get the wrong guy once in a while. Happens to all the best managers.
Let’s not act like Sterling was our main target. He was a decent option all things taken into account (salary, attitude, familiary with coach, timing)
We are proactive but this is not football manager where you just submit an offer to a player you like and that’s it.
You’re saying Sterling was a decent option? The fck he was. He was another Arteta “old pals” option that was never going to work. Totally on him. In fact, this whole “Arteta is trying hard to get a striker”…I’m not actually buying that he prioritizes the position unless there is a true emergency. Even now, complete joke we are obviously scrambling last minute while the likes of city sign three players at the drop of a hat, one of which would do very nice in our team right now. Total bs we are not able to add someone like cunha… Read more »
seems that city is exactly doing this… ☹️
Santi Gimenes.
Are we really going to blame the manager for trying to get the best striker possible? As said above to Chuffy, he clearly recognise the need and has tried to secure very good players but it did not materialize for several reasons.
Also, we do not solely rely on set pieces nor crosses even if Gary Neville says so. They are part of the attacking options which are broader and more complex than this (false) statement.
I don’t think it’s just something Gary Neville made up. I don’t know if it’s because of all the low blocks, but so much of our attacking threat relies on whipping the ball into the box for someone to bundle in. It’s hard to watch sometimes. Rice’s goal the other night was a breath of fresh air in that someone actually took a shot without taking two touches and crossing it. No one’s trying to blame Arteta for trying to get it right, it’s more we’d like him to try *something*. It’s been evident for a while we need more… Read more »
For a team that is second in the league, the market is small to actually improve the squad and especially in January. That being said, we did waste time last transfer window chasing targets, Williams and Sesko, without getting anyone. Arteta has already demonstrated he won’t just play anyone up front, Pepe and Auba come to mind. I think the club are still mindful of both of those disastrous decisions. So just getting anyone is off the table aka Willian and overpaying in January for a player on the list, while a good option IMO, is off the table because… Read more »
It is complicated, probably way more than my instinctive take on it, which is a) our reliance/emphasis on set pieces reduces goalscoring to a crapshoot, therefore you don’t need to sign peak Messi, just someone fresh who can add depth and give us something different, and b) our need for a stronger forward line might be *acknowledged* by the manager, but less likely ever to be acted on, thus giving us Merino and Calafiori who no one was ever crying out for (but who I accept will be easier to sign than a striker).
The last part of your comment illustrates that fans tend to look at short-term needs positionally whereas the manager and recruiting team take at least as much account of strategic opportunistic decision-making for the medium and long term. I.e. buy quality/potential in areas of impending need when you have the opportunity.
Pity their strategic medium/long term vision has never seen the forward line as an impending need.
He has been trying since day 1.
We lost the title two seasons ago because Saliba and Tomiyasu got injured against Sporting. If the same occurs people will blame Arteta for not signing extra defenders.
I guess this is just part of the job
We need a match winner
And did you just see City signed Marmousch who is scoring for fun in Germany.
I did. He is a good player and I did not understand why Wolfsburg let him go for free to Frankfurt in the first place.
What else do you want me to say ? Does Mikel wish he would have signed him? I have no idea
Would Marmousch suits the way we play ? He might but again cannot be certain
He could easily be the sort of player that takes half a season to adapt to a new league and club (and the club to him). While he might be a good solution long term, he’s not a solution for now. Equally on Marmousch. I think Wolfsburg let him go on a free because he just wasn’t scoring goals (5 in over 40 league games) with them. On top of that he hadn’t impressed during several previous loans. There is no reason to say that he’d continue scoring if he moved again. So Manchester City are taking a punt on… Read more »
I still think Wolfsburg messed up because his season at Sankt-Pauli was good since he was not a natural goal scorer during his youth.
Agreed that the playing style Dino’s been using at Frankfurt is quite unique thus there are questions on the way Marmoush will adapt to Pep’s but they can take this risks given ADUG’s finances
You’re missing the point. Of course you cannot be certain a signing will work out but fck me you have to at least try! 60 mil for marmoush is absolutely worth a roll of the dice. Why couldn’t we have signed him?
Are you for real??
@chuffy – For what it’s worth, your comment reads clearly to me as directed at the club, not at Arteta. So I’m not sure what’s so controversial about what you’re saying.
Its generated a bit of discourse, which is alright. I just wish people would think bigger picture and not just comment with short termism reactions. Its obvious we have improved in the last few years, but there is always a piece missing in the final puzzle which unfortunately be the different between winning trophies and not. If, in 4/5 years we drop off in standards and other clubs improve who will remember this team? Not many because 1 FA Cup is not enough for all the money spent. Portsmouth won the FA cup in 2008.
How do you read what Arteta said and come up with that?
Which team wants to lose their main striker in the middle of the season?
And I would rather we sign no one than a waste of space, we already have Sterling as a stop-gap, and is not doing well. imagine we panic-bought and can’t sell him.
Having an out-of-form Sterling as an untrusted stopgap is perhaps a reason why we need reinforcement.
Sounds more like the scouting department has gone mia if we are asking players for recommendations.
I think you need to read the article again – that’s not what he says.
It doesn’t help when the article title is “admits to consulting his players about targets” That made the hair stand up on my back. Makes him sound amateurish instead of thorough.
“Hey Eddie, do you think we should buy Sesko?”
“No.”
“Hey Eddie, do you think we should sell Eddie?”
*swallows itself and creates a space-time paradox which consumes the known universe*
Why is that amateurish? I would argue that players who know our system to a T are better placed than most to say “Here’s why X, Y and Z would be a good option.” A computer can tell you only a certain bit of information, hence why you need scouts and player recommendations.
It’s hardly a radical idea.
We usually agree but not here.
What’s wrong from asking questions to your players who you trust and who know a potential target better than you and/or your scouts?
There are things data cannot see and you know I am keen on data !
We do agree, 100%. My issue was that the title of the article presents Arteta in a negative light, when the action itself is a positive one. I completely agree you should ask players about other players, especially if they know them.
Reading the article clears that, Bobbert skipped the article and ran to the comment session. Such a sp*rsy move.
My bad then !
I’d argue that trying any source to get information makes him more thorough.
Why though? Why not use all of the information that’s available to you? To me sounds like the definition of being thorough. Consulting with them doesn’t mean that’s his main source of info or that their opinion carries massive weight in this process.
He knows that, he just likes spouting negative crap for his own ears.
What’s an interesting read into it is that he’s talking specifically about signing a striker and consulting players who might have played with that target to understand their character. That’s unsurprising, as character is a big thing for Mikel. However, as far as I can tell no-one in our squad has played with anyone we’ve actually been linked with? So I’m wondering if he could be looking at a more left field option, e.g. Abraham would fit that box after his time at Chelsea, we could potentially be exploring if Roma have a break clause in his AC loan and… Read more »
I guess it’s easy to think we know and hear about everything the club does in the press. Believe it or not, a lot of it doesn’t get leaked, especially if it’s early stages and a bid hasn’t been put through yet. There’s so much more going on behind the scenes than we have any clue about.
That’s a shout Kris. Depending on the numbers, in principle this could be a shrewd move.
And City just signed a perfect player for us . Bet hey let’s just dither and chat about targets
Perfect for us according to… pundits? Journalists? “Journalists”? If we signed every bright spark touted to us by Piers Morgan or whoever, we’d be broke and with a shit squad.
I don’t believe we were too cheap to pay £60M for a guy we thought was right; or that we were caught twiddling our thumbs. Maybe he chose City over us for reasons related or unrelated to football. It looks like we want a striker “for life” not just for Christmas.
Haaland just signed a 10-year contract. If that’s not for life, I don’t know what is 🙂
Thinking about Mudryk, sometimes hardballing saves us from collecting waste.
“No. Someone that makes us better and has an impact on the team.”
They didn’t apply that logic when they signed Sterling.
And I’ve no idea what Mikel Merino does.
He’s basically Xhaka without the good qualities.
Sterling was not the first option to be a backup for Saka but we had to look for someone good enough to challenge him but who would not be bother to be 2nd in the picking order and who would not cost too much because the main target was a striker (Sesko last summer). We are paying 1/3 of his salary, I heard no negative feedback on him, he does he best even if he is very far from being good at the moment I agree. On Merino, I am a bit disappointed and was very much against Villa but… Read more »
Sterling can’t do what Arteta wants from his wide players. He’s not a nuisance to the opposition when we are defending, like Martinelli, Odegaard and Saka are. His close control is poor, he can’t beat a man, he can only kick it past a player and run after it. No use against a low block where there’s no space. His passing is poor and his shooting is mediocre. Arteta has used him very infrequently this season, even though Saka has been struggling with his hamstring, and that’s because he isn’t good enough. If we wanted to win the league, a… Read more »
I disagree
Yes he has not been great but you see the desire and he offers something different than our other wingers. Let’s see if he stays fit how he can help this team.
I expect Merino to play tomorrow, let’s discuss after the game if this is the case.
Anyone remember what Mikel said at a press conference when it was known Sterling was available and the reporter asked him if he wanted Sterling? He said NO, quickly and emphatically. Now why would he say that if he didn’t mean it?
Merino is too slow for my liking. I see what he adds except its not enough. Its still his first few months with us even by his own admission did state that he’s still getting to grips with everything. So let’s review his game in May.
The truth is our next move in the forward line has to be a world class performer which we don’t have.
We don’t need another Saka, Trossard or Martinelli, we need a Salah, Haaland or Kane, a consistent match winning goal scorer.
The prevailing believe is that you’re only as good as your weakest link, which is not really true, what’s true is you’re only as good as your best player/top goal scorer.
We really miss Saka. Works class player and so young too. Love him.
You’re wrong, remove Saka’s goals in the league and it changes the result in only one match and gains us 1 additional point.
Do the same with Salah or Haaland and its 11 points across 7 matches for Liverpool and Salah and 12 points over 6 games for City and Haaland.
He’s not a match winner and has made no difference to our results.
We’re missing someone who turns loses into draws and draws into win.
That’s very short term-ism of you. Saka is a player who would walk into any team in the world. If that’s not world class, we have very different definitions.
It’s just a fact, there’s no emotion attached to it
It’s ridiculous though. Do you really think if Liverpool could let Salah go and get Saka, they’d say no? Saka is the closest in the PL to matching Salah as a left winger. Is he still far off? Yeah. But he is young and his trajectory has basically been vertical year on year.
I wouldn’t swap Salah for Saka, as i’ve said Saka isn’t a match winner and i doubt he will consistently ever be one otherwise he would be already. Cole Palmer, who’s younger than him, his goals have added 10 points to Chelsea this season. Saka’s goals have added 1 point and i’m not picking on him, Havertz’s goals have added 4 points, Martinelli’s 2 points, Trossard 2 points, Odegaard 0(Zero) points. That’s not to say they’re not good players but they’re not match winners or difference makers, they are all part of a highly functional team. We have a gapping… Read more »
Why don’t you add Saka’s assists in, or does that not back up your argument?
(and I mean argument in the absolute loosest sense of the word)
Because assists are final pass, which is a bullshit way to measure.
I’m old enough to remember when Sergi Rebrov was going to turn Chris Armstrong into Shevchenko because of all of his “assists” at Dynamo Kyiv or Ivan de la Pena being the reason Ronaldo scored 40 goals at Barcelona. Neither turned out to be true!!
Goals are the hardest thing in football and incidentally the measure of how matches are won or lost, not assists.
No one’s scrabbling for us to sign Antonee Robinson are they?!?
Sure, but a lot of people think Alexander-Arnold is pretty good.
Ha, how are allocating these points. What a load of guff.
I removing to goals scored at looking at the scoreline after
When I watch Chelsea, I sometimes see Palmer make a brilliant pass and sometimes I see him score a brilliant goal. But sometimes–for very long periods–I don’t see him at all. He is young and may develop, but now he is a highlight-reel player, not a player who controls the game. I think I understand why Pep was willing to see him go. The player he reminds me of, though he is better and younger, is James Maddison, not De Bruyne.
Are you seriously determining the importance of a player solely based on his goals? Then I believe Van Dijk nor Rodri are not important players?
No, that’s not what i wrote
Please enlighten me then because you wrote :
“You’re wrong, remove Saka’s goals in the league and it changes the result in only one match and gains us 1 additional point.
Do the same with Salah or Haaland and its 11 points across 7 matches for Liverpool and Salah and 12 points over 6 games for City and Haaland.
He’s not a match winner and has made no difference to our results.”
To me it seems you are clearly deciding if someone is a world class player based on the goals he scored.
I can see that English comprehension is not your strong point.
The statement i was replying to started with “We really miss Saka”
Not my first language indeed but you replied this statement:
“We really miss Saka. Works class player and so young too. Love him.”
by saying ” You are wrong” and then talked about the number of goal he scored this season and how they had little impact on the point tally compared to Salah and Haaland who both are world class players.
And what even is this goal that added points bullshit ? So if we are trailling 0-1 and Saka scores then Jesus does, Saka’s goal is worthless?
Yes, he’s wrong that we miss him, because we don’t. We’re winning and accumulating points at the same rate(actually higher) without him. If we beat a team 2-1 and Saka scores one, his goal has turned a draw into a win, 2 points added. It’s showing the points value of the goals scored. We as a team are very good at beating sides by more than one goal, we also in other matches struggle to score at all. When we function as a team we score 3,4,5 goals and spread them about, individual goals get lost in the aggregate. Our… Read more »
Would be glad if you could provide me (or anyone else) with the data regarding the % of points with and without Saka this season while taking into account the strenght of the opponent.
Don’t waste your energy trying to understand it, it’s complete nonsense
John C has indeed been pretty vocal here since both losses against Newcastle and Man United but just wanted him to clarify his point since I was a bit surprised for an Arsenal fan not to consider Bukayo as world class
Because I want to present a different and in my opinion more accurate view point.
I have a natural aversion to putting people on pedestals and i find thats exactly what’s going on here.
World class forwards have to put in regular match winning performances, he just doesn’t fall into that category and it doesn’t do him any favours say he does.
I want Arsenal to win and to place one player beyond analysis or criticism i find truly bizarre
Of course, a player thats scored 5 goals is clearly contributing the same number of points as a player that score 17, only an idiot couldn’t see that.
There’s absolutely no point in seeing what those 12 goals add to your team in relation to league points!!
Can ask how old you are
I’d take Salah any day of the week. But was he a world class super striker when Liverpool signed him? I think it was Stillman who said clubs make great strikers or give them a platform to develop; they rarely buy them that way.
Yeah he was, he was pretty much a goal every other game scorer at Roma. 29 non penalty goals in 61 starts
The season before at Fiorentina he score 6 from 10 starts, so the myth of it coming out of nowhere is just that, a myth
I stand corrected. What I’m trying to say though, he didn’t rip it up at Chelsea (whoever was their manager probably had a lot to do with it) and did we really expect him to be so damn brilliant almost 10 years later?
He still scored against us though
This is exactly what the club is trying to do but it takes time because big money needs to be involved.
Takes time? Not for city. Dragging heels as usual.
At the end there he’s talking about Isak, isn’t he? A player our players know from Sociedad, he also had a barren goalscoring spell so Arteta is pumping Odegaard or Merino for that inside info on his character.
This is quite possible indeed
“getting away from the computer and what the days is saying” is he implying we have no actual scouts anymore and solely base all our scouting off of a database pool provided by some company and player recommendations? We’ll never find the Mo Salah before Mo Salah that way…
Data*
No he does not imply this at all.
He said that while data helps narrowing the scope, you need to see some things with your own eyes.
What’s the matter with everyone today, you are the only one speaking sense on here!
Well as said above, comment sections have been more popular in January with few bad results which is not a surprise since negativity appeals more to the human’s brain (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negativity_bias)
That’s rich
Mikel out. He’s sacked all the scouts.
One has to be careful in the transaction area of existence, and not only in the world of sport, methinks. Reminds me of a mate of mine a few years ago who asked for my advice regarding the purchase of a car; basically he needed the car for his son to drive him and his wife around and about, as both parents were more or less totally devoid of their optical abilities- as in, blind! My expertise is a bit varied, but I have managed to obtain some decent motors in my time on the planet, albeit with some purchases… Read more »
Unfortunately, some of the comments here reflect the current sorry and toxic lack of critical, level-headed reasoning. A lot of people seem to want quick fixes or the wave of a magic wand to immediately solve problems and immediately get results. Reality is not a game of FIFA Manager career, and in some way, clubs like Chelski, $hitty, Barcelona, Real, United etc. have to take some blame, but especially Roman’s Chelski and $hitty, clubs that pretty much did a “FIFA Manager” in the PL since 2004, 20 steady years of fostering the impression that you can just go out and… Read more »
Init
Let’s try to be optimistic here lads. Solid win tomorrow, training session on wednesday then some firing power before next Sunday’s win ?
Totally get what you’re saying. It’s just we’ve been in this situation for a good couple of years, and now the injuries have stacked up and we have four left backs on the bench and no forwards. But do avoid the Daily Hail clickbait. Thanks.
I understand that, but money drives football now. The injuries have stacked up because of too many games. Players like Saka have barely had a break the last 3-4 years. Managers and Players are put hnder immense pressure and Klopp hinted at the ridiculousness of it all when he left Liverpool, it is mentally and physically draining. Players are handled like commodities now, a lot of stakeholders, fans included, just don’t care about their well-being, the amount of games being played are ridiculous, we are not short because we don’t have enough players, we are short because of injuries popping… Read more »
Very good arguments there. Well said.
I made the mistake of clicking on the Independent several times leading to being totally mis-lead. When I was still in England it was a quality broadsheet but I guess it’s also been sucked down by the rag culture.
Their print offspring the i seems to be heading into Daily Express territory.
Thanks for expressing what has been percolating in my head for a while. As you possibly infer, I don’t blame fans as much as “the powers” for warping the relationship that a fan has with a club. We each have to make our own peace with it.