Morning all.
The Daily Mail have a poll running which asks readers who they think should start at right-back for England at the World Cup later this year. The options along with the votes so far are as follows:
- Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7,960 votes
- Reece James – 10,313 votes
- Kyle Walker – 5,262 votes
- Kieran Trippier – 3,630 votes
- Someone else – 1,240 votes
Of course it’s in Arsenal’s interest that Ben White doesn’t go to Qatar with England but I don’t think I’ve seen a better right-back than him so far this season. How on earth can Alexander-Arnold even be considered before Gabriel Martinelli ran rings round him, let alone afterwards? What is it about England managers who can’t see what’s in front of them sometimes, preferring to stick to who they know. Harry Maguire should in my opinion, be nowhere near the England squad when it’s sets off for warm climates next month but I bet he is. Hypothetically, if I had to choose between him or Rob Holding, I’d opt for the latter. Not because he plays for Arsenal but because I think he’s probably more reliable. Just. Lol
Another Arsenal player ignored by England is Eddie Nketiah, despite breaking all sorts of records at under 21 level. Is he good enough for the senior team? I’d say yes he is because he’ll score goals from open play rather than relying on a spot kick from twelve yards. How many English strikers does Gareth Southgate have to call on who are much better than Eddie? Apparently he’s turned down the chance to play for Ghana twice, but who could blame him if he were to yes should they ask a third time. If they haven’t already that is which a quick search of the internet suggests they have.
At the moment, it seems only Bukayo Saka is a definitive for the England World Cup squad with Aaron Ramsdale a very likely to travel but if Jordan Pickford is fit, I suspect he’ll be Southgate’s first choice.
Back with Arsenal, headlines in the newspapers suggest Arsenal will have to make Gabriel Martinelli one of the clubs highest paid players if he’s to sign a new deal. How they know that I’ve no idea but logic suggests that with a new contract along with his age and form, a pay rise is bound to be offered to him. Whether that’s the suggested £200,000 a week or not is something only the Arsenal board along with the player and his representatives know. Same goes for Bukayo Saka and William Saliba as both will expect a little bit more in their bank each month.
What makes me laugh though is how the newspaper journalists write as if they know more about managing player contracts than football clubs do when they’ve no idea of what goes on behind closed doors. They don’t know how much a player expects to be paid or what his plans are for the future. Martinelli, Saliba and Saka might want to commit to Arsenal regardless of what they earn because believe it or not, there are still footballers out there who put happiness and ambition ahead of money.
Arsenal seem to have both right now, ambition in bucket loads and a happy squad, or as Gabriel Martinelli said after the Liverpool game, “a family”.
We are running for each other and we are a family, everyone is on their toes and we deserved the win. It doesn’t matter your age, it’s your heart and how much you want to achieve in football and life.
Money is important to all of us, but sometimes, in fact a lot of times, it can’t and doesn’t buy happiness.
See you in the comments.
Morning Rico
Ben White was outstanding again on Sunday. Just seems Southgate has made up his mind and will not take him to the WC.
Of those in the poll Reece James is probably the stand out player. He is a real prospect. TAA looks more interested in attacking than defending. We had the same issue with Bellerin.
Morning Rico and all,
Rico Maybe the English soccer/football selection is just like the Australian Cricket team, it’s not how good you are, it’s who you know. There is a saying in OZ about our cricket team, – it’s harder to get dropped than it is to get selected.
Ian wright claims Jesus was not fowled and it should not have been a penalty, now a story in the mail claim that there was a glitch in the VAR system, so they mist Saka being offside in the first goal, shame that neither mentioned how time Liverpool have been given very soft penalties and won because of it. Why not just admit we were the better side on the day.
Morning Geoff, Pete, guys.
I think the the England managers fear the media. Look at how Sven was criticised all those years ago.
James and White for me too Pete.
Readers of the Daily Mail represent a tiny portion of the UK population and a relatively small number of them have enough interest in football to express an opinion on who should be England’s right back. I’m frankly amazed that as many as 20,844 have actually voted. As I doubt that Southgate will even read the results of the poll, the likelihood of him being influenced by it is miniscule.
Still, I suppose the proprietor of the Mail will be delighted with his click bait wheeze.
Sweeping statement Cicero, I read the Mail. 😂
There’s an exception to every rule Rico, no offence intended. 😉
None taken Cicero. I thought it was funny. I have a gander at all the papers over a cuppa.
Talking of The Mail, this is quite amusing.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-11300721/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-Footballs-climate-change-hypocrisy-league-own.html
If we were to give Martinelli £200.000 pw as claimed then how much would Saka and Saliba want, I can’t see us offering that much
Media getting full of stories from that bastion of fairness and understanding now calling for changes to the VAR system as they feel aggrieved by the number of perceived decisions against them on Sunday.
I am not sure whether this is just noise or a concerted effort to produce a smokescreen defence for Henderson.
Southgate will have his squad already in mind and the only way that White will get in is if there is a spate of injuries leading up to departure. His system is set and he knows the players that will fit it and in his mind White does not and that’s fair enough in my mind. If it takes another monumental England disaster to produce change then I am in favour.
Southgate and his style of football is stultifyingly boring and is why that there is an international turn off with many premier league club’s fans . Most interest seems to come from those from the lower divisions , we haven’t had a decent style of play since Venables was outed by the men in grey suits back in the gascoigne period.
Well said Potter. I’d rather watch the England women play than the men because their football is far more entertaining than the mens.
Something which surprised me is that on Sky’s ref watch this week, the reporters said Nunez goal should have been ruled offside but we’re not hearing as much about that as we are the decisions which went our way.
The offside rule is a pigs breakfast , If the rule is taken from when the ball is kicked as it seems to be when they draw lines all over the place then he was offside . But they invented phase one and two and because Gabriel touched the through ball it becomes phase two and he is played onside . A few years ago it would not have stood but now it seems that it’s ok.
I am not sure that anyone is completely clear on it and the delayed flag doesn’t help.
Ah but, because Gabriel had to go towards Nunez, the latter was considered to be involved in play, therefore offside.
as i said clear as mud
city struggling in Copenhagen . Down to 10 men , missed a pen and resting Haaland
And it finished 0-0. VAR busy again.
It’s the delayed offside flag that I can’t understand, if a player is clearly offside when he receives the ball then play should immediately be stopped. End of.
The farcical situations that are occurring in almost every game due to the linesman delaying his signal, will eventually lead to a serious injury to either a defender trying to defend, an attacking player getting injured in a tangle with a defender or a ‘keeper being injured trying to make a save.
The offside law has been a problem ever since it’s invention sometime in the last century. Present day desk jockeys are only confusing the issue by their hopeless attempts to reinvent the the law in order to ease the burden on the poor old man with the whistle.
From what I have read the linesmen have been told not to raise the flag for offside too quickly by their boss in the hope that (1) to keep the game flowing (2) VAR – but I agree with Cicero all it does is increase the chance of a player getting injured.
I don’t like it when the officials mess with the rules too much, but I would be glad to see the offside rule abolished for good.
Abolish it completely and you would have Haaland and the like standing on the keeper for 90 minutes.
Different games have come up with ever improbable ways of handling it. ice hockey has a section that you can’t enter before the puck. Field hockey gave up after about 5 attempts to make sense of it , but basically the football authorities in trying to cover every eventuality have only succeeded in making it all the more complicated.
A simple tweak in my mind to the way it was in the 70’s was all that was needed. Just settling for the feet being in front as the guideline and don’t include anyone not directly influencing play.
Make it simple and you are half way to getting there.
Watching the Toots play Frankfurt, Dier is a nightmare, and without penalty Kane and fast break Son they are nothing.
Potter, I see were your coming from on offside rules,
Morning all
New post up now