₦airaland Forum

Spy360:
If you think the pressure didn't count then why did you call them mediocres aka bottlers?

It's like you say what you don't mean.

Their performances. Na pressure from City made us bottle a 2-goal lead twice?

Spy360:
What are the difference in expectations and target between Arsenal and Milan?


It doesn't matter how you twist and turn, the simple fact is that you fell into the trap of excusing Milan's loss but not Arsenal's. That's called hypocrisy.

Guy! I hate to be misquoted. Who the f**k is doing twist and turn with you? What I posted was clear enough for everybody to understand.
Please if you don't understand, say so. But don't bring the twist and turn excuse on top my post.

U20 WAFU commences on Saturday.

AkinDS:
Total B.S.

No Ajara Nchout, Fatima Tagnauout, Toni Payne, Jermain Seoposenwe, Kgatlana or Rash Ajibade?
Seriously, who on earth is C. Folorunsho?

Folorunsho? probably the Flamingo defender.

iamoyindamola:
Buy zubimendi plus lavia you go still collect change Rice ko spagetti ni, i no rate that guy at all

Roland17:
Jodera has been talking about mistakes here and there and in one of his posts above that I embolden he described the perfect art of choking/ bottling.. so what are still arguing for?

He probably didn't get the point. It's ok bro...we move jare

Shegzdave:
We should go for him rather than Rice, you know the price slammed on Rice is much and I’m afraid of most English players especially if they’re overhyped..

Rice is good but that price tag is too much. Zubimendi na like 50m too sha.

Shegzdave:
Did you watch the match against Brighton? If you did, do you see how the fans trooped out of the stadium when they were loosing 2 nill?

The fans were angry at the performance and the bottling and they expressed their displeasure by walking out before the match ended cause they were disappointed but some of our fans over here don’t want us to criticize the team when they Bleep.ed up.

Criticism gives room for Development.

Thank you. Hopefully they learn their lesson.

Roland17:
I told you these guys have their own agenda! They want to box people who think differently into a corner! Soon they will tell us we are fake Arsenal fans, I am waiting for that day

That we support the team no mean say we should not say the truth when it matters.

Jodera:
By the way they played. There's difference between talking and doing esp when we conceded the first goal

Odegaard was making mistakes in that match, arsenal refuses to press instead they backpedalled not to concede the 2nd goal. It has nothing to do with west ham quality that day. Many mistakes and you can't say it's a bad day cos we started brightly. Even Partey was scratching his head after missed pass upon missed passes(either underhit or overhit).

Tell me if it's not pressure?

Jodera, whether we're competing for top 4 or the league, such performance is not excusable. You need to try and put up your best performance every time regardless of the pressure or temperature. Imagine Liverpool and Chelsea were competing for top 4..just imagine

Jodera:
it's a process. As long as we keep on doing right, experience will take care of the rest. I'll be very angry if they've had this experience before and still faltered not because we were not good enough but because of same experience.

That's the point. Our summer signings will determine what to expect next season. Experience and mentality are part of what made us lost the league to City. Hopefully, we will get there soon.

Shegzdave:
We don’t need a player who is just good on his days bro, what we need is a player that is good consistently.

Like you said, anything from Chelsea is crap but Arteta has my trust on his signings sha..

What’s your take on Cancelo and Zubimendi that we’re linked to

I have not really watch him live but his highlights look impressive. He is similar to Rice IMO. A good and mobile ball carrier. Cancelo? He is good and should provide good cover for both RB and LB.

Jodera:
You see, that's my issue.

Most of you claim you didn't throw the team and the coach under the bus but most of you guys post here says otherwise.

Talking about how the team is shambolic or Arteta isn't good and why they're bottlers is throwing the team under the bus. Like Spy said, you all are looking at the final result instead of the overall process. That's akin to saying Saka is a bad player in euros2020 because of the missed Pk. Knowing how badly England needed that win the way we needed this league, maybe you guys can agree with them that Saka is a bottlejob in that competition too

Tbh, we need to be realistic and most of us aren't. We still think arsenal prior this season was an elite team when we all know Arteta Is making us to get there. Team that haven't been in UCL for the past 6-7yrs.

If you watch this season well, first half of the season, we played beautifully knowing fully well we were looking for top 4. We kept on winning our matches as out then rivals kept on dropping points. It reached a stage we were no longer looking at them(and ourselves) and more at Man city. Mistakes ordinarily Partey and Odegaard wouldnt make, they were making it back to back and the worst part is that it was costly as it yielded to opponent capitalising and scoring us. If you think the players didn't feel the title pressure which is a different kinda pressure ... Abeg think again.

The good thing is that they have the experience now. They are very young and not even at their peak. We'll surely get better with their experience and hopefully by good signings same way we did last season entering into this season.
This is what I'm looking forward to, not doing as if this team is at their peak hence shouldn't have faltered. The way most of you are saying it, someone will think we might not have another chance again next season. They may be right and they might also be wrong, but one thing is certain, a person or team on the ascendancy would always have another opportunity compared to the team that isn't.

That's what I'm banking on with respect to this season's performances, their age profile, the talent in the squad and possible good additions.

Anybody wey never fail before, make him raise hand up!

God... Jodera.. you're not getting the point.
Nobody is throwing the team under the bus na... Yea, some criticized the coach here. The main issue was when some started saying we overachieve by coming second and that top 4 was the target. That's what we're against na.
I don't think this argument has something to do about the players and coach sef.

Jodera:
Like I said, you're expecting us to get over 95+ points to win the league. Anybody that watched that West ham game knows that it's title pressure that caused that performance after we conceded the first goal and that because there's no room for error, thus they became too careful and passive to a fault.
Southampton same thing. Two Mistakes!
Odegaard, the chief space scanner hurriedly gave a pass without scanning his area and it resulted to goal. Same thing he did against Man city. You think say no be because of Man city in their minds? Dey play!

This same Napoli lost/drew against team that's similar to west ham and Southampton or Liverpool in their league but nobody call them bottlers. Why because the person pursuing dem no deh like Man city.

Me, I'll look at their overall performances and know that this experience is a learning curve. Same thing next season and they won't be spared

And you think we can win a trophy with what you summarize here? If you can't deal with pressure as a team, you have no business challenging for the title. Do you think City won't mount pressure next season? BTW, how you take know they all have City on their mind? Until that City match, all of them who got interviewed always hammered on the fact that they're only focusing on themselves. See ehn, Arsenal tried this season but they didn't do enough. Using the 'top 4 was actually the target' narrative is just a cowardly excuse to me.

Shegzdave:
In as much we need a good no8 that can deputise Ordegaard, Mount isn’t the man to take that role nah.

Well, I trust Arteta and Edu to make good signing, but Mount is a no no

Mount is good on his day bro but as for me sha, anything from Chelsea is a no. However, if Arteta wants him, he should go ahead.

Jodera:
Were they playing Bayern?
It's inter bro and we should clap for them

That's not even my issue with the thesis. Imagine an Italian champion whose target is to just qualify from the group stage! Group stage oo!!

Even if we finished 4th, that's suppose to be a norm not a target but we should be happy they reached SF.

And this 5 point clear is nada! We still have them at Etihad and they have a superior goal difference than us. It'll take a very very strong experienced team to win/draw them at Etihad while winning all our whole matches without feeling the heat from Man city.

Well... I merely used that AC Milan talk to buttress my point on expectations concerning Arsenal.

Spy360:
Thanks bro. I wish others will come forward like you.

I wouldn't say we overachieved because what we got was top 4 and not the title. I wouldn't also agree that we bottled the league because we were not expected to win it. You only bottle what you are expected to achieve. Many pundits didn't even expect us to finish top 4.

I am disappointed that we lost the title as it stands. But I would not say we bottled the league.

The bolded is just apt. Tell me before that Liverpool match that arsenal were not expected to win the league. Who has the highest winning percentage between City and arsenal?

Spy360:
What is this you are saying? AC Milan got to the SF to face their arch rivals who share the same stadium with them and couldn't even score a goal in two legs, yet you say they should be applauded. Applauded for what please? For losing to their mate or for their super mentality that Arsenal should learn from?

Bros you are either biased or afraid to shake table. Simple.

I am interested in what Iamoyindamola has to say about this.

I'm talking about expectations and targets from this current arsenal team using the Milan scenario. Wetin concern me with Milan?
It is simple na.

Spy360:
You think it's easy to win matches under pressure from City and injuries?

A Liverpool fan told me few weeks ago, that he saw hell chasing or being chased by City. We caved in due to pressure.

We will finish with over 81points, that will be about what Napoli needed to win their league. PSG and Bayern have less points and still top their leagues.

I am not going to support the ban wagon of jesters who know not about mentality because their mediocre analysis cannot wash away the improvement Arsenal have achieved this season.

If AC Milan can be excused then it is biased argument not to excuse Arsenal too.

All these excuses about pressure from City no carry weight abeg. Every title winners have in one way or the other faced pressure from rivals. We all knew City would be a strong contender from the onset. Don't tell me you're blaming our fall on pressure mounted by City.

Jodera:
Lol.. let us don't even go there tbh.
Are now glorifying UCL semifinals or what?
Who even remember semifinalists?

We can write thesis for UCL semifinalists but can't write thesis for absolute improvement a team made throughout the season?

Humour me!!!

Normally, if the UCL has a last four comprising Madrid, Bayern, Arsenal and City... Arsenal will have the least chance of winning the cup due to some facts we all are privy of. This is to say we're not in control. It is understandable if we crash out. That doesn't mean Semi final is a trophy but the excuse will be that we lost to a better team. All we had to do is to regroup and go again.
.

Compared to the league where we were 5 points clear, we are in control bro. We messed up in 3 winnable matches that would have moved us closer to the podium and you want us to console ourselves with 'top 4 was the Target's excuse? No bro...that ain't me.

Jodera:
The people who are highly disappointed are people who didn't put things in perspective. I'm sorry to say

We and Napoli had similar form this season (with just a difference of ±1or 2points separating each other each passing week) but at one stage, Napoli was topping 2nd position with as much as 18points while we, we're always looking at our back because of a 5point gap each passing week.

I remember always telling guys here that 5point is nothing especially if na Man city you're competing with but some certain people have already made up their minds. Check Napoli's fixtures, they didn't even started brightly and along the season, they still drew matches back to back (at least on two separate occasions). All those times they did dropped such form, nobody remembered that Napoli were bottlers or they were found out, but we, once we draw one match, because of Manchester city wey dey our back, you'll start seeing epistles of why this team is weak and why Arteta is a poor coach or that he's found out. No breathing space at all, something most champions enjoyed when they make such an incredible form but for us, No, we must be immaculate to win the league

For crying out loud, this team made the best start in its history. No arsenal side made such an incredible start, not even the invicibles, but you guys won't see it because Man city are always at our tails. You're concerned that we were at the top for so long forgetting the fact that it takes another kind of mentality to be at the top for Months while being followed closely by another top team throughout those months.

Leicester example is even worse. Those guys that were drawing matches at first and losing more than their wins before picking form in around October. People that won league before even the 80 point mark because of how poor everybody is that season.

You can keep on calling the teams bottlers and weak or calling us who saw the progress mediocres or better still, cherry pick the match we fvcked up to suit your agenda.

Na Una sabi!!

We didn't lost the league because City was chasing us. We lost the league due to woeful performances.
A win against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton and we would still be ontop regardless of City's performances.

Roland17:
My broda, we are talking to walls at this point because I am convinced they will NEVER see another perspective.

The fact remains we blew a chance we were firmly in control of and there is absolutely no shame in admitting it.

We went on a 3 game skid with synonymous dynamics in the way we lost points in those games! This same scenario played itself out last season but I am just supposed to be grateful that we achieved top 4 and pretend like we did not blow a good chance.

These guys want to make us out of what we are not and I will continue to resist it even if everyone backs off. Now the convenient excuse is that we were chased by City! Was it City that made you drop points in 3 consecutive shambolic performances? How about the game against City? If top 4 depended on that result, would we be saying what we are saying now?

Everything you said here are on point bro. Fact is we blew the chance whether top 4 was the target or not.

iamoyindamola:
At this stage i no even care if we win or not, we bottled it when it matter the most
Same thing as last season na why e they vex me

Even though, we bottled top 4 last season, e no too pain like that because we knew the team was a work in progress. Add the fact that we lost some key players to injury.

But this season own eh... that's inexcusable but we move.

However, going around and saying top 4 was the target na mediocre mindset. Why Dem no sing this top 4 song when we were still comfortable on top of the league?

Na this Kain thinking no make we win the league for about two decades now.

Spy360:
On the bolded, may be you have not been following up. The two people know themselves and the agenda they stand for. Nor be today. We know them and their stand, always looking for an opportunity to talk about mediocrity and poor mentality.

When someone does not see the progress made and only looks at the failure at the end point then that person has a poor objective analysis/mentality. When your child tries to walk for the first time and falls close to the finish line, you don't cane the child. You encourage him.

It's OK to feel disappointed but it's not OK to call the players or the club bottlers just because they didn't have the capacity to cross the finish line first. As long as a title chase was not expected it will be wrong to say they had a poor mentality. You may have to go back a few posts to see Afrodo.c's comments as an external unbiased opinion.

How is it different from the racial abuse Saka received after missing the final penalty for England at the Euros? All these despite a stellar performance throughout the competition leading to the finals?

So if Arsenal finds themselves in the CL finals against an experienced team next season and then loses it, they will call them bottlers again abi? If you win it fine and good, if you don't, you pat yourself on the back and move on, hoping to improve next time.

Last season we missed out on top four, this season we achieved it comfortably. For me that's progress. Next stage is to win the league. And I believe the boys have gathered enough experiences to do it.

I Spy, will not criticise the players for what they did this season because they did well finishing with 81points and still counting, I will rather encourage them to do better next season.

There is no agenda bro... I don't think you and Jodera understand the context of what we are saying here.
Up until that Liverpool game, most of us believed we can win the league. We were in a good position to win it. Liverpool away was always going to be difficult but we lost a 2-goal lead but we were not that disappointed. Then we did the same against WestHam and Southampton ran us rag at our fortress. We went to Ethiad and started playing like a bunch of primary school kids.
.
.
Did the player punched above their weight? Yes
Did injury affected us? Yes
Were experience and winning mentality lacking within out squad? Yes.
Did we bottle the league? Yes
Should we throw the players and coaches under he bus? No (due to the facts above)
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But that some fans went thus, 'Top 4 was our target anyway so we overachieve this season' is exactly what some of us were against. If we had tried more and win it, nothing stops us from competing again next year.

Jodera:
Spy360, This is when you know someone have fair assessment when it has nothing to do with Arteta.

AC Milan...

Target — qualify from group stage.

Milan actually qualified from the group stage, punched above their weight but lost the s/f.

Verdict: The team tried and they punched above their weight. Proud of the lads. It's a success

Arsenal...

Target — Qualify for top 4

Arsenal actually qualified for Top4 and punched above their weight to compete for the league

Verdict: Arsenal are bottlers and both the team and the coach no try. It's a failure. Underachievers!!

In the second paragraph, You'd be forgiven to think reaching and losing in semifinals is a trophy the way arsenal is derided for finishing second

Issorait!!

Jodera, UCL and EPL are different competitions. If Arsenal should reach the semi final of the UCL next season and lose to Madrid or even Bayern, the players will be applauded. That is it. You can't compare both scenarios.

Spy360:
So assuming there's any form of divine intervention and City loses all their remaining matches, Arsenal will no longer be bottlers abi? You will praise the team for having a strong mentality abi?

We all know such thing won't happen. And if it happens, it has to do with luck rather than mentality. City losing all their remaining games has nothing to do with us.

Shegzdave:
I’d have wanted Nelson to stay and for Sambi, I wish him goodluck.

Why are we signing Mount abeg

As number 8 maybe. That seems to be his best role. That way, we will have Ode and Mount as 8s. Not sure though..just saying

Spy360:
City lost four games. Their fans patched those up. Napoli lost four games, their fans also patched up those loses. If you can't patch up Arsenal's loses as a fan, then good for you.

Patch up is when you tried to cover up our bottling with 'top 4 was always the target' , not what you stated here.

Nelson want to go..
Xhaka off to Germany...
Kompany wanna reunite with Sambi...
Everything is shaping up...


But I'm not sure we would sign Rice sha... Arteta no dey do noisy transfer. Maybe Zubimendi, Cancelo and Mount.

I am surprised at what's being said here...
Nobody said the team didn't try... We are not criticizing Arteta needlessly.
Edu and Arteta have been hammering it that we are ahead of schedule according to the development plan. No wahala.

Then this season, the plan was top 4 but we had the chance to run away with the league but we blew it.
Then some of you here decided to console yourselves with the 'the top 4 was the target' talk which is exactly what I'm against. I'm sorry but that is a mediocre thinking. A weak mentality infact.

That excuse might even carry small weight had it been we played the big teams back to back and dropped valuable points. We lost a 2-goal lead twice and handed the league to City.

That we are competing for top 4 no mean say make we see opportunity to carry the cup and mess up.

afrodoc2:
Lovely documentary coming out soon.

We are not interested
Dem dey collect trophy ontop documentaries?

komekn:
This is nonsensical.

This is your idea of SHINING in Europe players doing the basics in the most obscure and poor quality leagues in Europe .

If I were to be celebrating and talking about all the Nigerian origin players in the national conference the English 5th tier.

You would be up in arm's doing somersaults and giving a tirade of non stop derogatory abuse. You and quite a few others.

Oya talk about them or forever shut up. Wetin sef? All puff and puff with no point. We are waiting...start naming all these Nigerians.