Aha. Wasn't aware of that "loophole" about HT subs. Thanks. Which makes me wonder a bit why you don't see more of that done. Certainly Arteta does not seem to be a fan of switching players after just 45. Yeah I know why but the subs/window thing can be quite valuable strategically.
Generally the benchmark for an elite 9 is 20+ league goals per season (which he might do this season) Of course these days you could be part of an elite attack where the goals are spread more across a front 3
We're going to need a new scale lol One for forwards who participate in build up and those who don't. Cristiano and Halaand's 35 goals vs Jesus' 15 = same level to me
You can be a very good player and only score 10-15 league goals a season like Firmino - but i don't regard him as an elite 9 - look at city - they went several seasons without playing a genuine 9 most of the time. Depends on how you want to play. In any event there are few 9s who can score 20+ EPL goals per season - let alone 30 league goals as he managed at BVB
Bullshit. You can’t possibly expect me to think that you actually believe such a dated, pre-‘anorak’ measure that gets spouted by idiot talking heads on Sky or whatever is a real thing.
late (while suffering through lacazette) and after last season, i honestly saw firmino as the blueprint of what we needed at the 9. i agree that he is not truly a goal threat (except when playing against us, obviously, the a-hole) and, thus, not an elite-tier 9. i didn't see as perfect a fit with jesus but i'd always considered him far more of a consistent goal threat than firmino has ever been (and that was before his time with us). i feel like his time as a 9 with us shows an elite-level play but perhaps needs to show consistency over time to be considered one?
i mean, intellectually, a double season has to be considered successful but, man, to be on the quad and losing out on the 2 bigger prizes has to be mentally rough. especially with them being how the season ended.
Agreed - they could have 3 league titles but instead have one Ditto 3 CLs but instead 1 They bounced back once to win league and then CL, but I felt like this huge setback might have been the end for the group.
The thing is there are very few players who can score 20+ goals in the modern game - see Chelsea's failed quest for a genuine 9 - so we've seen teams focus on goals from a group of maybe as many as 5 guys including the broader rotation. Sterling is that kind of thinking - a nominally wide player who might get 15 or so. Bayern have gone the same kind of route with Mane, Sane, Gnabry, Mueller, Coman, Musiala Yeah he might score heavily this season we have to wait and see. I guess I suspect not, as he wasn't good enough to break out as a 9 at City, despite them not having a quality 9. But competition was pretty intense with the likes of Foden and Sterling needing to play somehow.
I don't think its dated - just that such players are near impossible to find, therefore other solutions are found. It's why Chelsea, Utd, City and Arsenal spent years struggling to fill the position. Bayern couldn't replace Lewa and now are struggling - they are heavily linked with Harry Kane already for next summer. City also tried hard to get Kane. There is a reason for that.
another find for the "not penalty" argument. i didnt hear "never a penalty" then.. pic.twitter.com/ivlRWvnhVw— Arsenal Aswin🔴 (@afc_doctor) October 10, 2022
Also, in this slo-mo clip, you can clearly see that the ball goes off Gabriel's chest before hitting his hand. At less than arms length from the ball, seems that this and his close proximity are what over-ruled the chance for handball call. Why Gabriel handball wasn’t given a penalty? The ball struck his chest firstpic.twitter.com/bMOjkJRG6w— Jonathan (@DarkestJonatha1) October 10, 2022
I neglected to register my displeasure with how Jesus was handled when he went down with an apparent/obvious head injury in 2T. I haven't studied it or read about it since then, but from what I could see from TV, it sure looked like a possible concussion. Went down like a bag of spuds (as Arseblog said) and lay motionless face down. Other players were urgently motioning for medical help... one started to roll him on his side. Minutes later as he was walking off, he looked a little wobbly to me. Obviously he came back on, and still made sizable and energetic contributions, but what did he risk by doing that? Or worse yet, what further damage might he have done to his brain? Clearly when a talismanic player is in a situation like that, in a critical and tight game, there's an obvious disincentive to taking him off. All the more reason why a temporary concussion substitution might alleviate this conflict of interest, along with neutral medical assessment personnel. He could've been assessed immediately while on the ground and then for 5-10 mins more, to at least have a better idea of the risk. And if he is cleared the substitution could be reversed. Even if that's too big a change for the league to make right now, at least create an independent/neutral medical team who would be involved, along with the team physios, right from the get go, and an integral part of the assessment decision. As it stands, the conflict of interest is too strong for team staff, and as a result player welfare takes a back seat.
I agree with your sentiment, but I don't think it's usually a good idea for non-MDs to make a dx from watching on television, with the rare exception of situations like Tua Tagovailoa last week or that incident with Koscielny several seasons ago when it's quite obvious they have no clue where they are. And while I wholeheartedly agree with the idea of a neutral assessor, we saw that such didn't really matter in the case with Tua.
I have no idea about the Tua reference. But to be clear I was NOT arguing for a non-MD to make a decision via TV. I'm suggesting on-field independent medical professionals (perhaps paid for by leagues or governing bodies) to assess the player either on their own or in close conjunction with the player's team staff. Right away, as soon as the HR allows any staff on the pitch. Right up close, right in front of the injured player's face and pupils.
He was talking about us, as non MDs, analyzing whether or not a player was concussed. I too was concerned that he had suffered a concussion, so I watched him closely when he came back on the field. What I saw was a player that appeared to be very focused, with his field vision intact, so I’m not sure whether he was concussed or not.