Mentality

[Baines' left foot]

We need to start signing more players that will see us as a stepping stone. I don’t want ‘loyal’ players, I want players that want to be the best they can be and want to win things. Whether that’s with us or with other clubs, it doesn’t matter.

I’m not bothered about our best players wanting to leave as long as we replace them properly. If we don’t let our best players move on when they want to then others will be less willing to come here.

 

[chazzle_dazzle]

I cant find the post, but I said about 3 years ago (maybe) that the main fundamental problem at the club is mentality and the makeup of some of the players we buy.

Gone are the days where we pick up players who are mentally focused, strong willed and will stop at nothing to get what they want.

We have few players at the club, if any, who have the right mentality and the drive to be better.

 

[barneygumble]

We've had issues since Roberto's second season.

You can't fix it without gutting the core, but the problem with that is, the initial issue being Jagielka, etc just having a mentality of "knifes to a gunfight", but that's gone now, and we've just got a gang of rejects, who when the going gets tough, our players are just not up for it.

Pickford - Desperate for fame, not bothered about what happens on the pitch.
Mina, Iwobi, Walcott, Gomes, - They're cast offs, if a team similar to where we think we are in Arsenal are willing to sell, then it's a red flag. Just don't do it. Mina played for Barca for 6-months and they made their minds up? Gomes was voted worst ever Barcelona player (Harsh, but you see my point), you've seen he has the ability, but his head?
Keane - Limited footballer, when we're on the back foot, can head clear, can show glimpses but isn't good enough!
Sigurdsson - How long do you have? Everything you hated about Schneiderlin, but worse cause he's a master of deception. But can't pass, can't run, never wants the ball, never seems interested.

Coleman, Baines - Backups at this stage, should not have started 24 games between them this season. Have been boss servants.

Sometimes you get things wrong Sandro was horrible, and had he been on £50k a week, fine, but we flapped it once we'd seen business.

Tosun, Bolasie - £28m each and both reserves.

We have a team of 25-30 players and i personally wouldn't be gutted if i didn't see any of them again in blue except for... Holgate, Mina (I know i've listed above), Richarlison, Gordon and DCL. If that's it, then there's something horrible.

Uniniterested, and useless.

 

[Gilbert..]

DCL just before lockdown had found a new level for him and was scoring consistently. He then spent lockdown playing fancy dress in NY with his mate Tom and clearly pushing weights (for vanity??) and has come back bulkier, sulkier and slower.

Kean, when he has come on, looks hungry and sharp. I'd start him over DCL 100% of the time right now - him and Richie having a go up front might wake the other shower up!

The calvert lewin thing is interesting. And i tend to agree. Not just him but anyone now who has a purple patch, esp english, and they start getting hyped up. It can go to their heads and some think a dozen decent games and they are big time. Im not saying thats calvert lewin in particular. But you do see it.

 

[TmoMoney0721]

DCL just before lockdown had found a new level for him and was scoring consistently. He then spent lockdown playing fancy dress in NY with his mate Tom and clearly pushing weights (for vanity??) and has come back bulkier, sulkier and slower.

Kean, when he has come on, looks hungry and sharp. I'd start him over DCL 100% of the time right now - him and Richie having a go up front might wake the other shower up!

You must be watching a differnt Moise Kean than me, he touched the ball about three times yesterday, doesn't look like he cares a lick when he comes on.

 

[Gilbert..]

We've had issues since Roberto's second season.

You can't fix it without gutting the core, but the problem with that is, the initial issue being Jagielka, etc just having a mentality of "knifes to a gunfight", but that's gone now, and we've just got a gang of rejects, who when the going gets tough, our players are just not up for it.

Pickford - Desperate for fame, not bothered about what happens on the pitch.
Mina, Iwobi, Walcott, Gomes, - They're cast offs, if a team similar to where we think we are in Arsenal are willing to sell, then it's a red flag. Just don't do it. Mina played for Barca for 6-months and they made their minds up? Gomes was voted worst ever Barcelona player (Harsh, but you see my point), you've seen he has the ability, but his head?
Keane - Limited footballer, when we're on the back foot, can head clear, can show glimpses but isn't good enough!
Sigurdsson - How long do you have? Everything you hated about Schneiderlin, but worse cause he's a master of deception. But can't pass, can't run, never wants the ball, never seems interested.

Coleman, Baines - Backups at this stage, should not have started 24 games between them this season. Have been boss servants.

Sometimes you get things wrong Sandro was horrible, and had he been on £50k a week, fine, but we flapped it once we'd seen business.

Tosun, Bolasie - £28m each and both reserves.

We have a team of 25-30 players and i personally wouldn't be gutted if i didn't see any of them again in blue except for... Holgate, Mina (I know i've listed above), Richarlison, Gordon and DCL. If that's it, then there's something horrible.

Uniniterested, and useless.

Always said about keane that he played for a burnley side that had the midfield camped in front of him. So as you said a head here a clearence there. Suited burnley all day long. Consideration had to be taken into account that if you bought him could he play without that protection.
But consideration by this clubs signings in the past 3 years or so hasnt been there. Esp under koeman. No thought no shape nothing.
Oh hes available. Lets sign him.
Clubs couldnt take our money quick enough.
Iwobi is the last straw for me. Who rubber stamped that. Silva or brands. If brands then clear your desk right now. I dont even work in football but i knew iwobi was a screaming DO NOT TOUCH.
Shocking decisions.

 

[barneygumble]

Always said about keane that he played for a burnley side that had the midfield camped in front of him. So as you said a head here a clearence there. Suited burnley all day long. Consideration had to be taken into account that if you bought him could he play without that protection.
But consideration by this clubs signings in the past 3 years or so hasnt been there. Esp under koeman. No thought no shape nothing.
Oh hes available. Lets sign him.
Clubs couldnt take our money quick enough.
Iwobi is the last straw for me. Who rubber stamped that. Silva or brands. If brands then clear your desk right now. I dont even work in football but i knew iwobi was a screaming DO NOT TOUCH.
Shocking decisions.

It's just small club mentality.

If you're going for Premier League players, you go for the young players, who are hungry who effectively want to use us as a stepping stone. I know that's literally contradicting myself, but that's how you're getting there. Richarlison is happy here, and with him we can grow and get better, following his progression you keep him, and attract other players.. South Americans on the continent must look at Richarlison and think they can get a similar opportunity.

That's what we should be going for. Hungry lads, looking to impress. When we grow, they'll stay, if not we get a huge profit to go again.

We signed Sigurdsson a week before his 28th Birthday, for a club who are looking to "get there", it was a horrible signing. Short term, and we'd signed Rooney and Klaassen. Wasted £45m.

If i'm serious about testing the top 6, I want to make sure i'm recruiting better, I want hungry, passionate and everything about Iwobi is all wrong. If Arsenal, who are on their worst run for 25 years are shipping him, i'm asking "why do we want him?".

 

[Sy-]

Ancelotti's man management style is going to struggle with only about 4 players motivated by any hunger to be among the best. I will side with Ancelotti, a manager is not accountable for the motivation of their staff when there is bare minimum to work with in return.

Later down the road we are going to be miffed when Richarlison, DCL, Holgate and probably Gordon start looking towards the next level, but this is the exact mentality we need in our players to get us anywhere near competitive.

We just weren't properly equipped to come into money tbh, out the door went the Moyes level "dithering" where he went full deep-dive into the attitudes of potential recruits to get us Artetas, Cahills and Pienaars.

Instead we ended up with a load of mercenaries infecting the squad with toxic laziness, or worse still people like Pickford who thinks he's already made it.

 

[tiburonazul]

I have it on good authority that it was Angry Birds that cut us loose. They feared that our soft mentality would harm the branding of their birds being angry.

 

[Gilbert..]

Anyone just watch southampton at united. Went there. Wasnt intimidated. Matched them all over the pitch. Players looked comfortable on the ball.
Sitting there watching it and thinking alex iwobi is 11m more expensive than their record buy.
Wont lie i was jealous. As i know we'd have gone there and just rolled over.

 

[Gilbert..]

Their midfield were technically excellent. All composed on the ball. All looked match fit. All knew their job.
I have to watch tom davies struggling to pass to a blue shirt and blowing out his arse after 70 mins.
Im laughing when i want to actualy cry.

 

[Goat]

Their midfield were technically excellent. All composed on the ball. All looked match fit. All knew their job.
I have to watch tom davies struggling to pass to a blue shirt and blowing out his arse after 70 mins.
Im laughing when i want to actualy cry.

You could support them mate?

You would double their fanbase!

 

[Gilbert..]

You could support them mate?

You would double their fanbase!

If we went there and played like they did our fans would be creaming their kecks.
Good thread this about mentality. As we never show up at grounds like that.

 

[Goat]

If we went there and played like they did our fans would be creaming their kecks.
Good thread this about mentality. As we never show up at grounds like that.

We don't turn up anywhere other than Goodison.

 

[toffeejack]

Anyone just watch southampton at united. Went there. Wasnt intimidated. Matched them all over the pitch. Players looked comfortable on the ball.
Sitting there watching it and thinking alex iwobi is 11m more expensive than their record buy.
Wont lie i was jealous. As i know we'd have gone there and just rolled over.

tbf we were 13 mins away from winning there, they were 1 second away from losing.