28 Feb 2025 15:19:28
62, How's things mate? It isn't being wise after the event, at HT Arteta should have but someone with experience upfront, rather than carrying on the gamble.

Sir Wenger, why would you play a youth striker with zero experience, the 5 points dropped ends the title dream

The embarrassing thing is NES said " we could change our system because we know they don't have a striker " SPEAKS VOLUMES.

1.) 28 Feb 2025
28 Feb 2025 19:07:11
Hi Banbury, all good here thanks mate how's everything with you and yours? I know it's not hindsight and because Sterling has played the role before I can definitely see the logic in what you say mate but Sterling is even more unpopular with even more fans than Arteta is and despite the logic in your idea the fall out would from a large section of fans would have been huge.

If Arteta had played Sterling against both West ham and Forest and we'd won both games 1 0 with Sterling scoring both winning goals people still would have claimed we'd have won by more goals with Merino than Sterling, its a brave under pressure manager who's popularity is in steady decline who turns to the fans most unpopular player rather than stick with a player who scored the 2 goals that saved him and the team in the previous game.

If Arteta was my mate and he told me he was thinking of dropping Merino for Sterling, as a friend I'd beg him not to do it for his own and Sterlings sake because even though I could see his logic it would be an absolute gift to the fans who wanted Arteta out.

2.) 01 Mar 2025
01 Mar 2025 06:43:48
Personally, I think the manager should have been brave enough to play one of the young guns. A, it’d do the player a world of good to feel like they are believed in, B, they’d likely play out of their skin to grab their chance and C sterling is not the answer.

In that game the most you could have lost is a point, and with the gap being big before the game. I think it was time to roll the dice.

At the very least, the striker is in and around the box so NF have to treat him as a threat opening space for others.

I think it’s one of Artetas draw backs as I believe top managers would have played with a striker regardless . I also think he’s taken you as far as he can and if you remain loyal you may come to regret it in a year or two.