07 Nov 2025 18:25:02
I like how Slot mentions that City come to play football and not time waste and "these sorts of things. "
We need more managers calling out what we all see week in week out with the gamesmanship, time wasting and i'll say it, blatant cheating.
Slot did the same on a few occasions last season and, as far as I know, he's the only manager I hear doing it.
That's why I'm in the "never Arsenal" corner as their brand of football is in so many ways all what is wrong with football today.
07 Nov 2025 19:45:14
I have to agree Redflyer. I always liked Arsenal and that side with Bergkamp and Henry was one of the best teams I’ve ever seen. They had absolutely everything.
This Arsenal though, I really can’t stand anything about them. The worrying thing is we are seeing a growing number of teams copying their blueprint and it’s completely ruining the game as a spectacle.
It’s more like American Football now. A series of ‘plays’ where everyone has a choreographed role. Blockers, grabbers, spoilers all designed to get the wide receiver free to head the ball. We have set piece coaches out on the touchline at every opportunity conducting the play.
Teams play not to score goals but to win set pieces so the football we see is very stop/ start and is of a very low quality.
07 Nov 2025 19:49:35
It’s not going to make any of the teams change anything though is it. He probably has the best squad in the league to work with now and would rather he concentrate on working up solutions to beat the low block or whatever it is the other teams are doing than complaining about it.
07 Nov 2025 20:10:19
Robbo, set pieces and time wasting are the "great equalizer". It disrupts our flow, frustrates the players and can result in us "forcing" the play and then mistakes, lack of concentration, etc. creep in and we can lose momentum or struggle to find it from the off.
FR, change is brought about by being vocal and calling it out for what it is. Slot will not be in the majority unfortunately but changes need to be made to prevent increasing time wasting. Staying silent won't change anything. Wenger harps on about time wasting and comes up with solutions that would exacerbate the problem rather than going back to what previously worked; typical "politician. "
07 Nov 2025 20:19:37
I have no idea what Slot is talking about here cos Pep and City engage in time-wasting and faking injuries all the time esp. when Arteta was his cone man.
Now, Arsenal do the exact same thing falling over holding their faces, feigning injuries and flopping to the ground as soon as a player walks by him even all. Again, not sure what Slot is talking about here or maybe he is just buttering City up to beat them. Just my observation.
07 Nov 2025 20:40:44
Oli, I don't watch City much these days but I wouldn't put them in that category. All teams do it at times ie Macca with us. I think City for the most part come to play football and we've had some good ding dongs over the years with them. Hoping Sunday is remembered for that. Maybe that's what Arne is hoping for.
07 Nov 2025 20:51:27
What does my head in is the constant time-wasting. faking of injuries, all day over a set piece beit a free kick r throw in, it's got to stage where it more like American football than football.
I appreciate all teams, including lfc, time waste at certain times I. e when u a goal up in injury time, but it shouldn't a template on How to play all the time.
07 Nov 2025 21:16:40
Football is dying. And has been for a long time. 90% of the changes they make actually harm the game we love.
Arsenal are obviously horrendous to watch, but they play that way because the Rules suit.
{Ed025's Note - its gamesmanship LFC8 and all clubs are guilty of it mate ....and yes that does include Liverpool..
07 Nov 2025 22:54:23
The days of being entertained have been replaced by "clever" players. The commentators/ pundits make too much to call it for what it is.
07 Nov 2025 23:18:03
Set pieces is the meta now so instead of whining about it and asking for a rule change, we should adapt and deal with it. Tactics on football goes through phases anyway and in a few years time, someone would come up with a new one and most teams would shift and play that way instead.
But for now, set pieces are in fashion and it just so happens to suit Arsenal's game very well.
08 Nov 2025 02:14:42
End of the day we have to deal with 90% of the league playing a certain way against us.
08 Nov 2025 05:37:30
Instead of winning why don't Slot find a solution to Arsenal tactics and expose Arsenal? Get a anti- set play consultant. Doesn't cost so much.
{Ed001's Note - I would rather he kept winning personally.}
08 Nov 2025 06:25:45
'instead of winning' hahahaha.
07 Nov 2025 22:07:42
Oh I know 25. That’s what I’m saying. Teams dive for example because nobody is punished.
It would take 1 ruined weekend to rid the English league of diving. Just send them all off. Or fine the premier league Clubs 1 million pound for a dive in the box without contact
It would disappear over night mate.
{Ed025's Note - i wish it was as easy as that LFC8, if a player was injured and not taken seriously then there would be law suits all over the place mate, i hate it as much as anybody and its killing the game but feel its here to stay unfortunately..
07 Nov 2025 23:25:08
You are right Ed all teams do it including Liverpool but it’s one thing to go down cheaply to win a penalty and it’s another thing to build your entire tactical setup around it.
Arsenal are clearly told to get into the final third and go over. Then from the ensuing free kick there’s a meticulously choreographed routine to get Gabriel in a position to head the ball unchallenged. When they get to the byline they are happy to just kick it off the defender for a corner rather than try to pick someone out in the box because they see set pieces as their best way of scoring goals and the numbers consistently back that up. It’s actually quite clever and extremely well prepared but it’s just crap to watch.
It’s very frustrating that they are allowed to block and grab people to their heart’s content but that’s not their fault it’s the referees’ fault for allowing it.
They are just using the officials’ incompetence to their own benefit and fair play to them. It doesn’t make it any better to watch though.
{Ed025's Note - i think you are being a bit harsh on Arsenal there Robbo, they have a lot more to their game than that mate, yes they are very good at set pieces but thats up to the defending sides to work out how to negate this and as for the wrestling matches we seem to have at every corner the referees have to be a lot stronger and give penalties or fouls every time it happens..
08 Nov 2025 08:56:30
Red_Flyer69, no problem. Just telling what I have observed over the years.
As for the set-pieces stuff, Im over it. Set pieces are part of football. In fact, I have always believed that teams that score regularly from set pieces are well-coached teams. Arsenal have become a very well-coached team under Arteta. Make no mistake about it.
Also btw 2018 and 2020, LFC led the league in scoring from set pieces and I can't remember any rival fans cackling about it. Maybe it was cos we were such an outstanding team that played good footie and scored goals in open play that people missed it.
Like the Ed's and several people have said, deal with it and figure it out, something we literally did when we beat Arsenalat home and got hailed for it. Suddenly, it is a problem? Give over, pls.
08 Nov 2025 09:47:43
Am I being harsh on Arsenal Ed? I’m complimenting them for their use of the rules. Or manipulation of the rules rather.
The fact is they are top of the league and scored less open play goals than anyone else in the league. If they can sustain that then fair play to them.
{Ed025's Note - i think they are a very good side Robbo and its built around a defence that is excellent, they do have flair in the side mate but as you know teams that set up to stifle that can be very hard to break down, sometimes you need to adapt and try something different and Arsenal have found one of the answers in set pieces, you know what they say..."there is more than one way to skin a cat".. :)
08 Nov 2025 09:55:21
Watching Aston villa and on one corner macca got manhandled 3 times ending with him in a headlock bring pile driven into the ground. Anyone of those 3 times was a clear yellow with the last a definite red. For once macca wasn’t trying to milk a free kick. But as long as referees will bottle the decision then wrestling will continue.
08 Nov 2025 10:17:40
Players dive because reward is greater than risk. You might get a penalty, you might get booked.
Simple solution is introduce more risk.
Sending them off ruins the game and potentially invalidates the game (I think it happened to Warnock’s Sheff Utd) .
Have a sin bin for simulation and dissent.
Both would stop after a few games. Managers would realise they’re punishing the team by having players sin binned and it would disappear. Any disputing the refs decision, check with VAR and if the ref is correct, the punishment time is doubled.
08 Nov 2025 12:02:04
Use Var for fake injuries and diving then retrospectively punish, 1 game ban maybe?
08 Nov 2025 17:54:05
The irony being did we not employ a “ throw in” coach? We can’t defend the long throws and we don’t throw it long either?
08 Nov 2025 22:35:54
@OP, the first thing I thought when Slot made the comment was that he was challenging Citeh and Pep to come out and try and play football. I saw it as a nice little bit of mind games.