it just feels that the 'experts' not known for their lack of bias can't just come out and say:
'F@ck me, Arsenal were so unlucky with injuries...'
Gnev & Spit The Dog, just don't want us to succeed.
If Salah had gone down just before Xmas, swiftly followed by Gakpo, Jota & Diaz, does anyone seriously think Liverpool would be top with Chiesa & Nunez up front....?
It also is a big explanation why City is so far down from their expected part, it is also a big reason that Liverpool fell away last season.
People call it an "excuse" but in my mind they do that because they want to dismiss it and make it something that you can't talk about when it is clearly a large factor. Sure it is part of the game and it happens but that doesn't make it off limits to talk about.
It's weird because football punditry seems dead-set on making things extremely simple, i.e. "mindset" or "mentality" or whatever stupid thing they want to talk about, but a very clear thing happens like injuries and most don't want to touch it. Except for in the case of Liverpool a year later, then yeah let's point to that a year later as the clear cause for their decline last race...
I don't think it actually is, to be honest. If you look in the Cannon Stats archives I did a piece in late December comparing the relative track records and this is a misconception.
Diaz is putting in by far the best season of his career
Top 3/4 CMs - so many stats you should look at, but comparing just G/A and underlying from O/Partey/Rice/AMC/Szo/Jones, again just 22-23 and last season to avoid skew from the busted-up Arsenal campaign we're seeing:
it just feels that the 'experts' not known for their lack of bias can't just come out and say:
'F@ck me, Arsenal were so unlucky with injuries...'
Gnev & Spit The Dog, just don't want us to succeed.
If Salah had gone down just before Xmas, swiftly followed by Gakpo, Jota & Diaz, does anyone seriously think Liverpool would be top with Chiesa & Nunez up front....?
No I do not.
It also is a big explanation why City is so far down from their expected part, it is also a big reason that Liverpool fell away last season.
People call it an "excuse" but in my mind they do that because they want to dismiss it and make it something that you can't talk about when it is clearly a large factor. Sure it is part of the game and it happens but that doesn't make it off limits to talk about.
It's weird because football punditry seems dead-set on making things extremely simple, i.e. "mindset" or "mentality" or whatever stupid thing they want to talk about, but a very clear thing happens like injuries and most don't want to touch it. Except for in the case of Liverpool a year later, then yeah let's point to that a year later as the clear cause for their decline last race...
Isn't the big issue of depth.. quality though? Not just numbers?
Liverpool's depth is significantly superior imo.
I don't think it actually is, to be honest. If you look in the Cannon Stats archives I did a piece in late December comparing the relative track records and this is a misconception.
I read it! Everyone can have their own opinions. I think Sterling is clearly washed, Ethan has incredible potential.
I think Martinelli/Trossard are a significant tier below Gakpo, Diaz (& Jota, maybe) as options, sadly.
I also think simply looking at forwards doesn't include goals/assists coming from the midfield (not including set piece assists)
Yeah I don't think there's any proof of that. If you rank the four of them by G/A (non penalty) per 90 over the past two seasons coming in:
Gakpo 0.47
Tross 0.46
Martinelli 0.39
Diaz 0.3
Underlying has the same order with Martinelli and Trossard flipped.
To me, familiarity, this campaign leaving a bad taste and the high tide of one Mr. Salah are playing a large role in this assessment
Stats are always interesting. I watched Diaz and I think he's the best of those 4! What about the numbers from the teams top 3/4 CMs?
Diaz is putting in by far the best season of his career
Top 3/4 CMs - so many stats you should look at, but comparing just G/A and underlying from O/Partey/Rice/AMC/Szo/Jones, again just 22-23 and last season to avoid skew from the busted-up Arsenal campaign we're seeing:
p90
Ødegaard
Rice
AMC
Jones
Szo
5
Underlying p90
Ødegaard
Szo
Rice
Jones
AMC
Partey
Thank you for introducing some common sense into our AFTV run world