Regarding Refs, i maintain the problem is not the Tech, but the users who continue to fumble. The rest of Europe seem to be managing well. I agree that referees are too protected and show themselves as biased or incompetent too often (Mike Dean, David Coote, Lee Mason)
The points system is not a bad idea but it won’t happens. As daneoni says, there’s already a shortage so that will just put people off.
Actually, given the power of players, fans, managers and clubs, I'd be totally in agreement with
@Lord Blackadder's suggestion of an immediate yellow card for violent dissent, surrounding the ref and any other threatening behaviour on the apart of teams or players and insisting that the only player allowed to speak with the ref is the team captain.
I maintain we should recruit international referees based on their CVs/stats like we do footballers and offer attractive incentives. I’m willing to bet the standards will naturally improve.
That could actually be a very good idea.
British refs are like British managers, some are alright, the rest are bang average. But the media gives them a pass because British.
Losing Zinchenko and Xhaka was a blow to his game. They were the ones who did the ball playing and merely played him in or offered him an obvious option.
But it’s not a good enough excuse. Saka continues to deliver despite losing Ben White and even Odegaard at times. And adapts to any position he is asked to play. Heck he’s played at Left Back…and scored!. He also tracks back but remains one of the best players in the league offensively
Against LFC, he (Martinelli) had a good counter with 3 options in the first half, and instead chose the 4th which was to run the ball out of play! He is predictable and easy to defend against. Run run run, pass back or ball out of play. That’s it.
I wont tolerate the argument that he is good at his defensive duties. Mourinho had Robben and Duff in arguably one of the most defensive teams in EPL history and the wingers still did their job offensively.
Even Eze came on for a few mins on the left and almost scored. And he’s a number 10!
For me Martinelli is done…has been done for at least 2 seasons. And i have zero qualms saying that, because he’s been given more of a chance than players Arteta never took to.
Actually, I wasn't defending Martinelli, merely attempting to see whether there was, or is, any credible explanation for his dramatic loss in form over the past two seasons. His successful pass completion rate is dismal.
And agree, that his footballing intelligence - and his judgment, which is poor - do seem to be rather limited; this business of running with his head down - and thus, unable to see - let alone recognise - any potential passing options - becomes very trying; in the absence of judgment, explosive pace offers little.
However, while I also agree completely that his form has declined (drastically) he seems to me to be a player who needs others with a specific profile (such as Xhaka, whom I thought excellent for Arsenal and was sorry to see depart, and Zinchenko, another player who had one good season followed by a decline) to actually play the ball, play him in intelligently, and ensure that he can then be offered the obvious option to play, rather than running mindlessly (head down) and invariably choosing the wrong option. Certainly, the departure of Xhaka - and this wasn't obvious at the time - and the eclipse (and subsequent, as of this season) departure of Zinchenko, have made him look very limited, pedestrian, and superfluous.
Mind you, I do think that Arteta harbours strong preferences (both likes and dislikes) among his players, and rarely changes his mind, once he has come to a firm decision about a player, and, for now, he appears to be blind to Martinelli's flaws.
