14 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

This annoyed me too. When Rogers went mad at Rice, there was about 5 Arsenal players that quickly pounced to protect him and were in the refs ear. Only one of our players came over and that was Gusto, and all he did was pull Rogers away. I said in the match thread that all of this whining about Arsenal's dark arts isn't going to change anything. You need a bit of nastiness in you to compete at the top and you certainly need it to win titles. I think we lack that and James certainly does too.

Yes, that pissed me off, too. People tend to bitch and whine about Arsenal geting away with things and refs favouring them but the truth is, it's not enough just to have quality players, you need big personalities, too. Chelsea in the past had them in abundance, but this current group are boys, not men.

JT brought up similar thoughts about our lacking in the dark arts. How Joao Pedro and Hato did little when Martinez got booted in the head, that he would have been all over the ref trying to get a red card.

Alonso should know this is important aswell in this league, he was in a Liverpool side masters of it themselves with Gerrard and carragher.

Our team may just be too nice. Cole is so laid back he plays from a horizontal position, James is not far behind.

Only player we have who plays that I can say has a mean streak in him is Martinez.

1 minute ago, axman2526 said:

JT brought up similar thoughts about our lacking in the dark arts. How Joao Pedro and Hato did little when Martinez got booted in the head, that he would have been all over the ref trying to get a red card.

Alonso should know this is important aswell in this league, he was in a Liverpool side masters of it themselves with Gerrard and carragher.

Our team may just be too nice. Cole is so laid back he plays from a horizontal position, James is not far behind.

Only player we have who plays that I can say has a mean streak in him is Martinez.

Even on a side note from this, when Rice took down Rogers, and Rogers was at least remonstrating, nobody was around him, nobody was backing him up. Gusto runs in eventually, but more to hold HIM off.

7 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

JT brought up similar thoughts about our lacking in the dark arts. How Joao Pedro and Hato did little when Martinez got booted in the head, that he would have been all over the ref trying to get a red card.

Alonso should know this is important aswell in this league, he was in a Liverpool side masters of it themselves with Gerrard and carragher.

Our team may just be too nice. Cole is so laid back he plays from a horizontal position, James is not far behind.

Only player we have who plays that I can say has a mean streak in him is Martinez.

Alonso also played at Real Madrid when Mourinho was manager alongside sh*thouses like Marcelo, Ramos and Pepe. You don't win being a nice guy, unless you're Kante.

Didnt Reece James play in midfield for coventry when loaned there?

had a quick flick through this click bait below... pretty much agree with it. so the question is, who do people want to replace our world class captain with in the middle of the park. Enzo couldnt do the job and he is a 240 million pound player. names below, and do factor into your thinking that we struggle to sign the right types of players.

More than happy for Alonso to keep picking our world class captain as a central midfielder. I'll be delighted to see him playing on the right in wing back role or right back, but I think our manager see's him as a midfielder. Anyhow. hope he stays injury free.

Why Reece James is a legitimate midfield option, and how...

He can’t just “play there” in midfield, he’s a top midfielder

12 minutes ago, bluelightening said:

Didnt Reece James play in midfield for coventry when loaned there?

had a quick flick through this click bait below... pretty much agree with it. so the question is, who do people want to replace our world class captain with in the middle of the park. Enzo couldnt do the job and he is a 240 million pound player. names below, and do factor into your thinking that we struggle to sign the right types of players.

More than happy for Alonso to keep picking our world class captain as a central midfielder. I'll be delighted to see him playing on the right in wing back role or right back, but I think our manager see's him as a midfielder. Anyhow. hope he stays injury free.

Why Reece James is a legitimate midfield option, and how...

He can’t just “play there” in midfield, he’s a top midfielder

He's seen as a midfielder by Alonso because we don't have anybody else that can play there, we sold them all and failed to bring anybody else in. If we had signed Scott and Caicedo wasn't injured, they would be our two starting midfielders.

If you see the way Acheampong at RCB acts when we are attacking, it's clear that role is made for James.

1 hour ago, Term_X said:

Even on a side note from this, when Rice took down Rogers, and Rogers was at least remonstrating, nobody was around him, nobody was backing him up. Gusto runs in eventually, but more to hold HIM off.

Yeah we do not seem a true team yet. Jose's side would have taken a bullet for each other. This Arsenal side are of the same mindset.

12 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Jose's side would have taken a bullet for each other.

Sure, we can say that now with hindsight. No one was thinking that three games into 2004/05 while we limped to a 2-0 win against Crystal Palace. That was a far more established side who already finished second and should have made the CL final at a canter.

I was disappointed about the lack of reaction but I can't help but notice the same critics (including Terry) were critical of our disciplinary issues under Maresca and Rosenior. So are we too aggressive or not?

As captain, Reece is the only player who can legitimately challenge the ref about incidents like the Martinez one. He should have made it his business to a) Find out what happened to his goalie and b) advise the ref it was a boot to the head and at the very least get a VAR. I believe he can do this without risking getting booked.

50 minutes ago, Andy North said:

As captain, Reece is the only player who can legitimately challenge the ref about incidents like the Martinez one. He should have made it his business to a) Find out what happened to his goalie and b) advise the ref it was a boot to the head and at the very least get a VAR. I believe he can do this without risking getting booked.

You can't be making sensible suggestions like that on the internet. Has Australia made you soft?

5 hours ago, Andy North said:

As captain, Reece is the only player who can legitimately challenge the ref about incidents like the Martinez one. He should have made it his business to a) Find out what happened to his goalie and b) advise the ref it was a boot to the head and at the very least get a VAR. I believe he can do this without risking getting booked.

Doesn't seem to stop other clubs. Gabriel isn't Arsenal's captain, but he's always around the ref.

Edited yesterday at 09:471 day by Scott Harris

1 hour ago, Scott Harris said:

Doesn't seem to stop other clubs. Gabriel isn't Arsenal's captain, but he's always around the ref.

Match of the Day called out the Gabriel incident, which was good to see.

That is the only thing we can hope for now, because Arsenal are just getting away with too much, even as champions.

23 hours ago, timetowaste said:

If he's not able to play RWB then he should be playing RCB. The man is not a midfielder.

Tin helmet on, adjust chin strap. Prepare for enemy fire.

I like him in midfield. There, I said it.

I too.

I 3.

The fact we are debating where he could/should/is best at. The fact he is our skipper and no he’s not the most vocal but this season I feel he has been more.

The fact that he is fit and playing again regularly.

The fact he is a Cobham boy and his family and sister are Chelsea through and through.

The fact he would play in goal and try his best if asked tells me how important Reece James is to this club and he is a constant in the crazy changes this club has gone through and for me is the link between the club/team and fans and is vital.

If we get into a position where he is no longer first choice in any number of positions then so be it but we are far from there yet.

And if he maintains his fitness who says he can’t be the best right back in the world again?

16 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

You can't be making sensible suggestions like that on the internet. Has Australia made you soft?

Yes.

9 hours ago, Andy North said:

Yes.

So Tasmania then.

Just now, dermott said:

So Tasmania then.

Thats not a real place and you know it...

2 minutes ago, dkw said:

Thats not a real place and you know it...

The late great 1970s Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam once said Tasmania was only good for one thing. Double-headed fellatio.

For context, the Tasmanian west coast is a wild place populated by small, isolated communities where, it was said, they, um, kept it in the family.

I thought Tasmania was a place off Looney Tunes where the devil is from?

10 minutes ago, All Barco no bite said:

I thought Tasmania was a place off Looney Tunes where the devil is from?

Don’t engage with the globeheads, clearly paid actors who claim ‘Australia’ exists.