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The Unpopular Opinion Thread

squallman

Still Pining for Wenger
****s to a man compared to Cazorla.

I forgot my real unpopular opinion.

Cazorla is overrated to hell and back on here. Wenger had to play Ramsey and Coquelin just to cover Santi's shortcomings.

We had so many 3/4 players in those days it was laughable. Walcott, Cazorla, Mertesacker, Giroud. Players who couldn't stand on their own unless someone was covering for them. Cazorla was the best of the bunch but still lacking.

The difference between Fabregas and Cazorla for me is that Cesc could play with anyone in midfield and his partners could be playing any style of football and the midfield would still function. Santi needed a certain type of midfielder to play with and another midfielder on the wings to cover for them of them else everything fell apart
 

dka1

100% Dark Chocolate
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
I forgot my real unpopular opinion.

Cazorla is overrated to hell and back on here. Wenger had to play Ramsey and Coquelin just to cover Santi's shortcomings.

We had so many 3/4 players in those days it was laughable. Walcott, Cazorla, Mertesacker, Giroud. Players who couldn't stand on their own unless someone was covering for them. Cazorla was the best of the bunch but still lacking.

The difference between Fabregas and Cazorla for me is that Cesc could play with anyone in midfield and his partners could be playing any style of football and the midfield would still function. Santi needed a certain type of midfielder to play with and another midfielder on the wings to cover for them of them else everything fell apart

Liked because this is definitely an unpopular opinion and I completely disagree of course.

On the topic I don't really understand disliking a post in an unpopular opinion thread. Surely a really pot stirring unpopular opinion should be liked (or at the least not disliked) because that's the point of the thread?

Anyway......Santi was exceptional, I think his ankle problems kind of ruined the end of his time with us but I remember his first season distinctly because he was crazy good in the AM role.

Infact I was surprised how robust he was given his small stature and not only was his passing really good but he had an excellent shot too.

In a way whilst I'm really glad we signed Özil, I remember thinking at the time that we didn't really need him as much as striker as we had Santi (that's the summer we were chasing Higuain).

Incidentally that's when Santi was moved to central midfield and I think he looked good there too.

To me it's his partners he made look better rather than the other way around and they relied on his ability to essentially have the ball glued to his boot.
 

Mrs Bergkamp

Double Dusted
Dusted 🔻
Completely agreed.

He would have stayed if we were actually winning trophies and competing for the title as well. The fact that he only has one league title to his name considering his talent is a mockery.

Someone once asked Paul Scholes why he was so loyal to Manchester United. He basically said "Why on earth would anyone leave United" cause they basically won the title every year. Hell even "one of our own" Harry is trying to get out of Sp**s cause he has no trophies. What do you expect from a Dutch bloke?

That said, "the little boy inside me" stuff was a piss take.
I hear what you're saying but if we hadn't carried his injury prone ass for years, we would have won more. I get that we didn't match his ambition after his first world class season, but that same ambition didn't exist when he was rubbing horse placenta in his banjaxed knees. He's the only player I take issue with leaving the way he did.
 

Macho

In search of Pure Profit 💸
Dusted 🔻

Country: England
I hear what you're saying but if we hadn't carried his injury prone ass for years, we would have won more. I get that we didn't match his ambition after his first world class season, but that same ambition didn't exist when he was rubbing horse placenta in his banjaxed knees. He's the only player I take issue with leaving the way he did.
I'm over the whole utd thing, but yeah not only did VP forget where his bread was buttered but there is a lot of revisionist history from the fans as well.

The patience, the red cards, the development, he owed Arsenal as much as he owed himself to get out there and secure trophies, it is what it is.

My only beef is our legit legends should be celebrated as much as VP that's all, but I might be asking too much as someone in his mid thirties admittedly.
 

Tir Na Nog

Changes Opinion Every 5 Minutes

Country: Ireland
I'm over the whole utd thing, but yeah not only did VP forget where his bread was buttered but there is a lot of revisionist history from the fans as well.

The patience, the red cards, the development, he owed Arsenal as much as he owed himself to get out there and secure trophies, it is what it is.

My only beef is our legit legends should be celebrated as much as VP that's all, but I might be asking too much as someone in his mid thirties admittedly.

There was times in 09 and maybe 2010 when he was linked with moves away and I don't think at the time people would've cared too much. RvP literally did most of his best work in an 16 month period from January 2011 till the May 2012. Before that he actually had been fairly inconsistent as well as a bit injury prone.

Between 06-09 Adebayor was miles ahead in terms of what he was producing and his importance to the team. During our good form of the 07-08 season Van Persie didn't contribute a lot and it was either Adebayor as a lone striker or sometimes partnered with Eduardo during those months when we were top of the league.
 

Macho

In search of Pure Profit 💸
Dusted 🔻

Country: England
There was times in 09 and maybe 2010 when he was linked with moves away and I don't think at the time people would've cared too much. RvP literally did most of his best work in an 16 month period from January 2011 till the May 2012. Before that he actually had been fairly inconsistent as well as a bit injury prone.

Between 06-09 Adebayor was miles ahead in terms of what he was producing and his importance to the team. During our good form of the 07-08 season Van Persie didn't contribute a lot and it was either Adebayor as a lone striker or sometimes partnered with Eduardo during those months when we were top of the league.
We had 6 months of Chamakh cause of Rvp, people forget this.

He bodied Chamakh's whole career when he returned but still. A lot of strikers had come and gone and held the mantle for a piece whilst RvP was sorting himself out.
 

Rex Stone

Long live the fighters
Trusted ⭐

Country: Wales
There was times in 09 and maybe 2010 when he was linked with moves away and I don't think at the time people would've cared too much. RvP literally did most of his best work in an 16 month period from January 2011 till the May 2012. Before that he actually had been fairly inconsistent as well as a bit injury prone.

Between 06-09 Adebayor was miles ahead in terms of what he was producing and his importance to the team. During our good form of the 07-08 season Van Persie didn't contribute a lot and it was either Adebayor as a lone striker or sometimes partnered with Eduardo during those months when we were top of the league.

RvP still had a bonkers goal record. I disagree on this strongly because when he played he was elite. The only knock back then and it was a huge one was that he was just never on the pitch.

The production point I think is off because if you look at the seasons in that 2006-09 period you mentioned you get these numbers.

Adebayor Van Persie

2006/07: 29 games 8 goals 22 games 11 goals

2007/08: 36 games 24 goals 15 games 7 goals

2008/09: 26 games 10 goals 28 goals 11 goals


Even that 2008/09 season where RVP didn’t get many goals, he was playing a different role to his later years but still managed to get 10 assists.

Then the next year again Van Persie got 9 in 16 and then the year after he sorted the fitness out and kept scoring at a ridiculous rate.

If anything even with his achievements, his career is a massive “what if” because for PL all time goals per minutes among players with 50+ goals he’s 7th which is ahead of Alan Shearer.

If he’d had a few more years of fitness he’d probably be top 5 for Premier League all time goals and we’d almost certainly have another title or two.

Also his penalty numbers for a top striker were ridiculously low. In only one season did he score three or more penalties. The likes of Kane, Aguero and Ruud have all had multiple seasons of five plus penalties.

I think he’s one of the pound for pound greatest strikers of all time in PL history. Just a shame his body failed him.
 

Trill

Not Trilly
I hear what you're saying but if we hadn't carried his injury prone ass for years, we would have won more. I get that we didn't match his ambition after his first world class season, but that same ambition didn't exist when he was rubbing horse placenta in his banjaxed knees. He's the only player I take issue with leaving the way he did.
Yeah it would have been nice if he had stayed to repay all the time out with injury's. But it's not like we kept him around because we're such nice people. If we weren't chained to project youth due to the stadium repayments we would have dropped him in a second for a less injury prone player of the same talent (of which there were probably less than ten of in his position in the world) well, Wenger probably wouldn't have been that pragmatic but then he's a bit different to most people.

The guy was the best striker in the world and arguably the third best player in the world full stop. He was obviously desperate for at least ONE proper trophy. What would have been his reward if he had stayed with us? Two more years at his peak winning maybe an F.A Cup. Only to be soon forgotten while we continue to **** each other off over The Invincibles.
 

AberGooner

Established Member
Trusted ⭐

Country: Scotland

Player:Gabriel
This has probably been discussed before but in theory what happens if we showed a bit of balls and said "tough **** Robin, we're keeping you another year" and signed Cazorla. How would we have done? In that scenario we wouldn't have signed Podolski and Giroud either.

Cazorla had a quality first season as a 10 and I feel with Van Persie in the form he was in we'd have converted a lot of those draws into wins. Depending on who United signed instead they'd have a lot less points as well. I know it wasn't the greatest of our squads but neither was the United side that ended up winning the league.
 

Rex Stone

Long live the fighters
Trusted ⭐

Country: Wales
This has probably been discussed before but in theory what happens if we showed a bit of balls and said "tough **** Robin, we're keeping you another year" and signed Cazorla. How would we have done? In that scenario we wouldn't have signed Podolski and Giroud either.

Cazorla had a quality first season as a 10 and I feel with Van Persie in the form he was in we'd have converted a lot of those draws into wins. Depending on who United signed instead they'd have a lot less points as well. I know it wasn't the greatest of our squads but neither was the United side that ended up winning the league.

Interesting sliding doors moment. Utd may still win the league ahead of City but it’d be a lot closer.

Would Fergie still retire and if so does RvP still want to go there?

As for us, we’d already signed Podolski and Giroud before he left so if we’re being generous let’s say Cazorla still comes. Do we knock out Bayern in 2012/13?

If so how far do we go in the competition? Semi finals against Barcelona I’d reckon but then does Klopp win a CL with Dortmund considering how good they were that year? Does Heynckes still retire for Pep to take over?

Assuming we still sign Özil the next year and we convince RVP to renew is that enough to win the league? So many questions lol.
 

AberGooner

Established Member
Trusted ⭐

Country: Scotland

Player:Gabriel
Interesting sliding doors moment. Utd may still win the league ahead of City but it’d be a lot closer.

Would Fergie still retire and if so does RvP still want to go there?

As for us, we’d already signed Podolski and Giroud before he left so if we’re being generous let’s say Cazorla still comes. Do we knock out Bayern in 2012/13?

If so how far do we go in the competition? Semi finals against Barcelona I’d reckon but then does Klopp win a CL with Dortmund considering how good they were that year? Does Heynckes still retire for Pep to take over?

Assuming we still sign Özil the next year and we convince RVP to renew is that enough to win the league? So many questions lol.

I remember there was talk of Podolski coming in for a large part of that season but I still think we signed him and Giroud on the basis we probably already knew Van Persie was leaving.

I really don't believe United win that title without him. Not saying we'd win it either but we'd have had as good a chance as any. If it meant him leaving on a free the following year I'd have taken that chance to find out.
 

BigPoppaPump

Reeling from Laca & Kos nightmares
I'm over the whole utd thing, but yeah not only did VP forget where his bread was buttered but there is a lot of revisionist history from the fans as well.

The patience, the red cards, the development, he owed Arsenal as much as he owed himself to get out there and secure trophies, it is what it is.

My only beef is our legit legends should be celebrated as much as VP that's all, but I might be asking too much as someone in his mid thirties admittedly.
I don’t think anyone celebrates RVP more than Henry, Vieira etc lol people just compare our current strikers to him as a point of reference. He’s not even celebrated really most people hate him :lol:

I don’t begrudge him for leaving it’s naive to expect players to stay when they have a legit chance to win trophies and get paid more money.
 

Jack Circus

Member
The praise for Rashford, Sancho and Saka was way OTT, never seen anyone get so much love for missing a pen. Best chance we'll ever get to win a major trophy and we're putting up murals for the guys who f*cked it? Game's gone.
 

Mrs Bergkamp

Double Dusted
Dusted 🔻
Yeah it would have been nice if he had stayed to repay all the time out with injury's. But it's not like we kept him around because we're such nice people. If we weren't chained to project youth due to the stadium repayments we would have dropped him in a second for a less injury prone player of the same talent (of which there were probably less than ten of in his position in the world) well, Wenger probably wouldn't have been that pragmatic but then he's a bit different to most people.

The guy was the best striker in the world and arguably the third best player in the world full stop. He was obviously desperate for at least ONE proper trophy. What would have been his reward if he had stayed with us? Two more years at his peak winning maybe an F.A Cup. Only to be soon forgotten while we continue to **** each other off over The Invincibles.
The thing is that ss far as I can recall, as a club, we've never discarded a player ruthlessly for being injured. We had a family club reputation for a reason. I understand his desperation for a trophy but Utd would have been stuck for a striker if he had run to them. The talk of the little boy and Utd feeling like home was a slap. Well never know how things would have turned out if he'd stayed but he has lille if any legacy anywhere.
 

Jack Circus

Member
And that England squad was nowhere near as likeable as everyone kept banging on about. Apart from Rashford and Henderson they're all just regular footballers, no different from previous generations. Difference now is they can control their own image via social media and they play in an era where athletes are more politically engaged.

Oh n the way the whole country was fawning over Saka ws a bit infantalising tbh, like the way people talk about Kante as if he's a teddy bear or some sh*t. Saka ought to get caught on video in the strip club or somewhere otherwise he's gonna be pigeon-holed as a sweet little boy for the rest of his career.
 

albakos

Arséne Wenger: "I will miss you"
Administrator

Country: Kosova

Player:Saka
I remember there was talk of Podolski coming in for a large part of that season but I still think we signed him and Giroud on the basis we probably already knew Van Persie was leaving
As Podolski was on a Bosman period, we announced him around late April/early May 2012.
RVP had even used his Twitter to congragulate/welcome Podolski in our team.
 

BigPoppaPump

Reeling from Laca & Kos nightmares
The praise for Rashford, Sancho and Saka was way OTT, never seen anyone get so much love for missing a pen. Best chance we'll ever get to win a major trophy and we're putting up murals for the guys who f*cked it? Game's gone.
It’s cos everyone wants to be Mother Theresa these days and show how good and righteous they are. So much furore over some trolls online like they’re a new thing. It was all so patronising too I’d hate it if I was Saka.
 

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