Journalist calls Arsenal and Chelsea boring and he’s not wrong – opinion | OneFootball

A journalist for Football365 has referred to the Arsenal vs Chelsea match as boring and medieval, and he’s not wrong at all.

John Nicholson wrote the article this morning off the back of watching Chelsea lose 2-1 away at Arsenal yesterday in the Premier League, and he was left unamused.

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Boring football

Chelsea score from a corner. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)

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Nicholson wrote:

“I watched the Arsenal v Chelsea match. In contrast to even third-tier German football on YouTube, it was much less entertaining.

“They’re not terrible players but they’re boring. Or rather, how they’re instructed to play is not gripping or creative or interesting in any way. The reliance on scoring from corners seemed nearly obsessive. Some call it ‘medieval football’.

“It seems like football clubs [in the Premier League] have forgotten or don’t care that it’s supposed to be entertainment. It’s become so pragmatic that everything is sacrificed to the result, including fun.

“Because they are good players, the fault must lie with the managers’ systems and tactics. Some try to micromanage from the touchline, looking like competitive dads, apparently unable to trust their ability to coach throughout the week or trust the players to recall them for 90 minutes.

“Is this because of pressures from the ownership? Does the huge money spent on wages and transfers create pressure? It all certainly seems to be about the result, never the performance, but they seem to have forgotten people want to be entertained. And those 18-man six yard wrestling matches are no fun.”

He’s spot on

Unfortunately, he is right. It’s just modern football at the top. Teams are being coached to play this way. All about keeping the ball, and it’s become so robotic. There are less maverick type players expressing themselves and playing with freedom, and the game at this level has truly become very mundane to watch.

It’s a sad state.

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