Trent ‘utterly wasted’ by England like Man Utd legend | OneFootball

Trent Alexander-Arnold might be this generation’s Paul Scholes as we venture lightly into England territory.

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Is Trent going to be this generation’s Scholes?

I’m a Man United fan, so don’t really have a horse in this race. But does nobody think it weird that Tuchel just won’t pick Trent Alexander Arnold? Another defender drops out and he replaces him with someone who can’t even get in the Arsenal team. We could have another 10 defenders drop out of this 35-man squad, and he still won’t pick someone who is one of our few genuinely world-class players and arguably the best (or certainly one of the best) in the world in his position.

I remember a few years ago Klopp being incredulous when Southgate was playing him in midfield and his response was something like “why would you play the best right-back in the world in midfield?” but now, surely, the question is: why won’t you pick a player who quite clearly offers something very different to every other player we have, particularly when half the other right-backs are injured and particularly when he’s started playing his way back into the Real Madrid team?

We’re going to look back on Trent’s international career in the same way many of us look back on the career of Paul Scholes. Utterly wasted by risk-averse England managers who have no idea how to use their best players. Matt, Sheffield

Never wanted it anyway?

I really enjoyed the “not fussed” and “didn’t want to win it anyway mails in the afternoon mailbox.

If the fans’ mindset is not wanting to win a trophy for which you’ve won 4/5 games to reach the final the no wonder they bottle so many big games.

Hilarious rewriting of history and also utterly stupid. Minty, LFC

Imagine Saka under a different Arsenal manager

That last mailbox with the stuff about Saka struggling. Aye, try putting him in Enrique’s PSG, Flick’s Barca, or Ancelotti’s Real over the same period he’s been in Legohead’s Overcautious All-Stars and see whether he looks the same. Poor lad’s youthful idealism and Goonersaurus jim-jams have been ruthlessly exploited by Mr anti-football. Too many minutes and not enough supporting attackers to give the boy a fighting chance. Arteta’s football is offensive, just not in the desirable meaning of the word in a football context. RHT/TS x

(Ben ‘Neckerchief, Handbag, and Blazer to the Beach’ White REALLY doesn’t like football does he? Cherki was probably just bored tbf)

Beef Cherki…

Love Cherki as a player, and City were well worth their win. At the same time, if you didn’t understand why Ben White gave him a little dig, you’ve probably never played a competitive sport in your life. Kenny

If you’re happy and you know it…

Appreciate there is cause for complaint for a lot of fanbases after the weekend results, but (so) I just wanted to gloat about a wonderfully relaxing day at Villa Park on Sunday. Comfortable win, players coming back from injury, first look at The Warehouse…

Lovely stuff, and long may it continue. Can’t wait to play again this weekend. Oh no, the one after? Nope. Surely the one after that?!? FFS!!!!! Okay, can’t wait for April 9th in the Europa League. It’s going to be a loooooong 2 and a bit weeks. Will have to take in some lower league games over the break. Gary AVFC, Oxford (It’s so much calmer with Tielemans and McGinn on the pitch)

On Americans and Everton

Been swamped the past weekend so just got here to find out the Americans have been taking a kicking in the mailbox. What did I miss?

Everton. Where in the heck has that type of performance been, at home??? Not once during the match did I feel Chelsea were going to threaten to take it by the scruff of the neck and punish as they usually can do. That’s rare. It’s rare even more that Beto scores two. Evertonians have been crying out for a proper striker but if Beto keeps this up, then perhaps he can do the job after all. It’s clear he loves playing for the club and the supporters, just a bit more consistency would be nice.

I’d love to see us somehow qualify for Europe but are we really ready for it? I still think we’re weak in our right and left back positions and quality opposition would pinpoint that weakness. That said, beggars can’t be choosers, and we’ve been begging to get out of the relegation battles and back to at least midtable.

Moyes can infuriate me sometimes, but he got it absolutely right for the Chelsea match…and a special shout out to one Dwight McNeil. On his way to Palace, transfer falls through, and his partner rightfully has issues with how Palace handled the matter. What does Dwight do? Forces his way back into the starting eleven and proceeds to have a series of his best performances in a good year or two. No one saw that coming. Players take a good kicking from fans and the media when things aren’t going well for them. So, it’s only right that when a player does well, that he gets praised for a job well done. I honestly wanted Dwight sold because we could use the funds. Well done Dwight McNeil. You’ve proved me and a lot of Evertonians wrong. TX Bill (the derby match should be interesting and Eoin from Ireland just has to be Aaron Ramsdale’s father) EFC

Stop with the anti-Yank talk

Just want to follow up on the sudden burst of US v UK sentiment with AK, Drainer, Eric and the guy from Alabama exchanging barbs. There was a soccer show on US TV in the late 70’s/early 80’s featuring English Football. All-Star Soccer hosted by Mario Machado had 1st division highlights and a featured game of the week.

That show, along with the aforementioned Soccer made in Germany, were requisite viewing for all of us soccer starved youngster enamored with the beautiful game. It made fans of English teams for many of us growing up in that era.

England should be proud of their history and current Premier League status; we can only dream of that over here. That’s no reason to “punch down” on us for sharing your love of the beautiful game.

Enjoy. treilly, Maryland USA

…I was a bit surprised to see that over the weekend there has been some vitriol towards Americans (who I will concede are a very punchable punching bag right now).

I’m sure most of us would like to see the USA removed as World Cup host for a number of reasons, especially the cringe levels of servility of Infantino in giving Trump the FIFA Peace Price Prize, but FIFA’s longstanding commitment to corruption and embezzlement aside, and the Trump regime’s obvious and glaring failures and cruelty notwithstanding, football and sport is beautiful precisely because it can be enjoyed and participated in by anybody and this is particularly true of football where you need a ball and some way to mark out goals. Jumpers were the classic goal post when I was growing up.

Maybe now more than ever the USA needs football to realise that the Mexican pool boy they’re about report to ICE to illegally detain is just a normal kid who plays football with their boy. Maybe football will show MAGA that the Sudanese refugee is just another person who fled a war-torn country and just wants to do his job and watch the football when he’s done for the day, and he’s not someone that will eat their dog when they go on holiday. Maybe football will demonstrate that the Afghani girl their daughter goes to college with is there because she’s a human being that did not want to give up her dream of kicking a ball around when the Taliban shut the lid on the dreams of girls when they took over, and that she’s not a terrorist waiting to happen.

Yes, this is possibly both a naive and rose-tinted take on the power of football to bring people together, but I’d rather that than trying to police who can and can’t play or engage with the sport. Of course, Americans can shove it if they insist on calling it soccer instead of football, but football is for everyone including Americans. Daniel (AK of the xG got owned. A simple Google search before you post/send will make you appear exponentially smarter).

Comedy corner

Absolutely fantastic comedy has to be recognised for the art form that it is. Like Marge vs The Monorail, Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes, Eddie Murphy Raw with the purple jumpsuit etc.

“Are you a league or a cup, you confusingly named mystery”, “Big Milk”, “syrupy rule over the cup naming rights” it was gold, I snotted in the pub at least twice reading it.