Like Spaldy, I've been able (and extremely fortunate) to have seen all of the games thus far in their entirety.
We've been awesome to watch at times and you can see what Bielsa's trying to achieve with the resources he has at his disposal.
We were extremely unlucky not to win yesterday (and could even have cruelly lost, were it not for gadget-limbed Meslier) and, like others have said, I would've gladly taken a spirited 0-0 before kick-off: a point further away from the bottom three.
We certainly had our chances to kill them off, but Arsenal developed a better defensive and strategic backbone when they went down to ten men. Both keepers were quality when it mattered.
Strange to say, but I've a feeling we might've beaten them had all eleven of them stayed on the field. They were largely disinterested and ineffective up until Pepe's dismissal. Going down a man gave them something to work for?
Anyway. Enjoy the ride!
Are you aware that 6 of the starting line up were on the books when Heckingbottom was manager? Pepe is worth more than half the squad. So them missing first team players doesn't cut the mustard with me.
Bielsa gets credit and plaudit because of this.
Always more difficult when a team that plays attacking football goes down to 10 men and throws everybody virtually behind the ball.
Reply goes to you and LeedsUtdMan...
I think Oz made the point a few posts back that its precisely the fact that so many of the players who you could describe as "seniors" in the squad are keeping us "afloat" in this new place we find ourselves which is worrying. Not because of their effort and contribution, but because so little has been achieved by the newcomers who have cost the club around £100m.
We are not "doing well" in terms of results, we are surviving, and if those newcomers don't get "in the groove" to use Tichs phrase, PDQ, we might find ourselves trading places with the likes of Blades and Bumley ffs! Playing beautiful football (which we do, for sure), and not winning will be cold comfort when relegation is staring us in the face. I'd rather have seen an ugly 3 points from 2 of the last four games (eminently possible), than 1 point and a lot of artistic merit that counts for f00k all at the end of the season.
Still had a lot of internationals - are you saying. Leno, Aubameyang, Xhaka, Willian, Pepe and Ceballos are rubbish?
I don’t get why do you want people to stop enjoying being back in the prem and how we play - fine you think something else and fair does but why rain on everyone else’s parade?
So you suggest that those with a point of view that differs (slightly, see my comments on this and other threads about how well we can play, AND WIN!), should just shut up, hmm?
Some "forum" (look up the definition, see if your view if what this place should be tallies).
Being happy with how we play is different to being happy with being happy with one point from 9 but hey I guess you know that but just trolling again.
If you want to see crap hoofball then go and watch Boro or Cardiff.
If you thought we were going to tear up the prem week in week out then you are deluded. Fair to say but for the goals we completely outplayed arsenal - look at the XG - read the papers - are the praise from the pundits.