Satoshi

Ah, so you're basing it on what you think Arteta would do, rather than what he has actually done in playing Tierney there 26 games and Tomiyasu there 4 games. It's a bold strategy. But at least you aren't contesting that Tomiyasu 4 league games at left back is a higher number than Tierney's 17. Fair play for keeping this up, most posters would have taken the loss and moved on.

Yeah that's why I said it was a "great time" to be a Scotland fan. Not a "great period" in Scottish football history, that's just misquoting (fairly common on this thread). We are in the best position we have been in for about 25 years. Of course that's a great time to be fan. Of course people can and will negatively spin anything, that's kinda my point. We didn't qualify for a major tournament for an abnormally long period of time, then we did.

Irrelevant stats like how many times they have played left back in the league? If Tomiyasu is second choice left back in the league why has he only played there 4 times and Tierney 17? Why has Tierney played there 6 times in the league since Tomiyasu last played there? Tomiyasu at left back looks like an experiment Arteta had in October and he hasn't even thought of replicating since. Do you think 4 is a bigger number than 17? Don't know where else to go from here really, it really does boil down to that. Possibly, but it would be a negative if it was some crap team (which, of course, it wouldn't be). He will likely move at the end of the season, let's just hope his next team doesn't pick him for 60 games a season. Or, alternatively, we have qualified for 1 of the last 2 and reached a playoff in the other. Kinda my point, some people will look at a glass 80% full, others will see it as 20% empty. Tierney is still miles better than Alex Telles and probably better than Alex Sandro. There's no doubt he would be in the Brazil squad. Or do you seriously think Alex Telles is better?

The Economist article on this case last week stated "Perhaps because she was pretty, white and middle-class her case generated intense interest." So a bit of a surprise this fairly obvious observation lead to such intense debate a few pages ago. There are actually two other recent / ongoing cases that also touch on this phenomenon. I watched the big cases doc on Andrew Innes (based in Dundee he got a 4 page thread on here too). It was an open and shut case as he admitted it instantly, but the victims a Filipino mother and her daughter (who lived in sheltered housing) were missing for five days (between the initial report and Innnes being arrested) with some media coverage but certainly no front page news on national media. Now, had a wealthy white woman and her daughter gone missing for 5 days it's logical to think that it would have been a (perhaps much bigger) story. As it is, I only know about it because it did receive some coverage, most missing person person cases receive effectively zero. The case is absolutely horrendous by the way, I recommend not reading about. And to my second example, there's been both an economist article and now a netflix documentary about the Murdaugh case in the US which has become big news. You might be surprised to hear it is about a wealthy white family (who, in addition to have an obviously Scottish surname, couldn't look more Ayrshire if they tried). I'm sure the case is interesting, but it will receive far more coverage than comparable cases involving poorer people from ethnic minorities. It doesn't have to be this way, the way to combat it is to keep calling it out.

Possibly, I guess some people live their life focusing on causes for concern rather than spending (at least some of the time) looking at positives things in life. Wouldn't be me though. FWIW, I remember not too long ago when 0 Scotland players played regularly in the EPL (or any top leagues) and we were performing poorly relative to our peers. Not only do we have much better players now, we also have a better team that is qualifying for international tournaments. It's a great time to be a Scotland fan. You wouldn't get this impression reading this sub forum, so I'm happy to provide a bit of balance.

If you thought that, why not bet on Clarke not starting him in the next game? What would the point in that be? It's actually quite obvious to anyone reading the thread. But if you're unsure, have a look at the posters contributions on this forum. If 80% or more of their posts are negative about our team and our players then you have the right demographic. And I'm not surprised they don't like being called out, if I had those views I wouldn't like the mirror held up to me either. It's not a uniquely Scottish thing and you certainly see it on club forums too, but Scottish national team seems to attract proportionally more than I have seen elsewhere. Constant doom must inhibit their heads, and they would far rather post about someone doing badly than doing well. No, I asked a question if you thought that Tomiyasu had played more at left back than Tierney this season and the answer is an emphatic no. To be clear, since October 1st Tierney has made 12 league appearances at left back (1 start). Tomiyasu started 4 games in a row in October, and hasn't played there since. Since Tomiyasu last played left back (30th October) Tierney has played there 6 times in the league, started twice in the FA cup, started once in the EFL cup and started once in the Europa League. To say that Tierney is the third choice left back is incorrect (26 appearances vs 4), to say he is the third choice left back since October is also incorrect given the above. Given in previous posts you completely fabricated quotes (then rowed away from it when called out) I'm not surprised you have continued down this path in your subsequent posts. To be clear, none of the above things happened. And if you are going to lie so blatantly and so shamelessly at least make it interesting - can the next post be about how I posted on another thread the sky was green and the moon landings faked? You could just say that you got it wrong and that, actually, Tierney probably isn't third choice left back. But we both know you won't, and to be fair, I'm quite entertained by the wild tales you come out with so keep it up. I don't quite have the creativity to make things up like you do, so I'll stick to the dispassionate facts. I'm not surprised that this season Tierney has avoided recurring injury problems, and I hope that the mini rest he has been getting will have resolved his recurring injuries for good. If so, this has been a great season for Tierney long term career, and for the national team.

Then clearly plenty of non serious Scotland fans post on this site then. Of course, all the actual complaining about him not playing - will have zero affect on whether he plays or not. If he wants more first team football he will be able to get it, easily. You can't blame the guy for wanting to stay with a team having their best ever season rather than make it all about him and try and force a move in January. He's appreciated by his coach and team mates for being a model pro, gets paid millions a year, and has a good chance of ending the season with a league winners medal. If that's doing badly, I would like to see who's doing well.

Have a look at the op of the thread dropped for an answer on this. This thread, and the Gilmour thread, gets far more attention than the threads of players playing regularly (and playing well). One poster only posted about Scott McKenna when he made a mistake in a game, and hasn't posted about him before or since. The idea that this forum is some utopia where everyone is supportive of the players and wants them to thrive is sheer naivety I'm afraid. Some fans (of all club and national teams) love to talk the team and players down. It certainly looks to me to be more common amongst Scottish football supporters. But I'm sure it also exists to greater and lesser extents in all footballing nations.

More of an Indian summer than a late bloomer but AC Milan didn't even offer a contract to Pirlo at 32, who then went on to play arguably the best football of his career for Juventus and Italy.

That would be a no, then. Tomiyasu has made 4 appearances at left back all season, Tierney has made 26. Calling him a third choice left back is pretty funny, as was making up those quotes then rowing away from it. I'm impressed by your dedication to getting it wrong, I think we are all excited to see what you will come away with next. Some people on this thread would have certainly preferred if it didn't happen, and he had stayed on the bench and/or reserves. Tough luck for them I guess.

Do you think Tomiyasu has played more games at left back for Arsenal than Tierney this season? By omission I take it you admit you made those quotes up. It's a bold strategy - I'll give you that.

Where have you taken either of your quotes from? Just your head? Tierney is a very different type of left back to Zinchenko, I'm sure he would do better in more conventional systems but worse in Arsenal's system. When he leaves it will be to a pretty good, ambitious top flight team and for a fair wedge of cash too. Doesn't seem to be going as badly for him as some of the knicker wetters on this thread think it is.

Fair play, I actually lold at this. Anyway, there is near zero chance that Greg Taylor will be starting ahead of Kieran Tierney in the next Scotland match, as we both know.

Given Rupert Murdoch is despised by just about every member of his family, I don't think he's ever had the slightest compunction about stabbing people in the back, or front, or repeatedly ramming them with his car.

Which part of my post is inaccurate? Do you think that Tierney will be dropped for Greg Taylor? For me, that wouldn't even happen if Taylors appearances were doubled and Tierney's were halved. In terms of minutes, I think Tierney will certainly still get enough minutes to stay match fit. It's a near certainty he starts the next Scotland game, as pretty much everyone knows.

Maybe, I have no doubt Arsenal want to keep him, Arteta gave him a big contract fairly recently. I personally think he will leave, but he has no bad options really. Right well given I absolutely didn't say everyone else was an idiot, it seems likely I also didn't say that Tierney wasn't second choice. If you're going to start misquoting people you can't be so blatant about it. Earlier in the season I dispassionately pointed out how his minutes compared to others at Arsenal, this generated plenty of seethe but facts will do that sometimes. It seems that everyone agrees Tierney will not lose his Scotland spot because of his lack of league starts (and if you disagree with that - bet on it) and also that there isn't too much he could have done differently this season. He has been a top pro on and off the pitch, and made it about the team not him. That's why he's lauded by his manager and team mates. So beyond 'why doesn't be displace Zinchenko grrr' there's actually not much people are saying. He has lost his starting place for tactical reasons, and is clearly still trusted by the management hence the amount of sub appearances he has made (and starts in other competitions). There will be plenty of players in the Arsenal first team squad with fewer games and minutes. And, as has been pointed out many times, every national team has players who don't start every week (they all could, but obviously they chose their best players rather than such arbitrary criteria as starts at any level). This applies even moreso to smaller nations with smaller pools of players, Norway's starting goalkeeper has 12 appearances in 3 years (and 11 of those were at championship level). The only one fantasising are those that think Tierney with 25 appearances will be dropped for Greg Taylor who has, er, 31 at a much lower level.

He is still absolutely guaranteed to be a Scotland starter. What would people want Tierney to do differently? Agitate for a move publicly and upset his team in a huge season for them. He's been dropped not for performance but for tactical reasons. And has handled it like the model pro he is. He will likely get his move this summer alongside glowing references from his manager and his team mates (who say he is the best trainer at the club). Lesser players would have thrown their toys out the pram. I'm not at all surprised Tierney has stayed, and put 100% into training and when he gets on the pitch. Crying is for some people on this forum, not him.

I have clearly already said he is a good enough player to start regularly at a top team. And he probably will move in the summer, he will have no shortage of suitors and Arsenal will be keen to keep him - no doubt extracting a big profit on his purchase price. It's possible that lesser minutes this season has helped him avoid chronic injury issues - let's hope they are gone for good. But he's in no rush, Arsenal wouldn't have sold him in the summer and as a model pro he won't have upset the team in their best ever season. And whether you like it or not, his sub appearances will still very much merit him a winners medal if Arsenal end up as champions. His Scotland selection chances will not at all be affected by his lack of starts at Arsenal. Id bet good money on this. For all we know, his top flight career will have been extended by this mini break.

He has made 25 appearances this season. He has played 60 games for Celtic once 5 years ago. His record for EPL appearances in a season is 27. So far this season, he has managed only 6 fewer league appearances than the entirety of last season. I'm sure some posters think it's better for the national team if Tierney plays 60 games for Celtic, for me far better to play 26 (so far, with a big chunk of the season still to go) for a team chasing the EPL title.

Lifelong history nerd but haven't actually studied it since school. Particularly enjoy broader stroke world history like Sapiens or Guns, Germs and Steel. In the latter my favourite history / anthropological fact of Madagascar being colonised from Borneo (7500km away) rather than Africa which is only 400km away. Which makes sense as the language spoken is Malagasy (related to Malay) and the people look Malay or Malay/African mix. Have never been but would like to go. Around Asia I have discovered that every museum has a nationalistic narrative that doesn't exist in the UK (or maybe it does but I'm blind to it). Did you know how US prisoners loved being POWs in Vietnam? Sometimes it's quite blatant, other times it's omission, Singapore would cover the McDonald House bombing extensively but would omit their fairly big (and fairly recent) eugenics program. I haven't been to museums in Scotland for a long time, anything we are omitting? Any flaky pro colonisation stuff? In terms of documentaries, there are innumerable good ones on the BBC but you can't go wrong with Ken Burns.

You definitely know you're in the wrong when you're agreeing with Goldridge. Far too much faith being placed in football gossip columns.

Correct, we already know what the next social media obsession will be - a supposed ideal victim. All the attention only made things worse for this poor woman and her family.

Indeed, look at how Bowens career dropped off a cliff this season. For me it seems far more likely Rashford will fade into last seasons form than keep this up over several seasons. Still, as an early (and reluctant) fantasy football adopter I hope he keeps it up for a while longer. Only a Kane sitter (which almost went for a throw in) kept Rice from gifting Spurs a goal. Surely only Chelsea stupid enough to buy him?

Absolutely no chance Tierney doesn't start for Scotland because of a lack of first team starts. Interesting fantasy you have though.

By far my favourite take on this so far comes from Murray Peterson who commented on the Economist linkedin article: "The Welsh Jacinda - woke rejected" Keep up the good work Murray, a stellar career in British journalism awaits you.