21 Mar 2026 19:40:46
Arsenal have been playing twice a week almost every week now. We've done well to stay in the cups and it's of course exciting to still be in contention to win as many as four trophies.
But I have to confess, this amount of football is a bit too much for me. These are exciting games and I usually watch them with great attention. I usually need a few hours afterwards to cool off and even then might not sleep as well as normally.
Then there's the issue of squad management, fatigue and player welfare. I have always thought that the fixture congestion is a problem clubs should be able to solve by building larger squads (like we did last summer) in order to cope. But bigger squads and constant rotation have a negative impact on the quality of the game (wasn't considering this until Adam Cleary talked about it on his YouTube channel) .
I would also like to see some other matches but feel like Arsenal is more than filling my football appetite right now. ?
I think this schedule is here to stay since more matches means more money. But personally I would welcome a drastic reduction in matches with open arms. I would happily scrap League Cup for prem teams, reduce Premier League to 18 or even 16 teams and reduce Champions League league phase to 5 or 6 games.
Arsenal playing only once a week would probably mean I would savour every corner kick and throw in even more :) and who knows maybe the open play football would be better as well.
Less is more for me. Anyone else feeling the same?
22 Mar 2026 08:14:42
Well said, mate, it's just too much. You see players like Rice and Timber just stretched to their absolute limit over a period of a few months. then there's no break. Straight into the next cup game, straight into the World Cup, etc.
I want to see our best players lining up, ready to play their best every week. You just don't see it anymore. I think FIFA has really cocked it up, and the players should strike.
22 Mar 2026 13:36:45
Players are played until they break down. Do we really want to see that? I'd rather give the teams proper time to work on their fitness, skills, and team play. And then, like you say, Wire, give us a proper football show where you can be at your absolute best.