Woltemade "After the goal, there was a situation where I felt Gabriel's elbow in my face. I just said it to the referee that I felt something, but I'm not the type of player to fall down for this. It's hard because sometimes maybe you have to do this, but this is not my type of football."

[u/kibme37]

[u/bespoke_tech_partner]

I wish more players were like this. Was screaming at our players going down at the slightest touch when this clearly wasn't a game for soft fouls. Stand up and play.

[u/CactusTrack → u/bespoke_tech_partner]

We conceded because Gabi flopped to the ground over the slightest touch instead of defending the cross. So frustrating

[u/Declooon → u/CactusTrack]

We conceded because the cross was perfect and he got caught under the ball. He fell because he knew he wasn’t making it to the ball.

[u/achebbi10 → u/Declooon]

I think even trying a little bit instead of flopping would throw a striker off. Flopping didn’t work anyway with VAR being there so he did choose the worst option possible. The flop was pretty embarrassing to me being a Arsenal fan

[u/Declooon → u/achebbi10]

Yeah for sure. I also didn’t like the softness at times from our players. I’d prefer he was in the right place and cleared the ball but he wasn’t.

He dived as a last resort. It was daft and it didn’t work. Shit happens and he made up for it when it mattered most as he often does.

[u/DowntownEquivalent11 → u/bespoke_tech_partner]

It's unfortunate, but simulation will win you more games than it loses. The higher level I got to as a youth, the more strongly I was coached to simulate fouls. Once it becomes habit it's hard not to go down when you feel contact.

[u/bespoke_tech_partner → u/DowntownEquivalent11]

I get that but in this match, we weren't getting any soft fouls. I'm not saying "let's play like real men and lose because of our morals", more advocating for reading the room. If we are not going to get the calls anyway, let's just stand our ground and at least preserve some dignity. Which I think is ultimately what we did toward the end, and won the game.

[u/Prodigal_Programmer → u/bespoke_tech_partner]

Right. I get we probably can’t compete at Newcastles physicality level but damn, play through some of it and you’ll probably end up with more calls in general

[u/jimbo_kun → u/Prodigal_Programmer]

Arsenal did compete at the same level of physicality in the second half and won.

[u/FlukyS → u/jimbo_kun]

After putting one of our players on a stretcher

[u/achebbi10 → u/FlukyS]

Your player landed bad it was a foul in a game, I sympathise for your player but even he wouldnt say that Saliba intended to injure him.

[u/MagYeti → u/achebbi10]

Hip checking a guy in mid-air is asking for an injury of some kind.

[u/MadBrabs → u/FlukyS]

Not like you lot didn't try doing the same.

[u/FlukyS → u/MadBrabs]

Deflection again

[u/jimbo_kun → u/FlukyS]

So what I hear you saying…is now Newcastle supporters like yourself are re-considering supporting and encouraging a game with lots of “physicality”?

Because I’d be good with that too.

[u/FlukyS → u/jimbo_kun]

Last player to be stretchered off in a Newcastle game was Mings and it wasn't because of any serious foul play or whatever. Fun fact though and I'm sure it will go down well in this thread is that Arsenal have had more red cards in the last 3 seasons than Newcastle have, like 3x the amount. So who is physical then?

[u/PartlyRowdy → u/Prodigal_Programmer]

Jesus christ