Shearer Says: “For me, Arsenal have a softness about them”

“RESTING PLAYERS DID NOT WORK FOR THE TOP TEAMS”

When you look at the all the clubs who rested players in the FA Cup, was it really worth it? Tottenham hardly played any of their first-team regulars against Wycombe. They were very lucky to win that game but then they were poor against Sunderland. Arsenal made wholesale changes against Southampton and although they won that comfortably (against an unrecognisable Southampton line-up) they were hopeless against Watford. Newcastle made nine changes against Oxford where they got beaten and then were really poor at home to QPR.

It is no wonder we are bringing kids through who have a softer mentality now. From a young age they are seeing it and hearing it on TV that a top player can’t play three times a week, so when they get to eighteen they have the mentality that they can’t do it.

We have the best diets, training grounds, pitches and physios today. Everything is so far advanced it is incredible. Surely we should be able to play more football matches? 20 years ago we didn’t have any of the sports science back up and yet we played a lot more with seemingly no more incidence of injury . It just does not make sense to me.

“UNITED MISSED THE CHANCE TO CLOSE GROUND ON TOP FOUR RIVALS”

I have never had Manchester United in the title hunt, but anyone who still thought they were in the race surely changed their mind after they drew 0-0 with Hull. It was a real opportunity for them to make ground on a top four finish as Manchester City were the only side in the top six to win that week.

United are just not good enough. They spent some big money in the summer but they are still a long way short from being title contenders. They don’t score enough goals and they just don’t have that magic touch about them.

The good news for United fans is that they have a cup final to look forward to against Southampton and they are still going well in the FA Cup and the Europa League. I don’t think they have enough to win the European competition so their best chance to qualify for the Champions League looks to be through a top four finish and they have a lot of work to do if they are to achieve that now.

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