Scott Arfield

[gator]

We can only just speculate on why he retired and without knowing it is hard to say whether a meeting might be worthwhile or there are too many issues to bring him back, something I truly believe is we would be a better team with Arfield in the mix!

[narduch]

I love how because we have zero news on stuff like World Cup prep friendlies we always spend a couple of days discussing the merits of bringing back Arfield after every Rangers performance. 

For the record I think we should try to bring him back. 

[SpursFlu]

We should definitely try and bring him back. I'm optimistic and everything but we need all the help we can get if we're serious about getting some results and potentially getting out of the group

[Shway]

3 hours ago, JamboAl said:

We will have to agree to disagree on that.  The gap between Liverpool and Watford or Real Madrid and Alaves, for example, is no worse/better than the Old Firm and Dundee.  

Maybe I'm not explaining my self properly, but again the gap is a loose point. The quality is the main point, in referring to the league. The point was made about the "top end", when really it's just two teams (old firm).

Do you think Watford has an inferior quality of players to the likes of Hearts? No chance!
They could easily be in the SPFL, and compete for the title with the squad they have.

It's not the same for Alaves, but I believe they would have the quality to be in the real "top end" (spots 1-6) of SPFL.

So you can say the gap between Liverpool and Watford is no worse than that of Old firm to Dundee, but the gap between Liverpool and Old Firm is equivalent to the gap between Liverpool and Watford. 

There's a reason why guys like Scott, Defoe, Ramsey, Stephen Davis, Charlie Adams, Joe Hart, and the list can go on can have longggg EPL careers, and extend it by playing in the SPFL. 

Quality is the main point.

[Califax]

I'd say because of wanting European football, not the quality. Plus full stadiums and winning vs relegation fights and empty stands. 

Most of the guys in the SPL want trophies late into their career. Totally why Ramsey, Hart and Arfield are there. TOTALLY why Defoe was there. 

All of those guys could likely get minutes with a Premier League team like Watford IMO.

I think we're kinda saying the same thing but differing on the motivation.
 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Califax

[Shway]

2 minutes ago, Califax said:

I'd say because of wanting European football, not the quality. Plus full stadiums and winning vs relegation fights and empty stands. 

Okay but European football was technically only available to two teams (Old Firm). However with the introduction of Conference league it has changed things a bit in giving a few games, but go look at how far Scottish teams made it.

Where is there empty stands in the EPL lol? Without Celtic Park and Ibrox the rest of the stadiums are equivalent to Championship and League 1 stadiums.

2 minutes ago, Califax said:

Most of the guys in the SPL want trophies late into their career. Totally why Ramsey, Hart and Arfield are there. TOTALLY why Defoe was there. 

Or how about they went where they were wanted and would play?

2 minutes ago, Califax said:

All of those guys could likely get minutes with a Premier League team like Watford IMO.

Joe Hart - was kicking tires in the EPL...nobody wanted him.
Arfield - left a good Burnley side, where he wasn't getting any PT and left to join his boyhood club project to get back to the top. (I think he could've bumped around with another team)
Defoe - couldn't perform wasn't getting minutes at Bournemouth, left and went to Rangers and resparked his form at age 35. 
Ramsey - was available to EPL teams, but everyone passed on him because of the money he's on and essentially being passed it. 
Charlie Adams - left Reading in the Championship to go to Dundee to be a key figure in that squad.

Morale of the story is, guys go the SPFL when their careers are stalling and need to be reignited, and they just want guaranteed playing time.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

EPL is better than the SPFL is a given, it's more whether something like Brighton vs Crystal Palace gets hyped up into more than it really should be because it is hanging off the coattails of Liverpool vs Man Utd that people are pointing out.

Hearts will go directly into the Europa League group stages next season because of the recent rise in Scotland's coefficient. Will be interesting to see how they do. 

[costarg]

3 hours ago, El Hombre said:

This is what I don't understand: the above post assumes that Arfield wants to play for Canada again.  If that was the case, why did he retire?  Some sort of power play?  To what end?  If he wanted to be part of the team, he could've just as easily just sat there and said something along the lines of "Yeah, I'm available.  All I can do is hope the gaffer picks me for the team."  Instead, he retired from the team.

Unless of course the idea is to try to convince him to un-retire and re-join the team.  If that's the case, then I would've hoped that we were past the point of having to beg players to come play for us.

I'm still leaning towards it being a family issue on Arfields side which is causing problems with commitment to the program, and Herdman is not accepting it.

[JamboAl]

33 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

EPL is better than the SPFL is a given, it's more whether something like Brighton vs Crystal Palace gets hyped up into more than it really should be because it is hanging off the coattails of Liverpool vs Man Utd that people are pointing out.

Hearts will go directly into the Europa League group stages next season because of the recent rise in Scotland's coefficient. Will be interesting to see how they do. 

Minor correction, we (Hearts) will go into the final Europa League playoff round; a win would put Hearts into the Europa League group stage and a loss would mean Conference League group stage.  

[Shway]

Oh I see now, I was shitting on y’all’s boyhood leagues.

 Forgive me.

[JamboAl]

33 minutes ago, Shway said:

Oh I see now, I was shitting on y’all’s boyhood leagues.

 Forgive me.

Yes, we are a (very) sensitive bunch.

[prairiecanuck]

20 hours ago, Shway said:

Okay but European football was technically only available to two teams (Old Firm). However with the introduction of Conference league it has changed things a bit in giving a few games, but go look at how far Scottish teams made it.

Where is there empty stands in the EPL lol? Without Celtic Park and Ibrox the rest of the stadiums are equivalent to Championship and League 1 stadiums.

Or how about they went where they were wanted and would play?

Joe Hart - was kicking tires in the EPL...nobody wanted him.
Arfield - left a good Burnley side, where he wasn't getting any PT and left to join his boyhood club project to get back to the top. (I think he could've bumped around with another team)
Defoe - couldn't perform wasn't getting minutes at Bournemouth, left and went to Rangers and resparked his form at age 35. 
Ramsey - was available to EPL teams, but everyone passed on him because of the money he's on and essentially being passed it. 
Charlie Adams - left Reading in the Championship to go to Dundee to be a key figure in that squad.

Morale of the story is, guys go the SPFL when their careers are stalling and need to be reignited, and they just want guaranteed playing time.

Arfield was getting playing time with Burnley.  He had 31 appearances in the Premier league in 16/17 and 18 appearances in 17/18, but he picked up a calf injury in mid February and missed the final 3 months of the season so he would have featured in a similar number of games and then he left for Rangers, the club he grew up cheering for.

Edited May 7, 2022 by prairiecanuck

[Cheeta]

22 hours ago, costarg said:

I'm still leaning towards it being a family issue on Arfields side which is causing problems with commitment to the program, and Herdman is not accepting it.

Maybe reads harsher than intended but this is basically where I'm at.  Current circumstances for Arfield aren't compatible with current circumstances for Canada and so here we are.  Point blank Herdman has a shop to run and is playing with the cards that he's been dealt as he should.  Nothing sinister I expect (hope).

Game isn't over though, few cards will be coming out of the deck yet between now and November.  

[jordan]

Just signed a new deal 

 

[Soro17]

19 hours ago, Shway said:

y’all’s

There is a word for that. Easier to spell and read too. 
 

[Bison44]

Well whatever went on, good for Scotty to keep his CAREER going at a high level and maybe even win the Europa to cap of the season.  Have we ever had a Canadian win Europa before??  

[Shway]

19 hours ago, Soro17 said:

There is a word for that. Easier to spell and read too. 
 

Sorry for offending you too. Forgive me!

[Shway]

19 hours ago, jordan said:

Just signed a new deal 

 

Now that his club future is sorted, maybe he comes out of retirement 🤭.

[king1010]

Starting for rangers today in league play. 

[Soro17]

9 hours ago, Shway said:

Sorry for offending you too. Forgive me!

Done. Also promise never to say rowt, when  the word is route. The creeping northward migration of Americanisms must be stopped. 

[Bison44]

9 hours ago, Shway said:

Now that his club future is sorted, maybe he comes out of retirement 🤭.

Not until Herdman jumps ship again to greener pastures.  

[TGAA_Star]

Like I don't understand this love for Arfield. I really don't especially considering he hasn't played for Canada in over 3 years since 2019, well since the Gold Cup and Nations League. Airfield hasn't been seen or heard from since. He has been playing for his club Rangers in the Scottish Premier League. Not once has he been re called into the team nor has Arfield himself even shown any interest in a Canada return. So again why bother? Plus did Arfield even play for Canada once during Qatar 2022 qualifying? No. Did he help get us to Qatar in any way during the Ocho? Simple answer no. So why should we reward him at all in any way with a place in our Qatar 2022 squad come November? I'll wait ✋️ 

[vancanman]

On 5/9/2022 at 6:45 AM, Soro17 said:

Done. Also promise never to say rowt, when  the word is route. The creeping northward migration of Americanisms must be stopped. 

This forum is littered with Americanisms.

EDIT:  The worst of which has to be y'all, which is considered hillbilly talk even in the US.

Edited May 23, 2022 by vancanman

[Califax]

4 hours ago, TGAA_Star said:

Like I don't understand this love for Arfield. I really don't especially considering he hasn't played for Canada in over 3 years since 2019, well since the Gold Cup and Nations League. Airfield hasn't been seen or heard from since. He has been playing for his club Rangers in the Scottish Premier League. Not once has he been re called into the team nor has Arfield himself even shown any interest in a Canada return. So again why bother? Plus did Arfield even play for Canada once during Qatar 2022 qualifying? No. Did he help get us to Qatar in any way during the Ocho? Simple answer no. So why should we reward him at all in any way with a place in our Qatar 2022 squad come November? I'll wait ✋️ 

I’m not even gonna weigh-in on Arfield this time because I’ll hear Shway’s  entrance music instantly 😃, but those three years were actually 2 1/2 years and no one played at all for one of those years. 

It’s not the time away that hurt Scott, it’s a decision that was made that we are not- and may never be - privy to.

A poster in the other thread  rightfully pointed out that journalists are a little too CSA fan boy right now to ruffle feathers. If we’re not gonna get an answer on why we don’t have friendlies, we’re certainly not going to get an answer on arfield. 
 

If everyone got along, time wouldn’t matter.

[TGAA_Star]

Yeah that's true but again why should we reward him with a place on this team period? Given how our team is currently constructed, Arfield in a provisional squad he would most likely get dropped. That is how top heavy we are which is further proof we don't exactly need him.