Scott Arfield

[GasPed]

If there's one thing I regret about this, it's the fact that we never got to see Arfield and Eustaquio on the field together.  I really think that classic AM/DM combination would've been something special.  🥺

But I agree there was probably a complex set of circumstances at work.  I think personal/home life is a huge factor for Scotty.  I also know that when he pulls on the Rangers blue, he wears it with an absolutely fierce pride, and so things like the Old Firm are momentous.  At the same time, he wore the Voyageurs red with the same intensity and the same pride, and I'm sure he felt the inexorable pull of the "brotherhood", so it could not have been an easy decision.  Perhaps the injuries are what tipped the balance.

I remember seeing his debut against Mexico in 2016, and thinking "Wow - we actually have another midfielder (besides Atiba) who can play with these guys!"  His quality, infectious enthusiasm, and intensity - while we certainly have players now who could replicate some of these, having them all in one package like Scotty was a big deal, at a time when we really needed it.  All the best to you, Scott Arfield - it's easy to forget what you did for us in the light of our recent glories - but we will not forget. 

[ted]

4 hours ago, costarg said:

Your point is a matter of perception. 

And you have missed my point entirely. It's not abut whether this was the right decision for him or the team.

It was for the absurd claim that somehow this decision was not possible to understand.

[johnyb]

Contract, Family, Covid, Vacination, Missing games or Injury, any one of these could be the reason but most likely a combination of them. Nothing really changes except our curiosity on whether he plays this window. He's probably keeping a little something in his mind that when we qualify, and if the moons align (injuries, Hutch retires) then he still has a chance to play in a World Cup.

[jordan]

Listening to the press conference for tomorrows game and it doesn’t sound like he has trained in a while. 

[RJB]

Lots of love for Arfield but the bottom line - for one reason or another - it seems like this is all moot discussion because he couldn't commit. Yes he played for us "before it was cool" but he has put club before country for some time now.  Imagine Atiba doing this! 

I think he was a reasonable addition to us and played well. I even think he could maybe bring something to the table now. But we weren't top of mind for him in a world cup year, so that says a lot about his commitment. 

I know my feelings will be quite unpopular, but for someone who only earned 19 caps he gets far too much love and admiration.  He was a serviceable player, played well for us, but isn't going to leave a lasting impression on the team.  

[gator]

1 hour ago, RJB said:

Lots of love for Arfield but the bottom line - for one reason or another - it seems like this is all moot discussion because he couldn't commit. Yes he played for us "before it was cool" but he has put club before country for some time now.  Imagine Atiba doing this! 

I think he was a reasonable addition to us and played well. I even think he could maybe bring something to the table now. But we weren't top of mind for him in a world cup year, so that says a lot about his commitment. 

I know my feelings will be quite unpopular, but for someone who only earned 19 caps he gets far too much love and admiration.  He was a serviceable player, played well for us, but isn't going to leave a lasting impression on the team.  

I seem to remember Atiba asking not to be called more than once and in fact many of us thought he was done with the National Team, we don't really know the details of Arfield retiring from Canada, it is all just speculation and really doesn't matter now!

[RJB]

1 hour ago, gator said:

I seem to remember Atiba asking not to be called more than once and in fact many of us thought he was done with the National Team, we don't really know the details of Arfield retiring from Canada, it is all just speculation and really doesn't matter now!

Atiba didn't go AWOL.  He stepped back after 17 years in the team, communicated it clearly, but then his commitment took over and he was back. 

I think Arfield is a fine player, but his contributions to us are fully overblown. 

[Matro25]

4 hours ago, RJB said:

Lots of love for Arfield but the bottom line - for one reason or another - it seems like this is all moot discussion because he couldn't commit. Yes he played for us "before it was cool" but he has put club before country for some time now.  Imagine Atiba doing this! 

I think he was a reasonable addition to us and played well. I even think he could maybe bring something to the table now. But we weren't top of mind for him in a world cup year, so that says a lot about his commitment. 

I know my feelings will be quite unpopular, but for someone who only earned 19 caps he gets far too much love and admiration.  He was a serviceable player, played well for us, but isn't going to leave a lasting impression on the team.  

Yeah I don't get the weird fascination he gets in here tbh. His commitment when he wasn't retired was always in question and he never really joined the national team until the Scotland dream was finally over. 

How can he decide to retire now when a guy 6 years his senior is travelling from freaking Istanbul and is on a more rigorous schedule? 

[Matro25]

12 hours ago, johnyb said:

Contract, Family, Covid, Vacination, Missing games or Injury, any one of these could be the reason but most likely a combination of them. Nothing really changes except our curiosity on whether he plays this window. He's probably keeping a little something in his mind that when we qualify, and if the moons align (injuries, Hutch retires) then he still has a chance to play in a World Cup.

Is he the only player with these issues? What about Atiba & Larin who have to travel from Turkey every window?

I will be uncomfortable seeing him take anyone's spot who has contributed to our World Cup qualification journey. If he didn't get picked is one thing, but to decide on your own whim to retire and then magically unretire next November is just a slap in the face to anyone who gets cut for him to have a spot in Qatar. 

[Matro25]

13 hours ago, GasPed said:

 

But I agree there was probably a complex set of circumstances at work.  I think personal/home life is a huge factor for Scotty. 

 

 

Can you elaborate on this please? I must be missing something here. Do other players not have a life outside of the national team? What makes his case special? 

If its about the Rangers giving him an ultimatum, he could have just told them to bugger off and join another team in Scotland.

If playing for the Rangers is more important to him than playing for Canada, then that says it all really.  I'm just shocked we're giving him a eulogy rather than grilling him for his decision  😂

 

[The Real Marc]

5 hours ago, Matro25 said:

Can you elaborate on this please? I must be missing something here. Do other players not have a life outside of the national team? What makes his case special? 

If its about the Rangers giving him an ultimatum, he could have just told them to bugger off and join another team in Scotland.

If playing for the Rangers is more important to him than playing for Canada, then that says it all really.  I'm just shocked we're giving him a eulogy rather than grilling him for his decision  😂

Of course playing for Rangers is more important than playing for Canada. It was his dream. Probably still is. They won a trophy last year. And I'm sure he doesn't want to take a 70% pay cut and play for Motherwell.

He is Scottish. He played for their u19. He played for their u21. He played for their B. He waited til he was 27 (!) to play for us. He only chose us after he waited as long as he possibly could. And who knows, maybe if Strachan hadn't said "Good luck laddie" (my words, not his) to that one-time switch application he may have never gone through with it.

And we don't really know why. Maybe he thought we would make a World Cup - but that's unlikely. Maybe he did it for the football. Maybe he did it for the travel. Maybe he did it to shove it to Scotland. Maybe it really made his dad happy. Maybe he wanted to open up MLS options. Or plant a seed for cashing out his UKP and starting a coaching career over here upon retirement. Heck maybe like Bircham he wanted to pal around on international breaks. Who knows?

I think he's great. I'm glad he picked us. It was such a great signal to send. But let's not turn this into some crazy nationalistic love affair. The guy is from another country! In a COVID world, it makes sense that he's prioritizing his career over a team that may not make the World Cup and if it does, he may not make the squad.

Edited January 18, 2022 by The Real Marc

[Shway]

7 hours ago, RJB said:

Atiba didn't go AWOL.  He stepped back after 17 years in the team, communicated it clearly, but then his commitment took over and he was back. 

I think Arfield is a fine player, but his contributions to us are fully overblown. 

And this has been my exact sentiment towards him.

I’ve been bothered when people STILL bring up Atiba as an attempted reference point, even after celebrating his 90th cap.

It’s disrespectful.

His commitment and connection to the country was capricious all while being the captain. But his situation is better than anyone else’s, so it should be accepted because of his club dream. Foh. 

Stop the comparing, unless it’s to Wotherspoon. Give credit where it’s due, but does he make it to the top 20 or 30 all time list?…no.

Thanks Scott for your time. Now be gone. 
I predict he wont have a single future contribution to Canada soccer since his last game in 2019.

[gator]

I really don't understand the disdain towards a guy who committed to us and made our team better, along with Hoilett the program turned a corner when Arfield got on board, it doesn't matter one bit to me why he wore our jersey! Maybe some of the disdain should be directed at the born and raised Canadians who decided to play for other countries of their convenience, there are many and sadly more to come!

[Cheeta]

I sooooo hope he ends up in MLS.  Preferably Toronto.  THAT would get me watching MLS again (if Montreal doesn't 1st).

 

 

[Ruffian]

9 minutes ago, Cheeta said:

I sooooo hope he ends up in MLS.  Preferably Toronto.  THAT would get me watching MLS again (if Montreal doesn't 1st).

Arfield would be great in Toronto but he would take away playing time from Osorio. I wouldn't want that.

[Shway]

48 minutes ago, gator said:

I really don't understand the disdain towards a guy who committed to us and made our team better, along with Hoilett the program turned a corner when Arfield got on board, it doesn't matter one bit to me why he wore our jersey! Maybe some of the disdain should be directed at the born and raised Canadians who decided to play for other countries of their convenience, there are many and sadly more to come!

It's not disdain towards him. But more so the guys who consistently put him on the pedestal over the born and raised Canadians who have committed for more than half a decade and have gotten us to where we are today. 

Simply put. Using committed for 3 years of picking and choosing, is the complete opposite of commitment. It's almost like his Visa expired, and he's back to where he always wanted to be.

 

[Joe MacCarthy]

9 hours ago, RJB said:

Atiba didn't go AWOL.  He stepped back after 17 years in the team, communicated it clearly, but then his commitment took over and he was back. 

I think Arfield is a fine player, but his contributions to us are fully overblown. 

Didn't The Herdsman basically tell Atiba he could call his own shot and that the team was fine and respected that.  They knew he would honestly tell the team if he was able to go (only at 100%) or not and if he had to rest; and the rest of the players so respected him they were cool with it. Didn't The Herdsman just want him around for leadership and didn't much care if he played  much or not.  That's how my senile, demented brain remembers it.

As for Arfield, there always seem to be people who want to make the backup goalie the most popular player.  Yes he played well for us, TWO YEARS AGO, we were able to function (more than ok without him) the team moved on and some fans didn't.  What I find ironic is how we are moving on from Hoillet, he hasn't been around too much himself all things considered.

Edited January 18, 2022 by Joe MacCarthy

[Approve My Account Pls]

23 minutes ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

What I find ironic is how we are moving on from Hoillet, he hasn't been around too much himself all things considered.

In fairness, Hoilett has been around when healthy. He's missed the past windows, and now this window, due to injury. But in case you're forgetting, he had a very good Gold Cup. 

[Califax]

1 hour ago, Ruffian said:

Arfield would be great in Toronto but he would take away playing time from Osorio. I wouldn't want that.

How?

Arfield is waaaaaaay behind him and other MLSers in our depth chart.

/s

 

Edited January 18, 2022 by Califax

[Matro25]

3 hours ago, The Real Marc said:

Of course playing for Rangers is more important than playing for Canada. It was his dream. Probably still is. They won a trophy last year. And I'm sure he doesn't want to take a 70% pay cut and play for Motherwell.

He is Scottish. He played for their u19. He played for their u21. He played for their B. He waited til he was 27 (!) to play for us. He only chose us after he waited as long as he possibly could. And who knows, maybe if Strachan hadn't said "Good luck laddie" (my words, not his) to that one-time switch application he may have never gone through with it.

And we don't really know why. Maybe he thought we would make a World Cup - but that's unlikely. Maybe he did it for the football. Maybe he did it for the travel. Maybe he did it to shove it to Scotland. Maybe it really made his dad happy. Maybe he wanted to open up MLS options. Or plant a seed for cashing out his UKP and starting a coaching career over here upon retirement. Heck maybe like Bircham he wanted to pal around on international breaks. Who knows?

I think he's great. I'm glad he picked us. It was such a great signal to send. But let's not turn this into some crazy nationalistic love affair. The guy is from another country! In a COVID world, it makes sense that he's prioritizing his career over a team that may not make the World Cup and if it does, he may not make the squad.

If Atiba or any other Canadian player implied that playing for their club was better than country this forum would eat them alive. Where is that same energy for Arfield?

If it's because he wasn't really a Canadian than good riddance we should be glad he's not on our team anymore because the guys we have right now are giving up their lives and careers to join us every window. We got actual born and bred Canadians in Ross county who would do anything to get called up by Herdman but their spots were being taken by a Scottish guy who had no interest in committing to us once he got his dream Rangers move.

As far as any other reason you mentioned, as I said before all players have personal and club issues to deal with. Why is the Scottish guy getting a pass but our Canadians can't?

 

 

[Califax]

6 minutes ago, Matro25 said:

If Atiba or any other Canadian player implied that playing for their club was better than country this forum would eat them alive. Where is that same energy for Arfield?

If it's because he wasn't really a Canadian than good riddance we should be glad he's not on our team anymore because the guys we have right now are giving up their lives and careers to join us every window. We got actual born and bred Canadians in Ross county who would do anything to get called up by Herdman but their spots were being taken by a Scottish guy who had no interest in committing to us once he got his dream Rangers move.

As far as any other reason you mentioned, as I said before all players have personal and club issues to deal with. Why is the Scottish guy getting a pass but our Canadians can't?

Two reasons:

1) They aren't as good.

2) A lot of that stuff you said isn't really factual.

 

 

[Unnamed Trialist]

It pains me to be still reading this thread after the announcement. 

Just because we need to move on, and we have to take on this window right now without him, better to get it past us ASAP. 

[Kadenge]

2021 has been a massive year for the CMNT. Semis @ GC. Big WCQ wins over Suriname and Haiti, 8  games undefeated in the Octo so far with away draws v Mexico(goal by Oso), USA & 1st place...all without  Arfield. It doesn't matter if he is/ isn't better than some of our mids. He made his choice. We gonna be OK.. the brotherhood lives on 🙂

[Matro25]

2 hours ago, gator said:

I really don't understand the disdain towards a guy who committed to us and made our team better, along with Hoilett the program turned a corner when Arfield got on board, it doesn't matter one bit to me why he wore our jersey! Maybe some of the disdain should be directed at the born and raised Canadians who decided to play for other countries of their convenience, there are many and sadly more to come!

Why is he retiring at the most important period for our national team? These next 2 windows are make it or break it for Canada and our midfield options are limited. He still had something in the tank to give but chose to call it a day.

   

[Matro25]

49 minutes ago, Califax said:

Two reasons:

1) They aren't as good.

2) A lot of that stuff you said isn't really factual.

 

 

Care to explain what I said that wasn't factual? I mean its a forum not twitter, you're allowed to expand on what you mean.