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Scott Arfield


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15 hours ago, costarg said:

This guy is on fire, how the F does someone retire 12 months before an f'in world cup!  I still say he did it for family reasons.  His wife does not want him to leave the country is my theory.

It really is inexplicable unless he has an extremely ill family member to care for (but even that’s a stretch). If it’s as simple as his wife not wanting him gone then he’s a fool and will regret it after they’re separated.

How do you get 19 caps for a country and disappear for WCQ and the World Cup? I’d like to use a cruder example but... It’s like watching 10 seasons of a show and skipping the finale. 

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The only thing I can think of that makes sense, and this is 100% speculation is if he wasn't vaccinated, so couldn't enter Canada for the octo, and Herdman told him if he doesn't do this for qualifiers, he's not coming to Qatar. I have zero info to support that, but from the CANMNT POV, it's near malpractice to sever ties with a team starter because of personal gripes, and from Arfield's POV, missing his only chance at playing in the World Cup, especially considering he announced his retirement when Canada was almost assured a WC berth makes absolutely zero sense.

It could be something else, but there has to be a concrete reason for dropping out of the squad after 2019, and then retiring when your team is about to make the World Cup. Plus, if it really was a gripe between Herdman and Arfield, it's not like Arfield has to play nice in the press to protect his club career- he could call Herdman an asshole in public, and it's not like Rangers would bench him or it would affect future club opportunities.

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3 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

The only thing I can think of that makes sense, and this is 100% speculation is if he wasn't vaccinated, so couldn't enter Canada for the octo, and Herdman told him if he doesn't do this for qualifiers, he's not coming to Qatar. I have zero info to support that, but from the CANMNT POV, it's near malpractice to sever ties with a team starter because of personal gripes, and from Arfield's POV, missing his only chance at playing in the World Cup, especially considering he announced his retirement when Canada was almost assured a WC berth makes absolutely zero sense.

It could be something else, but there has to be a concrete reason for dropping out of the squad after 2019, and then retiring when your team is about to make the World Cup. Plus, if it really was a gripe between Herdman and Arfield, it's not like Arfield has to play nice in the press to protect his club career- he could call Herdman an asshole in public, and it's not like Rangers would bench him or it would affect future club opportunities.

Why wouldn't Arfield not come out and say that if it were the case?

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2 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Why wouldn't Arfield not come out and say that if it were the case?

Rangers publicly encouraged their team to get vaccinated, announced that "most players" have gotten vaccinated, Scotland is a highly vaccinated country- if he's not doing it for a political reason, why bother with it? If there were other background issues, like the alleged confrontation at practice and so on, it might've just been easier to retire than face potential blowback in Scotland, where he lives and makes money, or get a vaccination he didn't want.

There were a couple NBA players like Andrew Wiggins who only reluctantly discussed their vaccination status because they weren't going to be able to play without it, and even when speaking about it, it's clear he didn't want to talk about it at all.

Again, pure speculation- I just don't buy that it was some clash of personalities that prevented a guy from missing out on his only realistic chance at a World Cup, for a team he had captained less than two years prior. So it has to be *something*

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1 minute ago, InglewoodJack said:

I agree he's not as close to Canada considering he's Canadian by technicality, but surely playing 10 or so games to get a shot at playing in the world cup is worth the extra miles? Maybe it's as simple as that though.

Yeah, playing those 10 extra games wasn't worth the extra miles for him, considering his situation at Rangers at the time (was nearing the end of his contract, right?). And it's also not as if he were playing for a PSV or an Anderlecht, clubs of a similar stature, but foreign. It's Rangers and he's Scottish. I can imagine getting that contract renewal was his upmost priority.

I am sure he wanted to play for Canada, but it seemed he couldn't do both in the way he wanted, and in a way Herdman was okay with. Too bad for him and for us, he'd be a great player for us in Qatar, on the World's biggest stage.

When he says "it was with a heavy heart...", I probably really meant it. Not an easy thing to give up.

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Are you sure some of you guys are forgetting what went down in the last 3 years??  Arfield missing camps before Covid, his injuries and skipping INT duty, wanting to make sure he got healthy and get resigned by Rangers?   Herdmans little ted talk about the scottish clique and breaking up a fist fight int he first camp..all rolled into him being the savior that created the brotherhood??  Rangers manager saying he didnt want Arfield going, Arfield saying he didnt like going to play minnows. Half of this board hinting that he was a bad apple, poor leader and not committed and didnt deserve calls anymore??  And then over and over not being in camp even though he and Herdman were saying the right things and the team is rolling through WCQ...and finally the completely goofy INT retirement.  Almost like he was sick of getting questions and finally just had to put a button on it. 

Worst of all his club play (with managed minutes) has been good, good enough I still think he would be a useful sub and should get a call to Qatar.  I really think its something personal, Scotty wont talk because he is a stubborn scot and Herdman doesnt want to rock the boat with bad PR when things are rolling.  Its a shame, because we could use him and he has done plenty for the program.   But I guess we all just move on, hope our guys older than Arfield are healthy and playing, then take a younger player that wont be as useful now but will be with the program for the next decade.  

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Arfield gets no sympathy from me as he seemed to very much feel like the team was lucky to have him.

 

Refusing camps because he didn't want to play against minnows while Davies and David who have done more in their short careers than he has were happily obliging. It seems like Herdman tried his best to make Arfield happy (Captaincy) but ultimately with Eusqtauio joining, Osorio becoming the perfect 8 for his system and all the youngsters coming through he was no longer that needed.

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1 hour ago, Obinna said:

...It's Rangers and he's Scottish...

It's difficult to overstate how much that can mean for some people. International football tends to be viewed as a distraction that gets in the way of what's really important, i.e. eclipsing Celtic. If flying back and forth across the Atlantic was affecting his performance level in league games it would definitely be resented especially when it's a CONCACAF country he wasn't born in and has relatively tenuous ties to and there's extra travel involved. 

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4 hours ago, VinceA said:

Arfield gets no sympathy from me as he seemed to very much feel like the team was lucky to have him.

 

Refusing camps because he didn't want to play against minnows while Davies and David who have done more in their short careers than he has were happily obliging. It seems like Herdman tried his best to make Arfield happy (Captaincy) but ultimately with Eusqtauio joining, Osorio becoming the perfect 8 for his system and all the youngsters coming through he was no longer that needed.

I never felt that he thought we were lucky to have him. Even if he never felt especially close to Canada, he always seemed to lead with integrity and commitment to the cause, and showed respect for teammates and country and us fans.  Sure, there might be something we aren't seeing, but I suspect he's a stand-up guy who felt that he needed to quit international football for the sake of his family and club career.

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3 hours ago, Ruffian said:

He is more likely to continue living in Scotland after his career than live in Canada. He will be recognized by his Rangers achievements there and most will not care about his achievements with Canada. That is probably where he is building his legacy.

While this is probably true, and I suspect it was an ultimately Rangers that drove his decision, it is still crazy to retire from international footy less than a year before a World Cup we were going to make (he officially retired in January when we were leading the region).  

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7 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

While this is probably true, and I suspect it was an ultimately Rangers that drove his decision, it is still crazy to retire from international footy less than a year before a World Cup we were going to make (he officially retired in January when we were leading the region).  

The crazy travel for Concacaf is also a big factor, but we all know that if Arfield was repping Scotland, there would have been no "pressure" from Rangers and Scotty would not have retired from International footy. He made his decision, we need to accept it, wish him well  and move on.

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3 hours ago, Kadenge said:

The crazy travel for Concacaf is also a big factor, but we all know that if Arfield was repping Scotland, there would have been no "pressure" from Rangers and Scotty would not have retired from International footy. He made his decision, we need to accept it, wish him well  and move on.

Oh I moved in a long time ago.  TBH I don’t really feel much urge to wish him well considering how much he could still help us in Qatar, but i know it won’t happen.  So be it. 

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It’s just upsetting because he’s one of our Top Midfielders playing really well. All because herdman can be an little ego pompous ass. Herdman knew he’s got a young family, he’s not a young man and calls them up for game vs minnows on a cow patch. Plus this brotherhood, new age coaching, happy planet world is a joke ! Players are so soft mentally! If herdman managed his players better he would be still playing for us simple as that. 

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1 minute ago, SpecialK said:

It’s just upsetting because he’s one of our Top Midfielders playing really well. All because herdman can be an little ego pompous ass. Herdman knew he’s got a young family, he’s not a young man and calls them up for game vs minnows on a cow patch. Plus this brotherhood, new age coaching, happy planet world is a joke ! Players are so soft mentally! If herdman managed his players better he would be still playing for us simple as that. 

he would be good midfield depth its to bad 

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11 minutes ago, SpecialK said:

It’s kinda selfish of herdman to think hey we need our A squad vs shop keepers. I wonder if he regrets it ? 

It's a shame, but what really happened? I still don't know. My only concern is he shows up come November to create a midfield four with Davies, Eustaquio and Buchanan. 

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