We really rode our luck with COVID cases this year absent the Brentford match but the last few weeks has been a real shit sandwich.
Looking more and more likely he’ll have to fill for Xhaka against Liverpool.
Need a big game from him.
If ESR is healthy I could see a 4-3-3 with him and Ode as the 8s and Sambi the pivot.
Yeah. Either Laca or ESR will play as the more advanced midfielder.
Need a bigger one from Lokonga now for this.
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There’s the nuclear option of pushing Ben White into midfield, perhaps 
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I guess the thing I fear with Odegaard is that absence(even if brief) does some damage to him. He usually needs some time(usually games) to find his rhythm and confidence back.
Liverpool can really exploit that.
You are right Lokonga is another we want a big performance from.
Honestly though, we need a big performance from everyone. Liverpool will come out with guns blazing on Thursday. This is a Klopp team after all.
Even with Mane and Salah away, those players will have something to prove and with the PL looking impossible, they won’t give up on this easily.
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Perhaps the main positive today along with Martinelli.
This is his position, he’s not a #10, he’s an #8.
He likes to come deep and build from the back.
Some of his long balls were superb. Hope this continues vs Burnley.
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From what I saw he was our only good player.
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Yeah he didn’t deserve that mess tonight. Has some great vision this lad.
Build around him please.
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Odegaard-Partey-Arthur is the way forward.
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Was excellent again tonight. His pass selection is really good, he rarely makes the wrong one
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There was one moment where he was in a great position to play a killer pass to Laca who was gonna be through but he second guessed himself and went for the safe pass in Laca.
That’s fine really. That’s what I’ve been preaching about him. He’s no Ozil, he’s closer to Silva and Modric who play deeper and like to get involved more, guide others, etc.
His bread and butter are those balls to the left and right flank. Especially the disguised ones to the right. He’s doing what Xhaka is known for x10 better.
He can absolutely play as a #10. Has been all season and doing it well.
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Our best player at this stage for me, and becoming much more consistent.
Can play CM or CAM, isn’t awful defensively, alongside being our best passer and creater.
One player who could do with taking on a few more shots, as he’s shown he has the ability and it’ll create more room for his passes if the opposition think he’s a danger from range so have to close him down more
I think he is much more influential playing deeper. He likes to get involved in the build-up from the back and I feel his passing is much better from deep rather in the final 3rd.
His leadership skills into effect more.
But conversely when he plays deep we’ve got nobody in an advanced attacking position to pick the ball up and do something useful with it.
Partey and Xhaka are perfectly fine at progressing the ball that using Odegaard deep now is a waste of his ability in the final third.
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This is it. We bought him to be that guy in the final 3rd. We should get someone else in to retain possession as an #8
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See, I’m not talking about using him as a #6 but rather as an #8 or moreso #8.5 like City do with their playmakers.
I feel it’s often the case our midfield relies too much on a singular player to make the difference, and once you isolate that player we can’t progress the ball.
The FA Cup game v Nottingham was a great example where Odegaard was isolated and we couldn’t create shit.
Ideally we need to share the load a bit creatively and defensively.
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Really good today. Becoming a bit of a leader in this team in the absence of Xhaka and Partey in midfield.
Very positive performances after missing some time out with COVID(couldn’t really train).
We hit the jackpot with him.