Meh, unless we were able to get a good young guy in to bide his time, there’s not much more you can do realistically. That’s basically what Pool have with Kelleher.
You expect your #1 to play most games so it doesn’t get the same scrutiny as other positions do.
I think it was moreso about the huge shift across the board(not just the first team). Too many new faces. Raya is the only familiar one really and he only joined us last August.
Same as it always was. We are cursed when you think back to the injuries we suffered under big weng. The training ground must’ve been built on some ancient burial site.
Would like to have seen jesus tried on the left side for some time against Donetsk. I get he’s not playing well anyway, but he seemed limited on the right. Less inclined to cut in on his weakest side and didn’t look interested in trying round the outside. At least he would have been cutting in on his stronger foot.
Martinelli looks like he’s finding form again. Don’t think it would have spoiled our balance if he’d been switched to the right to accommodate, as above. But I don’t appreciate the risk of him playing the whole game with Liverpool to come and him being our only fit in form forward.
To address the saka injury, I’m comfortable with having martinelli filling in as he’s a reliable figure. But I’m also going to contradict my previous post a bit. Jesus looks like he’s got some of his game back, and the odd times he appeared wide right against Ipswich he really proved unpredictable, like something could happen whether it was a pass towards goal or running at someone, I want to see it as a starting lineup. I think he’s just happy to be involved and scoring again so don’t reckon he’d mind much being back out there. Based on not getting anyone in Jan. This also keeps havertz up top where he’s most effective.
For whatever reason, Arteta has Saka wedded to that right wing and doesn’t move away from it.
From recent experience of the last games that Jesus has been involved in, there were some obvious switches of position between Jesus, Marti and Trossard. I’m hoping that remains the case in the near future because it ruffles the plans opposition teams have against defending us now that we do not have a designated outlet (in Saka).
Arteta confuses me as a manager sometimes. It takes an injury for him to try this, yet at the beginning of last season he was trying like 30 different back 5 combinations which cost us dearly.
Nahh.
Regarding the way we act in the final third I have always criticied him there even during our best periods of form and we have always been super predictable and conservative in the way we move and act there. Tons of room for improvement there.
I think Arteta should hire a final third specialist too.
The manager is ultimately to blame, but the attacking players are not infallible. Bar Saka, which forwards are actually trying to create a moment of magic you know, try a speculative shot, run at defenders towards the box, creating a yard of space with a skill move?
Nwaneri maybe. Our attacking play is in one gear and predictable when teams play deep against us.
Even Sterling is playing like a scared mouse since joining. Safe, percentage football.