No we haven’t. Merino may end up being a functional piece, but he definitely isn’t what I thought we needed which was another more creative minded player to take some pressure off Odegaard.
We aren’t playing well but same time we should have beaten city and Liverpool were it not for brain dead red cards
If we can find our composure again and solidify the back line we are right in the mix if things
City look weaker this year than last year
Too bad Liverpool have found form after klopp left
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Unfortunately though, we didn’t beat either of them and a draw whukst better than losing to the isn’t what we want either, don’t want to become the perennial bug boy match drawers.
We had close to our first 11 yesterday, no red cards and we still played like we’ve never set foot on a football pitch before.
Its not even kneejerk at this point because we’ve played awfully for the most part of the season.
I think, last season is as close as we’ll get, we had near the perfect injury free season last year and still couldn’t quite manage it.
Liverpool being shit or not, it doesn’t matter, every win they amass and especially ones like yesterday just builds on the confidence they can do it.
Sure, if you exclude Partey and Timber almost missing the entirety of the season and the likes of Tomiyasu, Vieira, Jesus, Zinchenko, ESR and Martinelli having various issues throughout.
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The onus of creativity comes from the Havertz/Trossard dual ten positions and while they are serviceable, they just do not possess the Gandalf-like-qualities of Ødegaard.
That’s not to say that we started off great even when Øde was in the team at the beginning of the season but when you see him get into the groove of things, he simply orchestrates everything for us. It opens up the small triangles and boxes we play on the right hand side, it will do so on the left too now with a functional LM in Merino. Havertz goes back to being the main focal point up front and everything else falls into place.
As sad as it is, Martin is a massive, massive miss for us. Comparative to not having a Saliba or Gabriel at the back. Look at City, missing the likes of Rodri and Macaulay Culkin, they look a great team but lack that extra gear that those players give you. There’s no shame in that. We’re still a good functional team that is well drilled in it’s style and yes, it would be fantastic to have a few more players to call upon when in these times, but you can’t have everything innit.
First 11?
Timber played 1 game, don’t even think you can count him as part of the first team at that point.
Partey I’ll give you. As for the rest, come on, you know you’re clutching there 
It was clear from last summer that Timber was gonna play a big part for us and it is already showing to be the case now that he’s returned. I don’t think that can be questioned anymore. So him and Partey were definitely big misses.
As for the rest, the unavailability of those players did lead to our first team being overworked.
Around November and December last year where the games started accumulating, Odegaard, Rice and Havertz were racking up full 90s and we had no alternatives.
We lost 5 and drew 2 games in that period.
Our lack of depth was also exposed in April as well which led to us getting knocked out of the CL and losing a key game against Villa.
These games killed us.
If we held on at City and didn’t lose Gabriel at Liverpool we’d be sitting 4 points better off and City and Liverpool would both be a point worse off. Those are the games I’ll look back on and think we lost the title there.
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Yes for sure big impact
Just sucks that we twice came so
Close and now we are faltering games we should be winning
The red cards really cost us points against Brighton and City especially
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A common point across those games btw are the goals we’ve conceded.
It is genuinely incredible how a team as good defensively as us have conceded so many goals, and stupid goals as well.
The goal we conceded against Brighton was really poor.
The two goals we conceded against City were really poor.
Same for the goals against Liverpool.
Same for the goal, pen and red card we conceded against Bournemouth.
Three of these goals were from set-pieces too, an area where we’re supposed to be great at.
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Jover Out
Or I guess you could say jOver and out 
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To go from one of the best defences in Europe to being just as good as Man Utd’s in a few weeks is shocking tbh.
Hope it’s just a blip and we bounce back fast.
At least Saliba recognises they’ve all been shit defensively with his latest statement.
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Not remotely what he said of course.
ok, referring to himself. Happy now?
He definitely didn’t call himself shit this season. And anyone who does call him shit this season is obviously an idiot.
what did he say about his performances this season?
I would have thought it was obvious to anyone who can read.
Well and truly the PGMOL of OA. 
Tbf, stats and all that shit don’t matter much at this stage of the season except the performances. Which has been a worry. Though I think it’ll improve with the arrival of Ode. Goes to show how dependent we’re on Ode more than even Saka. Need to protect him for the season at all costs imo.
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It’s Saka’s influence to be missed more than odegaard’s for me