• 0 Posts
  • 40 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
cake
Cake day: October 21st, 2023

help-circle
  • I don’t see the point of the comparisons in the comments.

    We’re obviously strong defensively this season, but it’s not like it we’re in a position to brag considering our record v City after beating them in one match at home.

    “This game is boring” - yeah, so was ours against City.

    Spurs have the best record against City and they’ve got a significant chunk of their starting XI out - it’s the equivalent of Rice, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomi, Ode & then some - at the same time including mid-serious injuries. Both times played poorly too and City weren’t at their peak. Under those circumstances (consider if we were in that position), 3 goals against City & limiting them to just 2 (& zero for Halaand) and drawing overall for a point at the start of a rebuild is a solid effort.

    Anyway, that’s the second time this season that Simon Hooper has made a howler of a ref decision against the team playing Spurs.












  • I think 2 key points missing from the summary:

    1. Havertz’s roles:
    • He played as a 10 at Leverkusen
    • He was then shifted to a 9 role at Chelsea
    • Arteta now wants him in an 8 role
    1. Odegaard’s roles:
    • He played as a 10
    • He had to learn how to play in the 8 role when he joined Arsenal – it took a while for Odegaard to adjust to it

    For all the comparisons with Declan Rice: Rice played as a 6 at West Ham and is playing as a 6 now.

    Havertz is learning how to play in a whole new role.

    It’s also good to see stats that back-up what some of us have been saying about him contributing defensively off-the-ball (while we acknowledged that he’s not made progress offensively).

    Our players need to feed him the ball. There’s been a visible distrust from players such as Jorginho and Saka eg. not involving him in build-up/passing to him, Saka running back to receive the ball when Havertz is closer and so it’s no wonder he’s deferred so much to other players especially when he’s had good chances to take a shot while in or next to the box.




  • Odegaard for the most part has either been double marked in a congested midfield OR not been serviced balls with whoever’s in the 6 position. There was one match where he was wide open in really good spaces where we kept servicing the ball to the left flank which was congested with defenders bc we’d done that play 3 times already and defenders cottoned on.

    I don’t see Odegaard as a very creative 8 and I don’t know how much he can develop his game, but I think Rice has the potential to be a play maker if only he works on receiving with back to goal and then carrying & making progressive passes forward that find Odegaard.



  • I still can’t believe we got Jurrien Timber.

    I can’t believe we have Saliba. This guy could have gone anywhere.

    I grew up in the Henry era and can’t believe our defence looks THIS good. White works like a beast and Gabi at the back with Saliba is ooph. Tomi’s so much fun to watch like one minute he’s an attacker and the next he’s a defender… that guy’s face betrays just how young he is, so he’s still not in his levelled-up final form. Zinchenko and Rice are rotating three roles.

    Also, which role/position does everyone like Zinchenko in most?

    I haven’t paid that much attention to him this season and sometimes I catch myself surprised by where he is on the pitch.