7 top class attacking players ??? You can have 5 bro, Jesus and Madueke have done nothing suggest they are top class.
Jesus fit and on form is one of the very best around. Magnificent in full stride. Madueke has proven himself to be a top class player, breaking in to the England team. What we mean by top class is probably more the discussion point, I guess. All those players have started regularly for top clubs in the strongest league in the world.
I don't rate him as highly as some but a loan with obligation to buy p[us getting Eze would be an incredible statement of intent and would give us that other option on the left side that we desperately need. That said, if Arteta's system leaves him isolated on the left too it will be money down the drain.
The system argument gets used selectively IMO, depending on whether it's a favoured player underperforming. Notice how no one ever said Havertz wasn't getting service or gave him any slack about systems. He gets bashed by the twitterati even though he has 42 G+A in a season and a half.
Correct. Arsenal fans are fickle though. Odegaard is getting written off at the moment based on last Season (despite his injuries problems), everyone has seemingly forgot 23/24 when we were all making comparisons with KDB etc.
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I agree that Odegaard shouldn't be getting written off so quickly, especially as he was excellent in 22/23 and 23/24 (where he had to play a slightly different role). However, and I know we disagree on this lol, but last season, I genuinely think he was dreadful. Like seriously bad. He simply cannot have a season like that again. Otherwise his future at the club is in jeopardy heading into Summer 2026.
I agree he was really awful last year - to me, the issue is his decision making. More often than not he seems to make the wrong one in the final third. He frustrates the hell out me in terms of the last pass / when to shoot. His pre season has not shown any improvement IMO - so he is one player that needs to step up now as the season gets under way.
He wasn't awful - because statistically we created considerably less chances per game when he was out injured. But I think he came back not fully 100% then got overplayed, all on the back of a bad injury. I hope he's had enough time off this Summer.
But in the case of Havertz the system suits him, thats why he gets the ball, he is good at what he does. The Havertz criticism is that his finishing is poor primarily. I don't think criticism of him not being a proper CF are fair, he isn't a proper CF so why complain that he's not a proper CF ?! He brings a different set of tools to the office and when utilised properly Havertz is definitely an asset to the team. In the case of Martinelli the current system doesn't suit him but it suits Saka, you know my thoughts on that and why.
Is one whole season being fickle ? He was terrible last season. Look at Martinelli, in 2022/23 people were saying he is just behind Saka and in that season Saka was being called world class. But the next season Martinelli was terrible and the season after that. Yes Odegaard has it in him to be incredible but without the goals and assists he is a jarring player, forever twisting and turning for no reason and playing simple passes, we need more creativity from him or the criticism will only get louder. I don't see how you can pick Odegaard in front of Nwaneri on current form.
How does it suit him and not someone else in the 9? The argument has been that we don't create enough for the 9 in our system, but that has never been an excuse used for Havertz... only players that are favoured by the loud minority. Even though Havertz has 42 G+A in a season and a half, he's panned and never a mention of any system. There is nothing wrong with Havertz finishing - it is more or less on par with other strikers. Haaland misses just as many, so does Saka for that matter, and Salah. The issue is every one of his missed chances gets highlighted as the end of the world - when that does not happen for favoured players who miss just as many, like Trossard, Saka, for example. I saw some fans claiming Havertz could never have scored the header Gyokeres did - when he actually has scored headers like that for us and better, with fabulous movement and direction. It's just a bunch of fan tropes at this stage
He wasn't 'Terrible' though. In actual fact when he was out Injured there was a period where we couldn't even score from open play. Luckily our defence were banging goals from Corners. When Odegaard came back - guess what we started scoring more goals from open play again. The Injury he had can take up to 12 months to recover from. He returned after 3. (and then was played without non-stop a break)
Kind of. To say Havertz finishing is as good as any other striker just isn't true. For me Havertz is a Number 10 . He just doesn't get to play that role as we've been playing a 433 (and when we do go to a 4231 Odegaard slots in the 10 position.) As a false 9 he holds up well, presses well, decent passing, he's technically good but he's not a natural finisher. He makes the wrong decision in front of goal quite often. Much more often than someone like Kane, Haaland or even Isak. I like him a lot as a player though. He's extremely well rounded. It does make me wonder if we do go 4231 with a double pivot this Season - Havertz might get more games as the 10 behind Gyokeres. We need to rotate more and both Odegaard and Saka have been overplayed in recent years.
I said his finishing is more or less on par with other strikers - not all (i.e. more or less average - should have been clearer)... there are some, though few, that really break beyond the averages in converting chances to goals when you factor in the quality of the chance. The worst finisher in the team over the last couple of years has probably been Saka - a player i rate extremely highly. Odegaard is another whose finishing has been below standard. The point being these 'finishing' discussions are selective. I am not even slightly worried about Havertz finishing - mainly because we have goal scorers all over the pitch. I'd be more worried if he was the main focus and was a focal point for chances. I really hope we don't go for a system/approach that throws too many eggs into one basket (like City do). We'd be worse off IMO. I also think Havertz is a top player - there's no doubt we really missed him last year, maybe more so than even Saka when he was out.
