Rival watch

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
Nice article on the BBC bemoaning the fact that they never win if Guimaraes is out injured.

He's missed 9 games in 4 seasons.

Nine.
 
Goobers are piling in on Zubimendi too.

He hasn't lived up to his hype so far.

He was horrible today and that was his worst performance, but I've been pretty happy with him overall.

He has room for improvement, but by and large, he and Rice have struck up a good partnership.

Now, in terms of problem players, the elephant in the room is our captain...
 
Now, in terms of problem players, the elephant in the room is our captain...
Eze is a better option at present. He is a proper attacking no 10, which is what you need with those other two in midfield. There is far more creativity when he plays (small sample size).
As good as your team usually is, it lacks pace, creativity and dynamism in the final third too often. You may be very threatening from set pieces, but you’re in danger of becoming too reliant on it in the PL to break teams down. It’s worked in a number of games this season - and almost gained you a point today - but it’s not a strategy to win a league title.
 
He was horrible today and that was his worst performance, but I've been pretty happy with him overall.

He has room for improvement, but by and large, he and Rice have struck up a good partnership.

Now, in terms of problem players, the elephant in the room is our captain...

Odegaard and Saka have underperformed this season. The good results have meant they’ve avoided massive scrutiny
 
As good as your team usually is, it lacks pace, creativity and dynamism in the final third too often. You may be very threatening from set pieces, but you’re in danger of becoming too reliant on it in the PL to break teams down. It’s worked in a number of games this season - and almost gained you a point today - but it’s not a strategy to win a league title.

Becoming? <laugh> We are too reliant on set-pieces to break teams down. I've been saying it for a while that it's a worry and we need to improve our creativity from open play because it won't be sustainable for the whole campaign.

I don't understand why Arteta's so risk averse when it comes to central progression, but it is starting to cost us. Look at the goals United scored. There was intent to create centrally with close combination play to create pockets of space where you can get shots off. The goals Dorgu and Cunha scored, when would our players ever have the initiative to do that?

We are too robotic and formulaic, there's no room for ingenuity or maverick-like players in this team.

But the bottom line is our attack is suffering and the reason is because the manager isn't platforming our best players appropriately.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BobbyD
Odegaard and Saka have underperformed this season. The good results have meant they’ve avoided massive scrutiny

Odegaard should be sold in the Summer. Fairweather player. Not good enough for us anymore.

Agree about Saka. He's been really poor for a little while now, however, I still think the manager is stifling him and is limiting his attacking output.
 
Odegaard should be sold in the Summer. Fairweather player. Not good enough for us anymore.

Agree about Saka. He's been really poor for a little while now, however, I still think the manager is stifling him and is limiting his attacking output.

This is a mind blowing stat for a team chasing the quadruple:

You must log in or register to see images
 
This is a mind blowing stat for a team chasing the quadruple:

You must log in or register to see images

Yup, already mentioned those alarming stats.

You can question the quality of the players individually, but when every single attacking player has shocking output, you have to look at the system and, by extension, the manager.

Barring the 2022/23 season and the second half of the 2023/24 season (1.5 seasons out of 6), Arteta's not shown strong enough evidence over the entirety of his tenure at the club that he can coach consistent attacking patterns of play. It will cost us if he doesn't find a way to change it.

I will always have reservations over this manager until he actually proves he can win us silverware.