Another great piece and i think you really touched on some key points or at least things I was wondering about watching the game.
Dan Burn got 3 headers in a row from corners. The first no one marked him and Raya made that great save. The next one Raya was animated about Burn and Odegaard came and got on him. It was like a fly on a bull. It didn’t slow him down, but maybe was just enough of a pest or we were just lucky. Why can’t our set piece coach come up with a better plan?
Does it just take time to be brainwashed into being risk adverse? Rarely do you see our more tenured players shoot from outside the box or hit a pass over the top. Rice, MLS, Calafiori, they get a decent chance they launch it. Except for Raya, Kiwior is the only one to put a ball over the top and boy is he good at it. Maybe no one else can?
Kiwior is not as good as our starting pair, but who is. He is still damn good and usually makes up for his mistakes just by trying so damn hard. His few mistakes would be even fewer if he got more game time regularly.
Except Martinelli, none of our players are the same since getting injured. I hope with White it comes back. He not only didn’t have the pace, but he seemed to lack stamina. I saw him walking instead of running to get back on defense a couple of times.
I am okay with not getting a striker last summer if we couldn’t get who we wanted at the right price. I like who we got and what they bring to the table especially their passion. I think we overpaid slightly for Calafiori, but you gotta love his enthusiasm.
We get a few missing pieces, don’t break our players, and not be so risk adverse we will be a beast.
Thanks for the comment! I think the attacking players who are constantly around the box are told that they should search a continuation that will keep the ball at our feet, because "statistically it creates a better chance" - you've probably heard Arteta talking a lot about statistics after the PSG game. So our more notable shooters are actually guys who rarely appear in those situations, e.g. Partey, Calafiori, Rice, because their focus in tactical sessions is more about ball distribution and not what you do near the box.
Actually everyone except Martinelli and Odegaard, got surgery so that might be the explanation of their level. But I at least expected some gradual progress which I don't see so far.
For the balls over the top - I remember seeing before Rice and Partey launching this 40-meter precise crosses, so I can't believe they can't do it anymore. I also remember how Saka scored at home against Liverpool after White's ball over the top and how we rarely seen such attempts ever since.
Another great piece and i think you really touched on some key points or at least things I was wondering about watching the game.
Dan Burn got 3 headers in a row from corners. The first no one marked him and Raya made that great save. The next one Raya was animated about Burn and Odegaard came and got on him. It was like a fly on a bull. It didn’t slow him down, but maybe was just enough of a pest or we were just lucky. Why can’t our set piece coach come up with a better plan?
Does it just take time to be brainwashed into being risk adverse? Rarely do you see our more tenured players shoot from outside the box or hit a pass over the top. Rice, MLS, Calafiori, they get a decent chance they launch it. Except for Raya, Kiwior is the only one to put a ball over the top and boy is he good at it. Maybe no one else can?
Kiwior is not as good as our starting pair, but who is. He is still damn good and usually makes up for his mistakes just by trying so damn hard. His few mistakes would be even fewer if he got more game time regularly.
Except Martinelli, none of our players are the same since getting injured. I hope with White it comes back. He not only didn’t have the pace, but he seemed to lack stamina. I saw him walking instead of running to get back on defense a couple of times.
I am okay with not getting a striker last summer if we couldn’t get who we wanted at the right price. I like who we got and what they bring to the table especially their passion. I think we overpaid slightly for Calafiori, but you gotta love his enthusiasm.
We get a few missing pieces, don’t break our players, and not be so risk adverse we will be a beast.
Thanks for the comment! I think the attacking players who are constantly around the box are told that they should search a continuation that will keep the ball at our feet, because "statistically it creates a better chance" - you've probably heard Arteta talking a lot about statistics after the PSG game. So our more notable shooters are actually guys who rarely appear in those situations, e.g. Partey, Calafiori, Rice, because their focus in tactical sessions is more about ball distribution and not what you do near the box.
Actually everyone except Martinelli and Odegaard, got surgery so that might be the explanation of their level. But I at least expected some gradual progress which I don't see so far.
For the balls over the top - I remember seeing before Rice and Partey launching this 40-meter precise crosses, so I can't believe they can't do it anymore. I also remember how Saka scored at home against Liverpool after White's ball over the top and how we rarely seen such attempts ever since.