EFLC 18-12-2024 Arsenal 3 : 2 Crystal Palace 45' 7.6
EPL 21-12-2024 Crystal Palace 1 : 5 Arsenal 90' 6.97
EPL 27-12-2024 Arsenal 1 : 0 Ipswich 90' 6.88
EPL 01-01-2025 Brentford 1 : 3 Arsenal 88' 6.5
EPL 04-01-2025 Brighton 1 : 1 Arsenal 26' 6.04
EFLC 07-01-2025 Arsenal 0 : 2 Newcastle 90' 6.14
In the last 8/9 games, bar the home League Cup game against Palace, Odegaard has been close to anonymous. He's also, only managed 2 assists and both were in the above mentioned game. He's had limited contribution to our cause in the last 8/9 games.
Just for comparison, Saka has managed 15 scores of over 7.0 rating on whoscored this season, including 9 times of achieving over 8.0 rating.
Odegaard doesn't have a single rating of >8.0 this season.
I got inspired to write this post from the excuses below.
The excuses for his very limited contribution include:
- coming back from injury
- his missus giving birth
- illness
- Saka injury
I'm probably missing a few.
Important to add in the 3 games he played for us before any of the above excuses could be considered, in August against Wolves, Villa and Brighton, he didn't shine either.
Maybe today is the day to have his first standout performance of the season. We're 4 games in January.
Think it might be easier and less annoying for the fan base if we throw away our fa cup run on an away day. At home to United, may be Arteta will go all in on set piece only kinda day, avoid counter attacking goals and see where it takes us.
With the FA Cup, most would hope for a couple easy draws in the early rounds, like just about all our rivals got for this weekend, play fringe players, hope to progress then have fully fit squads to bring in later in the competition. By luck , design, or circumstance, we didn’t get an easy early draw, the squad is down to the bare bones, with illness compounding our woes. There are more important games this week, as the team face determined opponents , and that’s just the PGMOL
With Liverpool, Salah, VVD need to stay fit. The TAA issue will hopefully cause more muttering on the terraces if any results don’t go their way.
That said, not enough of our players are near their best and our best player is out.
These next three games are going to be extremely important. We desperately need to win today to avoid a crisis of confidence. The Spuds have barely any defenders so they shouldn’t really be a problem but Villa could turn it on.
With the luck we are having this year, we will prob draw a difficult team away, like Liverpool even if we do go through today, Just Don’t have the squad to fight on too many fronts at the moment
I would rotate to be honest. Man United are shit. It is just that the mood was completely sapped out of the Emirates on Tuesday. They got a draw at Liverpool and they are piping up again.
Kiwior should come in even though he is shit. Calafiori should also start.
We are going to run Saliba and Timber to the ground if White and Tomiyasu aren't back soon.
Merino should start. So should Rice. I would give Partey the night off to play him vs Spurs. Odegaard must start for me. We have no choice but to play him because Nwaneri isn't available. If not I would even try Zinchenko in RCM before Trossard. I don't really care who plays in attack because all of them aren't difference makers right now.
I am not desperate for a good cup run, and I do not accept that we went into this season light for whatever reasons... This was gross negligence on Mikel's part. And then not using the roster he has, despite saying he needs to extract the most of what we have... Zinc is barely playing, etc...
Also can't shake the feeling we'll bring in Rashford this window or maybe in the summer, it's literally the kind of thing we do lately at Arsenal, had the same feeling early in the summer window last summer with Sterling as well
We don't look like we'll get close to Liverpool even if they drop form so best to focus on the cup competitions which well that even is hard given we've not gotten past the semis of any of them since 2020
We need to cut it down to 3 points or less by the time we play them and just do our upmost to keep everyone for snd fresh until then, while not dropping any points whatsoever
But I just can’t see it happening unless our forwards find goals and we make a signing that improves us
We can all accept Arsenal took an unnecessary gamble on the season by going in short - that wasn't because there was no desire, that's because they couldn't get the players they wanted. Either way, we're short, and the shortness is taking a very big toll on young players who have looked mentally and physically fatigued recently.
Yes Pedro
So why not carry on with last year’s squad?
Only this year we would have had Jesus fit
Timber fit
Partey fit
Esr fit and playing
Vieira more integrated
MLS and Nwaneri ripping it up
Kai able to drop into left 8 with Rice and ESR as well as Ethan/MLS getting game time there when required
Honestly we were better off with Nelson on the wing than sterling
At least Nelson played and was on far lower wages
He wanted to impress rather than collect his cheque
Know what Arteta said about a place for Nwanieri but the departed are far more experienced players, the way I can make any sense whatsoever of ESR/ Nelson going is that home grown players come with benefits with PSR, and that they wanted to go bigger with summer signings but for whatever reason, it didn’t happen. Wenger would call it “ keeping the powder dry” as for Vieira, don’t get that one at all
Thing is few times Sterling has played, he's looked marginally threatening than anything Trossard or the Brazilian kid on the left had managed so far but he's barely been given any reasonable game time, same reason Nelson wanted out
With a couple of exceptions, Spuds putting out their strongest team against Tamworth. Good to see.
EPL 08-12-2024 Fulham 1 : 1 Arsenal 79' 6.22
UCL 11-12-2024 Arsenal 3 : 0 Monaco 79' 6.82
EPL 14-12-2024 Arsenal 0 : 0 Everton 62' 6.36
EFLC 18-12-2024 Arsenal 3 : 2 Crystal Palace 45' 7.6
EPL 21-12-2024 Crystal Palace 1 : 5 Arsenal 90' 6.97
EPL 27-12-2024 Arsenal 1 : 0 Ipswich 90' 6.88
EPL 01-01-2025 Brentford 1 : 3 Arsenal 88' 6.5
EPL 04-01-2025 Brighton 1 : 1 Arsenal 26' 6.04
EFLC 07-01-2025 Arsenal 0 : 2 Newcastle 90' 6.14
In the last 8/9 games, bar the home League Cup game against Palace, Odegaard has been close to anonymous. He's also, only managed 2 assists and both were in the above mentioned game. He's had limited contribution to our cause in the last 8/9 games.
Just for comparison, Saka has managed 15 scores of over 7.0 rating on whoscored this season, including 9 times of achieving over 8.0 rating.
Odegaard doesn't have a single rating of >8.0 this season.
I got inspired to write this post from the excuses below.
The excuses for his very limited contribution include:
- coming back from injury
- his missus giving birth
- illness
- Saka injury
I'm probably missing a few.
Important to add in the 3 games he played for us before any of the above excuses could be considered, in August against Wolves, Villa and Brighton, he didn't shine either.
Maybe today is the day to have his first standout performance of the season. We're 4 games in January.
So am I right in thinking that you don't rate Odegaard?
Think it might be easier and less annoying for the fan base if we throw away our fa cup run on an away day. At home to United, may be Arteta will go all in on set piece only kinda day, avoid counter attacking goals and see where it takes us.
With the FA Cup, most would hope for a couple easy draws in the early rounds, like just about all our rivals got for this weekend, play fringe players, hope to progress then have fully fit squads to bring in later in the competition. By luck , design, or circumstance, we didn’t get an easy early draw, the squad is down to the bare bones, with illness compounding our woes. There are more important games this week, as the team face determined opponents , and that’s just the PGMOL
Anything less than a win is unacceptable
With Liverpool, Salah, VVD need to stay fit. The TAA issue will hopefully cause more muttering on the terraces if any results don’t go their way.
That said, not enough of our players are near their best and our best player is out.
These next three games are going to be extremely important. We desperately need to win today to avoid a crisis of confidence. The Spuds have barely any defenders so they shouldn’t really be a problem but Villa could turn it on.
Odegaard, Rice and Havertz need to step up.
Odegaard is not on the same level as last season. I suspect the injury has impacted on his performance.
Rice should have replaced Partey in DMF position. He is not an attacking or creative midfielder.
Havertz is never going to be a clinical striker, but he is an intelligent footballer and is
worth his place in starting lineup albeit either as second striker or attacking midfielder.
Would add illness and a lack of Saka to Odes current woes
Arsenal's goalscoring from its midfielders in all matches this season has been
below par if you discount Nwaneri.
Odegaard 1 goal [a penalty]
Partey 2 goals
Rice 2goals
Jorginho 0goals
Merino 2 goals
Nwaneri 5 goals
With the luck we are having this year, we will prob draw a difficult team away, like Liverpool even if we do go through today, Just Don’t have the squad to fight on too many fronts at the moment
I would rotate to be honest. Man United are shit. It is just that the mood was completely sapped out of the Emirates on Tuesday. They got a draw at Liverpool and they are piping up again.
Kiwior should come in even though he is shit. Calafiori should also start.
We are going to run Saliba and Timber to the ground if White and Tomiyasu aren't back soon.
Merino should start. So should Rice. I would give Partey the night off to play him vs Spurs. Odegaard must start for me. We have no choice but to play him because Nwaneri isn't available. If not I would even try Zinchenko in RCM before Trossard. I don't really care who plays in attack because all of them aren't difference makers right now.
Arteta will go with a strong side.
It's the FA cup and we're playing man u.
I am not desperate for a good cup run, and I do not accept that we went into this season light for whatever reasons... This was gross negligence on Mikel's part. And then not using the roster he has, despite saying he needs to extract the most of what we have... Zinc is barely playing, etc...
Also can't shake the feeling we'll bring in Rashford this window or maybe in the summer, it's literally the kind of thing we do lately at Arsenal, had the same feeling early in the summer window last summer with Sterling as well
We don't look like we'll get close to Liverpool even if they drop form so best to focus on the cup competitions which well that even is hard given we've not gotten past the semis of any of them since 2020
Liverpool have a loss in them
They have some big games still to play
We need to cut it down to 3 points or less by the time we play them and just do our upmost to keep everyone for snd fresh until then, while not dropping any points whatsoever
But I just can’t see it happening unless our forwards find goals and we make a signing that improves us
I agree with Pedro on winning mentality and what it means to arsenal right now
If we had a squad then it would be different but it seems every single year Arteta cuts his squad down to 14-15 men
Then injuries happen, squad players come in and do well ti varying degrees but he pivots back ti crab ball
We can all accept Arsenal took an unnecessary gamble on the season by going in short - that wasn't because there was no desire, that's because they couldn't get the players they wanted. Either way, we're short, and the shortness is taking a very big toll on young players who have looked mentally and physically fatigued recently.
Yes Pedro
So why not carry on with last year’s squad?
Only this year we would have had Jesus fit
Timber fit
Partey fit
Esr fit and playing
Vieira more integrated
MLS and Nwaneri ripping it up
Kai able to drop into left 8 with Rice and ESR as well as Ethan/MLS getting game time there when required
Honestly we were better off with Nelson on the wing than sterling
At least Nelson played and was on far lower wages
He wanted to impress rather than collect his cheque
Know what Arteta said about a place for Nwanieri but the departed are far more experienced players, the way I can make any sense whatsoever of ESR/ Nelson going is that home grown players come with benefits with PSR, and that they wanted to go bigger with summer signings but for whatever reason, it didn’t happen. Wenger would call it “ keeping the powder dry” as for Vieira, don’t get that one at all
Thing is few times Sterling has played, he's looked marginally threatening than anything Trossard or the Brazilian kid on the left had managed so far but he's barely been given any reasonable game time, same reason Nelson wanted out
And he is never given a chance in his favoured left side position.
As I posted earlier last week our season when it comes to winning trophies could end today.
The Brighton results this season has cost us 4 points and I think that it will be difficult to close
gap on Liverpool.
I feared what would happen in the Newcastle game factoring in 3 games in 7 days and our injuries and sickness. I was proven right.
The game against Man United today will be difficult. Before Xmas I would have banked on a
win against this team. Now I am not so sure.
As I posted earlier today on the previous thread we are woefully short of resources and the
loss of key players notably Saka and White has stretched us to limit.