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Thread: Same old V Liverpool

  1. #11
    Member Mac76's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Letters View Post
    Who died and made you Letters? This is the sort of level headed post I'd have made back in the day.
    I'm actually annoyed and disappointed about last night. I agree with everything you've said but I've been worn down by years of performances and results like this where we basically play well but get beaten anyway. But yeah, Liverpool are a level or two above us - above pretty much everyone really. Sure they'll have off days but in big games like this you can be pretty sure they'll do the job like we used to back in the day. I do believe we are heading in the right direction but the Villa game is key now. We could afford to lose last night but we don't have much room for error now. All the contenders for top 4 will drop points but we have to get going again at the weekend. If we do then I'll start to believe we have a very good chance of top 4. If we mess that one up then I fear another collapse.
    yes am worried about the Villa game, let's hope we pick ourselves up for that.

    i am concerned about the thinness of the squad and feel like Arteta coudl have just rotated a bit more here and there, even if just bringing subs on earlier

    we were just not quite there in the first half in terms of making the most of some opportunities we had to really test them in front of goal, one or two overplayed or underplayed passes here and there at crucial moments, one from Odegaard to Saka springs to mind in particular when he underplayed it when Saka was in a really good position

    got to say Ramsdale should have done better for both goals - also he got a bit obsessed with kicking the ball forward to Saka almost every time, which got a bit predictable

    thought Cedric had another very good game overall, while I'll obvs be happy to have Tomi back i think he's doing a really great job

    predictably I'll say Xhaka looked patchy and is sticking out more and more like a sore thumb as just being too slow for what we're trying to do - i noticed that Gabreil and others were basically avoiding passing to him in the first half, i think they realised Liverpool woudl be on him straight away to win the ball and also maybe provoke him into another red

    other than that Martinelli was superb

    I don't think we'll make top 4 but just hope we can somehow stay above Spuds - the fixture list doesn't help - Chelsea Weds evening and the early kick off for Man Ure the following Saturday... no wonder Arteta's annoyed
    Last edited by Mac76; 17-03-2022 at 01:52 PM.

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mac76 View Post
    yes am worried about the Villa game, let's hope we pick ourselves up for that.

    i am concerned about the thinness of the squad and feel like Arteta coudl have just rotated a bit more here and there, even if just bringing subs on earlier

    we were just not quite there in teh first half in terms of making the most of some opportunities we had to really test them in front of goal, one or two overplayed or underplayed passes here adn there at crucial momments, one form Odegaard to Saka springs to mind in particular when he underplayed it when Saka was in a really good position

    got to say Ramsdale should have done better for both goals - also he got a bit obsessed with kicking the ball forward to Saka almost every time, which got a bit predictable

    thought Cedric had another very good game overall, while I'll obvs be happy to have Tomi back i think he's doing a really great job

    other than that Martinelli was superb

    I don;t facny top 4 but jsut hope we can somehow stay above Spuds - the fixture list doesn't help - Chelsea Weds evening and the early kick off for Man Ure the following Saturday... no wonder Arteta's annoyed
    About the Villa game and the remaining schedule. If we are good enough we will get the points on board to finish 4th, it’s still in our hands regardless of last night’s outcome.

    As others have said there is little margin for error now, this team is going to need to stand up and battle it out for 4th place.

    I personally think our run in is tricky…but it is what it is and our record against the teams outside the top 4 is near flawless so the quality and performance level is there for us to do the job.

    Our biggest issue is going to be managing the small squad, no way we can expect the same level of performance if we continue to pick the same 11 every game. At some point the likes of Saka, Laca, Martinelli & Odegaard are going to need to be rotated with the likes of ESR, Pepe & Eddie.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mac76 View Post
    yes am worried about the Villa game, let's hope we pick ourselves up for that.

    i am concerned about the thinness of the squad and feel like Arteta coudl have just rotated a bit more here and there, even if just bringing subs on earlier

    we were just not quite there in the first half in terms of making the most of some opportunities we had to really test them in front of goal, one or two overplayed or underplayed passes here and there at crucial moments, one from Odegaard to Saka springs to mind in particular when he underplayed it when Saka was in a really good position

    got to say Ramsdale should have done better for both goals - also he got a bit obsessed with kicking the ball forward to Saka almost every time, which got a bit predictable

    thought Cedric had another very good game overall, while I'll obvs be happy to have Tomi back i think he's doing a really great job

    predictably I'll say Xhaka looked patchy and is sticking out more and more like a sore thumb as just being too slow for what we're trying to do - i noticed that Gabreil and others were basically avoiding passing to him in the first half, i think they realised Liverpool woudl be on him straight away to win the ball and also maybe provoke him into another red

    other than that Martinelli was superb

    I don't think we'll make top 4 but just hope we can somehow stay above Spuds - the fixture list doesn't help - Chelsea Weds evening and the early kick off for Man Ure the following Saturday... no wonder Arteta's annoyed
    The only good thing about the early KO against United is that there is very little travel involved as both games are in London.

    We also need to rotate a bit more.

    During the War! We used to play 4 games in a week on 5 inches of mud with a ball that weighed a ton!

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    MOe Marc Overmars's Avatar
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    We haven’t had to rotate because we’ve been playing every 7-10 days. Also, who do we rotate though? The only viable options on the bench last night were ESR and Pepe. The squad is mostly shit beyond the first 11, Arteta doesn’t trust any of them.

    We’re only talking ESR/Martinelli really who could be interchanged seamlessly.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chippy View Post
    During the War! We used to play 4 games in a week on 5 inches of mud with a ball that weighed a ton!
    Ha. Dad told me that back in the day they'd sometimes have the two North London Derbies over Christmas, one on Christmas Day and the other on Boxing Day.
    Thems were the days!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Letters View Post
    Ha. Dad told me that back in the day they'd sometimes have the two North London Derbies over Christmas, one on Christmas Day and the other on Boxing Day.
    Thems were the days!
    Lol.
    Your Dad is quite right.

    Not quite as brutal as the day after, but I remember watching Watford v Arsenal on Boxing Day and then the away fixture on the 28th!

  7. #17
    Member Mac76's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marc Overmars View Post
    We haven’t had to rotate because we’ve been playing every 7-10 days. Also, who do we rotate though? The only viable options on the bench last night were ESR and Pepe. The squad is mostly shit beyond the first 11, Arteta doesn’t trust any of them.

    We’re only talking ESR/Martinelli really who could be interchanged seamlessly.
    we need to start using Lokonga more instead of Xhaka too, plus making sure Holding and Tavares are getting some game time - they can all do fine against the right opposition

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    Quote Originally Posted by Xhaka Can’t View Post
    That is a really good analysis.

    The part relating to how we react to losing a goal and the impact of that in big games is telling.

    We no longer have a glass jaw. Now we need someone in the lineup that can be relied upon to deliver a killer punch when needed.
    You can even see it on an individual level. Ben White had a torrid time against Toney in his debut, and you could see all the pundits and papers were just itching to wheel out the lazy ‘soft Arsenal player’ narrative - since then he seems to have made it a personal mission to prove that he’s decent in the air and won’t be bullied, and that he even has some dark arts about him, and he’s pretty much nipped it in the bud before it could gain any traction.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marc Overmars View Post
    We haven’t had to rotate because we’ve been playing every 7-10 days. Also, who do we rotate though? The only viable options on the bench last night were ESR and Pepe. The squad is mostly shit beyond the first 11, Arteta doesn’t trust any of them.

    We’re only talking ESR/Martinelli really who could be interchanged seamlessly.
    Up until now the schedule has been fine, but come next month we have one week where we play 3 games, or something like 5 in 15 days, we will definitely need to rotate a bit.

    I agree we don't really have decent back up options outside of ESR, but the likes of Pepe, Cedric (assuming Tomi comes back) & Tavares are decent enough. Holding and Elneny / Lokonga are passable depending on opposition.

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mac76 View Post
    we need to start using Lokonga more instead of Xhaka too, plus making sure Holding and Tavares are getting some game time - they can all do fine against the right opposition
    Lokonga’s an odd one - it’s starting to feel a bit like when Martinelli disappeared off the face of the earth last year, and we were all scratching our heads wondering why we weren’t using him. Then he comes back into the side this year and starts tearing it up, and looks like he’s been of training with Shaolin monks or something! I wonder if we’ve got Sambi on some kind of secret, fast-track training somewhere, getting him ready for a big reveal next season?

    Tavares I expect we’ll see more of once Tomi’s back - we like to have one attacking fullback and one defensive / balancing fullback, and right now our LB has to be the defensive one because we only have an attacking RB available. Of the two LBs you’re not going to get Tavares to stay back.

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