Doubtless he wouldn’t be playing, if we had an alternative to play there
That’s the problem we don’t. And I don’t think it’s reasonable (and I don’t think you do either) to think Arteta has turned into a lunatic and told our most creative player…don’t play so creatively. Honestly what do you see when you watch Odegaard, a player high on confidence or a player looking unsure…pensive….trying simpler things because he doesn’t believe in himself that the more adventurous things will come off?.
I mean for heavens sake he even hesitated slightly when Havertz gave him an open goal against Man City (and Havertz did that because he didn’t have the confidence to take it on himself).
These are players with tired minds and tired bodies, what was once easy for them isn’t coming off now.
Last edited by HCZ_Reborn; 27-02-2025 at 03:45 PM.
Not remotely interested in anything like that. If no one said anything I disagreed with I’d probably never post on the football side of the forum. Because in likelihood someone’s already said something I think is true and probably said it more succinctly
I’ve actually said more than once in the past that I don’t like the style of football we play, but at this moment in time….it’s a bit like saying you don’t like the decorating in the upstairs bathroom when the roof has blown off.
I would say the resistance is coming at you more because you seem to think we don't have any player capable of doing the basics in football, every team plays one way against us but you seemingly won't acknowledge why that is, you treat everyone on here like they are idiots & you are incapable of having a general discussion without your superiority complex taking over.
Off the top of my head
The last goal we scored was a counter attacking goal
At least two of the goals we scored against City were on the counter
Then there is Sporting Lisbon, Palace, West Ham, the third goal against Southampton at home.
I think in too many games it’s more been about huffing and puffing against teams who sit deep to take the lead and then having used up so much energy we decide to sit off.
There is certainly no pathological aversion to it, maybe just not the confidence to pull it off
I do people here the respect of believing that they are at least equal in intelligence to myself. If I thought you were all stupid, I wouldn’t bother insulting you because a) it would go over your heads and b) I wouldn’t hold you in contempt for what I regard as specious reasoning.
The vast majority of teams do play one way against us, they would be foolish not to. It’s not a conspiracy, they will play the same way against Liverpool or city. Deny them space and time on the ball and try and get them to overcommit and catch them on the break
The difference is City and Liverpool don’t play with two defensive midfielders, I’ve screamed blue murder about this especially in home games. But we don’t have the luxury of playing two attacking midfielders in central midfield for example now. With Saka out, Nwaneri has to play on the wing
Last edited by HCZ_Reborn; 27-02-2025 at 04:10 PM.
I think he’s all of those things.
But I don’t think for example he believes the dog on the training ground inhabits the soul of his dead grandad. This is the kind of lunacy we’d be talking for him to be actively encouraging Odegaard to play like that.
But what im hearing is. “It’s ok for you to rant on, but when someone else does it….you’re on them like a fly on shit”
Now if that was your argument, I’d have to say fair enough. But you’d then have to accept most of your current arguments come from letting off steam and frustration rather than rational analysis. I’m past the point of anger and frustration
Last edited by HCZ_Reborn; 27-02-2025 at 04:09 PM.