comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 1 minute ago
Saka needs competition.
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Did Iniesta need competition? That is Saka's ceiling.

comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted less than a minute ago
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 1 minute ago
Saka needs competition.
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Did Iniesta need competition? That is Saka's ceiling.
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Saka needs competition as any other player in this team. Secondly to keep him fresh and fit.

comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 7 seconds ago
No but Odegaard needs Saka as you could see yesterday.
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Before or after he got 2 assists?

comment by CrouchEndGooner (U13531)
posted 1 hour, 47 minutes ago
comment by CrouchEndGooner (U13531)
posted 49 minutes ago
He looked good when he came on.

I think he'll remain in the plans so long as he can stay injury free but is willing to do a Trossard and be an option who could become first team with enough important appearances
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Thinking about this.... Maybe Arteta gave ESR a run out as a way to say goodbye
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Crossed my mind too, however, we were still 1:1 at the time, and we all know Arteta isn't one for sentiment. I think it's a sign ESR is staying and maybe Vieira... not so sure?

comment by Tu Meke (U3732)
posted 21 seconds ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 7 seconds ago
No but Odegaard needs Saka as you could see yesterday.
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Before or after he got 2 assists?
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Everton were there for the taking. You can't believe we played well yesterday.

I never said we played well.

I just said Saka and Odegaard do not need each other.

Our game was surely influenced by what has happened at City.

They do. Because it's too easy for teams to mark Odegaard out of the game. He is not that strong. That's why so many teams use a mid-block against us and Arteta drops Havertz into midfield, allowing Odegaard more space in a striking position.

comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 8 minutes ago
We do create a lot on the right, and it sometimes feels we don't take enough advantage of Saka being double marked. Maybe Timber is a better goal threat than Ben White.
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Odegaard assisted twice, created 7 chances, missed a sitter (why the fack can't he ever lift his shots off the ground). Not sure how he needed Saka yesterday. We were very sloppy in our general build-up play yesterday, our left-hand side added very little to attack (Trossard was especially horrendous), and Everton are pretty much the best defensive team in the league outside the top 3 and they played well.

Odegaard can do that from the other side.

comment by Tu Meke (U3732)
posted 19 seconds ago
Odegaard can do that from the other side.
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Saka holds the ball up and is very difficult to knock off the ball. Usually ends up being fouled. That's why Arteta was desperate to sign Havertz as the second out ball. Who is going to do that on the left? Havertz is the striker now.

Saying that we have weaknesses on our left with players who can't keep the ball is different from arguing that Odegaard needs Saka on our right to somehow perform. Yesterday wasn't any kind of proof of that. The opposite infact. I thought either Odegaard or Martinelli were MOTM.

I could see us going big on a LW this summer instead of a CF tbh. Never felt that Arteta has been 100% sold on Marti, he’s always the first player to be hooked or most likely to be rotated out of the squad, even last season when he was in much better form. Not to mention that we have offered big money for Mudryk and Rafinha before so it’s definitely an area that Arteta wants to improve on.

If saka is being triple marked on the right, that naturally leaves more space on the left.

comment by Bats Uncensored (U18355)
posted about a minute ago
I could see us going big on a LW this summer instead of a CF tbh. Never felt that Arteta has been 100% sold on Marti, he’s always the first player to be hooked or most likely to be rotated out of the squad, even last season when he was in much better form. Not to mention that we have offered big money for Mudryk and Rafinha before so it’s definitely an area that Arteta wants to improve on.
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Also my impression to be honest.

Liverpool have appointed a Slot as new head coach

comment by IAWT (U10012)
posted less than a minute ago
Liverpool have appointed a Slot as new head coach
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Why is that on this thread?

The thing is even when double marked, Saka is able to keep the ball and release Odegaard on the inside.

One of our problems has been Rice is a little green in the press no.8 position. KDB plays far closer to Halland. When Declan starts to time those runs, Rice will be the out ball on the left.

That needs a speed burner on the left to cut in like Walcott used to do from the right. And if Arteta is interested in replacing Martinelli I think someone quick will be important.

It's funny though how right-centric our attack is. I thought that may change with Saka out yesterday, but it seemed even more pronounced. Several times in the 2nd half yesterday, the likes of Partey and Rice where with the ball and Trossard was hugging the left touchline in acres of space with most of Everton's marking distributed from centre to our right and we still didn't make the obvious switch and tried to play it intricately from the right.

comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 2 minutes ago
The thing is even when double marked, Saka is able to keep the ball and release Odegaard on the inside.

One of our problems has been Rice is a little green in the press no.8 position. KDB plays far closer to Halland. When Declan starts to time those runs, Rice will be the out ball on the left.

That needs a speed burner on the left to cut in like Walcott used to do from the right. And if Arteta is interested in replacing Martinelli I think someone quick will be important.
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Because Pool are ACTUAL competitor! Or at least they were.
Villa are not and will never be.

(i think thats to Gt).

Wrong msg answered! Soz..

comment by Sheriff John Brown - Arteta IN!!! (U7482)
posted 3 minutes ago
It's funny though how right-centric our attack is. I thought that may change with Saka out yesterday, but it seemed even more pronounced. Several times in the 2nd half yesterday, the likes of Partey and Rice where with the ball and Trossard was hugging the left touchline in acres of space with most of Everton's marking distributed from centre to our right and we still didn't make the obvious switch and tried to play it intricately from the right.
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Rice did an interview where he said arteta does not like playing the big switch. 🤷🏽

There must be a reason, but it's probably some weirdo autistic thing with arteta

comment by IAWT (U10012)
posted less than a minute ago
Wrong msg answered! Soz..
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I knew you would come back to me.

I was just joking. But said that how many times were people posting some unrelated Arsenal stuff on this thread?

We go from out to in from the left.

And in to out from the right.

In reverse of a certain Catalan team at their pomp.