Watching Baleba’s 20-minute cameo from this angle felt like watching him from the heavens.
Although he idolizes Pogba, I genuinely think Baleba has an even higher ceiling than him. With Mainoo and Baleba, we’re sorted in midfield for the next 10–15years. 😭❤️
Cunha was getting rinsed back to goal like that in the Everton match too. Needs relegating to the bench asap. Not good enough in any role to start regularly.
The quality in the prem is good but it’s not as good as people make it out to be.
Because there’s less special stars, most players are developed the same ways, and the bottom of the pile has gotten better and fitter, it’s just a fat middle of average with very few elite.
Eg. This press isn’t special. But the lack of adaptability and imagination from the Arsenal players here is so basic because they, like nearly every other team, is conditioned to the patterns.
You think this is a good press?
One very simple curved pass on the outside in front of Rice from Konsa and that’s 3 , maybe 4 Brighton players now out the way.
But teams are so often programmed to pass to feet to the nearest man when playing out.
Obviously that makes it much easier to press.
Is the 'experience' in the room with us?
KEEP. THE. BALL.
CONSOLIDATE. POSSESSION.
MAKE. THEM. RUN.
MAKE. YOUR. MATES. LIVES. EASIER.
TAKE. CARE. OF. THE. BALL.
DEMONSTRATE. LEADERSHIP.
It's appalling from Maguire, like it was from Shaw vs Hull especially. Bigger than coaching.
I think Carrick doesn’t think a Sesko type 9 is his preferred profile for the position, some of it even more to do with his obsession with the PSG blueprint.
Nice summary from @MeiaArmador__
I analysed the lack of shared intentions in Carrick's possession style last season - problems were there very early on (link to analysis below).
I expected to see clear improvement over the summer.
So far, there doesn't seem to be much progress.
Only reason why we looked good is cause they were playing more expansive and open and our home crowd was making noise. It sounded good but in reality we got to the final third and did nish
Most annoying things about today:
- We looked actually pretty good 11v11. Them going down to 10 men was a poisoned chalice
- VAR literally intervened & created their own "clear and obvious error" - do you know how ironic that is? The on-field officials had got it right
- Carricks subs were genuinely awful. Sesko not coming on at HT, imo, was dumb. But the bringing him on for Tielemans at 0-1 down is genuinely one of the worst subs I've seen in quite a few years
Hes á 9 in thesame way Harvertz or Gabriel Jesus is a 9. There are different profiles of players even for a position. I’m shocked I have to be explaining this to supposed Football lovers.
With adequate minutes, Zirkzee is as good a striker as you’d want him to be.