How Arsenal's Martin Odegaard Just DESTROYED Chelsea
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 เม.ย. 2024
- Arsenal 5-0 Chelsea and Mikel Arteta's men look like taking the Premier League title race all the way to the wire. But while praise has been heaped upon Kai Havertz for his two goals against his former club, it was actually his captain who was the architect behind the Gunners emphatic victory over their London rivals.
Adam Clery looks at Martin Odegaard's performance, and his season in general, to make a case for him being the Premier League's Player of the Year.
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Martin Ødegaard is a wizard. He deserves to be the premier league player of the season.
for real
problem for him is he is overlooked by his teammates way to much
he’s kinda quiet in big games may not be his fault specifically but like against villa he was on amber alert against city same thing
@@a.drian.against chelsea is not a big game nowadays i guess..😂 i think he made it easy.
@@ayell91 9th place?
I love it. Ødegaard still chasin' the ball a week after the season ends. Runnin' round his kitchen pressin' the fridge and the stove. Pointing out runs to strangers as he's weaving between pedestrians on his way to pick up the dry cleaning. Dude never stops.
Underrated comment 😂
Laughing so hard😂😂😂
One moment I noticed, was before the build up to the final goal, Odegaard mapped out a way to beat the press from noticing how Chelsea players were pressing, by keeping the ball until he passed it back to Raya, knowing that Gabriel and Saliba would split wide and knew the Chelsea players would continue to follow them, and then he asked to receive the ball back from Raya and then played it through the new space created to pass to Tomiyasu, which eventually resulted in the final goal. It's things like this that stats will never show.
Great… now I need to watch the game again. 😂
True. Stats definitely important. But it's just an indicator. Kroos and Modric's intelligence never reflect fully on any stat metrics. Ødegaard's vision is something like that
@@AdaptStudios Lol yup. Reading these comments is making me want to watch the game again and just watch Odegaard's movements
7:09 Does he wave his hand to Saka, literally pointing him to where he wants him to go, and then delays the pass so that he gives him time to make the run? Man is conducting an Orchestra, jesus.
It's a fake call to saka he doesn't play it then , the same as when you see us attack EVERY player around the ball carrier calls for the ball...opposition has no idea who its going too
Holy shit, lol just caught this. That's sublime.
It also seems like he's waving Ben White on a run with the backwards movement of his arm in the same play. Doesn't look like a "natural" arm movement. Outstanding!
@@GoonerGng It's not a fake call, he's telling him to make the run. He delays the pass to put the Chelsea players on the wrong foot to give Saka the advantage then plays the pass as he gets level with the last defender.
@@Chi1llh1ll Unreal, good catch
Chelsea’s defence was so bad that our RB scored accidentally. At one point in the game I wanted Raya to score a goal.
It reminded me of the other day Saka scored from that same spot, but this time with Mendy in goal for Chelsea
@@firdausansarifardsaka meant that
So like how u let Mudryk score in the away fixture
@@shvkpr1 Mudryk scored but our defence didn’t concede 5 and our attack scored 2.
I mean, its nothing that crazy really, White's job is to overlap he's always gonna be dangerous and arrive in the box possibly, and literally the reason he scored is because he messed up, and the keeper could've never seen THAT coming, in fact, he the keeper was expecting a cross and wasn't ready for the ball to go goalwards, you don't need to make this about Chelsea's defence, we all know they defended poor, but this was also a poor statement.
That Ødegaard pass to Havertz was absolutely beautiful.
Exactly. People should actually analyse the game rather than just looking at stats.
yea some people literally analyse by waffling on score and what it means lol
I don't know how Adam but you somehow make me love my club EVEN MORE when you aren't even an Arsenal fan... LOVE YOUR VIDS SIR!!!
Am a spurs fan but I have to say that performance is the best midfield performance I think I’ve ever seen so many times it felt like he wasn’t in the game and then he’d get the ball and just create magic it was honestly unbelievable
Very big of you to say that.
He's mastered the art of Pausa. Odegaard is for me the perfect 10
La pausa......xavi was Soo good at this
Bro he's not even a 10. we haven't played with a 10 in years.
He's not a 10. Arsenal don't play a 10 system. They play a 433 & I have been preaching this for years and you people still don't understand. You compare him to the likes of Bruno Madison KDB & Szoboslai but he's of a different profile. He's Arsenal's all phase CM in possession playing the role of players like Santi, David Silva, Modric, Iniesta, Scholes etc. He doesn't just create/play make in final 3rd but he also dictates tempo in 2nd phase & participates in 1st phase of play.
I just noticed how much synergy he has with Havertz.
Havertz is all over the place finding and creating space out of nowhere through movement.
And Odegaard the same thing, but with stillness. Standing there and slipping in that right pass at the perfect time.
Brilliant.
Best player I’ve seen play for Arsenal since Henry. He’s an absolute joy to watch every week
van persie?
I mean he'd have to be up there with Fabregas, van Persie, Sanchez and Ozil.
He could easily end up the most influential by the time he's done
@@a.drian. RVP for 18 months was unreal especially as a finisher but all round game Martin is better I’d say.
@@owenrodgers8020 I couldn’t put ozil on that list. Martin works twice as hard and has the quality to match. The only one who could come close is Cesc.
@@owenrodgers8020reminds a lot of rosicky and santi.
Odegaard is Ozil on steroids. It is crazy.
i was just thinking this, his play style especially through balls, reminds me of prime ozil
Ødegaard says his idol is Messi. While watching him play I can sense his play style has elements from Messi as well. His vision, his body feints everything has influence.
@@hazaka97also fights for the ball like Messi
Ozil got 19 assist in one season.
@@TJTOPBOYcould have broken the record...if not for Giroud 🥲
My Captain. Love him. Odegaard was a product tester for the Trait Forced Training Gear which essentially is one of these quick decision making computer models that trains the first attacker on how to process the game most effectively. He broke the system. ""When he used it, one of the product development features added as a result was because he mentioned that he wanted to have a higher difficulty," Olsen told Sky Sports. "He was very humble and respectful when doing the scenarios but instead of wanting it set at 100 per cent speed, he asked if he could do it at 120 per cent. Now we have a slider where you take the speed up or down based on the actual speed of the scenario."
by the way, Odegaard running the high press which this video highlights, showing how hard he was running in a specific moment is an even better story than Adam recognizes. When you watch the game he took offense at Chelsea getting ole's and kicked it up a gear to try and win the ball...AT 5 -0. That is a captain!
Holy cheese. He beAT AI
Martin is quite possibly the most gifted footballer I've seen at Arsenal since Bergkamp.
Arsenal have had a few. Cazorla, Ozil, Wilshere, Henry of course
@@GamerFrisco I've had the pleasure of watching them all. IMHO Martin is even better.
@@pilotpaul with a title he'll be bergkamp level for sure. he does similar those unpredictable feints, swivles and passes like dennis did, unlocking juventus back then with a stroke of genius.
He reminds me of Fabregas
Interesting take. I rank Henry and Özil only slightly higher. But I wouldn't be surprised if I've changed my mind in the coming years. Martin is still very young, and already without a shadow of a doubt world class.
Imagine him and Alexander Isak together. Would be Bergkamp and Henry 2.0.
Its so good to see this. I knew his capacities for a long time. I was defending him when he came to arsenal as there was quite a few sceptic fans that was trolling me. Being norwegian i have seen Marting grow from a wonderkid to a superstar
Odegaard would start for literally any team. Class act. Always gets most of my attention when im watching Arsenal. Would love to have him at liverpool.
Very flattering. Never gonna happen
He is exactly where he wants to be and is loved by everyone. Arsenal are not letting him go at whatever the price is .
You know, I've been reading FourFourTwo magazines since the late 90's, though not so much as of late and I've been watching your channel quite a bit for the past couple of years. I just wanted to come on here and say that you hosting this show is the perfect translation of the magazine's quality into a TH-cam format. Great shows and just one of a handful of channels I've enabled the bell for.
I think this is spot on about what makes Odegaard's passing feel unique and like he's conjuring chances out of nothing--it's that extra patience he seems to have. Just the way he can safely take those extra moments to process before making a killer pass (even under defensive pressure)...reminds me a bit of Riquelme at his prime with Villareal
Odegaard has a great engine. He gets up and down and regularly clocks highest yardage on the pitch. So much to like about his play. The trickery in crowded situations. The low crouch he goes into with arms extended to keep opposition at a distance. The ability to strike a rising ball and keep it down. They say he had all of this aged 14!
Odegaard is definitely Arsenals most important player. You could talk all day about on the ball, but he also is critical to our off the ball game. He leads the press and he does so incredibly well. He has a hell of an engine, as you mention with the 85th minute pressing at 5-0 up, but there is also the leadership factor of that. He is a hell of a captain and leads from the front. He has everything
Missing 'Won Nothing' GhØstagaard - He is a hell of a captain who got subbed 30 times last season and leads from the front. He has everything but a trophy and a big club who've won the CL
@@JohnEllis-le9ym ah yes good point thank you for pointing that out with your vast knowledge. I aspire to be as much of a bot as you
@@hoverarmgaming4739 You haven't got enough money to stand within a mile of me plastic boy
Born in NY all I want is to move to North London work in a car garage and watch arsenal for the rest of my days.
Londistan is a dump
Yes, don’t move to N London
@@Matty-kelly It's far better than New York, and New York is nice and safe compared to most American cities
I'd ignore the racists, most have never been to London. London is great, I loved in Newham, east London for a few years. One of the great things about London is the sheer amount of football on offer: with 17 different professional football clubs, and with how easy it is to get around via buses and the tube you could go to any one of them
@@alr68 Lol He’s going to be mad once he finds out I’m Indian/Pakistani who will contribute his image of “Londistan”… that’s exactly why I want to move to London or close to it, football everywhere.
FINALLY! Someone who can prove Martin is the best creative player! Always the pass before. Always the line breaker. Always the organiser. Incredible player. Thank you Adam for being this intelligent ❤️🎉
Missing 'Won Nothing' GhØstagaard
Always a failure, ask Real Madrid
@@JohnEllis-le9ym dragging the second youngest team to where they are now with years left to win titles isn't acceptable success at this point? Pretty ignorant argument Mr ellis
@@JP-fc6hq The second youngest team who bottle titles, leave Europe quicker than Brexit and who've won nothing for 4 years running
The End
@@JohnEllis-le9ym You sound like an absolute delight, i should hire you as a clown to my daughters birthdayparty.
His constant scanning and awareness and his ability to maintain possession in tight areas combine perfectly with his truly world class vision and technique. Add to that his commitment to defend and his organization of the team's press. You can't teach or a pay a player enough to make them want to defend like that, especially an attacking player. Every match there are multiple times where I am surprised or even shocked because he's gotten off a pass I either thought was impossible or didn't even see. It's a real privilege to watch him week in and week out much like it felt watching Bergkamp and Henry.
Been hesitant (Arsenal fan btw) to hop on the Ø POTY hype, I had Walkins, Rice, Rodri, and Foden ahead of him. But after that masterclass on Tuesday evening, I’ve changed my opinion. Since the start of the year he has been hands down the best player (Foden is 2nd in that time), and it’s no coincidence that Arsenal began playing their best ball once he hit his peak form. This is a generational talent with uncanny natural ability and feel for the game. I know we love to compare him to Ozil, but Ø is miles clear in terms of his overall game…can’t imagine Ozil pressing like that in the 85th minute of a 5-0 game. Arteta was spot on to name him the skipper, and now hes the best creative player in England, and perhaps all of Europe.
He sees everything going on. His vision is exceptional. His reading of the game is exceptional l. His work rate is exceptional. Future Arsenal legend.
What great analysis, how have I missed this channel before. With actual highlights too. Great job.
I think a comparison with Mesut Ozil is interesting: both like to float into space and manipulate tempo to create opportunities for teammates, but Odegaard is so much more complete as a player. He's not quite as good a playmaker as peak Ozil--which is no insult, since peak Ozil was one of the world's best--but Ozil also tended to disappear completely when his passes weren't on. Whereas even on a bad day Odegaard presses hard, get stuck into tackles, and generally asserts his presence on the pitch. Anyway, different Arsenal sides, different styles of play, but the current one might be my favorite since the Invincibles.
MØ8 is hands down the best player I've seen for a long while, we might be to dependent on him.
Definitely need a good cover option to come in if and when Mø8 is unavailable
@@michaelmccreanor4762esr, vieira, havertz and trossard can all play creative midfield.
@@michaelmccreanor4762 Xavi Simons would be a good cover for him
to be too dependent on him.. he sure is ghosted a lot by his teammates. he should receive the ball a lot more imo. meaning this season and the last in general
Not dependant on him because he’s been out for a month already this season, but he’s the captain. And he isn’t injury prone, he plays every game because he can, it’s about time arsenal had players like rice,saliba, odegaard that can play every game without tiring or getting injured. We’ve been unfortunate over the years because our team in the emirates era had glass legs
I agree completely with the last point out of all. No matter what the score is, what the pressure is, he is always the most hardworking person in that pitch. He is always pressing, trying to create something even when Arsenal have looked lackluster going forward (when Saka and Martinelli are not on form) he’s the glimmer.
Odegaard has for seasons been our best TEAM player and leader. Back when we had games during the pandemic and Arsenal showed clips of him playing. You could hear him on the pitch talking, encouraging and leading the team. We are so lucky we signed him after that loan season. He has been a gem.
You're perfect! I've watched all Arsenal games this season and Odegaard's hability to create chances and determine the team's rithym is absolutetly perfect. On the ball he dictates the flow of team e and of the ball he is a beast. From a brazilian perspective, I don't think that many people sees his importance e influence on the game, so is great to see an analysis like this
When it comes to football tactics - and explaining them - nobody does it better than you, Mr. Cleary.
My brothers a Man U fan. He watched the game last night. Near the end of the game he texted me and said wow Odegaard is good.
I said back to him, u don’t watch every Arsenal game, I do. I said honestly he’s an absolute magician.
He’s defo been the best player in the prem this season.
His elegance, artistry, and playmaking ability are enough to make the best Spanish central midfielders stand up in awe 😮
This is why Ødegaard, KDB and B.Silva (particularly so), for me, are head and shoulders above their Premier League peers. They slow the game down in their head and on the pitch using all their respective skills and qualities.
B.Silva in particular, you’ll hardly ever see him dispossessed!!
I broke out laughing when you played that chicken cluck sound for Martin's play.
I don't do that often . . . . the laughing bit, not making that sound 🤨. Takk.
same😂😂😂 it was hilarious
True Arsenal fans know this about Odegaard, and is a big part of why we love him so much.
The man LEADS THE PRESS AS A CREATIVE MIDFIELDER. And he does it all game long. I'm willing to bet there aren't many players that does what he does on a top/world class level.
You know what is scary? He is improving...
Only 25
Odegaard reminds me of cazorla. Exceptional in tight spaces, eyes on the back of his head. And i believe his yet to reach his prime, since imo he should be getting 15 goals & 20 assista per season in all competitions.
That being said, i believe once he reaches his 30s, he wont be pressing as much as he does for us now. I expect him to transform into a deep-lying playmaker, exactly like santi, to devastating effect.
Missing 'Won Nothing' GhØstagaard reminds me of cazorla because he has 2 legs and 2 arms
@@JohnEllis-le9ym🤷Get a life mate.
Odegaard was running back, breaking sweat on the 97th minute to help the defense. He is literally insane with the amount of work he puts in. The fact that he's also unbelievable with the ball at his feet, he has the potential to be one of the greatest players ever at Arsenal.
The man football IQ is in a different world. Thanks for highlighting his generous
Watching mykhailo mudryk reassess his life choices after joining Chelsea over arsenal makes me happy.. wonder where he will be in the summer 😂
I really like this channel and the way you explain everything tactically!
The great chance observation is so spot on! His pass for the Rice winner against Luton in our 4-3 win there exemplifies it perfectly. He took the free kick short to Zinchenko, asked for the ball back and put in a perfect cross for Rice to head in. He's a true gem.
I totally agree. He should be player of the year. Not because im Norwegian, but simply because he really deserves that. I think AFTV focus is too much on goals and assists, so they dont see his work in the build up to goals/chances. The same with his pressing. I personally think they give him rarly the # he should have after a game. He is one of few i think constantly has a lower number than deserved. Just my opinion. Appriciated your video a lot.
Back in the years we had many like this The art of that Pause before pass. Ronaldinho look right pass left, Guti, xavi, iniesta, pirlo, scholes, ozil, messi, Is an art form, magic, we are blessed
De bruyne in my beilief was the best mid after Xavi - Iniesta era... No single mid had this much influence on his team or in a match like him... But when Odegaard started for Arsenal after his permanent transfer.. I felt like now De Bruyne will have competition... And Odegaard turning put to be such...
What a player he is... ❤
Odegaard has been called majestic, a poet and an artist in recent days. But only FourFourTwo has precisely broken down what Odegaard did, step by step and as an Arsenal fan, I salivate over this. FourFourTwo are not first with their analysis, but you are the best. Others football commentators are fast food, but you are gourmet cuisine.
Martin Odegaard, the club captain in front of juggernauts like Rice, Jorginho and Gabriel. The midfield general who instructs and demands everyone else to fulfill the manager’s tactics. To the tee. He almost never gets subbed despite running and pressing the most. With that heart, he has equally brilliant brain. The touches, the through balls and the tricks. He helps everyone in trouble without fuss and still got the energy to fulfill his own job. My POTS.
The guy has D.Bergkamp football intelligence. Amazeballs!
He had a tough January during our mini collapse, but the way he's addressed his weaknesses since then has been amazing to watch. Every point of criticism you could have levelled at him has gone. He protects the ball so well now and almost never gets caught on it. He's playing so much more expansively than before with a much more varied range of passing. He still lacks the power of De Bruyne, but you can't teach that. Long may it continue.
He had a hip Injury and still powered through
He’s bin «utmerket!». Last year ehrn people said best player I felt it was premature. This year, after the short breake in the beginning of the season, he has bin arsenals most consistent high performing player! Just love him! Utmerket video😘
Thank you for that, you make learning about the game fun. Love your work
Adam you've made football so much more interesting to watch
Love your vids brother, by far the best tactical analysis channe in football ❤ congrats on all the success and longmay it continue. COYG
Odegaard has truly been a joy to watch even as a city fan especially last night
Damn one of the best analysis videos I've seen. Great job!
This was a perfect review. He’s a completely underrated player, but we know our captain is exceptional
Finally, the video of martin odegaard I've been waiting since last night
What a great video and analysis 🙌👏
If we win the league 100% he deserves it and even if we don’t he’s still right up there. Opposition fans will always point to stats but when you actually watch him every week you see how consistently influential he is to our team. Glad you mentioned his pressing as well, he’s a machine in that regard AND he’s doing all of this while captaining the side. I called it when we signed him that £35 mil was the bargain of the century
You forgot to talk about his tactical discipline. Odegaard is the epitome of tactical understanding. He understands the team's overall dynamics and how each player relates to each other. The definition of a modern footballer.
a vivisection is a live autopsy
That sounds *much* cooler as well
@@FourFourTwo The More You Know 💫
I like that you show clips and not screenshots
It's about finding the line of showing examples without the Premier League picking it up and getting your video taken down for copyright...
The thing about ødegaard is that he is a fantastic dribler aswell as passer, and ofc ball control which is why he is able to slow down and stall for so much time looking for those passes. Most players if they tried the same would get tackled and lose the ball in an instant. He is truly special and i daresay still underrated. Player of the season candidate for sure.
Always top quality analysis! Thank you for the content
I’ve never seen such burning hunger like what Odegaard demonstrates in every second that he’s on the pitch week in and week out! A filthy magician with 5 lungs and a monster mentality that’s perfect as a captain! Absolutely deserves Player of the Season👏
Side note: You have an amazing talent to give concise yet detailed analyses that are easy to follow! Best wishes to you and your channel♥️🤍
What a great analysis. Lee Gunner and some of the Odegaard haters (who is also Arsenal fans) should be forced to watch things like this. To even say they dont rate him as a footballer and to say that all he does is waving his hands to the fans and touching his hair, shows their agenda and zero football knowledge. This was really great. Odegaard should have had at least 18-20 assists if he had a clinical strikee in front of him. He has created around 20 big chances and played around 40 through passes. The statistics has never been true when it comes to h8m. In all teams he has played he has created so many chances that hasnt been converted.
Where was Missing 'Won Nothing' GhØstagaard in the games that mattered against Bayern and Villa?
Where will he be for the Euros in the summer?
Where's the apologies to Lee Gunner who told you all 4 years ago that Arteta's not good enough to win the PL or CL?
The simple answer to all 3? - Missing
@@JohnEllis-le9ym You're criticizing him for not being in the Euros? He's from a tiny potato country where football isn't even the biggest sport, are you expecting him to carry the entire team to the Euros? Do you expect him to be the keeper as well? Not gonna happen.
Neither Ødegaard nor Håland can take Norway to an international championship alone. A football team has to have 11 players on the pitch.
@@Nabium Ghostagaard will never make the Euros because he goes missing when it matters as shown when he disappeared when the small countries Scotland and Georgia embarrassed the fraud
I agree with you hundred percent he is the player of the premiere League
Where was the the player of the premiere League Missing 'Won Nothing' GhØstagaard in the games that mattered against Bayern and Villa???
Answer? - Missing
Odegaard is a coach on the pitch. Everything you said is spot on, but there are even more things that make him great. He has a great understanding of when to make runs towards the back line to create space for Saka to receive a long switch, for example. And on top of all of that he’s the captain of a team that is challenging for everything despite being so young. Øne of a kind
Always a well-detailed analysis from Adam 👏🏾👏🏾
Our General #8. My Gunners good Team Plays⚽️❤️
It's such a relief to see & hear someone appreciate this superb talent & with a critical analytic mindset at that.
Around Dec or even just before & maybe a little later, I heard silly comments which included him being stripped of the captaincy.
This is a player who while on loan, showed us we can move closer to levels of arsenal at its best even as early as then.
I fully agree with your assessment, perhaps because what he does requires a more discerning eye to see & appreciate his ability though of course there has been a chorus of praise recently, particularly in recent wide margin victories Arsenal managed to execute.
He & Partey carried the team last season, slightly more improved depth of squad this season.
It would be thanks to his all round engineering if Arsenal wins the league this season.
The serious drawback now is that Arsenal need a great number one goalkeeper to conquer.
First video of yours that I’ve watched, great analysis. Will be back for more, thanks 👍
Another great video with great analysis
Brilliant analysis, like always! Keep up the sterling work.
Great video man
Fantastic analysis! More football fans need to watch this to fully appreciate the game
I was literally going to beg you to make an analysis of Ødegaards game vs Chelsea!! But here you are!
Great video again Adam, quality stuff this! And I may be biased, being a gooner, but I wholeheartedly agree! He's mustard👌
8:55 freaked me out
awesome vid, subbed
Totally agree about Odegaard the Viking
Subscribed. Great analysis
Great analysis! And on top of all that he’s a great guy and amazing leader, loved by all the team and fans.
MØ with a MÖ-esque assist. You love to see it 😮💨
Don't do Ø dirty like that
Best video yet!
GOOD ANALYSIS AS ALWAYS
Ødegaard at his best performs at world class ability
Nice analysis 👍
I was waiting for this video
I kept checking my TH-cam feed every hour today waiting for this to drop.
Amazing analysis Adam, liked & subscribed 😊
I see Martin Ødegaard, I click!
I always say hes the Child of Ozil and Dirk Kuyt. hes amazing in vision his ball capability and progressive passes, but he never stops he keeps going never giving up. And what u said Odegaards patience is what makes him so good. What your saying about waiting doesnt just count for Odegaard over the season ive noticed if saka waits 2-3 more seconds or any player they normally create better chances than when they make an instant pass. this is cause the instant pass is the pass the defenders calculate if u fake that pass wait and get someone open in front of goal ive seen this happen multiple times with saka and white where if they where 1 second more patient it wouldve been a brilliant pass.
Under-rated performance by Partey. He provided Odegaard a complete free role and allowed Rice to play a prototypical box-box role and put in a shift!
If Partey and Tomi had been bedded into this style from the beginning (and not been injury prone), I feel the outcome for this season would have been better. But this is a learning point for Arteta and I have no doubt that he will see this. He does need to have a deeper bench, one that is early to the game however though. He should be making the substitutions 10-15 mins earlier than he is.
I am so thankful that Havertz has proven me right. Such an intelligent player that can both hold up play and make the runs - someone that Odegaard can feed. I was wrong about Jesus though. I don't think he has a starting role, except against lower tier opponents in rotation - similar to Zinchenko. These are glue and utility guys for the season and team spirit.
The killer instinct is also there now. Don't turn off after a goal or two. The emotional regulation of the team is better. All improvements by, and including, Arteta.
EDIT - this is a comment I made last year in Apr/Mar 2023 -
Look at our season in totality. Immense strides.
We've only lost 3 games and realistically, it should only have been 2. In the others, where we could have lost, the team has demonstrated incredible spirit. That should inspire us and we should be proud and continue to support the team.
These last games are a reflection of doubts and anxieties, second thoughts that exist in the players minds and, collectively, the psyche of the team as the stress increases. The fact they have made these shambolic and schoolboy errors reflect this. They haven't lost the ability to play through teams. The problem might be that they don't have the experience to push through this and troubleshoot in game situations where their normal play is stifled. I am surprised they haven't played more directly (which they can do and is in their arsenal, but not their preference) in these situations because a lot of their goals in these situations have come from such an approach.
Our key players are very young. These youngsters have grown from their experiences and I'm in no doubt that they will continue to do so. The backend of last year prepped them for the current season. This required footballing development principally. The current situation is not one that requires significant footballing growth (some decision-making and tactical/positioning questions remain) - it's a lesson to be learned in mental strength and for psychological growth. These last games were all effectively lost because this is uncharted territory for many. It is not a footballing issue at all.
I remain hopeful for the near and short-term future but big decisions need to be made going into next season. If this growth is not forthcoming, key personnel changes on the field may be required. We need 1 or 2 stalwart-type players who can stand in the centre of the a cauldron and command a unified force, display this mental strength and physically impose and assert themselves, and not to capitulate (in some part due to emotionally-dysregulated behaviour). These types of players are born with these qualities (though sometimes not clearly evident and may be masked in the early stages of their career). They have the confidence to not doubt their ability or for such thoughts creep in nor affect their mindset or mental state. Saliba is an excellent example. Excellent composure, even if a mistake is made, because if you watch the game, you'll know that any player will make a mistake or two. It is the response that defines this quality.
Smart and precise analysis as always Adam!
- one of your internet chums.
This is very good insight.
That living autopsy line has me dying over here 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Your point on his determination no matter the scoreline is exactly why he's my fav. player. The other player that struck me of his work rate was Griezmann back in WC2018.