Don Pacifico I've never been a fan of (our) managers saying we deserved to win games
I don't mind it. Pragmatically the real audience for this is the players. If Arteta's direction is that we don't alter our tactical outlook much because it's giving us the advantage according to the numbers, then he should be expressing total conviction and optimism about this plan.
Put briefly I never want to hear our coach talking about our progress the way that a fan would.
Burnwinter I think it depends. Underlying metrics are often used as a validation that the plan/system are working. And sometimes that's right, you need to stick with it to bear fruit.
The risk though is if it's a validation that flies in the face of increasing evidence that we just haven't got what we need to win games (eg. More ways to score goals).
So yeah, I can appreciate it has its place but I start to get concerned when it gets trotted out on a day too consistent basis (which Wenger was guilty of I think).
Sure, it only works if you then deliver the results to go with the base numbers, but the last time the question came up (this time last season more or less), Arteta did do that.
Remains to be seen how the season unfolds, but I would back us to improve results wise and earn more points than Liverpool through to match day 38 without major tactical surgery.
We lost 5-1 at Anfield, 6-3 at the Etihad and 6-0 at Stamford Bridge, in the same fucking season, during a title challenge....I'm all for structure over chaos.
Gazza M i think most of us knows Jesus is finished even last year. I know there are a few who said Jesus is a legit option on the wings and keep claiming how good he was but i have never seen any consistent tangible contribution from him playing as a winger.
On current form he's jack of no trades
Clrnc On current form he's jack of no trades
I think this is the greatest thing you've ever said/written.
On current form he's a jack-off we can't trade.
At this point he's about as useful as the 1st year apprentice who's wandering around the job site still looking for the left landed screwdriver
He needs to turn this around quickly. That handful of boos will grow unless our form picks up massively.
Was at the game tonight. I'm really pleased for him, and us, that he pulled it out the bag, but in a way it just makes him more frustrating. To have the ability to do what he did, and all three goals were excellent in their own way, you just think - where has THAT player been for the last two years??
The first goal was a beauty, and the second, the work from Timber, Saka and Odegaard to keep the ball and play through Palace was beautiful. Really it feels a bit of an injustice the scoreline was so close cos we could have mullered them, even after a pedestrian first half.
RocktheCasbah purple patch jesus could be artetas seasonal get out of jail card. will have to see if this form sticks, but as I said up thread, a confident gabby j absolves quite a few of our attacking sins
RocktheCasbah Was at the game tonight. I'm really pleased for him, and us, that he pulled it out the bag, but in a way it just makes him more frustrating. To have the ability to do what he did, and all three goals were excellent in their own way, you just think - where has THAT player been for the last two years??
where was that player in the first half even?
It helped a lot how open and high Palace were in the second half. We don't generally get that in the league
Opened up because of the first goal. Same would happen in the league if we actually managed to take one of our chances.
goon yeah, and we've seen that in the league too. Getting the first goal is the hardest task for us but once we do score, it opens up more opportunities.
It’s the same for all teams.
For all the credit Chelsea get, here’s the xG they’ve scored their first goal at this month:
Vs Villa 0.09xG
Vs Southampton 0.72xG
Vs Spurs 0.18 xG
Vs Brentford 1.37xG
Liverpool a similar story.
In our last two games, we got our first goal (which was an equaliser) at 1.71xG and against Everton we failed to score after creating 1.31xG (most of that in the first half).
Our inability to score the first goal and score it in the first half hour has been killing us in the last couple of games.
