Is it me or Flobs standards has been raised this season on most players

Clrnc wrote:

Is it me or Flobs standards has been raised this season on most players

I'm really excited about the potential of the team and I recognize what an incredible job Arteta has done to be get us here in such a relatively short period of time. The system prioritizes the collective rather than the individual, yet you can see how individuals are able to elevate the collective. Partey, Martinelli, Saka, Saliba, Odegaard, Jesus, Zinchenko, even Xhaka are players who when on form make a clear difference to the quality and effectiveness of our football. The challenge is consistently achieving or maintaining their periods of peak form.

I accepted and stopped criticizing many of our players in the past because it was just getting overwhelming and contributed to the negative atmosphere that had previously plagued the club. But you guys would regularly hear me bitch about some of our best - Ozil, Auba, as recentish examples. Not because they lacked quality. There's not much you can do about that. But because I felt they were capable of much more if only they put in the effort.

These days I feel like the effort is there, but the consistency of quality (basically by this I mean how is the player interpreting and executing their role?) is what is a bit questionable. Just a bit. Fortunately, the system helps cover for that, and we are able to carry on even when one or two individuals are in periods of slump, or physically missing. We are great at adapting!

We can be sooo good though, if the players continue to improve as individuals (or if the right quality players are brought in and are integrated at the right time). We can be the best team in England for the next 5-7 years. Truly dominate. The potential is there - and that's what I want to see realized.

Øde's second goal was a good example of the player he can become, the type who's both quick, but also seems quicker because of discipline and reading of the play.

Positioning: he moves to hover around the penalty spot almost programmatically, presumably as part of one of our "automatisms". Execution: he uses the time and space he's got to control the rebound out from Jose Sa in a pragmatic rather than spectacular fashion, and makes that drilled and precise low drive just inside the near post look easy.

There have been many moments this season where similar opportunities didn't go so smoothly for him, but it seems there's an evolution he may undergo after which this'll be bread and butter.

Think Ode's one of the most talented attackers in the league - he just needs to be ruthless to become truly elite. He's on the right path though.

Burnwinter wrote:

Øde's second goal was a good example of the player he can become, the type who's both quick, but also seems quicker because of discipline and reading of the play.

A fair few players wouldn't have even tried to control and tried hitting it first time. He showed great awareness.

Burnwinter wrote:

Øde's second goal was a good example of the player he can become, the type who's both quick, but also seems quicker because of discipline and reading of the play.

Positioning: he moves to hover around the penalty spot almost programmatically, presumably as part of one of our "automatisms". Execution: he uses the time and space he's got to control the rebound out from Jose Sa in a pragmatic rather than spectacular fashion, and makes that drilled and precise low drive just inside the near post look easy.

There have been many moments this season where similar opportunities didn't go so smoothly for him, but it seems there's an evolution he may undergo after which this'll be bread and butter.

Thats the thing, its clear he has another level he can go up. In fact thats true for a lot of the team, which is saying something given our form.

a month later

Quality player. Just watched him outperform all game and didn't even really celebrate it, he's still not perfectly consistent, but the level he invites you to expect is extremely high.

    KDB is the only playmaker in the league playing above this chap. His dribbling and passing in small spaces is exceptional so many good passes. He had a ridiculous throughball to Xhaka which was ruined only by the West Ham defender clipping Xhaka’s heels, else was an easy shot for the Swiss. Lots of good shots as well by Ode.

    I’m still shook there was a debate about whether we should get him, and then whether we should get him or Buendia

      Claudius Don't think the debate for us was either him or Buendia Claude.

      At the time we were chasing Buendia, who by the way looked a potentially really good player back then, it seemed Real had no intention of letting Ode go.

      We failed on a bid for Buendia, Villa stepped in and people weren't happy. The Ode transfer possibility became real later on in the window.

      I don't think that many people were all that fussed by Beundia anyway save for a couple who were really big on him.

      The big debate was Maddison vs Ode and I have to admit on being on the wrong side of that one and that's even if you ignore that he cost less than half the amount of the former. Not that Maddison isn't also very good, but it's no contest anymore, the latter is one of those very rare footballers that do not come around very often, and when they do (Modric, Silva etc.) they end up being very influential in winning sides.

        goon I don't think that many people were all that fussed by Beundia anyway save for a couple who were really big on him.

        True. Think more the reason for some being upset was because it seemed like Buendia was our first choice at the start of the summer especially after that early bid, and in the end we lost out, making it seem we might not get someone else in. Thank fuck we did miss out on him though because I'm not sure we'd have gotten Ode if we signed Buendia.

        One of the good things about this regime has been patience in the transfer market. We no longer just grab guys cos we can. We are willing to wait and spend big on the guys we want. Much less unnecessary recycling of talent. I think Willian is the one big debacle but he is also pre reset.

        Claudius KDB is at alien levels currently. he seems to be following the bergkamp trajectory where his technical quality and in-game intuition goes to another level as his physical abilities start to wane

        as for ode, love him. I understand why there were some niggling doubts about whether he could be a player that takes things by the scruff, but the way he played against the hammers showed how diligently he's been working during the break. he led the team beautifully

          I never saw him that way either, but I'm starting to see him do things that suggest he might have some more strings to his bow as he gets a bit older

          Gazza M but the way he played against the hammers

          tbf he loves playing against them. His best game for us in his loan spell was against them as well.