Clrnc every one of our players is over-intellectualizing their actions on the pitch. Way too much thinking, not enough playing. There is constant hesitation and indecision, leading to panic and confusion in every area of the pitch. We haven't been losing because our general player quality has seen us through, but hair-brained tinkering (mostly in baffling selection decisions leaving players out of position) has led to a total breakdown in cohesion on the pitch.
It honestly doesn't look like we've even practiced most of what we're trying to do on the training ground, and that Arteta is relying on players' intrinsic qualities to simply translate to whatever position/role he assigns them. In fact, that's exactly what I suspect is happening here. It's not working, regardless of the results, and I don't think Kai Havertz or any individual player is to blame.
Couple that with the fact that our attacking patterns have been well-documented, when we default back to using the 'template' of Arteta's system (because we can't execute whatever new thing he's trying that day), we get torn apart. The wrong players are almost always on the pitch together at the wrong moment, in the wrong positions.
The knock-on psychological impact of this shouldn't be underestimated. We lose confidence and concentration, leading to stupid mistakes and poor decisions in front of both goals. That Raya came in looking so assured, and now looks like a Ramsdale clone, says a lot about Arteta and very little about Aaron or David. That just an example of what's happening across the pitch - relationships are breaking down and partnerships are regressing.
