RocktheCasbah With Jesus still absent, I would love us to try playing Havertz at left 8, Trossard wide and Martinelli central. Not so much in this match with Øde out as well.
All these arrangements have their merits, which seems to lead to many possibilities as far as dragging the right side of an opposition defence around:
Trossard Martinelli Havertz
Martinelli —— Trossard —— Martinelli
Havertz Havertz Trossard
Smith Rowe is another player who could get into that mix and play across more than one area of the pitch when fit.
We've had a few dodgy experiments (for example when Trossard played up front and was dire). I'm also not sure how well Trossard can do in midfield, but it seems to me there's a real possibility of dynamism and movement and exchange on the left that we lose by playing a "spear tip" like Nketiah.
At the moment, I think there's too much weight on Ødegaard when he's fit. Trossard and Smith Rowe are the two guys we don't start who can drive on the ball, assist and score. Nelson and Martinelli are also great options, but more direct and athletic.
Another roll of the dice I wouldn't mind seeing is dropping Saka into midfield. He's certainly done it before and I reckon it might galvanise his season to have a role other than endlessly cutting onto his left. Meanwhile, Trossard could play on the right: he's probably our most two-footed player and could drag Ødegaard and White out of the doldrums with his capacity to go either way.
We are so slow to change tack under Arteta and it irritates me.
