Lots of discussion about our lack of chances created from open play, as well as our highly effective set pieces. Here's a very interesting visuallized development over the last three seasons:

that checks out. we're conceding more and scoring less compared to last season the last 2 seasons.

chelsea remind me of Rodgers liverpool. clearly a flawed team, but could march past us on the strength of sheer attacking volume

Struggling to create and finish chances was always going to be the case without a centre forward in the squad and the only attacking signing this season being someone who can't even be considered an option in a game when we need a goal. Corners have rescued us but we can't score from them every game.

Saw someone somewhere suggest that in addition to our set-piece coach, we should also get an open play coach.

    Really interesting (for me) when you break it down a little.

    Liverpool xG from open play is 26.2 vs our 20.5.

    Look into it in a bit more detail though, and we create a lot more xG (from all types of play) than Liverpool in the first half and a lot less in the second, and we also create a lot more xG than Liverpool at 0-0.

    Suggests to me that we're better against organised defences when our pressing is on point and energy levels are high but we're not efficient enough with the chances we create in that phase of the game.

    We scored 14 goals from 19xG at 0-0. Liverpool have scored 15 goals from 13xG at 0-0.

    In conclusion, we need to score more when we're on top of teams, which lends to the idea that we need better or more clinical attackers (that's before you even consider final ball quality which can impact xG generated too).

    We also need to find a way to create more when energy levels drop. Earlier substitutions maybe.

    est Saw someone somewhere suggest that in addition to our set-piece coach, we should also get an open play coach.

    Yeah, that twit Jamie Carragher. I don't necessarily disagree but he can fuck right off.

        Big Willie did the idiot who said we should get an open play coach note that we have now scored more open play goals than Manchester City this year? Carragher is brain dead.

            Claudius did the idiot who said we should get an open play coach note that we have now scored more open play goals than Manchester

            Yeah he's a clown. He did it to troll Thierry, who burst out in laughter. This whole set piece thing people keep going on about is so lazy and repeated ad nauseam by people who just listen to talksport or other read headlines and sensationalist pieces about us. Bro, we are killing the set piece game and they just can't stand it. So fuck them.

            Where I don't fully disagree is needing to improve the other parts of our game back to the levels they're capable of and that requires taking a bit more risks in our approach. There have been glimpses here and there in the PL recently but at some point it all needs to click together if we want to get somethi g out of the season.

                Last six games since Odegaard returned - 18 goals, of which 13 are open play conversions. Hope we can keep that up

                Big Willie it’s quality of player issue. You see the sort of player that fits our style. Quick thinking, robust, good in tight spaces, passes efficiently, technically strong on the ball, good workrate and ability to understand spaces to occupy in response to the evolving shape of the team. Look at MLS the other day when he started playing unshackled. It’s aggressive, and high risk, but when you have a quality players like MLS and Timber, you get to create those transition moments in our favor faster. Through vertical and forward instead of sideways and backwards passing and dribbling.

                If we can get all our best players fit and in form, we can be really scary. The squad has been decimated by injuries recently and that also limits your rotation options. It’s been a right tough season. This isn’t really representative of where we should be in the league in my opinion, but it is what it is. We don’t have a squad that can deal with it, and that’s absolutely on the manager and the departed Edu.

                  It's down to Arteta. He's built an expensive team around Havertz with Jesus as the back-up. Any team like that is going to struggle going forwards. Really poor decision squad-build wise.

                  Our team's entire attacking identity is get the ball to Saka or Odegaard or try to win corners. That's it.

                    As long as continue to play this inverted Pep copycat shit we will never win anything.

                    Just look at Liverpool now, 5 mins to go with 10 man they are attacking like mad pouring everyone forward. Attacking with intensity and commitment. Simple football pass forward dribble forward overwhelm defences by relentlessly attacking. Nothing of these inverted fuckshit

                      est that havertz signing was impulsive, self-indulgent bullshit. he wasn't even signed to be a 9 ffs. he's giroud mk2 aka the guy that will never be the guy

                          Gazza M watch people tell you we signed all these players not to play in specific positions.

                          Havertz was signed because he could play rb lb cb dm cm lw rw. Is the versatility we like.

                          And also proven in the MLS challenge he can play as a goalie so if Raya is sent off we won't suffer etc.

                            Clrnc they also shoot, like, at the goal. A blocked shot is the fault of the shooter. A blocked cut back is the fault of the crosser. A shot not taken never registers in the statistics.

                            Quality means executing difficult actions more often than the vast majority of players. If our players can't do that, then they lack quality. People act like we can only expect our attackers to operate on the average, but that's wrong. We should expect them to be above average, and significantly so, if we are to challenge for titles.

                              It's definitely an Arteta problem. We play very rigid and controlled positional football, with a fixed structure and pass patterns. We rarely overload areas and create panic/chaos, which is definitely in the attacking team's favor.

                                Kel Varnsen the problem is his squad building more than anything. Odegaard, Saka, Kai, and Martinelli all should have scored, but we aren't allowed to expect them to execute anything but a tap in. Give Salah the ball in the positions they took up in that first half, guarantee the outcome is different.

                                  We aren't going to improve our chance creation if we don't have a centre forward in centre forward positions. Neither Havertz nor Jesus are real strikers. They don't want to be in the box, they don't get in front of their man on crosses, they just don't have the instincts. They also don't create for themselves or others. Right now centre forward is by far the biggest and most glaring hole in the squad. We all hoped Havertz would push on from last season but what we've seen is a return to his regular game. He's be a fine second choice striker but he shouldn't be the automatic starter that he is. And of course the only reason he is that start is because he has possibly the worse CF in the whole league as his competition.

                                  Jesus is dead wood. If he's not sold in January or if he gets any minutes after the January window, I'll hop on the 'Arteta out' bandwagon. Anyone's better than this dud.