The biggest worry is duo Ode-Rice and not only for the next week, but for the next season. The top team would get rid of at least one of them and benched the other one, but I guess they'll be starters for us. Meh.
Arsenal vs Fulham 7.45pm BST kick-off Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
- Edited
swider -- I'm honestly left wondering if we'll see any of our players at their best again in such a rigid system. Probably best to come to terms that the team will continue to compete at a very high level but to do so will require our players sacrificing their natural/individual game.
Take Rice and Ode for example:
- in Rice we have an absolute engine who is best box to box, and yet he's often ahead of the ball, static, and with his back to goal.
- on Odegaard we have an absolute baller for creating chances, yet he barely has anyone around him willing to make a forward run
MistaT
I disagree on Ode, he really hasn't been himself this season. His pass execution is horrible, at least today he didn't try his five failed flicks per game routine, but he waits too long, his passing lacks accuracy, is not decisive enough and even the power of the passing is often wrong. Rice seems to be low on confidence and avoids responsibility, which is equally bad and frustrating. It really doesn't bode well for the future, neither immediate or long term.
Our team has been disrupted all season. Lots of players out of form.
We just need to buy our 2-3 big names early and have a solid summer teaching people how to play and putting the best players in their favoured rolls. We’ve had so much disruption with White, Calafiori, Rice, Havertz, Saka, Jesus and Martinelli this season. Let’s just get players old annd new into camp during the Club World Cup and start prepping.
Good standard win against Fulham. We were pretty boring in the hour that I watched. Lovely to see Saka back smiling and scoring. He's just so wonderful. Odegaard really doesn't seem to be himself does he? Maybe the return of Saka will help him rediscover his mojo. Martinelli looked lively which we really need.
swider I agree on Ode since he's come back from injury he's looked a shadow of the player we saw the last few seasons. I don't know if something else is going on here did seem to lose a decent amount of weight but you presume it's nothing health related as surely the club would protect a player in that case. Which makes his drop off concerning, we really have to hope he finds his previous level next season or it might be more substantial.
Well, our only chance against Real was to have our first choice defence available with the addition of Saka returning. Just when we get Saka back, we have one of our first choice CB's go down. And potentially Timber injured... And White has a niggle, and Cala is out for a couple weeks.
Finishing second is as good as it gets this season.
This season is cursed.
- Edited
swider What did you think of Ode's pass for Martinelli's disallowed goal? Also check out his outrageous pass for Oryazabel's goal against Alaves. He's having a mediocre season, which is very normal at the top level. However he'll be better next season, mark my words. I also feel he's a different type of midfielder than what most people have in mind.
Rice isn't a playmaker which is why I don't like him as a 6 but he's a quality player IMO. It depends on how we use him and the players he has around him. I'd say he's a better ball player than Gattuso for example who was an integral part of that great Milan side. Rice is good enough to be a key player in a title winning midfield IMO.
Tactics
Two things, it is easy to execute the pass to the player in offside position or at the very least much easier than normally. And secondly if the majority of play goes through one player he is bound to produce something, sooner or later. There is no question that he underperforms in my opinion, the lack of quality is very visible especially that it wasn't the case in previous seasons, I also think Rice has similar issues, but his role is slightly different, so it is easy to overlook, but IMO it is a very big problem for the team.
BTW I do not fault Ode for lack of commitment or not giving enough, he applies himself and it is very evident, but the quality of his game is very concerning.
- Edited
swider ridiculous. every club in the league would bite our hands off for either of them. im old to remember when people said Henry was a big problem after the 2001 fa cup final. you don't bench or sell your best players after a poor few months, especially when there's enough of a body of work to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Tactics I turned off before the Fulham goal, but I really should've known this. Was commenting to my barber this morning (a United fan) that I still know fuck all about football 
Martinelli. Put some respect on this guy's name. Ripped them to shreds. That assist was out of this world.
Partey overhyped, Odegaard slandered, Rice playing with his back to goal in the worst tactical innovation of the century, and Merino scores. As you were, I guess.
Big Gabby going down is so this season. Make it work, Mik! (just not with Kiwior, please)
Great to have Saka back but the already very slim chances against Real now feel pretty much impossible without Gabriel. Kiwior against them is just not going to work out. Where's White too?
We're just going to have to play Kiwior against Everton and hope its enough to get him up to speed for Real. Arteta might need to adjust tactically to help cover him because Saliba-Gabriel really was our best hope against Real. Its an awful shame we don't get to see Europes best defence vs its best attack now.
Qwiss Atletico Madrid, Napoli and Getafe have statistically been better defensively then us this season. Madrid put plenty past 2 of them.
But with us there is no point in thinking in terms of quality in big champions league games. The players and Arteta will shit the bed mentally just like they did vs Bayern for example last year. No doubt over 2 legs we will gift them at least a goal or even own goal, and the old reliable' red card.
Kiwior in a CL quarter final again. Ugh.
We have no chance really. Just "enjoy" the last two games of the season.