lorddulaarsenal So many dickhead tactico types on X writing him off. They try to be too clever with things - just acknowledge reality.
Yeah they operate in a fictional world where they think talent equals technical ability. But considering how many players with a great touch there are that amount to absolutely fuckall, and how few there are who can score the amount of goals a Gyökeres or a Kane or a Haaland does, I'd say we overrate those attributes in general. Haaland is a lot more talented than someone like Sesko even though his attribute map is a fraction as large, and the top managers obviously agree.
The kind of player analysis that is so prevalent on social media today, where people obsess over raw attributes, is basically the football equivalent of racial biology. They put too much emphasis on what someone is and not who they are, but can't account for the fact that two virtually identical players often end up having extremely different careers, or that "lesser players" end up outperforming the ones who supposedly have all the good genes.
On the subject of analytical blind spots, I thought this was a good video with some clear examples of the spaces you fail to exploit by not having a natural striker on the pitch:
I've watched the preseason games so far, and it's telling that you see guys like Havertz and Merino operate exactly like he says in the video even though it was made before the preseason started.
Genuinely think this signing is going to elevate the team. Just look at how the players themselves have reacted to it. They know why they didn't win anything last year and they're buzzing because we've signed someone who brings all of those things to the table.
