Trossard must return to the bench!
Arsenal welcomed back Premier League football after their successful triumph over Preston North End on Wednesday night with an absolutely abysmal performance against Newcastle in the early kick-off on Saturday. It was by far the worst performance we’ve put on this season and considering how often we’ve said that this campaign, we should be worried.
The passing was very slow and lethargic, we wastefully surrendered the ball consistently throughout the game, we lost most of duels especially in 1v1 situations and I can go on and on about the many other things we did poorly in the game. Barring their goal, we didn’t face too much threat from the Newcastle forward line which would’ve been a helpful springboard in performing a comeback however our lacklustre attack couldn’t even muster more than a shot on target. Indeed our creativity was the main reason why we lost, which is why we’ll need Ødegaard back as soon as possible!
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying all depends on Ødegaard being fit before we can shine however his return will help us massively in our attack. Perhaps throughout the period of time he has been out so far, this game was the one where we’ve missed the presence of our skipper the most. Saka looks isolated without him and their chemistry was clearly missed by Saka given the number of times him and Nwaneri failed to combine in the second half. Newcastle really drew us into playing the game they wanted, a really scrappy encounter that favours them due to their home support. We would’ve done better in dampening their confidence by keeping hold the ball smartly and at speed which I think Ødegaard would’ve been able to help us with if he was available. Furthermore, his creativity would’ve also helped us massively with chances created and key passes however we will never know!
But one thing we all know is that his return cannot be soon enough, we need him back ASAP and especially when looking at the performances of Trossard in recent games. The Belgian really needs to be returned to the bench where he can start making a late impact on games like he used to do. He will never be a replacement for our captain.
KENNETH BENJAMIN.
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Interesting point, but I’m not sure if Trossard is having a run of bad form or better coming off the bench.
Unfortunately we need points and results and can’t afford to waste time figuring it out.
Arteta needs to make a change; Rice and Merino together in midfield isn’t working, he needs to bring back Partey.
Neither Trossard or Partey is currently working on LW, Jesus is toothless, and Sterling is looking very Willian like in unfitness.
A switch in tactics would be a welcome change from the slow, methodical, predictable play we see of late. Slow buildup, sideways/backwards passing, rinse and repeat until we lose possession or fluff a chance.
Meant Trossard or Martinelli on LW.
@Durand the issue according to the Article shouldn’t Trossard return to the bench but Trossard taken Matinelli position. Matinelli has flattered to deceive with his runs that lack no end product although what he does well is supporting defence at left back. Trossard lack of effectiveness in games can be said to be Arteta’s fault he is best suited operating from the left and not playing a creative midfield role.
I want to see how the coach could set up against Inter-millan.
I am sure Arsenal will pick up and and I still see the battle btw City & Arsenal for the title not Liverpool.
The lack of purchasing a creative froward and the sale of Smith Rowe and loaning out of Viera clearly shows poor decisions were made before the season started.
Merino to date adds not much to the team.
Also you cannot make the sort changes we are making, where fix one position by weakening another.
Injuries have not helped and stupid red cards have not helped, but to have one shot on target vs Newcastle and one against Bournemouth means you lack the credentials to be a top 4 team.
Trossard is not a false nine or #10, he’s a wing player. When he played in that role during Martinelli’s injury spell, he was prolific. He’s done okay as a striker. He’s been much less effective in midfield and as a false nine.
Mikel Arteta’s obsession with forcing players to play out of position probably cost the team two titles. Arsenal had a back up for Odegaard in Fabio Vieira and never played him. It would be pundit-like to say Vieira flopped, but that would not be true. He rarely got to play at all, and when he did play, he was played… you guessed it, out of position. So he did not play well. Arsenal had another attacking midfielder available – Emile Smith Rowe – they sold him for about what they paid for Mikel Merino.
Jakob Kiwior flopped at left back, but he’s not a left back, he’s a center back. Zinchenko was meh as a midfielder, but he was a good to very good (not great) left back.
Jurrien Timber is a center back signed to play left back, who got hurt, missed a year, and has played left and right back this season. Against Newcastle, defending either Anthony Gordon or Joelington, Timber looked like a boy against men.
Playing Partey in defense was… ill-advised is the best you could say. Ineffective would be most accurate. If you wanted to be unkind, you could call it stupid. Partey is a terrific holding midfielder. He is a mediocre to poor fullback/ wingback. But Arteta wanted Merino in the team, so he shoe-horned him in and tried to hedge his bets by playing Partey in a hybrid midfield/wingback role.
Successful teams and good managers put their players in situations where they can succeed, not ask them to do things they cannot.
Arsenal needed to add to the squad in three areas in the summer; striker, right wing, and central midfield. The club signed…
A left winger on loan – Raheem Sterling
A center/left back – Ricardo Calafiori
A central midfielder – Mikel Merino
One out of three ain’t good. They also created a hole in the team by loaning out and selling on the two players most suited to provide injury cover and rotation for Marin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira.
Arteta created another hole in the team by selling on Eddie Nketiah, the only striker on the roster. Nketiah was not and is not good enough to start for Arsenal, but he has provided quality injury cover in the past and his sale leaves Arsenal very short if Havertz gets injured or suspended.
Arteta is so determined to have Havertz’s false nine succeed and prove himself a genius, he did not sign a striker, and eliminated competition for the spot by selling Nketiah, meaning Havertz will play every game he is fit for. Kai Havertz is a very good player, but he is a 12-15 goal a season player. As a second striker or central attacking midfielder, he is a great addition to the squad. As a striker, he’s slightly above average. Last season, he scored 13. Expect the same or a little better, given there’s no one else to play the position, unless he’s hurt.
Arteta’s over dependence on Saka, Odegaard, Rice, and others has led to an under development of the squad players. Now, when those players need to step up due to injury, they have moved on or are not prepared.
As far as Arsenal tactical failures… they didn’t fail because they weren’t trying, they failed because Eddie Howe out-coached and out-prepared Arteta Newcastle pressed almost perfectly. They prevented Raya from playing out quickly. They forced Arsenal players into fouls. Tina Livramento kept Martinelli quiet to the point he gave up trying to beat Kyle Walker’s heir apparent for the #1 right back role for England. Saka had slightly better luck against Lewis Hall, but only slightly, and mostly late in the game when Hall was tired from the effort he put in.
It was in midfield, where Arsenal looked msot overmatched, however. Rice and Merino were no match for Guimaraes, Willock, and Longstaff. Tactically, it was hard to figure out what exactly Arsenal were trying to do with their 4-4-2. One thing they didn’t do was the mosrt important one, Win.
Artetha is not the same calibe as Pep & Klopp so will never be Championship material. Did well the 1st 2 years while Pep’s creatuvity was still fresh in him. Now Artetha has run out of steam. Arsenal will be lucky if they make 4th position going forward.
Not had a deadly striker since we sold Aubameyang. Arteta seems to have a problem with signing an out and out striker. If we had a Mo Salah type player we would have probably won the league last year. Won’t win anything of note until we do. It was Aubameyang who was essential in winning the FA Cup. Why we keep bringing in cast offs’ like Sterling baffles me. Thought that was over after the Willian idiocy.
I have been a long-standing critic of the Trossard signing. Yes, he has had some good moments and scored some important goals, but I stand by my label of ‘Poundland Hazard’. He lacks pace, but his technical merits somewhat make up for that, but just recently his awful decision making has cost Arsenal important points and important players. He just doesn’t do enough to warrant being in the side.
Bottom line is that Arsenal do not have anyone that can play CAM anywhere near as well as the captain. So it’s going to be a long way-off in any case at the moment. Sterling was bought to cover for Saka, but there is currently nobody to cover for Odegaard. Trossard is great on the wings coming in, but doesn’t look right operating primarily in middle of the pitch. Perhaps the plan was to have Merino cover that position in due course, but he’ not been with the team long enough to just slot-in right now, so it’s going to be tough until Odegaard is fit again.
Merino isn’t that type of player and lacks the vision, creativity, and basic passing capabilities to play that role.