Rotation FC Bores, RISE UP!
Because we have just won a very important battle in the information war against the fitness masochists, the MAN UP brigade, those who believe that mind over matter can conquer all!
Señor Arteta made a tough rotation against Club Brugge and left Belgium victorious.
So what have we learned here? Well, against bad teams you can afford to lean into the lower echelons of the squad and still come out on top. Andrea Berta served up one of the best Arsenal windows of all time, and the whole point of that move was to give the manager depth so he could keep his best players deep into the season. The idea wasn’t to have better tools as he charges off a cliff by burying his best players.
The good fortune of Block 5 is that Arteta has gone too far with his players, but the car crash appears to be nothing more than an accident in the Tesco car park. But that’s a warning sign, like accidentally putting the car in reverse when you’re tired… put the keys away and go to sleep. And by sleeping I mean keeping your valuables out of the team. Arteta did that. No Saliba, no Declan, no Timber.
He also benched Saka, Trossard, Eze and Calafiori… BIG NEWS.
Norgaard got a start as a centre-back. We had the chance to see what Gyökeres could do against another average team. Starts for White, Myles and Madueke.
How did we play?
It was a bit like the Villa game. The biggest miss when we rotate heavily is defensive control. The games lack the stiffness and focus you get when it comes to the big boys. Arsenal have conceded more than 1 xG, which feels like a major crime this season, when it’s actually pretty damn decent.
Attack-wise? We were almost more interesting to look at. The lack of control over possession was probably the byproduct of the showboating in possession. Zubimendi led the show, creating six chances, with two assists.
Madueke and Martinelli’s goals summed up the ‘zero fucks given’ approach to getting stuck at underachieving Club Brugge. Madueke held off a challenge near the half-way line, moved centrally along a vertical path and fired it just into the top corner from 28 yards. Afraid Afraid? Absolute. The kind of goal we just didn’t have last season.
Moments like that are contagious. Martinelli had his moment in the second half to replicate the magic; he came in from the left and unleashed heavenly fury with his right foot, sending his rocket over the keeper from distance. An incredible goal, with which he scored in five games in the Champions League.
Is he back? It seems so. At least on Champions League nights.
But Zubimendi… what a damn KING. The man created 6 chances. He was so good at his game that he managed to play a ball so perfectly that Madueke could NOT miss his header from half a meter at the back post. Majestic on another level. He really is one of those players that rewires the way you think about players. We’re all stuck in the idea that existence sixth in the Premier League comes with the requirement to be fast, tall, powerful and truly aggressive… how can Zubimendi be so effective without those qualities in the abundance we’ve been primed to believe in?
Viktor Gyökeres – what else can I say? It’s December 10th and he seems to be getting worse and less confident as the season goes on. He makes runs that players don’t want to find, probably because they don’t trust him. We no longer hoped for twenty goals, but now we wonder whether twelve is a good return? He just doesn’t have a very advanced game – and you can get away with that if you have superpowers like speed or strength. He misses both.
That’s why we have to talk about cameos… Gabriel Jesus returned to the fold, rocking the number 9 shirt and looking very fit and fresh. He was brilliant. The touch, the sight, the open hips, the movement and a little rattle to show that he still can’t finish. The man has a lot to his game that will make the team better. The most important characteristic that Gyökeres has is that he can create opportunities for himself out of nothing. Welcoming him back in the same month as Kai Havertz is truly our LIKE A NEW SIGNING MOMENT. A total palate cleanser!
So we are now 6 for 6 in the Champions League. 3 points ahead of Bayern in 2nd place. 5 points ahead of 3rd place. We are safely in the top 8. The last two games are against Inter Milan (12 points) and Kairat (36th). Now we have options for those two games…
Forest (a) – Below (a) – United (h) – Kairat (h) – Leeds (a)
My hope at this point is that we use our Champions League freedom to maximize our hopes of a thrilling Premier League campaign. Three points from those two games should see us finish top. Our goal difference is incredibly good. We have only conceded one goal so far this season.
Can I share one concern with you… and it is downright pathetic? Oh, you think I’m always pathetic, so you’re okay with it? Sheesh…
I’m afraid we’re almost too good now.
That’s the concern of a damaged fan. So I’ll leave you with that.
View the Later on the whistle last night. My internet went out last night so I couldn’t use normal time. Someone canceled their membership in anger, because that was not the case for the first time this year On The Whistle. I’m a brand guy, our problems betrayed a promise, the anger quitter was right.
But…if you like slow podcasts, this episode was FUN. X
#CLUB #BRUGES #BULLIED #ROTATION