Big night for Gyokeres tonight

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Originally Posted by PSRB

So was Saka, then we stopped giving him the ball.

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We didn't stop giving him the ball. We stopped having the ball.

We never really recovered our balance after that mix up that led to them hitting the bar. Threw us off a bit.

Second half was awful. Liverpool had worked out that we were reluctant to chase the press too hard so they found the exact rhythm that kept us holding our shape. The guys didn't know what to do and Arteta just couldn't seem to change it.

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Originally Posted by redgunamo

Just to wind up John and Rich; the fact that he doesn't actually score the goals we want him to, or indeed any goals at all really, is genius. Imagine defenders expending all that energy on a non-goal threat, leaving everybody else free to push us clear at the top of the table.

I don't know if you've ever kept score in a village cricket match but it really upsets them when commentators say "out without troubling the scorers". There's actually no little toil involved for them when a batsman gets out for nought.

Our opponents must be kicking themselves :-)

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48min 49 sec - I noticed the time because someone played the ball to Gyokeres and he played a delightful one touch ball around the corner to someone running onto it, Trossard I think. It was a lovely touch, and not the first we've seen from him.

At some point in the first half Gyokeres made the perfect run, one that our other strikers rarely make. He was in the perfect position as Timber broke down the right. Timbers ball into him was awful and it came to nothing.

He touched the ball 8 times, this is no reflection on him imo, it shows that we don't know how to use him and/or he is still adjusting to how we play.

But those are just notes, comments on what I see. Far more important is that he will need time and those writing him off already are impatient or a leetle bit stupid.

I have no idea if Gyokeres will succeed with us, but I have seen enough good things that I realise that the time to pass judgment is not now. The end of next season is a much more sensible timeframe.

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Originally Posted by WES

48min 49 sec - I noticed the time because someone played the ball to Gyokeres and he played a delightful one touch ball around the corner to someone running onto it, Trossard I think. It was a lovely touch, and not the first we've seen from him.

At some point in the first half Gyokeres made the perfect run, one that our other strikers rarely make. He was in the perfect position as Timber broke down the right. Timbers ball into him was awful and it came to nothing.

He touched the ball 8 times, this is no reflection on him imo, it shows that we don't know how to use him and/or he is still adjusting to how we play.

But those are just notes, comments on what I see. Far more important is that he will need time and those writing him off already are impatient or a leetle bit stupid.

I have no idea if Gyokeres will succeed with us, but I have seen enough good things that I realise that the time to pass judgment is not now. The end of next season is a much more sensible timeframe.

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There are really two issues. One, is he ****? And two, is he right for us?

The third, and it is lurking in the back of my mind, is were he and Eze Berta signings that Arteta didn't really want. Because neither of them fit the template of how we play and there are no real signs of us adjusting our approach.

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Originally Posted by Peter

There are really two issues. One, is he ****? And two, is he right for us?

The third, and it is lurking in the back of my mind, is were he and Eze Berta signings that Arteta didn't really want. Because neither of them fit the template of how we play and there are no real signs of us adjusting our approach.

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Arteta won?t be tinkering to accommodate these new players. Why should he at this point. 6pt cushion and top of the CL table.

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Originally Posted by Peter

There are really two issues. One, is he ****? And two, is he right for us?

The third, and it is lurking in the back of my mind, is were he and Eze Berta signings that Arteta didn't really want. Because neither of them fit the template of how we play and there are no real signs of us adjusting our approach.

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He scored 54 in 52, as I recall, in Portugal. Of course he isn't sh1t.

Is he right for us? As mentioned many times, he was purchased precisely because he is the type of striker we haven't had for some time. But that requires change in how we play and possibly in how he plays. It's up to Arteta to manage that and the fact that he keeps playing him in big games suggests he is confident it will happen.

Or we could just call him sh1t and dismiss him after 21 games :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by WES

He scored 54 in 52, as I recall, in Portugal. Of course he isn't sh1t.

Is he right for us? As mentioned many times, he was purchased precisely because he is the type of striker we haven't had for some time. But that requires change in how we play and possibly in how he plays. It's up to Arteta to manage that and the fact that he keeps playing him in big games suggests he is confident it will happen.

Or we could just call him sh1t and dismiss him after 21 games :rolleyes:

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Or does it just suggest that the other two centre forwards aren't fully fit?

And what does it say that he takes him off with half an hour to go when we need a goal?

It is ok that he doesn't touch the ball much. Centre forwards generally don't. And it is ok that he isnt scoring. We've created virtually nothing for him.

He just doesn't look very good or do anything particularly well. That is worrying.

He'll get better. But let us not be under any illusion here- he really, really needs to.

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Originally Posted by Peter

Or does it just suggest that the other two centre forwards aren't fully fit?

And what does it say that he takes him off with half an hour to go when we need a goal?

It is ok that he doesn't touch the ball much. Centre forwards generally don't. And it is ok that he isnt scoring. We've created virtually nothing for him.

He just doesn't look very good or do anything particularly well. That is worrying.

He'll get better. But let us not be under any illusion here- he really, really needs to.

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No one is questioning that he needs to get better, some are questioning whether it is sensible to call him sh1t and write him off after 21 matches.

And Merino could have played up front against Bournemouth and Liverpool, Arteta chose Gyokeres.

Arteta sees him in training every day and knows rather more about football than AWIMB.