‘Wake me up in June’

‘An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective’

Well, well, well, what to make of tha

Here’s the short version…

First few minutes… The perfect start.

During the game… has my team decided to be Burnley for the night?

After the game… I still cannot believe that the feeling of being elated is the takeaway after watching that.

I really cannot believe that the outcome of that game is the feeling of me wanting to run around the subdivision. During the game it felt more like driving around the subdivision with a baseball bat and committing the American crime of smashing as many mailboxes as you can before somebody calls 911.

I haven’t been super well recently and maybe that is part of why I feel so odd. Maybe I haven’t been feeling so well because I decided to support Arsenal in 1978?

After I collect myself, I’m sure that I will realize that Arsenal just played a very capable team who dominated us for the vast majority of the game and yet did not work David Raya hardly at all. That was probably one of their best performances of the season and yet Arsenal still beat them. The regular calm blogger in me will tell myself that there are two sides to football and defending is arguably more important because you can score 3 goals and still lose.

Perhaps I should read my last blog where clearly I was explaining to my future self that this nervous tension that the players and the fans are experiencing is a natural response to the circumstance.

I think my medicine will be a solid 10 minutes staring at the league table. Seven points clear and Tottenham one point above the relegation zone.

Football is so loved because it is so unpredictable. You can be largely rubbish and then the outcome ends up being videos of you on Facebook running around the neighbourhood with no trousers on.

At this time, I will pause and put my trousers on because I am really tempted.

I imagine that what is coming next will look very different. I can’t believe that Mansfield will be watching an Arsenal team repeatedly lump the ball forward to nobody. I really don’t think that we are gonna chuck away our Champions League campaign by doing that in Germany, either. Even though Everton are on a very good run, I would imagine that the extreme in our emotional state and technical performance aren’t gonna be discussed and hopefully rectified.

So, here we are. My emotions are baffled.

Somebody wake me up in June, please.

POSITIVES:

Hincapie:

Not only was he one of the only players who showed composure tonight but he is tempering his natural aggression and playing with such intelligence. You can see how his partnership on the left side with Gabriel is getting better and better. I suppose he also knows that $35–40M is probably too large of a fee for Arsenal to be interested in next season unless he has first choice or a serious contender.

• I’ve just watched his clips. One of the best defensive performances of the season. Played LB, RB and CB too. I’d recommend seeking out the clips of Elliott Anderson v City. I’d prefer him to Tonali and if NFFC get relegated, he would be cheaper. Already got an understanding with Rice too.

Gabriel:

In a weird way I’m sure he really enjoyed playing that game. An opportunity for him to put his superhero suit on and play like the warrior he is. I’ve just started teaching my team the importance of not ball watching. A fantastic example was seen in the first minute when Gabriel didn’t give up the goal and sprinted back to head the ball of the line. I know other players would think to do this but his desire to not concede is just simply larger than others and significantly more consistent.

Rice:

I would imagine that if we win the Premier league or the Champions League then Declan Rice’s stock will rise another few levels. He would no doubt win an individual award because in amongst everybody else playing great or struggling, he consistently sticks to his mantra of ‘giving everything that you’ve got.’

He must be a total inspiration to the others on the team.

Arteta:

I thought his subs were correct and done at the right time today. It was great to see Calafiori back and looking more like himself. Norgaad being trusted. Mosquera being subbed out at exactly the right time. VG been given some more second half minutes to find his game rather than being subbed at halftime, which I think is fair and good man management.

Havertz:

I also got see Havertz clips. He was a part of every chance that we had in the second half. A very good effort.

Big picture:

This would be mocked by the media, but it is a very fair point….

NEEDS:

Hurzler:

It’s not smart to make yourself so incredibly unlikable with referees, coaches and fans. He doesn’t take a day off.

I absolutely loved Arteta‘s response to the press conference to him complaining. He said, “What a surprise.” Arteta very rarely tells people what he really feels and so this idiot must be a complete potato.

He is now on my ‘Jason Tindall list.’

Composure:

I could be comical to deal with the major problem right now or flippant perhaps, but I’m deciding to be serious.

I have no experience with psychology and therapy myself, but it seems like there is a great need for this. There are four parts to the game as we know and Arsenal are not lacking in the other three. We are technically excellent. Tactically superior and physically more capable than we have been perhaps in my lifetime. Not wanting to exaggerate so it’s important to say that we aren’t a mental head case because we wouldn’t be the favourites for all four competitions if we were. We are however struggling. We are finding the run-in mentally very taxing and are not acting like ourselves.

My suggestion is not exactly genius, and I’m sure that the club are active in this area, but I’ve always thought as a coach that I would’ve had more success out of my team with less on field practice and more off field psychological help.

Regardless of how good you are in the former three, the last one controls them.

Attackers:

It’s wild that we might win a big trophy or two with none of our six main attackers hitting their top form.

HOPES:

Rotation:

I would leave the following players at home, not even on the bench.

Rice, Zubimendi, Timber, Raya.

I would start Hincapie at right back with Califiori and Mosquera in the centre. MLS at left back.

A midfield of Norgaard, Havertz and Eze with Madueke on the left, Dowman on the right and Jesus up top.

I suppose we should play a goalkeeper as well, so Kepa.

Truth:

I thought that this was the best comment I;ve seen in quite a while. The current narrative vs what the narrative should be.

Tweets and Thoughts:

I want to concentrate on the short term brain of Fabian Hurtzler….

Anybody who takes over at Brighton is a potential candidate to one day be considered to coach Arsenal. BHA are a very well run club who play a similar brave style. Hurtzler was somewhat of an unknown before he showed up on the south coast and if I was him, I would not make myself unemployable to the type of club that might well be interested in you if you succeed at Brighton, which he is not currently.

Here’s a thought… Maybe he will end up at Spurs in the championship next season? They don’t care to employ a twat.

A very strange way to attack Arsenal F.C. considering that might be the first time in 7 years that we have played that way. Here’s a thought…. maybe focus on how great your team were, but somehow barely tested Raya and still lost. Just an idea.

Alternatively, Arsenal are changing the game in many ways and everyone is copying including Brighton.

I like Piero even more now.

I hadn’t paid attention to this. I suppose this is down to our success. the kind of success that Fabian Hurzler will never have.

FINAL THOUGHT:

I simply don’t believe that Manchester City will win the rest of their games. Apart from the City game, Arsenal will be strong favourites to win every other league game. If we can find a way to compose ourselves, then we will likely be Premier League Champions.