End of season review part 2 (of 3) 

NEEDS:

Balancing risk and control:

This would not only help us to crack the shells of the hard eggs in the league, but make us a more entertaining team. That’s what our opponents fans seem to be demanding, anyway.

I was reminded the other day when watching highlights of Martin Odegard playing for Real Madrid. Four years ago, he was playing with so much more creativity and risk. You can’t tell me that he can’t do it anymore. We are strangling the skillset of too many players who can chip it accurately over the defence, weight a beautiful through ball or combine quickly on the edge of the box. I get the feeling that Arteta doesn’t feel like he has the profile of player to do this where if he had a player like Santi Cazorla he would encourage him to. If this is the case, I would disagree.

Credit: Arsenal.com

Simplify:

I’ve talked about this endlessly so I’m not going to bore you but Arsenal need to spend more time at the chalkboard designing simpler ways to score than they do for set plays.

Consider Max; 

It might be smart for us to delay signing a second winger if we sell both Leo and Martinelli.

What could happen is that we sign two wingers, preseason arrives and Max Dowman shows us that he’s better than one or both of them. Maybe we should let Dowman try to get that spot rather than be a bits and pieces player. He’s 16, I know, but he may well be ready like Cesc was. We all know that this is gonna happen eventually and considering his little explosion this season there’s no reason to think that it couldn’t happen next season.

More penalties, please:

I don’t know how many penalty kicks we got last season, but it wasn’t enough. We have to get our dribblers to run at players inside the box. Seeing as the penalty area has now become a hands behind your back attempt to ice skate without touching the attacker. Take advantage.

Functional training:

I’d love to hear about a move towards significantly more training for players in their areas of need and position.

We are going to start the season with a new forward line I would imagine and this would be super helpful.

I’ve always thought that some players’ time is better spent doing something that is more applicable to what they have to do in a game. As an example, Saliba and Gabriel aren’t really ever keeping possession under pressure. They get the ball to recycle with noone anywhere near them. They don’t need to practice possession to the same degree. Perhaps they need to practice running with the ball out of the back or their long passing.

Players leaving:

I like Norgaard. What I think of him is completely irrelevant though. What the coaching staff think of him is what’s important. I can only think that he didn’t play because of his lack of pace. He might stay around as a last resort plan, but considering that he still has at least five years left in his career I’m sure he doesn’t want to spend two seasons in a row not playing football even if he does get a nice shiny medal at the end of it.

I think Martinelli will go to Bayern Munich. I think it’s time for us to refresh, even though he is such a capable player. The bottom line is that the team has improved and each individual player has improved and he hasn’t. He was capable of great attacking and defensive moments four years ago, but we are still very much a right sided bias team due to his inconsistency. I believe that he is our longest serving player and so I’m glad for him that he finished the season with a trophy and medal because he deserved it.

I would keep Trossard unless I was convinced that I could get somebody better. Not better at football because there are lots of shiny new toys out there that have better YouTube highlights. A player that the club believes will be as efficient as Leo.

Read on below to find out the type of player I’m suggesting as a better option.

Every once in a while this season, I looked at Gabriel Jesus. I was reminded of his desire to be unpredictable and that we needed that. He is actually in his prime and so it wouldn’t be insane to keep him as a third choice. He seems to be a happiness player to me and so if he was trusted as a first choice striker somewhere then you would see the consistency that Arsenal hoped for but haven’t had for at least two years.

Vieira is technically good enough for Arsenal. He had two big issues that I don’t think are going to improve. Firstly, he would hide in games and not want the ball when he should be a playmaker. Secondly, there were so many other leagues that suit his physique better than the Premier League.

I hope Reiss Nelson finds a period in his career where he fulfills his potential. This has never happened for him and the talent is obvious. What a shame

I won’t be entirely shocked if one of our new signings leaves the club after one season.

Zubimendi could be first choice for Spain. If he is then I think he will have a hard time being second choice for Arsenal. He might be thinking about this with the emergence of MLS and certainly if we sign another top midfielder for what looks like close to 100 million, then he would likely and rightly be concerned.

They might look at Madueke and think that he’s never going to be any better than a big fat question mark as to whether he is going impact the game or not.

I can’t see VG leaving unless we sign somebody like Alvarez, which could see Viktor become third choice and potentially ask for a move at the end of the transfer window.

I think Mosquera played enough to satisfy him, and with our team and coaching staff proven to improve players and defenders in particular, I think he would be mad to take up an offer to be first choice somewhere else when he has 15 more years left.

I’d imagine Kepa will leave. Even though he had a rough cup final it will be hard to find somebody as reliable for second choice.

I believe Kiwior has gone to Porto. Good for him as he is most certainly a Champions League level player.

Eze isn’t going anywhere even though sometimes I can see Mikel ripping his hair out as you can see that he wants more from him, more consistently. His ceiling is arguably higher than most anybody at Arsenal and so you persist and you coach. You tell him that one day he could be one of the world‘s best and that could come sooner than he realizes if he wants to push for it. You look at his companion at Palace, Olise and how he is now considered in this category, and if I was Arteta, I would tell him this exact thing.

Please don’t sell Ethan Nwaneri. Arsenal need a technical attacking midfielder and he is it. Trust him to be that player that we lacked last season or let him go to a Premier League club where he will play. If you sell him, then you are risking what could be a big mistake as he could comfortably become an England regular in the midterm.

Leave Rice at six:

There might be games when Rice would do better playing as the left eight but he’s not providing anywhere near enough assists or goals to justify sacrificing his best role.

Try strong side wingers:

If it were me, this would be the big change.

This does not have to happen every game and it does not need to happen for a whole game.

Play Saka, Madueke and Dowman on the left and Trossard and the new signing on the right.

Why??

There are a few reasons.

1. One of the biggest improvements in football is the defenders ability to repeatedly block shots and frustrate. Football evolves as it has to. The time should’ve already come, but in my opinion will come soon, when coaches will go back to playing strong sided wingers. If you cut in to shoot, then you are relying on scoring worldies. If you go on the outside, then we finally have players crossing with their favourite foot. This is just not talked about and it’s a real issue. Even for the players like Trossard, who are too footed, you are always more accurate with your strong foot.
2. If you go on your strong foot on the outside of the defender and cut in then there is a higher risk of the defender giving away a penalty kick.
3. If you attack the full back earlier, you give yourself a lot more room to have a shooting angle. A back post shot if parried by the goalkeeper, is a tap-in at the back post.
4. Gyokeres in particular, is better with his feet than his head. When we have inverted wingers, they are more often than not crossing the ball in the air. Regardless of coaching preference, you have to play to the strength of your number nine and he wants balls fizzed across the ground rather than in the air. Havertz might feel the opposite to be fair.
5. The biggest reason to attack your full back on the outside and on your strong foot, is that their supporting defender will stop supporting the full back because he is of no help if you don’t cut inside.The trend of having 1 v 2 on the wing has only evolved because of inverted wingers.

Save your best 11 for the tricky games:

This should be called the ‘Norgaard effect.’

Half of the games during the Premier League season will be very winnable without our first 11. As an example, last season when we played Crystal Palace at home, if we would have played our best nine players available plus Norgaard and Ben White then you’re not thinking that we are going to lose.

Arteta has to be braver in this regard. Don’t take too long to pick the team. Write down your bullet points as to what is important to you when you pick your team and then park it. Don’t stare at it and get nervous because Declan Rice is going to sit on the bench five times during the season. Remember… His legs are gonna fall off if you don’t.

All this will likely happen anyway, as we are one of the only teams in football whose bench is almost as good as those on the field.

Using the crowd’s energy:

Can you imagine the energy for the first time game of the season?

Our fanbase is going to have a mixture of excitement, energy for the first game and huge appreciation for the team. If we start home games slowly, then that energy won’t last and frustration will creep back in.

Beyond the three teams that have been promoted, I cannot think of another team that will have the same energy in their crowd. Arteta is big on the soft factors and finding every last edge and this is one of them. It cannot be denied.

Run them to the 6 yard box:

We need to have two players attacking the 6 yard box when we face a low block. When you have one player, then one or two of the defenders can stay outside the 6 yard box for the cut back. When you have two then normally all four defenders will protect that area leaving the cut back available. Our team doesn’t have a laziness problem, but almost every other team has standard issues and that we don’t and their midfielders don’t track with the same enthusiasm.

Vacations:

After playing 50 something games last season and the season before and over 60 this season, our best players, who are also at the World Cup, will all have their legs fall next season and when their legs do fall off, they might all fall off at the same time. They don’t all have to have an extended vacation at the same time, but perhaps a new trend in the modern game needs to be giving one or two players who are in the red zone a week off at a time. We have to do something different in this regard. Every season seems to be hopping from 2–4 players out, and as soon as they come back, there are another 2–4 out.

Two different centre back partnerships:

Central defence is the one area where a partnership is pivotal. We all know who our first choice partnership is, but when we rest Saliba, we need to rest Gabriel, also. Firstly, because resting these two is never a bad idea *legs falling off. Secondly, Mosquera if he was partnered let’s say with Hincapie for these opportunities, would likely form an understanding that would benefit the team rather than always partnering somebody different.

Chuck the League Cup:

We say this every year. We play our second team primarily, but then get tempted to throw in William Saliba. The League Cup needs to either be scrapped or Arsenal need to be stricter with themselves. If we have a handful of injuries, Saliba doesn’t play but an academy center back does. If we go out, then we go out. It’s not something we needed to be pursuing anyway. Not now. Happily.

Ball in:

One of the most enlightening games you can play at training is a game that I call ‘ ball in.’ Don’t ask why because it’s not important and the story is beyond silly.

Essentially, it is a match of six v six. The goals are full size and there are at least three teams. One team sits out and it is first goal wins. A fast paced game that gets very intense because of the first goal win scenario. Your goalkeeper is fully engaged and gets lots of practice. Your defenders get loads of shots to practice blocking and your attackers have constant chances to score because the field is only 25 yards long..

If I was coaching Arsenal, I would play this game as a two touch game and one touch game.

As we endlessly circulate the ball around the top of the box during games, I so often wish that the players would value their first touch better. If their first touch would always set up a shot then they have the choice of taking it or not. If it is thoughtless they need an extra touch if they now want to shoot, This is where players are getting shot after shot blocked, which is very prevalent in the modern game.

Arsenal are also guilty of not having their body shape right inside the box. You play this game with just one touch and tell them that you cannot pass, dribble or trap the ball, but when the ball comes to you, you have to shoot no matter where you are positioned. This opens their eyes to the possibilities and they are amazed at how quickly they are able to get the ball on target from angles that they would never normally shoot, but only if their body shape is correct and they are thinking of this option. We all know that Arsenal are more guilty than most everybody else at overplaying and when you have a collection of the world‘s best players, they should be able to achieve techniques that are more difficult.

Finishing, finishing:

The games where Arsenal don’t have enough chances to win the game are super rare. Maybe even nonexistent. A memory that seems like a reoccurring bad dream is of Arsenal getting to the 70th minute and not having worked the goalkeeper.

We could show no improvement from this season and work solely on our finishing and win the league just off the back of improved finishing.

I have no proof of this, but I suspect that shooting and finishing are not practiced with any particular focus.

My two concerns are that finishing drills are not done in anything close to a realistic environment. Think about when you see professional players performing them. Is it ever with a crowded penalty area of eight defenders and four attackers? There is great value to unopposed shooting and finishing drills so that you can work on your technique without pressure, but both are valuable. The reason that players miss the target is because of adrenaline and pressure. You do not become a great possession team by playing against nobody.

My other concern is lack of repetition and accountability in shooting over the crossbar. You can run drills that are so super fun but have a reward or a punishment at the end. You don’t have to be harsh to the players. At best guess I would say that 50% of all shots at the professional level go over the crossbar. The players know how to keep it down, but the feeling of pressure and the lack of repetition in a pressurized situation is the reason why that statistic is so high.

Employee Mike McDonald:

This chap has got a brilliant idea.

I’m declaring a race. Who can be the lovely person that connects him with somebody at the club? I’d love you forever.

Part 3 tomorrow….. transfers ‘n such

The post Season Review Part 2 – “Undeniably Elite – (Positives Needs & Hopes) [Arsenal: Champions!] first appeared on Gunners Town.

‘Undisputedly Elite’

End of Season Review (Part 1)

The post Season Review Part 1 – “Undisputedly Elite – (Positives Needs & Hopes) [Arsenal: Champions!] first appeared on Gunners Town.

Credit: Arsenal.com

‘If not for Mikel’

A tribute to the main reason 

I’ve spent numerous days planning how to frame this piece.

This is my attempt at finding the reason for the return of glory to Arsenal. The main reason.

After thinking and overthinking, I couldn’t get away from the fact that Arsenal winning the Premier League and coming within a kick of winning the Champions League would not have happened if not for Mikel Arteta.

He isn’t alone when handing out the flowers, but if you subtract any other one person from this glorious time in our Arsenal lives, there is a fair chance that we still become winners.

This hasn’t really been the same with other winners. As a direct comparison, Liverpool most certainly would have not won the Premier League last season without Mo Salah. City wouldn’t have won a handful of their trophies without Haaland. Their contribution was just too impactful and good for them. Arsenal went about it a different way. As much as we would love to have a player capable of scoring 40% of our goals, we are healthier than that.

Declan Rice was a huge piece and his defensive qualities are somewhat unique. Saliba and Gabriel have proven to be the same and this season people are starting to realize that David Raya is in the same conversation. The thing is though, City and Liverpool have won trophies without these players. So I suppose it’s possible to win the Premier League without William Saliba, for example.

You cannot say the same about Mikel, though.

He has the greatest say at Arsenal Football Club and also the broadest and deepest set of skills.

He was the reason that David Raya came to Arsenal when Aaron Ramsdale was doing fine. The same vision that very few others agreed with at the time saw him create the Rolls-Royce in William Saliba, by insisting that he learn his trade whilst on loan.

He was the one that purchased Gabriel who was a good centre back, but is now seen by many as being the best.

Mikel had the vision and understanding to create a more physical defensive unit with four centre backs where half of them had to be retrained in a new position. The same vision changed our style from being cute and pretty to being robust, disciplined and bloody hard to play against because the league suggested that teams need to do this. Others didn’t do it because they don’t have the talents that Mikel has. They have one way of playing and either don’t care to cast their vision or don’t feel like they will have time to put it in place.

Mikel did not choose superstars in the transfer market. He didn’t purchase the latest player in form. As crazy as it sounds, he didn’t buy players without thinking fully how he was going to use them and what the knock on effect would be for others. I say all of this because this is how other clubs operate. They sign players to appease fans. They buy big players because they want to come and that flatters them, much like Liverpool did last summer. They strengthen in areas that are already strong when other areas are weak.

We didn’t really know Califiori, Mosquera, and Gabriel and weren’t impressed initially with the acquisition of players like Merino and Trossard. We’ve probably forgotten, but the purchase of Havertz and Madueke was cleverly planned based on top statistical and analytics and the needs of the team. We were too busy looking at the fact that they came from Chelsea and cringing.

Not only has he created such a wonderful squad of players, but unlike most every other big club, our squad and first team always includes Hale End players. In order to create arguably the strongest squad in world football it would be hard for any top club to include players that have just come from playing in front of 50 people to playing in front of 59,950 more.

Where others mock Mikel for playing boring football and scoring too many set play goals, others see the intelligence in Arsenal controlling games and utilizing every part of the game to score. They not only see the value in Mikel’s decision, but hold up the trophy with a big middle finger behind it.

The fact that Martinelli will likely leave this summer is probably a backhanded compliment to Mikel. He has tried and succeeded in improving every single player at Arsenal apart from Martinelli. The definition of a coach speaks to the importance of improving what you have as one of your top three most important qualities. Again, other coaches just prepare their team for the next game and ignore the individual.

For as much as opponents mock Mikel’s choice to put high value on the soft factors, anyone that has coached a nine month season multiplied by the next season and the next one, that seems to come five minutes later, realises that having a creative way to impart your message is vital.

I’d say, if you privately asked the majority of elite footballers at what point they switched off from listening to their coaches’ speeches, they would say that it happened sooner than their first nine months with him. Just pretend that you are listening.

Finding creative ways of making training and motivational speeches interesting isn’t a good idea for most coaches. They don’t have the personality or respect from the squad to pull it off. Much like Joe Willock being the catalyst for Unai Emery being mocked, it doesn’t work for everybody. We are fortunate that we have a coach whose skill set doesn’t stop at what they learned during their pro license course.

This bunch of flowers for Mikel is getting rather large, but probably doubles in size solely when recognizing his powers of persuasion.

They say that the most important quality of a leader is recruitment. If you get the wrong person and then it doesn’t matter how broad your skillset is because you have picked up the wrong tool.

The building of this squad and the subtraction needed in moving those not good enough for this project onto another club might just be Mikel’s most impressive quality. This is evidenced repeatedly when you see a rumor in the press. I knew that Declan Rice was coming to Arsenal, even though Pep Guardiola tried to change his mind. VG dumped his girlfriend and went on strike as Arsenal was the only destination for him. Zubimendi was encouraged to wait for his transfer for a full 12 months at the last minute as he was about to go to Liverpool.

I look at the list of clubs that apparently want Morgan Rogers. City even have a buyback clause on him. My bet is that he comes to Arsenal, regardless of what all the other clubs tell him. Again, that is because of the energy that Mikel transmits and the respect he now has in the game because he follows through with his promises, unlike most others.

I’d also hedge my bets that even though Julian Alvarez, who came to Manchester and never learned the language and wanted to go home, signs for Arsenal. Simply because of the pull of the club and the persuasive powers of Mikel.

You watch. Mikel will have him speaking in cockney rhyming slang in one year.

Over half of our first team have been persuaded to sign new contracts. No other club in world football has their players so securely attached to their club.

It seems that Mikel was the main driver in persuading the Kroenke family to become more invested. I don’t think Josh Kroenke is faking it but the difference in his passion for the club now is very different to the Josh Kroenke of a few years ago.

Some say that Mikel was lucky to get the time that he was given. I disagree entirely. Any of us are only given time by our employer if we are worthy of their trust. Mikel showed that he had the respect of everybody at the club and wasn’t afraid to make big changes even though he was a young coach.

The most important decision that Mikel made was to rebuild the club and the team from chapter 1, rather than jumping to chapter 15. This is so very underrated and not spoken of, but needs to be the headline. By far the huge majority of talented coaches go into a club and flip to chapter 15 because they don’t trust themselves to start at chapter 1 and keep their job. Others jump to chapter 15 because they don’t have the skillset to be able to create a new culture, rip the team up, accept bumps and losses, and believe that they will still have a job.

Again, I think it is worth repeating that the best decision that Mikel ever made was starting from chapter 1.

Having made a few big decisions myself over my coaching career and gone back on them before I realized the importance of having to stick to whatever rules you put in place, I see the value in being a player like Auba. Knowing that he was extremely popular with the dressing room and fan base both. Mikel gets the respect of everybody at the club because he doesn’t make rules and then break them. The moment that a coach does that or even bends slightly then they cannot reel that respect back.

Mikel had a plan coming into Arsenal. It was very difficult, very expensive and it took six years to produce real fruit. We believed in him, he believed in himself, and so the players believed in him too.

A big percentage of the fanbase acting the way that they have over the last two weeks can be rewound to Mikel. His careful messaging to the fans has created a situation where we lost the biggest game in the history of the club and yet the very next day we had 1.5 million people celebrating on the streets of N5.

Most football fans are spoiled and would rather shout at you with their thumbs or their videos for what you didn’t do than appreciate what you have done.

If not for Mikel.

The post If Not For Mikel… A Tribute to Arsenal’s Greatest Asset first appeared on Gunners Town.

An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective 

Where do you even start?

I have wrestled for a few days as to how to describe what I saw and what we are seeing at Arsenal Football Club. It seems like a seminal moment in our 140 year history.

Life doesn’t always go the way that you foresee it but if I was a betting man, I’d say by the time we celebrate our 150th year that Arsenal could be the dominant force in world football.

Some days I am really frustrated at the negative noise around a club on the rise. It feels so unjustified, but then it hit me. Other clubs have moments. They are in the headlines every once in a while. Some of them, hardly ever. Arsenal Football Club are everywhere. All the time. Whether we are crap, mediocre, very good or dominant, Arsenal are everywhere all the time. And that has become a huge annoyance to those that don’t support Arsenal.

It’s not even our doing. For whatever reason you want to pick, Arsenal Football Club is the most talked about of any club in world football because we were chosen as the club to ridicule. Chosen as the club that would generate the most money for those talking and trying to earn it. The club that no matter where you go in the world, you’ll find fans, and lots of them.

For those regular readers, you will know that I am a British chap living in East Tennessee. Most people outside of Tennessee don’t know much about it beyond Dolly Parton, Elvis, country music, and Jack Daniels. If I told you exactly where I live, you wouldn’t have heard of it. You might not have even heard of the closest city, Knoxville. I’d never heard of it before I came to the USA. But here’s the thing though. About once a month Max, EllieAnn and I go to Union Place in Knoxville. It is a bar/pub that the Knox Gooners have taken over. In a town that I admit is largely irrelevant to many, look at how many people are in this picture.

 It was taken on Saturday.

If I spun in a circle and touched a globe, as long as it wasn’t the ocean, I’d find some random place on God‘s earth and I could go there and you’d probably find a crowd of similar size to the Knox Gooners.

Arsenal are a moneymaking machine for those who need to make money through engagement. Arsenal sit in the absolute perfect place in the modern world, where you can engage on many platforms with strangers from anywhere on the globe, as the club that people want to talk about.

It used to be Manchester United. It was Liverpool when I was growing up. It’s neither of them anymore. Not to the level that Arsenal occupy. The impromptu gatherings, as well as the actual parade are undeniable evidence of this.

As a comparison and once again, using the very random place that I live in, the Merchants of Beer in Knoxville has just been demolished. It was the Manchester United pub. It simply wasn’t popular enough.

I think Arsenal have completed the process that Mikel Arteta started. He would never say it publicly because ‘constant growth’ is his mantra, and God bless him for that. The process was as simple as needing a sleeping giant to do a complete 180 turn. To change from being a laughing stock to being a consistent competitor at the very top of the world‘s game. It is arrogant to think that you can dominate European football unless you have Lionel Messi in his prime years, but it isn’t unrealistic to be a club like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or Barcelona, who always compete and cannot be ignored.

I think Arsenal have moved from their process to an era of potential domestic dominance, and what will finally be the cherry of the Champions League of which we were a penalty kick away from.

In order to back up my somewhat biased opinion, you just have to look at all of the facets of a Football Club that need to be aligned in order for the claim of a ‘dominant era’ to become reality.

Real Madrid are a completely unstable club. Inevitably their collection of egos has turned poisonous and the club is now divided into factions and chaos. Perhaps Jose Mourinho can change this as he does have the personality to do so, but he will have to win very quickly.

Barcelona will always be around because of their hugely impressive Academy that produces not just players for the first team, but players that are considered the best in the world in their position.

Their issue is financial. Even though their revenue and global reach is massive, they aren’t wise with their spending as their fans demand the same as Real Madrid fans, instant success. And I mean instant. They have a superstar on their right wing who lives on the edge of a large, vertical sharp pointed cliff. He could take them to another decade of glory or his ego could have them topple over the other side.

PSG are in a good place, but after watching the refereeing of their semifinal against Bayern Munich and Saturday’s final, it does make you wonder if they will be hit with revelations that might well destroy their club overnight much like what should have happened to Manchester City if only the Premier League had been more honorable in announcing their charges many years ago.

Manchester City themselves are where PSG might end up and by the time you read this post, there is a chance that Humpty Dumpty will have fallen off the wall and finds himself rolling down the hill faster than a Mustang.

Manchester United have thought for over a decade that ‘this is the guy’ to bring us back’ but it hasn’t been so we can continue to design memes and sit in the corner, giggling.

Liverpool might bounce back next season, but will be due a major rebuild that they may never recover from when VVD and Allison move on.

Chelsea should be contenders and much like Liverpool, next season should be significantly better because they have no European distractions and have somehow acquired an elite coach. Their issues are long-term because almost all of their players have contracts that expire in their 70’s and so will continue to make huge losses on players that aren’t playing and are threatening to wait until their 72nd birthday when their contract runs out. The knock on effect will likely hinder Alonso from fulfilling his coaching potential as for some bizarre reason he has chosen a club that will never have even close to the same team spirit and energy that Arsenal have because their employees have been financially spoilt.

The Italian teams are hardly worth a mention when you see that Inter Milan were awarded significantly less prize money for winning Serie A, than Wolves were for being relegated.

Bayern Munich will be Arsenal‘s long-term biggest threat. They are in the middle of one of the longest periods of dominance in world football, and as long as they can continue to make such intelligent use of their transfer budget, they will always win the league and be able to rest players and be a consistent European force.

Then you look at the red side of North London.

You look at the pieces needed to claim that you are about to start on an era of dominance.

You need owners that love the club and are for the club and have a desire to win. We can’t pretend that it has always been this way with the Kroenke family, but unless Josh has been to acting school recently, you can’t ask for an owner more engaged than him whether it be on top of the parade bus or proven by the financial support he has given over the last few years.

You need a coach that elite players want to play for. Arsenal will not only have agents of the best players in the world calling them all summer, but they will have agents of the very few top players that we currently have begging for an extension. We are very close to having all of our players on extended contracts and we often forget that when we go shopping for a shiny new toy, that we used to live in a department store that had a revolving door. When you came out with three shiny new toys, there were three equally shiny ones rotating out.

This image speaks so loudly to me.

I hope to get it printed and blown up and preferably put on the front door of our new home. Lori is quickly becoming a more passionate Arsenal fan and I will persuade her to take the curtains down because we can block the neighbors from seeing into our house just as easily by putting this poster up on the front door.

I love this image because it absolutely screams of unity. A group of elite players that could have massive egos and focus on their personal disappointment, but have total buy-in.

I watched Ricky Califiori at the parade. You think that he would be somewhat pissed off. He didn’t deserve to have zero minutes at the Champions League final. Mikel Merino has been a huge contributor also. They were both singing, dancing and starting songs. You just wouldn’t see that kind of positive energy at any other club.

The most underestimated part of a Football Club is the fanbase. Perhaps the number one reason why players stay, and even after they leave, become fans of Arsenal Football Club is because they felt so valued by the fanbase at Arsenal. They had a personal song or maybe two. That is the hook for them. I would imagine that if Gabriel Martinelli leaves this summer, he will be inconsolable. He has not only experienced seven years of love from the Arsenal faithful and been part of the 180 turn around, but he stood on that open top bus and saw 1.5 million people on a two hour bus ride cheering for him and his club.

 That’s not easy to forget.

If they would ever stop talking about politics on the news, then the last week or so of life at Arsenal Football Club would have been the headline story on every media outlet in the country. People spontaneously running out of their houses to go to the stadium because they wanted to be close to their first love. The sheer number of people creating such a massive organic scene of celebration. Not once or twice but three times. Due to the internet and social media everybody with a phone, all across the globe, will have seen the unparalleled images of what is happening in North London. No other club in the world is experiencing this level of joy and energy. Compare the scenes in Paris, where it seemed more important to cause violence then celebrate. Imagine if a club like Real Madrid would’ve one La Liga, but lost the Champions League final the day before their parade. Their fans would’ve come out on the streets to wave their white handkerchiefs, stick their middle finger up at the players and go home.

To have an era of dominance, you need to have built your house with a proper foundation. Arteta built from the back and even though he doesn’t get applause he most certainly does from those involved in the professional game rather than those behind a microphone. Looking at Arsenal‘s bench on Saturday, I put out this tweet.

Apart from a World XI charity game, I can’t remember in my lifetime ever seeing a bench this strong. So, Arsenal can point to the fact that they have already conquered what most clubs lack. They have a squad of players who are almost equally as good as each other. I looked at PSG‘s bench and maybe I’m ignorant, but I didn’t recognize half of their names. Arsenal just now need to create an attack as frightening as their defensive structure is. We have the money to do it and we will take our second swing at it this summer. The first swing and introduction of Viktor and Noni was good not great, but if the club make the right selections, then the second swing could replicate finding oil in your back garden.

In order to dominate you need to live in the moment that Arsenal sit in. There was another tweet that I sent out in regards to commercial deals.

I would imagine that the people in our commercial department can probably go on holiday for a few years and just have their cell phone next to their cabana. They won’t have to make any calls. They’ll just have to have their phone on vibrate and respond to the many huge businesses that now want to be affiliated with Arsenal and are calling the commercial department more often than I’m getting voicemails from personal loan companies.

Alongside this, Arsenal now have the opportunity to confidently expand their stadium. For any club trying to do this there is always a massive risk involved. What if the people that say that they want tickets don’t come? What if the engagement online is just online engagement. Not people that want to come to the stadium.

The waiting list for tickets at Arsenal was huge before Arsenal probably just made another 10 million fans worldwide. The players of this generation talk about the Invincibles. The players of this generation will spark the same fire. There will be so many people of the younger generation that now choose Arsenal as their club because Arsenal is clearly on fire.

Stability is an underrated value.

Arsenal’s stability lies in the hands of Mikel Arteta more than any other person. He has been given the keys and rightly so.

Every club has this situation. They have to look to the long-term, even though society wants success in the short term.

Arsenal’s era of dominance it’s largely thanks to Arteta and will largely revolve around him. The love that he must feel and the motivation that he must have is likely beyond huge. As with every part of this project, he has a direct comparison. He was at the most successful British club of the modern era where everything was going right at the time.

As well as everything went for Manchester City they didn’t have the full package like Arsenal now have. They don’t have the fanbase and they don’t have the global reach.

They absolutely most certainly didn’t give him the experience that he had on Sunday afternoon.

He will have the direct contrast in his mind of how many people showed up to the Manchester City parade each year, and what he saw on the streets of North London. The comparison isn’t really a comparison at all. One screams energy and the other one screams apathy in comparison.

Arsenal are like a flower in full bloom. The most beautiful flower. Whatever your preference is.

We go into hibernation for a couple of months and I believe we will bloom into an even more beautiful flower next season.

I’m also reminded of the reality of emotion. Not wanting to go over the top as that is easy right now, but an encouragement to all of us to revel in this period. The celebrations next year and in the future will be glorious, but we might look back at the end of this era and realize that the very best of it was the relief, organic ecstasy, and all the other tens of adjectives you could use to describe perhaps the most beautiful month in the history of Arsenal Football Club.

There is never a guarantee that you or your children will see what we have just seen. There is even less of a chance that fans of any other club will experience what we are currently going through.

I have so much gratitude for my first love.

The post Process complete, Era begins first appeared on Gunners Town.

The post Arsenal Title Win Musings – it’s been a long road! first appeared on Gunners Town.

An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective

There are a handful of sleeping giants in world football. Juventus, Man United, AC Milan and probably others. There are those that win frequently. Barcelona, Porto, PSG, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Celtic, Man City and probably others. There are those that can’t cope with not winning and their fans and owners lose their minds way too soon and often. I can think of Real Madrid and Chelsea right now.

Some of these 12 teams could claim to believe that their team will be the dominant giant in world football. Many of them have fine players. Many have much more silverware than Arsenal. Certainly in the last 20 years. The thing is though, that even though trophies might be the number one on their list of what is important to most fans, they can’t celebrate much beyond that. They don’t feel proud of anything else because the rest is expendable.

Football, and sports in general, offer many ways to feel proud of the team you chose to support. It’s just that Arsenal have a list far longer than any other team in football.

In no particular order;

• Tens of thousands of people showed up at the Emirates in an unscheduled, organic celebration of joy. They stayed until 4am. There would’ve been millions if they could’ve got there. This wasn’t even the trophy parade which might exceed 1 million people, especially if we win the Champions League the night before.
• Go on the internet/social media and see how many people from all corners of the world were on the streets celebrating. We have a global family. Other clubs have a collection of tourists and glory hunters.

• Our coach played for the club
• Our coach has a genuine love for the club, much like we do.
• Our coach is perhaps the first modern football coach who inherited a derelict stately home and didn’t call the painter first. He called ‘Bob’s Bulldozers’ and went to work on a brand new version of what used to be a beautiful stately home, but needed a new foundation.
• We have Hale End players who are regular starters. This might seem normal, but imagine how difficult it must be for an Academy player at Arsenal to break into one of the top two teams in the world.
• Arteta was smart. He built a team that was NEEDED to win the league. A team of units. I’m sure he would like to offer more flair but the league is more physical than ever and so you have to cede your wishes if you want to win.
• Many consider that Max Dowman might end up being the best player in Europe.
• We have the best goalkeeper in the world.
• We have the best centre back pairing in the world and individually possibly the best two centre backs, also. They will likely end up being the best pair in the history of British football, alongside Vidic and Ferdinand.
• We have the best midfielder in Europe in Declan Rice.
• Would you swap our full backs for anyone else? I wouldn’t.
• We have one of the best back 6’s in the history of the game.
• This is Mikel’s first job
• No other club has a coach that has the same gift of persuasion as Mikel has.

• Alongside Yamal, we have the world’s best right winger
• I’d love to say that we have the world’s best in every position, but no team has ever had that. We have between 4 and 7 who can argue this case which must be close to the best Barcelona team of 15 years ago.
• The vast majority of our players are arriving into their prime and will do so with their new contracts.
• Arsenal don’t have to convince the best talent to come. They don’t need to take a player who is just there for the money. Mbappe might be the perfect fit for our left wing, but he would need to convince us, not the other way round.

• We have owners who are now in tune with the fans desires for the club. A rare thing for a top club.
• We are revolutionizing the game on the field. Fans of our opponents are criticizing, but their team is copying.
• Opponents coach’s and players all say the same thing, ‘Arsenal are so difficult to play against.’ This is normally an unprompted thought. They just have too much respect not to talk about what they’ve just seen.
• How many players that have played for Arsenal are now Arsenal fans? I’ve never seen this kind of genuine draw from any other club. Have you seen players that play for a club currently, show up at 5am to walk around?

• We have a season ticket waiting list large enough to have a stadium for 100,000.
• We are so massive that What’s App did this and changed the colour of their logo….

• We have the best anthem in the history of football. Also, organic not organized and contrived.
• We might be solely responsible for multiple media pundits having to apologize for constantly picking on the wrong team. I expect Arteta to feel more freedom to allow his players more freedom as their shoulders will now be looser. The monkey has gone, so he isn’t coaching a team of players so tightly wound because they haven’t won yet. I’m hoping that we shut down some shows.
• Our podcasts are so good (Arsenal Vision and Arsecast) that Arteta showed the players their Union Chapel celebration in the changing room
• We are no longer seen as the ‘AFTV club.’ Our image (if you ignore the angry heads) is changing to massive respect. The ‘bottlers’ tag might have been fair, but the bottle has changed.

You may not be impressed by that list. If you feel that way, it’s likely because you haven’t learnt anything you didn’t already know. Look at it from the perspective of one of the 12 clubs above. Read the list again and ask yourself if they have or could accomplish what we have.

Those who are objective enough to see with a clear lens are concerned that the giant at N5 hasn’t just woken up, but the monkey has jumped off their back and because of the list (above), are best placed to dominate for years.

The reality of what is likely to happen is that Arsenal are now going to get maximum respect. If they win the CL, then they will be seen as the kings of football. Players will be dying to come. The fanbase will grow much like it did during Wenger’s early years. The stadium will have to expand. The sponsorships will be more $$$$$$. Companies will want their brand associated with Arsenal more than any other team. They will have to create pop-up stores to feed the demand.  Our revenue will grow significantly. If we win the Champions League on May 30th, Arteta will get a statue commissioned and rightly so.

Most of the list above is directly or indirectly thanks to one man who had the balls to do it the right way when other coaches either skip multiple steps or don’t have the talent to build a club from very foundation. Thank you to the genuine Arsenal legend, Mikel Arteta. He may go down as one of the most consequential of all time.

Way back you had a big choice to make.

Choosing Arsenal was the best decision you’ve made.

The post The monkey jumps off and the giant roars first appeared on Gunners Town.

Then louder, bolder, until it rolled through pubs, group chats, and North London streets like a familiar drumbeat rediscovered:

It’s coming home.

North London’s throne. Reclaimed.

Not the old joke.

Not the meme.

Not the yearly setup for the fall.

This time it arrived with purpose, with control, with a team that didn’t just believe—but knew.

You could see it in the way Ødegaard slowed the game to his tempo, like a conductor who’d read the ending months in advance.

In Saka, still smiling, still gliding past defenders who already knew they were beaten.

In Gabriel, calm as ever, turning chaos into routine.

In Rice, covering grass like it owed him money.

There was no panic this time. No late-season wobble written into the script.

Just a steady accumulation of proof.

Week after week, doubt quietly replaced by inevitability.

And the noise changed.

The same voices that once laughed now searched for reasons.

Injuries.

Luck.

Timing.

Anything but the truth sitting right in front of them: Arsenal weren’t visiting the top of the table anymore.

They lived there.

Arteta stood on the touchline, not as the hopeful apprentice, but as the architect.

Every press, every rotation, every moment without the ball—it all meant something.

This wasn’t a run. It was a design.

And when it finally happened, when the table froze and the maths said what the fans already felt.

It didn’t feel like chaos.

It felt like release.

Years of “almost.” Years of being the punchline.

Years of waiting for something real to hold onto again.

Now they have it.

So yeah—sing it properly this time.

No irony.

No hesitation.

It’s coming home.

North London’s throne. Reclaimed.

The post It’s coming home. North London’s throne. Reclaimed. first appeared on Gunners Town.

Mission accomplished for Renée Slegers, her staff and her players, who finished the season on a high and registered better numbers, compared to last season: Arsenal Women finished the season with more points (51 versus 48), less goals conceded (14 versus 26), less defeats (1 versus 4) and a better goal difference (+39 versus +36), yet it was not enough to pip Manchester City to the title.

The only indicator going the opposite way is the number of goals scored, with the team scoring 53 goals only, compared to 62 the previous campaign, and that’s perhaps an area of interest for next season.

With both Beth Mead and Caitlin Foord underperforming in front of goal compared to the previous campaign, the Arsenal Women team suffered a sever lack of spark and improvisation, something that the coach will surely look into as she prepares the team to challenge for the WSL and UWCL.

This was very apparent in the final home game of the season, against Everton, when the Gunners had to wait until the 92^nd minutes before finding the winning goal. As usual, a mix of bad luck and lack of composure almost costed them, but this time their perseverance was rewarded when Stina Blackstenius found the back of the next with a well-taken shot with her left foot. Goals were easier to come against Liverpool, and Alessia Russo made sure she finished the season with 25 goal contributions in 22 games, a new record for the England forward.

CAPTAIN ALESSIA

There is one thing that might have gone unnoticed, as the Arsenal Women team sealed the second place and prepared to bid farewell to several players. That little thing was Alessia Russo being given the armband in the penultimate game of the season and the last outing at the Emirates Stadium: the England forward led the team out despite both Lotte Wubben-Moy and Katie McCabe being in the starting XI. Renée Slegers later explained that she spoke to Lotte Wubben-Moy and Alessia Russo about the choice of the captain for that specific game (she didn’t mention the Ireland international, though, which says a lot…) and the choice can be seen as a reward for the performances and overall growth of Alessia Russo. More interestingly, though, it signals a new status for the former Manchester United forward, after she made it into the leadership group earlier this season, who seems ready to become a leader within the dressing room.

As much as like a leadership group built around Kim Little, Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Alessia Russo and Steph Catley, I cannot say I am entirely confident having a group made of very similar characters, especially as many of the more vocal and energetic personalities (Beth Mead, Katie McCabe, Manuela Zinsberger, Victoria Pelova…) will be leaving this summer.

Thankfully other players will take a leap and make themselves a place in the changing room, bring their own energy, perhaps a different kind of energy, because sometimes you need more than a role model or the “quiet and reliable” type of leader.

Of course, experienced players expected to join such as Battle, Reuteler and Stanway will help setting high standards in the changing room, but I would like to see younger players take on more responsibilities, especially the likes of Olivia Smith or Kyra Cooney-Cross, who could really grow into their roles on and off the pitch.

The Canadian showed great promise in her debut season and has shown the type of boldness and self-confidence that could be beneficial for her teammates, while the Australian – who endured some difficult times, on a personal level – looks ready to blossom into the deep playmaker role she is wonderfully built for.

A TACTICAL SHIFT ON THE HORIZON?

Alessia Russo and Stina Blackstenius finished the season with 13 and 10 league goals, respectively, so perhaps Renée Slegers could work on a system that accommodates both and makes the best of their strengths. She did that already, at times, but it was mostly Alessia Russo team, through the season, with the Sweden international limited to a supporting role.

With so many changes expected this summer and the club targeting box-to-box midfielders such as Geraldine Reuteler and Georgia Stanway, perhaps the coach is leaning towards a system with two strikers and no attacking midfielders. Over the campaign that just ended, we’ve seen Alessia Russo pairing up with Stina Blackstenius upfront, and the England forward was a false nine more than a ten, while other combinations saw Frida Maanum play in midfield with one striker at the top. We rarely saw Frida Maanum, Alessia Russo and Stina Blackstenius simultaneously on the pitch, and when we did Alessia Russo was deployed as a winger.

What if Renée Slegers was thinking about a midfield diamond?

With so much talent in midfield, this system could be perfect to accommodate Mariona Caldentey, Georgia Stanway and Geraldine Reuteler in the same lineup, with Kim Little or Kyra Cooney-Cross sitting at the base of midfield. High-intensity runners such as Emily Fox, Smilla Holmberg and Ona Battle could cover the flanks and provide the width, and most importantly we would have two wonderful strikers upfront, keeping defenders busy with the relentless movement and combinations.

Let’s not forget that Michelle Agyemang, currently sidelined with an injury, will soon be banging at the door for a place in the team, and playing a two-forwards system would multiply the opportunities to integrate her.

For sure, Chloe Kelly might find it hard to fit into the system, and to some extent Olivia Smith too, but the Canadian could shine upfront, both through her runs in behind or via her mazy runs from between the lines, while the England international has the experience and touch to thrive in a more central role, between two strikers.

In a season that saw Caitlin Foord and Beth Mead struggle in front of goal, perhaps it is time to consider other tactical options, and spring a few surprises while they are at it. Chelsea are in decline (although signing Shaw might change that) and Manchester City might struggle to replicate their performances with the UWCL to contend with, so there is a window for the Gunners to leave their mark.

NEXT UP

That’s all, folks. Season 2025/26 is officially over, so no more Arsenal Women Journal on the horizon, at least not in its original format.

With the club expected to announce the high-profile signings of Georgia Stanway, Geraldine Reuteler and Ona Battle, there will be plenty to write about in the coming weeks, and who know what else the future will bring.

Have a lovely summer, enjoy some well-deserved rest and let’s all get ready and pumped up for another season, and another rollercoaster road with our below Arsenal Women team.

Speak to you soon!

The post The Arsenal Women Journal – Another Season Goes [ARS 1-0 EVE, LFC 1-3 ARS] first appeared on Gunners Town.

Another 5 against Burnley please! (Photo Credit: Arsenal.com)

Arsenal have an important opportunity tonight to secure three points, build goal difference, and apply even more pressure on Manchester City ahead of their potential banana skin trip to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

On paper, Arsenal should comfortably dispatch this already relegated Burnley side.

But as we’ve seen throughout this title race, nothing feels comfortable or as nailed on as expected.

Margins are razor-thin, nerves are impossible to suppress, and every fixture suddenly carries the emotional weight of a cup final.

That is exactly how Arsenal need to approach tonight.

One game at a time.

There are effectively three cup finals remaining, but before any focus shifts toward Crystal Palace and final-day scenarios, the job against Burnley simply has to be completed first.

The fans will certainly play their part.

The club have listened to our requests to welcome the team into the stadium and create the most positive atmosphere possible ahead of what is our final home game of the season. That connection between supporters and players has become one of the defining aspects of this Arsenal side under Mikel Arteta.

It is frustrating, though, that the greed of Sky Sports has placed our final home game on a Monday night just to satisfy their needs.

For many fans, it robs them of the opportunity to properly show appreciation to the players after the match without the burden of worrying about long journeys home, missing last trains, early work starts, or children needing to be up for school the next morning.

For most of us fans, tonight will be our final chance to see this team live this season apart from those who are fortunate enough to have tickets for Crystal Palace or the Champions League final in Budapest.

The players deserve an incredible and deserved send-off.

And yet, despite all the positivity surrounding the club, I can’t pretend the nerves are not festering inside me.

I’ll be there tonight giving everything from the stands to get behind the team, but memories of Southampton at home back in 2023 are still difficult to shake.

Back then, Arsenal were closing in on the title with their destiny in their hands. Southampton arrived bottom of the table and on course for relegation, everyone expected us to beat them comfortably, yet before I had even settled into my seat, we were already behind after 30 seconds.

Then came the second goal after only 12 minutes.

Shock quickly turned into panic.

Despite eventually fighting back from 3-1 down through late goals from Saka and Odegaard to salvage a draw, the overwhelming feeling leaving the stadium that night was emptiness. It felt like the defining moment the title slipped away.

That is why tonight carries nerves despite Burnley’s league position.

Football does not care about scripts or expectations.

I’m certain Arteta will remember that Southampton match too, and I highly doubt there will be any complacency from this Arsenal team.

An early goal tonight could completely settle those nerves.

Take the shackles off. Play with freedom. Score as many as possible because goal difference could yet become crucial next week.

Sometimes specific matches become linked to the rise of certain players, and when I think about the reverse fixture against Burnley, I immediately think about Viktor Gyokeres.

That felt like one of his true breakout performances in an Arsenal shirt.

He scored the opener, bullied defenders physically, linked play brilliantly, and looked levels above Burnley throughout the first half. It felt like the beginning of something huge for him.

Ironically, the frustrating part was seeing him forced off injured at half-time just when it looked like he was ready to dominate the second half and stroll home with the man of the match award.

At the time, I genuinely believed that could be the turning point in his fortunes with the club after that performance, but instead the injury disrupted his momentum and forced him to restart the progress he had built as he missed the next few weeks.

Even so, that match still sticks in my mind.

And tonight feels like another opportunity for our number 14 to make a statement again.

If I were a betting man, I’d certainly fancy Gyokeres to get himself on the scoresheet.

Ultimately though, Arsenal simply need to focus on what they can control.

Win the game.

Secure the three points.

Maybe Bournemouth can do us a favour against City on Tuesday night, especially given their current form under Andoni Iraola, but Arsenal cannot afford to rely on anyone else if they want to secure our first league title in over 20 years.

Control the destiny yourselves.

I genuinely believe this team can do it.

So let’s start tonight.

Score the goals.

Keep the clean sheet.

Deliver the performance.

And show everybody watching that Arsenal are ready and prepared to finish the job this time.

The post Burnley Up Next For Arsenal — The Pressure Is Only Growing first appeared on Gunners Town.

There is no football to talk about today. This is a special feature of the Arsenal Women Journal, dedicated to two very special players who will be leaving the club in the summer. Arsenal website broke the news and our hearts a few days ago, and the wound is still open: Beth Mead and Katie McCabe are leaving.

Both players are expected to join elected-champions Manchester City, on a free transfer, and put an end to their stay in North London. The fact that they are joining a direct competitor really hurts, but what hurts more is losing two experienced leaders, strong characters and veterans at a key moment in the short and medium term of the Arsenal Women team. Obviously, the club has no say about which club a player can join when her contract expires, so if both end up in a Manchester City shirt we will all have to suck it up.

Anyways, the point of this special feature is to pay a tribute to two fantastic players and two great servants of this team, so let’s dig into that and stop dwelling about their future whereabouts.

Thank you, Katie. Thank you, Beth.

Each in her own way, they left a mark on the club and helped writing some of the most important pages on the Arsenal Women’s history book, which is already such a great accomplishment per se, given the pedigree of the club and the amazing players that wore the shirt over the years.

Beth Mead arrived at the club as one of the most sought-after young strikers in Europe, in January 2017, on the back of a ridiculous debut campaign in the top division, when she won the Golden Boot. Yet, she was almost immediately presented with a huge challenge, as the club recruited Vivianne Miedema from Bayern Munich. If Beth Mead was one of the hottest prospects around, the Dutch forward was THE ONE, a generational player who was already shaking the world of women’s football in England and in Europe.

Beth Mead responded to the challenge in what we all learned to be “The Beth Way”: she fought back. Moved at right wing to accommodate Vivianne Miedema, Beth Mead went from a fantastic striker to a fantastic winger in a very short period of time and grew in the role to become one of the finest wide forwards in Europe. She would rack up assist and goals, be the nuisance we learnt to love, chase every ball and close down every opponent until the final whistle, game after game. Besides her obvious skills, Beth Mead had this edge about her, this ability to turn challenges and adversities into fuel for her next game – and that really sets her apart from anyone else.

We all enjoyed the Beth Mead Revenge Tour after she was inexplicably left out of the Great Britain team that went to the 2021 Olympic Games and saw her raise her levels once more to become – in my humble opinion – the best player in the world during the 2021/22 campaign. She went on to win the Euros with England, she was named Player of the Tournament and won the Golden Boot, yet that wasn’t enough to win a well-deserved Ballon d’Or. What a shame.

At that point in time, the Arsenal team was any combination of Beth Mead and another ten (very good) players, until her anterior cruciate ligament snapped late in 2022. That episode felt terrible because Beth Mead was at the peak of her powers, and everyone could anticipate that the recovery and return to fitness would be complicate for a player that lived off explosiveness and repeated high intensity runs.

New challenge, new energy for Beth Mead, who came back and left an indelible mark on the UWCL triumph, last season, with the clever assist for Stina Blackstenius in Lisbon.

I really hope that someone within the current group of players absorbed Beth Mead’s superpower to turn anything bad coming her way into energy and determination to overcome it, because that separates good players from champions, and legends.

Photos courtesy of Arsenal.com

Another player who never shied away from a challenge in Katie McCabe, who appeared very emotional after the home game against Everton. The Ireland international and captain will end her association with the club, next summer, and will surely go down as one of the finest players to ever don the Arsenal Women shirt, and a club legend.

Left wing, right wing, left back, right back, central midfielder, centre-half, there is not a position she cannot play and she hasn’t played during her stay in North London. Ms. Reliable has been almost ever available, played through pain and injuries and showed a level of commitment and dedication that few players could ever match: her feistiness, competitive edge and character made it a nightmare to play against, and the ultimate teammate for anyone who crossed her path.

It would be too little and unkind to return a picture of Katie McCabe as the warrior, the fighter, because she has one of the most well-educated left foot in women’s football and a rare football intelligence, but it is true that her leadership was evident – armband or not.

In a team of technicians and lightweight players, she was there to make sure that no one would dare to bully the Arsenal Women and was ready to fight back those who believed they could use any form of brutality to stop the Gunners from playing their expansive brand of football. That came at a price, at times, and Katie McCabe picked up a few unnecessary red cards along the way, of was involved in incidents you wish she wasn’t involved in, but there is no denying that she always, always left it all on the pitch, and gave her all to the Arsenal Women cause.

Photos courtesy of Arsenal.com

Despite the turmoil and changes within the club, with head coaches being replaced too frequently for the Arsenal standard, she was always integral to any team, and the first name on the starting XI for each coach – no matters the tactical setup of the opponent on the day.

Her trademark long-distance goals will remain in our memories for a long time, and so will her singing at the UWCL trophy parade, when her sunglasses spoke a million words. Losing Katie McCabe means losing a part of the soul of this Arsenal Women team, a big chunk of what made this team so likeable and, I suspect, the main instigator behind the many comebacks and impossible escapes the team pulled off last season, during their unforgettable European campaign.

The harder the mission, the stronger the team, and I really think that Katie McCabe inspired the team’s resilience and hunger, even if she wasn’t part of the so-called leadership group anymore, because a leader remains a leader – and Katie McCabe has always been one.

It will feel weird not to see Katie McCabe in the team sheet, and on the pitch altogether, not to mention her playing in a different shirt.

Farewell, Legends.

The post An Arsenal Women Journal Special – Farewell, Legends first appeared on Gunners Town.