An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective

Tracy Chapman reminds me of the time that I moved to America. She was so good. Not sure where she is now. I’ll look her up.

Anyway, she has nothing to do with what I’m thinking. The title reminded me of her.

I watched Gabriel lingering in the box and scoring, and I had a flashback.

My first club team in Tennessee was the Lakeway Kickers. I remember we were in Nashville and we were playing a tournament semifinal. I had a centre back called Matt Craine. An outstanding young player and a natural born leader. He was never shy about telling me what he thought needed to happen or just going ahead and doing it. I forget if it was his idea or my idea to stick him up front as we were struggling to get the goal that we needed to go to the final. Either way, it happened, he scored, and we went to the final.

I’d like to think that creativity is my thing and so my mind is always trying to evolve the game that I love. Since that moment, if my attackers are not getting it done, I will always at least consider sending the bullies up top. I’ve always been too much of a fantasist and wanting my teams to play like Arsenal. That would include not lumping it to the bullies in the box. After a while, I reminded myself that I wasn’t coaching Arsenal and that these were 15-year-old boys. I also reminded myself that the biggest weakness of an American soccer player is heading. They aren’t allowed to head of the ball until they are 11 years old and when they do, they are still afraid and their technique is miles off. So, if you live on crossing the ball in the air or simply lumping it forward, then you get a lot of joy if a short-term victory is what you are after.

The Premier League is obviously a completely different level, but I’ve always thought that there is room for a potential evolution of the game where teams send up their most aggressive, strongest, and best aerial players upfront.

A defender simply has a different mentality. When the ball comes into their box, they feel that they ‘must’ get it.

Strikers ‘hope’ that they can get it. So, if you send players in the box who are bigger, stronger more aggressive, and have a ‘must’ mentality than you are likely to cause chaos at the very least.

I have to rewatch the game to know if Gabriel being in that position looked like a tactic. 

What I want to propose though is that maybe it should be an evolutionary new Mikel Arteta tactic.

We’ve had overlapping full backs, inverted full backs, roaming left backs and Sheffield United’s attacking center backs.

This would be a bold move by Arteta as football has become more cautious, and with the ‘Juego de posicion’ mentality of considering defense when you are attacking, most coaches would not touch this.

I would though.

I think that they are moments, periods and games that you can rotate players to where a player like Gabriel can arrive late in the box and his presence on the halfway line is covered by a full back. It’s not as if full backs aren’t found all over the place these days so they would be the free player to utilize going in the opposite direction. Arsenal’s full backs are both centre backs by trade so it’s not as if you’re taking a risk by leaving Eboue at centre back.

I would move the attacking midfielder and somehow get the centre back to play behind the striker. If I’m going to bother taking a risk then I’m not going  to have him standing in the box being marked by somebody equally as big, strong and aggressive. I want him running from deep and attacking the ball.

Maybe like we saw at the end, move your left back to centre back and your left winger to left back and move your attacking midfielder to the left wing, temporarily.

Would be lovely to see us horseshoe to Martin Odegaard on the left wing and watching his delicious left foot find a player like Gabriel more often.

All of this might sound like I’ve had too much to drink, but I will put all $17.36 that I have in the bank on the fact that somebody is going to bring this in and others will copy.

Arteta is constantly evolving as he is fully aware that in a coaches world where analysts are a plenty, you have to provide the element of surprise.

Gabriel, Konsa and Saliba to score 5 open play goals by the end of the season. 

There, I said it. Would be wild.

POSITIVES:

Eze:

Did I spot him more active? Looking like he wanted to provoke the game rather than wait for it to come to him.

What was different was that when the ball went past him, either because he was tackled or bypassed by a short pass, he reacted so much quicker to press it. To defend him, there probably hasn’t been many players who have had to adapt their mentality and game quite as drastically as he has since he signed from Palace.

He was the star of the show in an average team that had a little expectation. He proved that he is the man for the big games in the very few opportunities he had there. He spent the majority of his career without the ball as he’s never played for a big team before us. That’s a whole lot of practice without the ball, but not actually defending. He clearly got into a groove that when his team doesn’t have the ball, he is excused. Then he comes to Arsenal and everything reverses. He has to fight for his place. He has to defend or he doesn’t play. Doesn’t track his runner and then doesn’t play for 2 1/2 months. He has to demand the ball rather than be given it like a constant birthday present. 

One of him and Noni will grab this Saka–less opportunity and potentially be a first choice pick. Honestly, if it is Tzolis, a player with less attributes, then these two need to have a serious look in the mirror.

Third man runs:

Arteta is successfully using the third man run to exit central pressing.  David Moyes’ team are always well set up defensively yet we constantly bypassed it without ever giving the ball away. Arteta knows Moyes well and that helps.

The introduction of one touch passing recently has allowed us to exit these situations as Player C moves unspotted as the defenders eyes are focused on quicker ball movement.

Odegaard:

Have Arsenal ever had a player so comfortable on the ball under pressure than Odegaard? We have been blessed, particularly from the early Wenger years onward with so many wonderful players to admire. Even during the baron spell, we still had many very talented players. I struggle to think of a player who has to play in tighter spaces, as the modern game has bought pressing and increased compact defending, and yet somehow he wiggles out of everything.

When he’s in a crowd he looks like a human piece of spaghetti. Hips made of cooked pasta where others are far more predictable.

He is looking like the most important player in our team again. There are of course many candidates for this, but with our attack really needing an extra creative spark and help in elevating Arsenal to where we need to be, he is the man who is dominating almost every game and creating opportunities or creating opportunities for the final opportunities. 

I think Martin Odegaard has come into his prime. This normally happens when players are a little bit older, but he started a little bit younger.

If he could consistently score between 12 and 15 goals a season, then I think he would be known as the best midfielder in the world.

I erased Merino out of the picture to make Odegaard’s challenge look even more daunting. 

Konsa:

How good are you when you replace a player that is considered by most to be the best defender in the world and yet fans cannot spot the difference?

Also, I’m happy for him when he scored his goal because his performances have deserved a little more spotlight. I think it’s only Arsenal fans that appreciate what he has done since he has arrived because other fans probably see us attack and do very little defending.

One of the best one on one defenders that I’ve seen in a while and in a team that has Jurrien Timber, he looks of the same level in this aspect of the game.

Dowman:

Firstly, his haircut makes him look seven years older. I was really struck today at how secure he is in possession. He will develop I’m sure much like Odegaard and become almost impossible to tackle. As he has to take more risk, it will look a little different but for a 16-year-old to be so frustrating to play against because his every touch keeps the ball away from pressure, is quite a spectacular feat for a boy that should be at home with a Coca-Cola, picking his nose whilst planning how to sneak out of the house.

Gyokeres:

As clunky as he can be on occasion, I believe that there are more occasions where his creativity is opening up opportunities for others. Interestingly, I’m not sure if the flowers that he got for creating Rice’s goal on Wednesday was actually intentional, but it’s getting to where I am not surprised when he is playing others into really good situations.

He does need to have better balance when he is in contact with a defender, but a fairer analysis would also state that they’re probably isn’t a player in the Premier League who should be getting more fouls and is getting very few. He’s not even a complainer. He barely seems to open his mouth during the game, so the referees cannot possibly dislike him. I suppose that if he was not the size of a heavyweight boxer then he would get more fouls.

NEEDS:

White:

Not picking on Ben White for his mistake but just wanted to point out how much it stood out because mistakes like this just don’t happen anymore.

Quite incredible that with football being so much more intense and full of pressing than it ever has been in the history of the game, that there is a team that can exit without ever losing it.

HOPES:

Hoping that this is not a thing. Rice too.

SCOUT MAX:

He’s back!

Check out Ajax’s latest starlet, 17 yr old, Abdellah Ouazane.

Quite spectacular!

Luca Weinhandl:

At just 17, this kid is an absolute tank!

The 6ft 3” central midfielder is currently at Sturm Graz and would be a small risk at a low fee for a player with high potential.

Big, fast, aggressive and blessed with an incredible work rate. He has the physical profile to thrive in the Premier League, and I can already see why he could be an interesting option for Arteta.

What makes him even more exciting is his role in midfield. He operates higher up the pitch, in a position similar to the one Declan Rice.

TWEETS and THOUGHTS:

There is no doubt that Arteta is guilty of being outside of his technical area. He is simply trying to draw attention to the fact that he’s the only one doing it according to the rest of the world when in fact others are as guilty.

The British media has to have an angle to hate on Arsenal. There is very little these days, so his antics on the sideline are the best they have. Especially since we’ve stopped scoring as many set piece goals.

Wy wife found this

and I found this 

I really don’t like Man Utd and this tweet exemplifies their sad state.

Credit to this account. There’s every chance that he is right. Picking periods of the game to accelerate and others to hit the brake.

FINAL THOUGHT:

Fun at Fleetwood, wherever Fleetwood is.

A great chance for Zubi, Mosquera and Viktor to get another opportunity and for Hincapie to get some minutes under his legs as he will be needed.

Like everyone, I will be rooting for Dowman more than anybody else as he might not be in the driving seat right now, but his opportunity to get Saka minutes is as much his as the others.

The post ‘Talkin’ bout an evolution’ (Positives Needs & Hopes) [ARS 2-0 EVE] first appeared on Gunners Town.

Firstly, my apologies for not being able to blog the last couple of games.

I was going to park my blog until after the Everton game, but there is something I cannot shake.

I don’t like to talk about Manchester United.

I dislike them more than any other club, including Tottenham. I suppose that in my lifetime, Manchester United have been significantly more relevant to Arsenal than Tottenham. I lived in North London briefly, and learned to dislike Tottenham a little more, but the comparison just isn’t there for me.

Unfortunately, more of my friends support Manchester United than any other club. So, as long as I love Arsenal, I will regularly hear about Manchester United. I wish I could run away from conversations regarding Manchester United but it is the main burden that I have to carry.

The one huge advantage to being up with what is going on at Old Trafford, is that I can write this beautiful piece.

The history of Manchester United in my lifetime has been somewhat parallel to that of Arsenal. The legacy managers, who most see as the best  in the history of their club.

The guinea pig at Arsenal was Unai. Emery who seemed to fail because of his approach and communication skills. For whatever the specific reason was, he lost the dressing room.

It seems that he does extremely well with good players and good teams, but that elite players don’t jive with his methods and personality.

Manchester United have spent the post–Fergie era trying to find the right coach. They have repeatedly failed. They are currently going through their latest episode that most everybody saw coming. Carrick is not an elite coach and clearly does not understand and is not able to implement modern day tactics. He was the right man at the right time last season. He came in when the players wanted to feel some freedom and a chance to show their personality and the timing was perfect. This season they needed something different and he doesn’t seem to have the talent to adapt to the needs of a 2026–27 team.

Since I moved to America in 1999, I have worked for multiple athletic directors at High Schools as well

as youth soccer club owners.

Apart from one, they have one thing in common. They don’t understand football and don’t care to understand it. It is a threat to the core traditional American sports, yet it is becoming very popular. They essentially select the first person to raise their hand in the air when it comes to hiring a football coach.

It is what I expect now so I don’t get overly upset about it, but for many years it was entirely frustrating that those people in charge didn’t care like the players and parents.

I equate this directly to the situation at Manchester United. The fans obviously really care. The owners don’t care enough. Those running Manchester United have blown up the club because they haven’t got the skillset to understand what the club needs, yet make the decisions anyway. They just go with the latest big thing regardless of whether he is a fit. Why? Because they don’t care enough.

This is also evidenced in the massive contracts that they have given to almost all of their players who are paid 50% more than they are worth. They also expose the fact that they don’t care as they are unwilling to rip it up and start again when in fact, everybody else sees that this is what they need to do.

We’ve heard about their toxic dressing room for around a decade, and that is the foundation of everything. Yet they don’t rebuild with a foundation, they just bring in the latest thing and expect them to work magic in a situation covered in mold.

So, why do I care so much about Manchester United throwing grenades at themselves?

Because, Arsenal. It’s always Arsenal.

Manchester United’s die situation helps me see the club that I love with such clarity.

Everything at Arsenal right now isn’t perfect. There are always things for people like me to pick on. There are things that we would change. There are things that upset us. Very occasionally, there are things that are undeniably wrong.

When you look at Arsenal Football Club through the lens of Manchester United, you cannot help but feel appreciation.

Even though the ride with our owners hasn’t been smooth, there has to be credit given to them for changing course.

It seemed like Arsenal was more of an investment, a shiny toy or at best, a club that was being built slowly until the owners got full control. The super league was a huge mistake and the ‘we care, do you’ campaign was pivotal. It seems like the biggest decision in the clubs recent history came when the LA Rams won the Super Bowl and the Kroenke family caught the trophy bug.

Where Manchester United have refused to rip it up and start again, Arsenal found a coach whose plan was this exact thing.

After Max told me that Como had thrashed Manchester United I immediately thought of Arsenal. I thought of walking around Disneyworld with my family and finding out that Chelsea had beaten us 6–0. I thought of the repeated embarrassing performances against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. I thought of Unai Emery.’s Arsenal conceding over 30 shots at Vicaridge Road. I had to stop at that.

When you live in the prettiest house in the neighbourhood, there is a tendency to want to perfect your situation. Maybe a lovely boat to sit at the top of your lake lot. Perhaps the latest and greatest vehicle even though you bought the latest and greatest last year. Perhaps the only thing missing is to be finally declared as the ‘Best Halloween display in the Neighbourhood’ and you feel incomplete, even though you’ve bought the boat and the new car and your situation is as close to perfect as you’ve ever had.

My desire to write this blog was prompted by our performance in Munich.

United had just got smacked in Italy and Arsenal once again, had proven that they are undoubtedly one of the top clubs in the world. Arsenal have beaten Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, Manchester City and even Barcelona in a mad muddy friendly.

At some point, you have to park the desire to perfect your club and sit back and appreciate. If you don’t, then you will sail beyond the great times and only appreciate them when they are gone. A tragedy that many people experience as they are addicted to perfecting every situation in their life.

Nobody goes to Munich and gives them such a consistently difficult game. Apart from PSG, nobody has run around Europe in the last few years and beaten everybody like we have. Nobody has maintained their seat at the top table without corruption, major owner investment or huge debt, but Arsenal have.

Nobody can come close to winning 14 Champions League games in a row. Nobody has so many clean sheets in the top leagues. Nobody has a penalty area that is the most solid fortress in football, like ours. I occasionally have to remind myself that David Raya is the best goalkeeper in the world because he can have his cigar on his lawnchair for three games in a row as the soldiers protect the fortress.

Arsenal might not have the attack that we want and probably deserve but my appreciation for the club keeps me grounded in the reality that we could’ve signed 12 attackers on July 1st but the reason we didn’t was logical. We chased two of the best in world football and you have to give them time and the respect that they desire because unlike most of our other signings, they rightly have elite choices themselves.

Arsenal’s biggest problem right now is the inconsistency of Eze, Gyokeres and Havertz.

Manchester United’s biggest problem was declared by a caller on talkSPORT today. “Nothing will change at Manchester United whilst the Glazers are in charge and for that to happen, it would be best if Manchester United were relegated.”

Oh, and whilst we look down the hill from our pretty perfect house, we also see this lot…

Enjoy Arsenal.

We are really good.

The post ‘See Man Utd, then see Arsenal’ (Observations after an impressive Munich outing) first appeared on Gunners Town.

An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective 

There is a knock-on effect to footballers becoming much busier these days.

I think that most of them are somewhat unaware of the details of what else is going on in the league.

Even though video analysis will now be used where it wasn’t in the past, I think footballers intentionally unwind from the heavy demands by separating themselves from football when they are not doing football.

I’d imagine that because the club has people that analyze and prepare for them, it’s not as necessary for the players to be aware of what’s going on around them.

I’m always wanting to separate myself from extreme views and so it’s important to mention that there will obviously be many players who watch the football highlights and some that watch all the football.

I don’t think that a modern day Arsenal player is intentionally taking it easier against easier teams. I think it’s subconscious. An overconfidence which is born out of the confidence that they have in their friends around them. I can imagine that it would be difficult not to believe in the greatest squad in the club’s history.

Because of these factors, I think that Arsenal have inadvertently fostered an attitude of complacency. Not in every game. Not all game long. Just now and again, but ‘now and again enough’ to where it would be fair to label it as part of our style.

Other teams are very aware that Arsenal want to dominate. Control. That Arsenal’s predominant style is one of great patience. Of a desperate design not to play a basketball game.

They know that within this choice is a patience that requires all of our players to be in certain locations and so we don’t transition with speed because the ball moves faster than the players and our game is largely a coached preplanned affair.

We can criticize and have our preferences as to how we feel about the style, but ultimately, it has led us to being one of the top three teams in Europe, so for the most part we need to trust the process because the process has only ever moved us in one direction.

The subconscious knock on effect of this style, and all else that I’ve mentioned, is that overconfidence sometimes becomes the winner. The players know that they are in a team where it is very rare for anybody to make a mistake anywhere on the pitch. That they can’t argue with the style and go rogue because of the direction of travel of the football club. So, what happens is that the team that seems to have very little weakness is being exploited because our players can often look in shock at the quality that they are facing.

I wonder how many of them thought that Brighton could give Arsenal 95 minutes of fairly consistent nightmares?

That Leeds could be so well organized defensively, on and off the ball, that their press could be considered the best in the league.

There will be certain phrases that players unintentionally ignore, which is the phrase that comes packaged in the cliché, ‘don’t take them for granted’.

There is another cliché that has always floated around the Premier League,’ anybody can beat anybody.’

They are all good enough to beat you on their day.

What Arsenal are experiencing is that we have gone beyond this cliché now..

Teams like Leeds, Brentford, Brighton, and others aren’t just good enough to beat you on that day, they are now good enough to beat you on any day.

Modern football relies significantly less on individuals except when you get to the very precipice of the league and cup competitions.

You can be a good team by buying into the team philosophy that everybody has these days, keeping it simple and being well organized. Now you have a situation where a team like Brighton currently look the most likely team to challenge Arsenal. Not a one ‘good season’ thing either. A big bunch of teams have moved from being ‘good enough’ on that day to ‘good.’ A good team.

I’m not sure if Liverpool, Mancheater City, Chelsea and others will give us two more difficult games than the last two we have played.

It is now important that our players check their mindset. Playing in third gear will allow you to win some games because of the undisputed fact that quality will finally win the day. I don’t believe, however, that it will like it did before.

Keith Andrews at Brentford has proven that in modern football it isn’t just the head coach that is the main difference maker. There are a team of coaches, far larger than at any time in the history of the game, who are all trusted and involved, and just because their names are not known or ever mentioned by anyone other than their own fans. Many of them are now likely to be the same standard as the hidden secrets in the background at Arsenal Football Club.

This is how I see it now…

Groupings….

Great teams:  Arsenal

Very good teams:  Brighton, Chelsea

Good team:   Liverpool, Aston Villa, Leeds, Newcastle, Brentford, Bournemouth 

Good enough teams:  Sunderland, Manchester United, Forest, Everton 

Teams that will surprise you: Ipswich, Hull

Capable and should be doing better:  Fulham, Spurs, Crystal Palace

Poor teams:  Coventry

Irrelevant team, bye-bye: Manchester City

That group of ‘good‘ teams has grown.  To be more accurate, this is based on current form and how seriously they need to be taken.

There might be less teams in the top two tiers, but almost half of the league is in the top three tiers.

POSITIVES:

Second goal:

So much of what Arsenal need to be was seen in the second goal.

A quick free kick to unsettle an unorganized Leeds. One touch football which eliminates the defensive strengths of any team. Risktaking when Noni would normally pass backwards and reset the play, but took a risk with a penetrative pass. Rotational movement to confuse Leeds. Saka drifting onto the left side but being more predictable with his outside of the foot turn to the inside. Flair from a player that has the ability but rarely the nature to use it in Declan Rice. The shot from an expert finisher who didn’t give Leeds the chance to block it.

Bruno G:

He’s been responsible for six points already this season. Six points in six games that he’s hardly played in.

He may be a flawed individual and an imperfect Arsenal-type player, but Arsenal have lacked and somewhat ignored different profiles over the years. Profiles that others have and we don’t. In his case, he has the profile or player that thinks to pass forward before he thinks to maintain possession. He thinks he can score from outside the box and so he shoots and he is often successful. I wonder if you spotted this?

https://x.com/LowResReplays/status/2108905558866817505/photo/1

Noni celebrating before he even shot the ball. A player that he’s just met and he knows and feels sure that he’s going to score. What a compliment to Bruno!

Konsa:

In amongst the frustration of the game, Konsa was solid throughout. Probably the only player in the first half that excelled.

Calafiori:

My prediction is that he scores 10 goals this season. There’s no other player in the league that is given the freedom from deep to attack the box and he’s a better finisher than most of the strikers in the league.

Odegaard:

Odegaard changed the game and I didn’t even know it.

Listening to Clive Palmer, he mentioned that the captain got everybody together and basically laid into them to step up their game just before we scored.

Some people criticize him for not being a ‘captain type,’ but our life experience has taught all of us that we are more inclined to listen to somebody that gets angry once in a while rather than somebody that does it weekly.

It sure seems like this moment was a sliding doors moment in the game and in the outcome.

Noni:

I had a small personal celebration all to myself while sitting under a cabana in Jamaica.  I heard that Noni was starting on the left wing.

As many of you know, I have been hoping for a strong footed winger who could deliver service with more confidence. Noni wasn’t brilliant, but he was absolutely promising enough to make us think that we might have something there.

The important part is the comparison between him and the others that play there. Eze looks like he will continue to be a moments player, hugely capable, but not consistent and efficient from game to game. Tzolis has had a fantastic start to his career after a huge step up.

The competition will be with Eze as ultimately the main reason for him being there was the biggest box checked on the day, quality delivery.

NEEDS:

Arteta:

To be balanced, he wasn’t just a problem with his decision-making as his second half adjustments, including substitutions, won us the game.

I think my concerns are echoed elsewhere amongst the fanbase. Just that he needs to trust in form players to replace his favourites. Odegaard had apparently played 4 x 90 minutes for Norway and played the first half and half of the second half like he was knackered. Havertz wasn’t at his best and we didn’t even expect to see him, but his inclusion seemed an unnecessary risk especially with Viktor scoring four goals for his country. Merino single-handedly won a game that Spain were losing all by himself and Eze had an impressive performance for England.

Maybe it’s his desire to play his ‘best team’ as long as they show up at the stadium. If ever there has been a time in the history of the club to rotate with confidence, it would be now. It seems like we wasted an hour, hoping that Kai could find himself and perhaps got a little lucky that Odegaard did.

Bruno and Myles:

It’s still early in the season and Bruno didn’t have a preseason and he had to play for 90 minutes, but this sounds like it might be a good long-term solution…

Saka:

Don’t bother reading this part if you are bored of my bleating about Saka needing a fresh look.

I’m not talking about the haircut, either.

We have the perfect opportunity with Tzolis out to try this on the left. Noni gave us hope and he could play on the right with Saka offering a similar and probably better product on the left. The Champions League game on Tuesday would be the perfect opportunity to take a look at it.

There’s a chance that Noni got the first look simply because he was at the training ground for two weeks while Saka was playing for England.

HOPES:

Hincapie had to be given a piggyback off the field after the warm down. He looked in genuine pain. Apparently, Zubimendi had an issue in the warm down, also.

Maybe we need to look at the temperature of our players bodies on a colder day and the intensity of our warm down.

FINAL THOUGHT:

The perspective of a player trying to play against us is always respected. In other games, I’m sure that they would have felt that they were going to go on and win or at least believe that it was likely. You might have noticed that Leeds collapsed the last 20 minutes and even though they just needed one goal to get back in the game, they never really looked like they believed. Their coach said exactly the same thing so we can see that what the club has built has quite a dramatic effect on our opponents.

I’d rather us not have to use our mentality and fix the issues, but it’s still the beginning of the season so our expectations probably need to chill a little bit.

The post ‘Good enough’ no longer good enough (Positives Needs & Hopes) [ARS 2-1 LEE] first appeared on Gunners Town.

An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective

I never like playing Brighton away. We’ve been pretty successful there recently, but they are always a team that I think are capable of beating us.

Always well coached, unafraid, and capable. Capable of beating us at the same game.

The result was a surprise because Arsenal are on a roll. Not only confident, but really hard to create chances against.

Unfortunately, Brighton found a weak spot. 

We looked like a team that either showed up having done a two hour training session before kickoff and/or a team that had won the last five games in third gear and never had to utilize the other three gears.

Unlike every other game this season, including Manchester City, Brighton forced us to use gears that we haven’t had to use this season. This was perfectly embodied by Arsenal successfully playing out of the back until the vertical pass was needed. The first three gears meant that we didn’t create ridiculous errors that led to easy chances (apart from the odd one) yet Brighton’s relentlessness and aggression forced us to make choices that were risky or play with one touch when we were used to getting two or three touches.

Strangely, Arsenal have managed to become an elite team without really utilizing one touch football. Perhaps it’s because the coach sees us as more of a team crafted to be reliant on power. Power in physical strength. Power dribbling. Power in upper body strength. Power set plays.. There are only a few players who are cute and want to take the risk of playing a one touch ball. 

We were exposed because we relied on patterns that they were very familiar with yet played the pattern even though there was a better option. When you rely on patterns, you can get lazy as you feel like there is no need to scan and check. Especially when you’ve done it for the last five games and got out easily.

What was particularly frustrating is that Arsenal in fourth, fifth and sixth gear can be unstoppable. Even against a team at the very top of their game like Brighton. We had periods of possession and opportunity but much smaller. Unfortunately, when good and great opportunities arose in front of goal, our players snatched at them, which seems to be an ongoing issue.

Arteta will be frustrated by many things that I’ll talk about later, but I think that the lack of leadership when the game went 3–0 will have rattled him. There was still time left in the game to come back, especially for an inform team like us. Nobody seemed to raise their game or try to get anybody else to and their energy gave the impression that they were calling it a write off.

The coaching head in me sat in the pub in Knoxville and was telling the people around me that on some level it is better to be beaten 3–0 than 2–1. A closer game can live with you longer because you were so close to not losing.

When a leading gets spanked across the backside, the cheeks and the backside again it normally results in a far more serious group the next time. Mikel will be thinking of how to rally them, but then again I doubt that he will have to. Even though the leaders and the team let themselves down, Arsenal is such a well run club with such high standards and principles, they will not need to be told that they have let themselves and each other down.

I expect Leeds to get spanked in a few weeks.

It’s a shame that this game isn’t next weekend because the frustration and anger may subside a little.

Either way, Leeds are getting spanked.

POSITIVES:

This:

Dowman:

I applaud Arteta for playing Dowman. Personally, I would have brought him on at halftime. Sometimes the age has to be chucked out of the window, and if you have a player on the bench with the deception and running power to disturb a press and man marking system, then you can’t just give them 10 minutes.

He needed to be given at least 45 minutes to play as the number 10 and even though the rest of the team were not on it, he would’ve provided at least a couple of opportunities whilst running with the ball. Opportunities that nobody else in our midfield even attempts to do. That might be harsh on Declan Rice, who has tried it a few times over the last few games, but he doesn’t have the cuteness or for some reason, the confidence to finalize the action in this situation.

VG:

The kind of opinion and analysis that I like is from somebody that offers a flexible point of view.

He was pretty woeful against Ipswich, but that doesn’t mean that he’s a bad player and needs to be sold. He was still our top scorer in our most successful season in over 20 years.

We still haven’t seen the best of him. Bangers have been his main weapon at previous clubs and I don’t think we’ve seen that even once at Arsenal.

He provided the best pass of the entire game for either team when he lobbed the defense to give Havertz his big opportunity. 

Most analysts just want to mention his negatives when I could comfortably make a compilation, even from the five games this season, of some very good creative one and two touch ideas that he has had.

He gets beaten with the fan stick harder than others simply because his weaknesses are more obvious than the others.

NEEDS:

Madueke:

I do wonder if the rumors of other clubs being interested in Noni is a real thing. Like VG, I wonder if his head has been turned. It’s not like Arteta to bring on Dowman in front of him, but I felt that there was a message being sent.

On the other hand, I was surprised because Saka is yet to hit his form and Madueke has looked equally dangerous in his first action. Saka, has the end product of three goals and so I get it but I do think moving forward that players like Saka, Odegaard and Rice need to be sat down for their own sake.

Madueke runs hot and cold, but his hot is right up there with Saka.

Raya:

After saying last week that David Raya is our best player, he has what for him, was a stinker.

I was tempted to mention that the only weakness I see in his game is every few months he plays a risky ball out from the back. He needs to eradicate that totally. In his position, he has to be 100% certain that the player he is passing to will 100% find the next pass or he needs to not play it. I’m sure that this is overconfidence and somewhat of a compliment to the players in our team that he has so much trust in what they can do under pressure. The reality is though that regardless of the confidence level of our players, if you put a top player in a very tricky situation, you have to also take into consideration that the guy behind him might also be a top player or simply good at reading what’s about to happen. That then negates what you thought you could do.

The only other small weakness in Raya’s game is that when he makes a mistake, he tries to make up for it by trying too hard. He flapped at the first cross and instead of staying on his line in a huge crowd he kept on coming for balls that were not his. Like they say with field players, after you make a mistake, make the next few actions simple for yourself so you can get your game back. Don’t try and do a step over after you’ve just done a step over and nearly broke your nose.

Bruno:

Not sure if what we saw was rust or just a bad game. No particular judgment as that might’ve been his first start with Rice in the Premier League and so that will take time. If Arteta had that game back then maybe he doesn’t throw Bruno into a game where rhythm and understanding of partnership is not there yet.

Gabriel and Konsa:

Again, no hard judgment because they are a new partnership. It’s just come to my attention that over the last three games they don’t seem to have figured out which one of them needs to step out to block the shot and who needs to stay back and squeeze the others in.

I was also concerned that they were too quick to sink into their box when they could’ve held the line at the top of it. Every split second matters, and when that ball went through both of them, David Raya had half a second less to see it.

Saka:

I hope that I am wrong, but he seems to have lost some of his quickness after all of his Achilles issues. He is struggling to find separation whether he goes right or left.

If we were to go ahead by two goals or more in the next few fixtures, I would give him half an hour as a left-winger or attacking midielder. If his issues creating separation on the wing are going to be a long-term problem then a fresh look would help in the short term and a different position might be needed in the long-term.

Havertz:

Maybe one day I will research this. Somebody else probably has already. Havertz seems to struggle to finish in certain scenarios. I think it’s actually the scenario that he found himself in.

When he is running with the ball straight down the middle of the field, he doesn’t seem as confident as when he is approaching the goal from an angle.

Tzolis:

I don’t believe in making final conclusions and shouting at people when you just started something. Just wanted to mention that Tzolis has been significantly better and looks more comfortable in home games.

He obviously has to play away games, but in the short term, you might want to try something else away from home until he adapts to the leagues intensity and atmosphere.

I’d be fine with giving Eze a run because it’s hard for any good player to reach the top of his game with just bits and pieces.

For those that read my work regularly, you will know that I suggested a Saka switch to the left-wing to refresh the attack. I also think that Noni would be a good option out there.

HOPES:

Arsenal have Arsenal’d me out this weekend so I’m going to finish up with a non-Arsenal story.

If you don’t listen to ’That Peter Crouch’ podcast, I would advise you to give it a try.

Much like his book, he is just a very regular guy doing regular guy things with regular guys who aren’t famous.

His stories are always so relatable and humorous.

In the latest episode, they were talking about however Everton have an executive game package that costs £25,000  per person.

You read that right.

I was on the edge of my Mini listening on the way home as to what is in the package.

You will have to listen to it yourself to get the full list, but here were a few things that Everton are offering…

1. Pre-match meal with the players
2. Join part of the training session on Friday with the players
3. Stay at the players hotel
4. Pre-game meal with the players
5. Ride the coach to the game with the team
6. Sit in on the tactical meeting with the coaches
7. Sideline access during the warm-up
8. Sit in the dugout with the substitutes

There is of course a signed jersey from the whole squad and other bits and pieces you would expect.

A few hours later, I’m still a little confused as to whether I think that is one of the biggest ripoffs I’ve ever heard or one of the most memorable days of your life.

Just to think that they can pay Jordan Pickford’s weekly salary by four people taking up this executive package.

I’ll wake up in the morning with more clarity as to what I really think about this, but I do know that this seems two or three steps too far. Very uncomfortable for the players, coaches and probably for the fans themselves.

How do they vet these people? How do they know that they’re not going to go share secrets that they saw and heard?

How do they know that they aren’t Liverpool fans?

Isn’t this the kind of thing that takes the heavily edited club documentaries to a whole new level?

Either way, it’s not happening at Arsenal. Yet.

My last thought is that if I was stinking rich, I would quickly drop £25,000 on this experience because I’d probably never know that the money had left my bank account but I’d definitely remember discussing whether David Moyes should park the bus or high press with David Moyes.

Blessings to all and a quick extra thanks to those that are sharing my writing

The post A Car With 3 Gears (Positives Needs & Hopes) [BHA 3-0 ARS] first appeared on Gunners Town.

An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective 

For some reason in the last week, I’ve had two people ask me who I thought was the best player at Arsenal.

I get asked a lot of questions about Arsenal, but that one hasn’t come in quite a while.

I had to think about it because it’s not ‘clear and obvious’ like the incompetence of the referee association.

The usual suspects are Rice, Raya, Saliba, Gabriel or Saka.

This season Odegaard has elevated himself back into consideration and Timber would be a discussion if he could stay fit.

David Raya gets complimented frequently but he is never in this conversation. I think this is because of the bias towards an outfield player and in particular, an attacking player.

So, how do you judge who the best player in your team is?

I think that the rubric is as follows…

1. The player that plays most consistently at the highest level
2. The player that would be most missed if they weren’t on the field.
3. The player who delivers in every game state and particularly when it really matters.
4. The player with the fewest weaknesses.  

Let’s go through the four points;

1. There are four players at Arsenal that play consistently at a high-level. Rice, Raya, Saliba and Gabriel.
2. For this category you have to be fair and give context. Raya’s back up is a decent goalkeeper. All the others in consideration have backups that are far beyond ‘decent.’ David Raya would be the winner here if it was based on who replaces them, but that would make him more of an MVP based on Kepa‘s lack than being the ‘best player.’ So, ignoring Kepa, Rice, Raya and Gabriel would be the three. Declan Rice is unique in his defensive abilities and stamina to be able to do the same difficult action in the 95th minute as the 1st minute. If Raya was absent, then I believe we would greatly miss his lightning reflexes, his box dominance and his consistency. I put Gabriel above Saliba because I think that his determination and willingness to do actions that most defenders are not willing to do, elevates and motivates the others around him.
3. For consistency at the highest level and ability to perform when it really matters, Raya, Saliba, Gabriel and Rice would be trusted to be in this category as of the last year or so. Saka is close but hasn’t shown the same consistent elevated game when it really matters.
4. This is where you see an obvious difference in the five players. Declan Rice has a couple of obvious weaknesses. He can be too safe when it’s not needed. When he’s asked to play closer to goal, he doesn’t have the goals and assists instinct that a player of his ability could have or the hips to swivel, turn and show the necessary unpredictability. The only weakness I can see in Saliba is from set pieces. He has scored from a couple of corners over the years, but I can’t remember him being a threat from free kicks. Less important detail perhaps but still part of the job that he’s asked to do. Saka can be devastating, but needs to improve his short crossing, right foot finishing and heading ability. I’m seeing improvements this season in his rotational movement and desire to make runs behind the defense, much like he did on Saturday. I do believe that he needs some other ways of beating his defender as he can offer the same couple of tricks which can become a little predictable. This might be somewhat unnecessary and a little picky, but Gabriel’s progressive play could be improved. His improvement is in the ability to drive through the midfield with the ball at his feet on occasion, and pass between the lines when the opportunity arises. Up untill recently, and particularly Saturday, David Raya’s only weakness was saving penalty kicks. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a goalkeeper without a weakness. He has everything and even skills that aren’t necessarily required like line breaking passing.

It’s still very close and maybe this is a little harsh on Gabriel and Saliba in particular, but I think David Raya is the best player at Arsenal.

POSITIVES:

Bruno:

Arsenal could’ve brought in another top class midfielder this summer and everybody would’ve been good with it. Tonali was a good example. A player good enough to play for Arsenal, but not really the player that we needed. Bruno brings two things in particular that Arsenal needed. A player whose first thought is to pass forward and create opportunities. A player who thinks first about shooting when the ball comes to him on the top of the box, whereas most of our midfielders think about a pass.

His goal was glorious, not just because of the quality of the strike, but the first touch.  He feels comfortable in that zone and so his first touch was perfection because he’s done it more than the others.

He’s gonna be very difficult to keep off the field.

Raya:

I’ve already waxed about David Raya, but just wanted to mention his penalty save. On some level it just looked like a routine penalty save but goalkeepers who save shots to their left or right are not normally saving them at ground level. They can’t get there in time. His reflexes are so incredibly fast that he is able to get to the very corner of the goal and hit the ground and save what was a perfectly well hit penalty kick.

The fact that he was not in the list for Balon d’Or, is a travesty up there with Thierry Henry not winning it the year that Pavel Nedved did. Raya should be in consideration for the award and he’s not even on the list of 30.

Odegaard:

Alongside wanting three points and ideally Arsenal to play beautiful football, fans also want to see gifted players use their gifts. Now that Odegaard is back to his form. He is starting to exhibit those beautifully fast and soft feet and delightful jelly hips. Opponents are finding it almost impossible to tackle him.

There are different types of dribblers. He is not a direct running dribbler, but a press resistant dribbler. Nasri, Hleb and Odegaard have all had the gift of being incredibly difficult to win the ball from. Such a joy to watch!

If Arsenal were playing five aside, he would be the best player in the league.

Weaknesses:

Arsenal are a team without an obvious weakness. Again, maybe the first one in my lifetime. It’s always been accepted that every team has strengths and weaknesses and the best ones have very few weaknesses. Maybe two or three ways to get at them. Either a weak mentality when they go behind or a tendency to get angry.. Perhaps they struggle to keep 11 players on the field like Chelsea. They might have a fantastic plan A, but no alternative.

Last season, the numpties that said that Arsenal could only score from set plays have absolutely been put in their place this season. No goals from set plays so far and we’ve won every game.

As we don’t have any obvious weaknesses, we are able to win every type of game. This game fell into the ‘physically difficult’ category. Sunderland offered nothing from open play, but their throw ins and corner kicks were troublesome, either because the referee gave them a penalty for fouling us or allowed them to take 50 seconds to take a throw in.

Timber: 

The security that he brings us is so evident. Ben White isn’t a bad defender. He’s very good otherwise he wouldn’t be playing on this level of Arsenal team. He just has weaknesses where Timber doesn’t. I was doubtful as to whether he was truly offside for his goal as television refused to show us the lines. There should be a rule about that. Either never show us or show us every time otherwise (due to the fact that the standard of refereeing is beyond a joke now) people are naturally skeptical.

New tactical concepts:

There are a couple of new patterns that we are attempting.

The first is somewhat of a carryover from last season.

As Arsenal progressed the ball into the midfield, Saka runs laterally asking for a vertical ball. He then uses his almost unique ability to shield the ball in order to drag it forward and past the opponent. I love this because it suits his ability to shield the ball as well as it giving the opponent a real dilemma. Does the left back follow him or does the opponent have quick enough communication to pass on the run to a midfielder. Very clever.

The second pattern has seen us score at least twice this season. Ordinarily the ball is coming from Tzolis on the left and hit diagonally to the top of the box/penalty spot area. In order to make it happen, Calafiori is normally the one to make a run towards the left-hand side to drag the opponent away, so the pathway is clear. When the ball arrives at Kai’s feet inside the box the defender is reluctant to go for the first touch in case Kai puts his foot in the way and gets a penalty kick. As we know, Odegaard is the one who has benefited from this.

I wanted to mention these two patterns because they are both designed based on giving our opponent a real conundrum.

Konsa:

The conversation around him and Brobbey was largely about the Sunderland striker dominating him. That’s not what happened at all. Konsa was told to man mark him. not normally an assignment for a centre back. He was clearly told to be very cautious in stepping in front of him because he is at least a physical match for every centre back in the league. Arteta had obviously come to the conclusion that rather than trying to out muscle him and constantly give away free kicks, let him have the first touch, but stay with him and trust the other defenders to shift in behind. Sunderland didn’t have anybody making a third man run and so because Brobbey was absent from the front line he might have won the first ball, but there was no immediate threat afterwards. Even though Brobbey is yet to catch fire in England, you might remember his younger days where he scored more goals than games played in. Arteta sacrificed some possession in order to keep him from wanting to run behind. He became a physical threat, sixty yards from our goal. That is very manageable.

Rice:

What is interesting about Declan Rice’s career is that his main attributes of stamina, reading of the game and ball winning are  three attributes that are achievable for other professionals. The reason that he is head and shoulders ahead is that he is a significantly more serious player. He simply wants it more. That is harder to teach and shouldn’t have to be encouraged, but unfortunately, the majority of players with similar gifts are not willing to push themselves like he is. There was a time in the second half when Sunderland were breaking towards our goal and Declan Rice ran at full sprint from 20 yards behind the play and caught it. Most players when they are running back to goal, give a maximum of 80% of their full sprint speed. This was 100% and it stood out. A player who simply takes his craft more seriously.

I’d  also like to mention that Odegaard’s renaissance is in large part down to the security that Rice gives him. Odegaard is just as serious as Rice but in a different way. We would often criticize him for coming too deep but I think it was because he cared too much. Now he feels secure with Rice moving back to DM and so he is playing with greater freedom. It’s still kind of wild to think that Arsenal won the league with Rice not playing in his best position, Kai not able to help for most of the season, Saka the same and not in top form and Odegaard only 50% of the player we are seeing now.

When Arsenal fans semi–jokingly suggest that we will win the league in late March, I don’t think that they are actually joking.

NEEDS:

MLS:

Just an off game. He just needs to remember that when he has made a couple of mistakes that he needs to play the simple ball the next few times or at least not try to make one of his tricky turns in order to get his confidence back.

Subs:

I’m surprised that Arteta, the master of the details, has not told his substitutes to have their shirt and shinpads on while sitting on the bench. That’s always been a pet hate of mine, and I would’ve thought that Arteta would be the one to do it differently.

John Brooks and VAR:

Why did Gabriel get a yellow card for breaking up a potential fight?

Why were we penalized for taking a few seconds too long in at a throw in when Sunderland took three throw-ins that were closer to one minute?

It’s ok that John Brooks was fooled by Danny Ballard, but why is it ok that the VAR officials, who have unlimited time, can get half of their decisions wrong every single week?

HOPES:

White:

It is absolutely not ideal that Timber will have to be thrown straight back into playing too many minutes. We can only hope that White or Mosquera come back quickly. I suppose the international break being a long one is likely helpful.

FINAL THOUGHT:

I thought it was really smart that Arteta’s took this particular opportunity to criticize the officials. I also found it extremely unsurprising that he got called names for doing it. We have to accept that regardless of how close to perfection we are, and he is, the angry heads won’t stop. Ever.

He is now the top manager in the league. Not just because he won the league, but he is without question the best coach in the league now that Pep has left. I’m sure he is aware of this and so his words are more influential.

There might be a tactical element to the timing of his complaint, but the league needs to listen to him. There has never been a coach so detail oriented and so right about so much. If they were humble enough, they would sit down with him and ask his opinion as to what they should do to save themselves.

They won’t, so on we will go with the drama.

The post Raya, fire! (Positives Needs & Hopes) [SUN 0-2 ARS] first appeared on Gunners Town.

An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective

I know that every game is different.

Watch Arsenal score four at Sunderland with some of the best and most accurate shooting you’ve seen in a while.

Players don’t forget how to shoot overnight.

Without knowing exactly what happens at training I have often wondered how elite coaches attempt to replicate the adrenaline and pressure that a player feels when they shoot.

I’m aware that what is posted on social media isn’t all of it. Clubs can’t reveal what they are doing not just because they don’t want opponents to see what they are preparing, but also they don’t want to give what might be unique drill ideas to the world.

I’ve always had a suspicion that although getting many reps on shooting under no pressure, or just a little, has great importance, but shooting in an actual game at any level is so very different.

You’ve got adrenaline, expectation, more competitive environment, significantly less space and time, normally at least one, if not 6 defenders trying to block it etc….

When I coach shooting, I do both.

Lots of reps to remind the mind of the correct technique. A short swing, or as I tell the boys, don’t let the keeper see what colour the soles of your boots are. Then we spend at least a third of the time challenging them by asking them to replicate the same technique and accuracy whilst the heart is beating quicker under pressure.

It’s not an Arsenal problem. Every team at every level has days where their shooting is off. I’ve always wondered if there is a way to make these days further apart.

I’ve always tried to have rewards or punishments for hitting the target or being off target. I think at the highest level the biggest problem by far is hitting the ball over the crossbar. It seems like around 60% of all shots hit somebody in the crowd.

What I’m doing with youngsters isn’t necessarily possible to replicate at the elite level, but I’ve always thought that every single training session should either have shooting practice at the end or those players that get to shoot in games have functional training by themselves to get hundreds of reps.

Not only was Arsenal’s shooting wild, but there were some really odd misses. Players using the wrong technique at the wrong time and essentially snatching at chances or trying to hit the ball too hard.

For what it’s worth, when a footballer gets to the age of 12 or 13 they are now capable of hitting it over the crossbar. They have sufficient power to score any kind of goal and it now becomes about controlling that power.

When I was coaching at the high school level, we found ourselves in this position where we were dominating most games, but our finishing was letting us down. The next season our emphasis was on the word ‘enough.’ When it’s time to shoot or finish, the players had to give consideration to what was ‘enough’ power because most were using all of the power that they possess and losing control of their body.

For those golfers out there, this thought process works well, especially when teeing off.

That’s always been my best thought regarding shooting and finishing. Elite players have more power than the rest of us and so in most cases if they use 50–60% of this power and focus more on accuracy then they would score significantly more goals.

Thankfully, Martin Odegaard was the exception and he hit a technically perfect short swing shot with a little less power and perfect accuracy.

I didn’t think it was going to be our day because the disease had spread around the entire team, but Odegaard is in fantastic form and most importantly, has found his composure and confidence in front of goal.

POSITIVES:

Odegaard:

I felt bad for him before we scored. He was the middle of everything. The conductor was back. He was creating everything that was good.

Saka:

Just wanted to mention that I saw him winning a couple of headers that he doesn’t normally try for. Especially because of what I said the other day. An improvement. Let’s not talk about his finishing though :/

Clean sheets:

Including the Community Shield that is four clean sheets in five games. Tonight was largely an off night, but this kind of ability to keep a clean sheet will allow us to have an off night and still win.

Hincapie:

He wasn’t super busy, but he was so incredibly on it. His  positioning was perfect and his ability to stay calm on transition and find an outlet pass rather than clearing was very evident.

NEEDS:

Gyokeres:

He made the game too physical tonight. Whenever we were in a clear crossing position, he was stapled to a defender and didn’t seem to have the savvy or movement to pull himself away and get open. A little concerning.

Watching him in these situations is odd for me. For a player who has banged so many goals in his career, he doesn’t seem to be able to shake his marker in a deep block scenario.

Eze:

He’s obviously going to play, but he should be concerned as to whether he is going to play because the coach needs Tzolis to rest or whether he’s going to play because he’s the best option.

He wasn’t bad, but he didn’t seem to be playing with a determination to grab that left wing jersey. He was a little too narrow in the first half and gave himself very little room. I think I speak for everybody when I say that we just want to see a more motivated player.

Rice:

I don’t know if Bruno couldn’t start  because of fitness and coming back from injury, but Zubimendi could have.

It just makes me a little nervous to see him starting a game where I didn’t feel he was necessary.

I figured that Arteta was going to do it and not rotate heavily because he never does. And I know that he wanted to start strong in the Champions League. I just don’t think that it’s worth the risk with Rice when your back ups are two players who are also world class or very close to it.

HOPES:

Barrios:

I wasn’t very aware of Pablo Barrios at Atletico Madrid until last season. There was a podcast talking about how they would’ve done much better against us if he was playing. I’ve been watching him recently and I doubt he’s going to be there much longer. Somebody is gonna pay 100 million or more for him. He makes that team tick and is the closest thing I’ve seen to Declan Rice in Europe.

Camera and McQueen:

They sound like a cop show.

A couple of players to keep an eye on. Both are wingers and both have a very high ceiling. Suleiman Camera plays for Slovan Bratislava. He scored their only goal against PSG yesterday. You might have seen it.

His goal sums up his ability. Extremely quick and skillful and he’s finished with perfection.

Ryan Kavuma McQueen is one of many Chelsea players out on loan. He’s at Portsmouth and much like Camera, he is a big talent.

Finneran:

Rorri Finneran will likely get to play at Newcastle. He is currently on loan at Notts County but with Newcastle rebuilding I would imagine that in around a year or so he will get an opportunity. A wonderfully talented Irishman with the most Irish name and all around game.

TWEETS and THOUGHTS:

I didn’t realize our XG was this good/bad. Definitely shooting camp time.

Barcelona in big financial trouble again. Look out for Arsenal potentially taking advantage of this in January. Raphinha, please.

Highlights what a great game he had.

Part of this is us not using him the way he needs to be used, but most of it is down to his movement in and around the 6 yard box.

We can all think of somebody that we’d love to share this information with.

So I’m not blind.

I wonder if this was a deliberate charm offensive because Arteta would love to have him as a rotational option.

Elite.

I wonder how much emphasis Arteta puts on keeping this number below 0.3, for example?

FINAL THOUGHT:

The game this weekend against Sunderland was a bit of a mess last season. A win would speak to what Martin Odegaard said after the game,” I think we are at another level now.”

The post Shooting camp for Arsenal (Positives Needs & Hopes) [NAP 0-1 ARS] first appeared on Gunners Town.

“Some managers inherit a squad. I inherited a crime scene and only Starboy survived the investigations.”

(Source, Mikel Arteta (honestly))

Goalkeepers

• Bernd Leno – the guy who made a world-class save look routine and a routine backpass look like a near-death experience.
• Emiliano Martínez – still as arrogant as ever, perfectly suited at Chelsea.
• Matt Macey – I checked and a reverse google search confirmed ‘yes, that is Matt Macey in the photo.’

Defenders

• Héctor Bellerín – the man, the legend, the mullet
• Kieran Tierney – his heart was always in the right place, shame the rest of him was always in the treatment room
• Sokratis – sounded like a Brazilian footballer but played like a Greek philosopher
• Rob Holding – once got named in Garth Crooks’ Team of the Week
• Shkodran Mustafi – didn’t need instructions to mark the striker. Just a compass and someone to tell him where the striker actually was.
• Calum Chambers – Not to be confused with the Australian rules footballer Callum Chambers
• David Luiz – Well he had great hair
• Sead Kolašinac – well he was better than Andre Santos

Midfielders

• Dani Ceballos – looked great on YouTube
• Mesut Özil – Turned up for Real Madrid in a friendly, disappeared against Wigan in the rain
• Lucas Torreira – The little Uruguayan who bit ankles for fun
• Ainsley Maitland-Niles – Winger, midfielder, right back, left back in the changing room
• Joe Willock  – Box-to-box energy, final-third amnesia
• Mattéo Guendouzi – Well he had great hair, just not as great as David Luiz
• Granit Xhaka – Two-footed in the best and worst ways possible
• Emile Smith Rowe – The Croydon De Bruyne, when his hamstrings allowed it

Forwards

• Alexandre Lacazette – Lyon to Arsenal for £52 million. Arsenal to Lyon for £0 million
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – unfortunately never learnt that you ‘play for the name in the front of shirt, not the one on the back
• Reiss Nelson – there will always be Bournemouth
• Gabriel Martinelli – Wrightys’ right, should have been treated better
• Nicolas Pépé – 72 million quid no one is getting back
• Bukayo Saka – Last man standing

The post They all rolled over and one was left… (Arteta’s 7-Year Arsenal Cull) first appeared on Gunners Town.

An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective 

Arsenal are in a brand new position for the first time in a few decades. They are hot favorites to win the Premier League.

This brings a different set of emotions. No longer are fans and Arsenal both wondering ‘can they?’

Motivation is tested after you finally win something. How much do you really want to experience that again? It’s different with every player, but if you have a great leader, as we do, then if you want to get on the field, then you must realize that a drop in standards won’t even see you in the squad.

Everybody wants to take your scalp. The coaches know that in this league, it is possible for anybody to beat anybody and so they dream of getting a big victory against the best team.  Nothing that they say will motivate greater than knowing you can beat anybody else because you beat the best.

You also have to deal with the feeling of superiority. How many times in our footballing journey have we said, “we were too complacent today, lads.” Complacency is a natural human reaction and you have to fight it. Premier League players have to fight it , also. It often creeps in after a string of difficult games. You end up playing a lower table team and the players feel a little too relaxed. It also happens during the game when you get two or more goals ahead.

Before this game started, I was concerned that we would give Chelsea an early season lift in belief. A big dose. It’s not necessarily what I thought would happen, but you can only imagine how Chelsea would have felt, with their new coach and new dreams, if they would’ve beaten the champions on their own turf.

Today Arsenal had to walk away having discouraged Chelsea. In the long term this was more important than anything else.

We don’t spend much time wondering what opposing teams and opposing fans feel and think, but with the media‘s help Chelsea would’ve been the new best thing after this game, if they would’ve won.

Now after the game has finished, I still feel more relieved that we discouraged them, than the fact that we won ourselves.

I suppose I’m well-versed in knowing that half of winning the league is discouraging your opponents rather than it just being all about you all the time.

At the beginning of the season, nobody expects brilliance. It’s all about three points. What is extra beautiful is that Chelsea were given the boost of scoring early and still lost. They saw Arsenal purring at times in the game and that doesn’t normally happen until October.

Chelsea and their fans have just gone home having again experienced not beating Arsenal.

Max just sent me this…

That’s a lot of discouragement

POSITIVES:

XG:

We haven’t even conceded 1.0

XG goal in our first three games combined.

Look at the numbers on that chart. The gap after three games is stark even between Arsenal in first and City in second.

Sometimes XG can drive me mad as there is too much focus on it. Too many people using it to sound smart rather than using it at the right time and in the right context.

I don’t know this for a fact, but I feel very strongly that there is a standard at Arsenal that is unmatched anywhere.

The penalty area is our castle. 

The standard has been set that you defend your castle with everything you have. You don’t leave it to somebody else to shoot the arrows, you take responsibility yourself. You are just as proud of your castle as you are of the arrows you shoot at them.

I think you’ll find that this thought is posted and preached frequently at Arsenal Football Club.

1. You don’t let them get into your box.
2. You don’t allow any chances whatsoever and if one happens then there has been a breakdown in the defense of the castle. I’m sure that David Raya would’ve saved that shot from range but Gabriel diving to head it out was like the last and bravest soldier defending the king.

Castle well protected.

Breaking it down even further. So very impressive.

Tzolis:

This was a more important game for him than likely anybody else. He is not yet established and Eze played fairly well when he replaced him against Villa. Actually, I thought that they would switch jobs for this game. He had to show better decision-making and a willingness to be as direct as he was against City and Coventry.

I can’t remember one bad decision that he made and this is his strength. He’s not as eye-catching as those that are considered to be the best in his position, but his technique, two footedness and consistent execution seems to be of the highest level.

In particular, I loved how calm he was under huge pressure. His touch bringing the ball down out of the air was faultless. He yet again set up too high XG chances and I’d say that this is probably the level expected for each game for a winger on top of his game.

Is it just me or does he look like a chef? Just a random thought.

Whilst I’m at it, Man. United’s goalkeeper looks like a bass guitarist who has a day job as a concierge.

Actually, let’s get really silly.… Did Chelsea bring on Pedro Neto’s twin brother to play left back?

Odegaard:

Pressure changes everything. Martin Odegard’s life changed a couple of years ago when he got married, had a kid and simultaneously had the pressure of trying to lead this team back to the top.

You saw in the summer and we see it now, a player who looks like he’s enjoying himself, dictating games, creating chances and scoring again. I’d imagine that all of this is largely to do with pressure. It’s certainly not experience and it’s certainly not an improved player because what he’s producing has been seen before. I do wonder if that dummy by Kai is something that they’ve worked on because we’ve seen it twice since the Community Shield.

Broadly speaking, here is an interesting discussion… Is Odegaard currently the best player in the Premier League?

Raya:

I know he’s not the talk of the town. I’m sure when I go on social media it will all be about the colour of London. If we were to watch that back, we would notice that he was more busy than in all of the other games this season combined. When you get up early in the morning and watch all the other Premier League games you get a greater appreciation of a player like David Raya.

He is so technically clean. Max and I have a joke when we often watch another team playing and say, “ David Raya would’ve caught that”

I’m not seeing a better goalkeeper in the world right now. I don’t even feel bold in saying that. I think he is clearly the best. He’s the best at commanding his box, especially from crossing situations. He frequently completely nullifies a promising attack with his positioning and handling from crosses. He has the fastest reactions that I think I’ve ever seen.  His match winning save from Estevao’s curler will go under the radar as Arsenal deserved to win but yet again he produces a wild class save.

He might well be the most important player at the club.

Havertz:

Were you surprised when the ball went in the net? Again, Max made the comment that Kai doesn’t normally even try to score from there. Let alone pull it off. I often wonder how he will be seen retrospectively. He is 8.5/10 in almost every area of the game apart from finishing. If he was to improve his finishing then he may go down as one of the best strikers in the modern era. That might sound a little crazy, but the other alternatives don’t have the footballing ability and all around game that he has. If he could compete in the scoring charts with Haaland then his football ability would far exceed that of his City rival.

Well, who would’ve thought this. Totally goes against the narrative.

Konsa

He looked very nervous at the beginning. He was given a tough assignment, essentially man marking Joao Pedro. He settled and started to dominate and I give credit to a player  who can go from looking like the only weak link when everybody else is playing well, to looking at the same level as the others on his debut.

Chance creation:

Breaking down the performance, what was so incredibly encouraging was the different types of chances that we were creating. We are now creating as much from the left as the right. We are more willing to shoot from outside the box. We are being cute with little dinks and cheeky flicks into the box, particularly Odegaard.

We have a lot of players that specialize in 1,2’s. Arsenal do them better than most because they are coached in the specifics. So many coaches spend an inordinate amount of time teaching their youth, collegiate and professional teams to incorporate this into their game as a main strategy. What they don’t realize is that they can be so easily picked off unless the two players involved are close to each other. As soon as the first player passes, then everybody that’s played the game knows that the receiving player will always have a 1,2 as an option. The better defenders follow the passer to stop it from happening and cut it off.

If you are a better coach, you identify that and tell your players not to do 1,2’s unless the players are within 5 yards of each other.

If you do them in close quarters, then you don’t give the defender a chance to react. We are doing this much more around the top of the box and especially on the right side.

In the first half much of the chance creation came from the rotation of Kai, Odegaard, Saka and White. It must be so hard to keep up with as the ball is pinging around so quickly and has far less predictability about it this season.

Calafiori:

There are people (i’m one of them) who rightly have suggested that over the years Arsenal’s weakness has been predictability. We are still a work in progress in that area.

What is so delightful is the introduction of Califiori as the roaming left back.

Last season, he was learning the role and you could see him wandering into central areas. Now that he’s learned when and where to attack and defend, you can see him being given more freedom to go most anywhere. We haven’t fully unleashed this beast as it is rarely said but it’s true, that he is an excellent finisher. We see it in the season highlights and remark that we forgot what a threat he is, but I think that he’s so dangerous in and around the box to the point where he could be an emergency centre forward if needed.

NEEDS:

Arteta’s outfits:

Have we had a game this season where Arteta has worn something different to the opposing coach?

Every time it happens, I noticed that Arteta’s version is nicer. I bet it’s the quality of cotton. Steamed that little bit longer and significantly more crisp. Xabi Alonso did his best to match Mikel but looked like he had been dumpster diving in the Lost and Found box. His black and black outfit was oversized and not straight out of the Armani packaging like Mikel’s.

Mikel did say that every detail matters, right?

Odegaard and Saka:

The last 15 minutes, Arsenal stopped winning their duels. These two were the major culprits and probably why Saka was taken off. I understand that your best players need to be careful going into physical challenges. They need to pick and choose. What is  inexcusable though is not making any effort whatsoever. You can jump for a header with no intention of actually winning the header but of making it difficult for your opponent. That is satisfactory for those two.. Chelsea went ahead because Odegaard didn’t even compete for the aerial ball.

The 90’s:

Actually, were shell suits from the 80s? I’m all for retro gear. I’ve got a lot of it. There are some things that need to be brought back. There are some things that should stay as an embarrassing memory. For me, shell suits are one of them. But only do they look like you are trying to be 14 years old, but they make that very annoying swishing sound when you walk. I remember many times trying to sneak out of the house in the shell suit and getting caught because of the swishing coming from my groinal zone.

Ref:

This was the easiest yellow card to give. Miles from the ball and stopping a counter attack.

Palmer should’ve been sent off when he got his yellow card.

The PGMOL can change their name to ProRef or do whatever the heck they want but we’re not stupid. If you can’t get easy decisions correct like this when you have video help and headsets to communicate with each other, then we will continue to think that your crap.

HOPES

Napoli:

On Friday night, I was in bed thinking about the Napoli game. Thinking about what team I would pick. I often do this.

This is what I came up with.

Arteta does have a habit of starting as strong as he can in the first game of a competition, but here’s the thing….. is this team actually weaker? It’s different and with different strengths and weaknesses, but it can beat Napoli away.

We are all experiencing the same emotion and making the same comments after each game. Our bench is as strong as the players on the field.

I really hope that this team is at least similar to what Arteta does. It’m not a master tactician coming up with a game plan, but simply resting players  when you have the opportunity.

There are a few things that may bring the title back to the Emirates again in May 2027. Less injuries might be top of the list, but rotation would be close.

They are linked as we know.

Absolutely no excuse whatsoever to not rotate when you’ve got players like Bruno and Eze not even getting on the field.

If we aren’t winning, then bring on what would be the strongest bench in Champions League history.

Ramsdale:

I think most Arsenal fans were a little concerned when we replaced Ramsdale. I think that was a fair emotion. He was very lovable, as well as being a very good goalkeeper. I suppose we didn’t know any better as we hadn’t had a better goalkeeper prior. We now see the difference but boy oh boy, his career has just plummeted. I have a friend who is a Southampton fan. He tells me that he is fourth choice goalkeeper.

I was hoping that we would sign him this summer as back up, but I’d have to assume that something is going on in his head and performance for a goalkeeper in their prime to drop off that far.

TWEETS and THOUGHTS:

How does Berta know Joao Pedro? I wonder…

A great description.

I’d not noticed this myself. Quite lovely to be able to shut the media up any time you can.

Only elite teams have players that do this. Pulling it off is not easy because your timing has to be perfect. Califiori obviously has a higher IQ and knows when to move defenders out of peoples way.

Makes me happy.

This is obviously intentional. Players often feel slighted when they are substituted. In the modern game, it can often be a compliment which it is in this case.

I remember thinking this at the time!

I think a lot of people are thinking this.

Shame.

FINAL THOUGHT:

Four away games in a row now. It’s lovely to be able to breathe after three straight wins.

I don’t like much about Troy Deeney, but I did just hear him say The Arsenal are a machine. Just finding ways to win.

All of that started in the second minute, Troy. No panic. No negativity. Just a positive mind and a very positive reaction.

Sometimes it’s not bad to go a goal down. As a coach, you get to see your team in one of the toughest positions in their football experience. We know they’re all good when the sun is shining, but Arsenal have a team that seem to have a refusal to lose.

Finally, I hate getting up because my son wants to watch Manchester United play. I told him on this occasion I would watch. If anyone knows Ainsley Maitland-Niles, please tell him thank you.

The post  ‘A win for discouragement’ (Positives Needs & Hopes) [ARS 2-1 CHE] first appeared on Gunners Town.

An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective

I couldn’t write after the Villa game and I wanted to pause before I wrote after the last day of the transfer window.

I always do better when I pause.

I come down on the fact that three things can be true at the same time.

Arsenal could have screwed up by not improving their attack enough.

The lack of new options could unlock more minutes for some very talented players that we already have.

As we sit, Arsenal have the best squad in the Premier League and have won their first two games and are the envy of the entire league.

The short story is that I am ok with the outcome. Not happy, but ok. I love a transfer. I spent way too much time thinking about who would improve Arsenal. Over the years I think I’ve got a better balance between wanting a shiny new toy and considering the toys that we already have.

In late July, I wrote a blog about changes that I thought that Arteta could make to give us a new look in attack. Some of it involved a new midfield structure and some was switching the wingers. Transfer suggestions were included.

Beyond transfers, I had settled on the fact that our strikers need at least one winger who takes the ball to the outside and crosses with their stronger foot. It takes away their ability to cut in and shoot themselves, but offers the other attackers better opportunities for one touch finishes from strong foot crosses.

Morgan Rogers on the left wasn’t my idea of the best solution. A player that is hard to stop, but not what I thought that Arsenal needed. As with all of the players that the club chased, I trust them and so I rest in that.

Vini Junior wasn’t going to be the type of winger that I was looking for, but the talent and productivity cannot be ignored. Ultimately, he is involved in more goals than the vast majority.

Julian Alvarez is a super footballer, but I didn’t shed one tear when that did not work out for two reasons. Firstly, because I think VG can get 20+ goals this season and secondly, this current group that seemed to have so much love and respect for each other looked like they could have a new teammate that wasn’t even close to being fully persuaded.

It is so very lovely that Arsenal are now in a position where they can attract interest from the very best players in world football. Because of that, I didn’t think it was too far-fetched to at least want Michael Olise. As much as I’m sure he is having a lot of fun in Munich, he is still a young man who was brought up in London and Arsenal represent the best of the Premier League and are one of the top three teams in world football and would represent a return to where he has spent most of his life and a chance to be back with family and friends.

My idea was that, at least for a part of each game/season, that Saka would play on the left. To this very day I still see a player who, even though he has it greatly improved his right foot, still struggles to pick out a player whilst he’s dribbling through the penalty area. The fresh look would add more goals and assists, and also more goals and assists from others. Saka on the left and Olise on the right. It would also give our opponents a brand new set of problems. It’s hard to watch Saka play these days and see him rip teams apart because our opponents know exactly what they need to prepare for.

So the window has shut, and even though we have numerically less attackers than last season, we have either deliberately or accidentally left ourselves with what I consider to be a rather interesting situation.

I would love for Noni Madueke to have a run of games on the left-hand side for the same reason that I’d like to see Saka played on that side every once in a while. This may now happen. Ebe Eze is another player that I think most Arsenal fans would like to see more of. If Odegaard is back to his best then Eze has two options. I’d imagine that Arteta will play him as a left eight against a low block and trust that Rice can do the dirty work without too much help from somebody like Bruno or Myles. More likely is that Eze will be first choice or second choice left-winger. It’s the side of the field that he prefers and given the confidence of the manager, it’s hard to deny that he has the ability to be a fantastic left-winger. Even if he has been hit or miss the few times that he has played there.

I feel more comfortable when Arsenal need a goal and he is on the field. He is undoubtedly one of the best players in Europe at shooting and finishing on target. Such reliability to get the ball on frame and ultimately that’s kind of the whole point of the game.

Tzolis looks like he is going to be one of the left-wing options and I really like the contrast between Noni and Eze. Certain game states require Noni’s directness and speed and desire to run behind. Other more technical games need a player like

Eze to pick the lock or finish from 15–20 yards.

As the summer was trundling along, my major concern was that Max Dowman wasn’t going to get more minutes than last season. I’m of the opinion that he is ready to take a greater role, even at the age of 16. The majority of 16-year-olds are absolutely not ready and need to be protected. Fabregas didn’t and I think Dowman is in the same category. He is physically ready to play on the wing and more often than not, looks like Arsenal‘s most dangerous winger when he’s on the field. I don’t know whether he needs to be used periodically due to his personality, but I just don’t get that impression.

It now looks like Saka and Dowman and Madueke will compete for the right wing spot and because we have one less attacker, Dowman should get more minutes which I think will be greatly to Arsenal’s benefit.

When we get into a state and want to shout at our laptops and phones, I think it is really important to understand what the fallout will be if a shiny new toy arrives.

If I was to tell you that Max Dowman was pissed off because he felt like he deserved more opportunities and wasn’t getting them and was considering moving elsewhere, then I’m sure you would be very concerned. Arsenal have a very special young man that needs to be played if and when he is ready. If we believe that he is going to be one of the world‘s best in a few years time, which he very well could be, then you have to give him a pathway to more minutes this season, even more minutes the following season and so on.

If a player comes in with a huge price tag, which is what was looking  likely to happen, the coach is under pressure to make it work. So this player plays, even if he is in a slump. These are the realities of bringing in new players that most people don’t want to consider. They’ll just get mad at their screens when they find out that one of the most talented players that the club has ever produced does not want to continue at the club. Without looking back and taking any responsibility themselves, they will continue to shout until they get what they want. Arteta and the club cannot act this way. They have to live in the reality of repercussions. No matter how convincing you are as a coach and a club, it is very difficult to persuade a player that knows he could start at 95% of any club in world football, that he needs to be patient much longer. We all know that the modern day player lacks patience and only a few possess it.

Another benefit, this time in not replacing Gabriel Jesus, is that we get to showcase a player that every squad in Europe would want. Mikel Merino.

He’s too good to not play, but now we’ve opened another opportunity for him. Was Gabriel Jesus a better striker option than Merino over the last two years? Absolutely not. The more opportunities we have to get him on the field then the better chances we have to score and control games because his technique offers genius levels of composure in both areas.

If this doesn’t work out, then I think people are forgetting that we only have to suffer this issue for four months. I’d love to think that we can avoid an injury crisis within that period.

Retrospectively, there is every chance that we look back on this particular season and feel glad that we gave minutes to deserving current players and waited for a player of the talent of Kroupi and didn’t panic buy in August. This is a very likely scenario and quite possibly a favorable idea even if there is risk involved.

Again, it’s really important to remember that there is risk involved in bringing in players to an elite squad. Most everybody is playing to an elite level and so the new player has to do the same. One player comes in and so one or two players lose minutes and opportunities. It’s not so long ago that Arsenal tried to Band-Aid the situation and we were stuck with a player for four years who we couldn’t sell for more than Alex Oxlade Chamberlain.

It’s also interesting to note that our main three rivals also have fans that are dissatisfied.

I know City fans who are very concerned that they have replaced elite players with very good ones. They also sold their backup striker and now only have Haaland. Relying on Phil Foden to be a back up false nine hasn’t worked for a rather long time.

Semenyo has played there in pieces but not for a good while.

Liverpool, once again, spent all their money on the attack and are playing a four man defense with two wing backs who aren’t natural full backs and it’s not working out.

Chelsea have quite hilariously been left short in midfield. This seems impossible when a couple of weeks ago they had 41 squad players, but that is their reality. They tried to sign one of Europe’s best young players, Lamine Kamara on deadline day and got 98% of the way to signing him before Monaco backed out. Chelsea are short. Their best player over the last couple of seasons, Marc Cucerella is no longer there and their defense doesn’t even come close to what we have at Arsenal. Lots of shiny new toys and options but just another group of 7.5/10 players. Nowhere near Saliba levels.

United are still wide open, especially at home on their big pitch. There is no way that a team playing 90s football can win the Premier league in 2027.

The disappointment of the last week of the transfer window has caused a form of dementia in Arsenal fans. Many thought that the purchase of Bruno, Konsa and Tzolis put Arsenal one player away from having the best transfer window.

Not getting this player cannot possibly mean that the transfer window was a flop.

It’s just not ideal and it’s not perfect but it’s far from being a problem yet, especially looking at how we have started.

Bruno might end up being the best signing of the season. The shortlist for that award will always include a list of players that are ‘exactly what the club needed.’

Arsenal can be very one paced and lacking in verticality, especially in their passing. In the short time that Bruno has been at Arsenal, there have been at least five beautiful passes leading to goal scoring opportunities.

Here’s another cheeky thought… Did Arteta pause on signing another left-winger because he wants to see the Bruno/Eze link up on the left-hand side. On paper that could be very dangerous..

Konsa is the same as Bruno.

Exactly the right player that the team needed. Such little risk and so difficult to find a player of similar level to Saliba. If you look at the statistics in the Premier League, especially in duel winning and progressive passes, Konsa is number one. What an excellent option we have there.

Tzolis has started extremely well. He was poor against Villa, but we’ve seen plenty enough to see a productivity machine as an option on the left.

We’ve got rid of every player that we needed to move on and don’t have deadwood sitting around. That is an achievement that even though fans ridicule, has been very difficult for Arsenal for many years to get a good fee or even a fee at all for players with high wages, who are only worth 50% of those wages since their drop off.

The biggest signing of the season could end up being stealing Aston Villa’s medical staff.

None of us really know who is to blame for our ‘one back, one injured’ injury habit. The ridiculous amount of games is probably number one in this chart, but I’m guessing with the turnover this summer there must’ve been another problem.

If this medical team can keep us from big injuries, especially in the first four months, then Arsenal should win the Premier League again.

There may be a few beautiful surprises this season, also.

Marli Salmon might just be 17 years of age, but has never looked out of place during his minutes last season and this preseason.

We have turned over many Academy players and brought in some very interesting signings.

The most interesting one may never play for our Academy. Much like Max Dowman, he may go straight into first team training and actually become a true option on the left wing. His name is Andria Bartishvilli.

What an incredibly talented dribbler we have acquired.

I’m sure we will see him quite soon in the early Carabao Cup games and easier Champions League games.

A good coach is never going to tell the public that the solution to the problem that everybody sees is a 17-year-old who’s just arrived in the country, but he might be thinking it.

Another truth that we may come to realize is that we nearly won the two big trophies without a whole lot of positive participation from Saka and Odegaard. If they play at their level, then that one positive change could be enough for us to secure both trophies this season.

Finally, I wanted to comment on the blog title and the thought behind it.

It is so incredibly rare for anyone in the media or online to mention coaching as a way of improving players, teams, and the club situation.

Arteta’s ability to improve almost every single player and turn our players and club from a miserable eighth place finish to Premier League champions, and everybody’s favourite to repeat, is largely based on his coaching ability.

If there was any coach in the league that I would want to have to solve what many see as a crisis on the left wing, it would be Mikel.

Arsenal need some new attacking patterns anyway, and we have almost forced ourselves into that with the decision we have made in attack.

A player like Eze could be about to explode. A player with the highest technical ability, the experience and a year learning Arteta’s system should be perfectly placed to coach that final piece of consistent productivity and become the solution.

It’s not just Nicholas Jover that finds solutions. We have a coaching staff who are more than capable of turning an imperfect situation into the perfect one.

All of this might be too positive.

The truth about what happened is that Rogers was a risk because he’s not an out and out left-winger. Chelsea have overpaid and we weren’t willing to. I’m OK with that.

Arsenal did exactly what the coach and the fans wanted. They went after the best of the best and they got really close. The truth is that Vini Junior didn’t reject Arsenal, he accepted Real Madrid. No shame in that.

Julien Alvarez had a dream. His dream is identical to the vast majority of footballers. To play for Barcelona. He’s been to England and he didn’t particularly like it so it was always going to be a large risk bringing him back to the same country. We tried and then we tried again and it didn’t work out.

We gave both of these players time because their decision could go one way or the other way. That meant that we didn’t have a whole lot of time left. That’s just the way that it panned out and I can respect it.

If Berta gets fired, then that story will tell itself.

I really appreciate my club doing exactly what everybody wanted the club to do. If it was a shopping trip and they went to the wrong mall, then the social media reaction would be fine until it wasn’t. Arsenal went to the right mall and tried to make elite purchases and on this occasion they weren’t available.

Maybe one day we will become bullies in the transfer market and get players to run down their contract so we can sign them for free like Real Madrid do. That we will also get players to take half of their salary like Barcelona do.

Right now, this is where we are and I understand it.

Would love to hear from you as to what you think? Even though I do lean on the positive side, I challenge anybody to argue that any of these ideas are not possible.

I suppose it depends on the lens that you look through and I support a team that is the envy of everyone in world football and I could list many, many reasons why.

The post “Time for the Coach to coach…” – A Transfer Window summary for rational Gooners first appeared on Gunners Town.

Codename:  00-17.

Agency:  The Arsenal.

Mission:  Infiltrate the Premier League title defence, disarm a newly promoted Coventry City, and do it all with the kind of nonchalant cool that makes M sigh and reach for the paperwork anyway.

Tzolis arrived at the Emirates not as some rookie double-0 fumbling his first assignment, but as a man who’d clearly read the file, memorised the exits, and already knew where the enemy kept their weaknesses.

Sixty thousand people in the stands were his Miss Moneypenny, swooning every time he touched the ball.

GOLDENEYE ON THE LEFT WING

Early doors, our man showed his hand — cutting inside like he was defusing a bomb with four seconds left, before curling an effort just over the bar. Not quite mission accomplished, but enough to make Coventry’s back four check their own pockets for hidden gadgets.

Then came the real espionage. Tzolis didn’t need to pull the trigger himself to leave bodies on the floor. He nicked possession in the final third with the quiet efficiency of a man bluffing at a poker table, teeing up Kai Havertz to open the scoring.

No micro expressions, no give away tells — just a ghost in a red and white shirt, vanishing before the cameras could catch him celebrating.

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN CROSS

For his second act of sabotage, he swapped the Walther PPK for a delivery so precise it should have come with its own gadget briefing. His cross was so venomous that poor Carl Rushworth, Coventry’s man in goal, fumbled it like a henchman dropping the detonator switch — straight into the path of Bukayo Saka, who finished with the ruthlessness of someone who’d been told this was a two-man job all along.

Four shots on the night, none of them particularly close, all of them beside the point. Because in this script, the real gadgets weren’t the finishes — they were the chaos he caused simply by existing in Coventry’s peripheral vision.

LICENCE TO CHILL

By full time it was 3-0, Frank Lampard’s men left staring at the wreckage of their long-awaited Premier League return like a Spectre lair after Bond’s already left the building. Tzolis strolled off with the calm of a man who knew the mission had gone exactly to plan — no exploding pen required, just a cool head, a devastating final ball, and the kind of assured Emirates debut that suggests this particular agent isn’t just licensed to kill, he’s also licensed to thrill.

The post Quantum of Tzolis first appeared on Gunners Town.