Good things can come from bad things…. POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES
That was our most disappointing game of the season.
There were good reasons for all the points dropped previously. Not today.
But….. here’s the thing.
Often the best thing to happen to a team before two monster games is for you to be exposed.
Ideally, you win whilst being exposed but that didn’t happen and I’m gonna be positive 😊
When you drop points and disappoint individually and collectively you owe.
More importantly the coaching staff have seen ‘difficult’ and I’d assume the next two big games will have many difficulties.
Secondly, this may push us to buy the individual brilliance that we need out wide.
Yet again, this need was exposed.
For more on ‘individual brilliance’ read this…
So, here is some happiness….
The player needed is Miguel Almiron from Atlanta Utd and the transfer is very possible.
He plays as a #10 but this is because they want him on the ball more frequently.
I’m a ‘Brit abroad’ here in the US and in all my 19 years here I have never seen a player who is faster ON the ball than Almiron.
The guy has a power boost button!
Also, he is the hardest working attacking player in the MLS.
He is a coaches dream on and off the ball.
I fully understand that the PL may not work for him but any transfer is a risk.
I look at players like Alexis that go from a PL club to a PL club and fail and try not to worry about this.
For Arsenal, he wouldn’t cost half what we will pay for a European talent and we know we have a tight budget.
Initially we’d play him out wide.
In time I could see us buying another wide player and if Almiron is a success then the days of Ozil performing 1 in 4 could be over.
Interesting too that in a game where none of the front four were excelling in the first half, we lost faith in our one dribbler… Iwobi 😔
POSITIVES….
* Leno.
His best game for Arsenal
* Finally our short corner came off!
* Are we not showing the 4-2-2-2 that we saw vs Fulham so as to not reveal it to Utd or Spurs?
Sounds like gross over thinking I know.
It is however very strange that this was our best offensive performance with all our players in their best position and we haven’t seen it again 🤔
If Emery is holding this back to surprise Poch or Mou and we win both I’m calling this a positive.
I think.
I’m struggling for positives today so we will move on.
NEEDS….
* I remember when Bendtner played as a winger.
I think the logic was to match him up aerially with Baines.
I saw the logic as this was a mismatch.
Trouble was that for the majority of the game he was a huge square peg in a round hole.
Auba at left wing. Similar.
He has scored 7 league goals so there has been success, no doubt.
Problem is that for the majority of every game unless we are sliding balls from the right for him to finish we often see no product from him.
He seems limited and yet we are limiting him.
* Arsenal need to try 3-2-3-2 against any and all teams 7th-20th.
Like the 4-2-2-2 that put all players in their favored positions it does the same but instead of relying on Bellerin and Kolasinac for width and individual brilliance, it gives you true width and two wingers.
Also, puts Auba and Laca together.
Check it out ⬇️
* Is Xhaka being overplayed?
* Watch the US on Thursday.
They finally decided to bin the Altidore’s of this world and have gone with a brand new exciting, pacy team.
They have 2 players that may interest Arsenal… Weah and Pulisic.
Pulisic is a fast, skillful winger who has been touted at £60M.
Now that Sancho has taken Pulisic’s place at Dortmund, perhaps they’ll be more willing to sell?
Would be an interesting option for Arsenal and now a little cheaper.
Timothy Weah (George’s son) is not getting many minutes at PSG and could be a loan option to replace Welbeck .
You may see Darlington Nagbe in the PL in the future.
Fast, powerful, effective DM.
* If Almiron is not the transfer we still need a leftie on the right.
Rumors of Mata on a free.
Either way, a leftie could drag the left back instead freeing Bellerin on the overlap.
* Lacazette has to become harder to mark. Watch him. He always has a defender stapled to him. Fantastic player but does it the hard way.
Two runs, Laca. Lose your defender.
* That fans look at the bigger picture and give Emery grace.
My message to Arsenal fans would be that you have weekly hope.
If anything is different from the last 12 years it’s that problems get fixed under Unai Emery.
* A short time ago after the Liverpool game, I stated that Arsenal could compete for the title.
Sounds like madness now.
If we beat Spurs and Utd we are at least strong contenders for the Top 4.
Why do I feel this way?
I have hope in the ‘New Arsenal.’
By the way, Miguel Almiron has just put the ball in the top corner from 25 yards.
I’m choosing to live in hope 😊
Follow me at @mike_mmcdonald and @GunnersTown
Former Highbury regular. Moved to TN, USA in ’99. Married with 3 kids. Coached in UK and US for 27 years.
Mike McDonald Soccer Academy in Morristown TN, Olympic Development coach, Regional Premier League Champion.
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