The Summer Mistake
POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES
I’m not going in on the transfer team with two feet, but it is becoming very evident that Arsenal needed a natural winger last summer.
Whether we kept Reiss Nelson or bought one or two of the names being brandished around, it is obvious that we don’t have a single player in the squad to use as this option.
There is a knock on effect to this also.
My observation is that we are getting 50% out of PEA, in particular.
At Dortmund they also attacked vertically like we do, but didn’t have to rely on waiting for a full back to catch up with the attack in order to finally feed him.
Iwobi and Mkhi are good at ball carrying but they receive the ball 15-20 yards in field and attack the inside of the full back allowing their back four to be very compact which in turn denies the slot pass to the CF.
If we delay the pass, waiting on the full back to overlap, then the opponent has many more players back defending.
Auba is a soft player and he doesn’t like a crowd.
Auba’s main gift is the backpost tap in, much like the opportunities that City offer up 3-5 times a game.
Liverpool play like thunder and receive the ball up top on the half turn and attack the back four 3v4.
Their midfielders rarely score. That’s because the front 3 don’t wait on them.
Football can be so very simple and when I coach it I always tell my players to do what the opponents don’t want you to do.
We play a 4-3-3 with direct, fast dribblers on the outside. Receive and go. We like for their midfield to waste their energy attempting to get back and therefore we discourage them the next time and often they give 50% in future attacks.
If Arsenal had two fast, direct, skillful wingers who repeatedly attacked the full back on the outside with the primary goal of cutting in (penalty likely) and feeding Auba at the back post then we have a functional attack where all are in their element.
If you are going to take the extra time to be less direct, I really don’t see what Auba brings to the team that justifies selection. Lacazette should be playing CF more.
There isn’t a single attacker at the club who has been consistently dangerous in feeding our CF all season.
This formation would bring out the best in every player on the field.
It would also finally give Ramsey the chance to play box to box with cover. A role Arsenal have never given him.
Monreal needs an upgrade and I’d wait on Mavropanos before possibly buying another CB but look at that midfield and front line!!!
A highly dangerous front line also makes their midfield drop off 5-10 yards allowing you to build up through your midfield. We are pressed there currently and have to go to long to players who are not good at holding the ball up.
Looks far more dangerous than Iwobi and Mkhi.
I’d initially buy Almiron and Hudson-Odoi who are lightning quick, skillful and very direct. I’d then go big for Sancho in the summer.
Just don’t see our current attacker’s getting us where we need to be.
POSITIVES:
* If Aaron Ramsey wants to stay at Arsenal he needs to repeat his first half performance.
Only piece missing was a little luck and awareness. Twice he should have simply turned and shot and he over complicated it.
* Perhaps being out of the league cup and focusing on CL qualification through the EL and PL is better anyway.
NEEDS:
* Spurs had two great chances and scored both. Take the first word away and replace with any number of teams and you’ll see a problem that still exists at AFC.
* I don’t understand why Xhaka is the one moved.
AMN has funnily enough done better at LB/LWB and SL can play right.
Should have left what has been working in midfield. The two games he’s removed Xhaka we have lost and not looked like winning either.
* We weren’t creating anything simple in the second half.
For me, we played way too many low percentage passes that were not suited to our players.
We played like we had Giroud in the team. Too direct and too many aerial balls offered off crosses against small, lightweight forwards.
You can always tell when players start to lose belief in the players in front of them. They either shoot from ridiculous places or just toss the ball into an area.
Dangerous wingers always give hope.
* Our fan base need to not judge Koscielny and Monreal so quickly.
Remember Sokratis in August and September?
Society is impatient.
Sokratis needed to adjust to a new everything and he has.
Monreal is returning from injury.
More to the point, Kos is returning from a career threatening injury.
I think you just set yourself up to look like a turkey if you try to judge him after a total of 2 games.
Maybe he is finished. Make that judgement in March and support the man!
HOPES:
* I hope AMN plays right back on Saturday. I hope he turns off his brain and attacks the full back with his pace. He psyched himself out today.
I also hope that AMN gets a run at CM. This is his position and he’s never been given the chance.
* I’d imagine that watching Ozil lose possession twice (and do that thing where he jumps, throws arms in the air and stops) on Sunday and give up was the final straw.
He would have been useful tonight as we were too direct but I don’t blame Emery.
If you are going to make players accountable then you get caught in situations like this where you’d like to play them but your authority will be looked at by all.
FINAL THOUGHT:
No smoke without fire and their is smoke around Under, Pavon, Sarr and Pepe in particular.
I’d imagine we will have a winger in January 👍🏻
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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