Quicker, why quicker?
POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES
Watching that performance yesterday I had two main emotions…….. relaxed and frustrated.
It was quite lovely to be able to watch a game with almost zero stress. It looked to me that Newcastle might just be the worst coached team I’ve seen in many a year. Probably the best opponent before Thursday.
On the other hand I found the game highly frustrating. Frustrating because there were so many things that were better, but the timing for such improvement may be perfect but feels so off.
What I noticed was that everything was quicker.
We started with the quicker Martinelli when his speed and tenacity was clearly needed last Thursday. The start of the game was quicker. More purpose.
The energy levels were higher. Quicker off the ball, quicker to press and we managed to do it for a full 97 minutes. Our recovery runs were quicker. We seemed so focused and serious.
Perhaps the most obvious change was in the tempo. Quicker decision making. Far quicker ball movement. We weren’t pausing to consider our choices.
I’m not complaining about that but here’s the thing….. we did all of this for the entire game. It might be the first time this season that I’ve seen this level of focus. We ordinarily play in patches.
If I was Arteta I wouldn’t break down the game clips for the players. I’d just tell them to press repeat on Thursday.
Quite simply, everything is harder for your opponent if you do it quicker. If your players are capable of playing this way it seems foolish to do otherwise.
I appreciate yesterday’s performance. I will be infuriated if we end up taking Newcastle away, whilst in 11th place, more seriously than Villareal at home, though.
POSITIVES:
-Have we employed a new set piece coach? The corners were far more threatening as was the free kick that nearly led to a headed goal for Luiz. Again, this is appreciated but why have we only identified this issue in April?
-All players should be two footed. No excuses. You are a professional player and you should be embarrassed if you have to always shift the ball to your best side. Martinelli is comfortable with his left foot and his delivery to Auba was perfection. There aren’t that many players that give you the feeling of hope like Martinelli. It’s all linked to his tenacity and willingness to use his tenacious gift for the entirety of games.
-Maty Ryan was faultless. Like the team he was ultra focused. I am hoping we sign him this summer and I think we will.
-I’ve never seen Ceballos play with 1 or 2 touches for an entire game. It was like he was wearing a shock collar and Arteta had the remote.
-The timing of Auba’s goal was perfect. The athleticism was equally impressive. I wasn’t expecting him to look so sharp as playing one and two touch after being rusty is a tall order.
-Xhaka was yet again impressive, if a little lucky to not get sent off. I think we will see him at left back again on Thursday as Cedric or Gabriel would’ve got a chance to adapt yesterday if they were going to play. We will have to pray for ‘good Elneny’ which we got yesterday.
NEEDS:
– I wonder why Arteta hasn’t utilized Balogun and Azeez as a sub option recently. Yesterday in particular. My guess is that he believes in hierarchy and/or is trying to keep senior players onside. My fear since the New Year is that Arteta will get an unexpected knock at his door from a player or agent of a player that he sees as the future asking to leave due to opportunities not given when they were earned. He would then be in a situation where he realized that he played players he wanted to sell and now has players who want to be sold that he saw as the future.
-I feel like Odegaard is being used as a setter and connector more than as a creator.
The first two jobs are important in this set up but I sense that his focus is being shifted from his main gift. I sense that the training field is being used to practice the former rather than the latter. I’d like to think that I’d be working harder on his connections with Saka, Pepe, Auba and Martinelli as their ability to separate themselves would blend perfectly with Odegaard’s vision.
-If I was coaching against Arsenal, I’d be taking advantage of the lack of communication in our defence when the ball is played to the checking forward. This player is almost always alone.
-There was a real live counter attack featuring exclusively vertical passes in the 70th minute!!! A rare sight at Arsenal who have a coach obsessed with getting set up as if this is basketball and he wants to ‘call the play.’ A sarcastic, not-sarcastic comment.
HOPES:
-The Joe Willock debate.
I’m undecided if I’d keep him. It would likely depend if we can get money for Guendouzi, Torreira etc… He is always a good sub, if nothing else. I also think he is a needed starter if you play 4-3-3 as his goalscoring talent running from deep is unmatched at a club that has had 2 goals from midfield. So, we can’t be snobs and declare that he’s ‘not Arsenal level’ if he offers the most important attribute in the sport and an attribute that Arsenal have almost none of.
-In my time where my brain starts to wander and wonder I debate with myself as to whether Odegaard is what we need next season. He is clearly a talented player and potentially elite. Is he what Arsenal need though? We have such a lack of goals from midfield that in an ideal world we need a creative player that has the threat of 10+ goals per season. I debate Odegaard or Buendia and I get greedy and want both but if I had to pick I’d go for Buendia as I think he has what Arsenal need.
FINAL THOUGHT:
I’m sticking my neck out and saying that not only will we get through on Thursday but the four finalists in Europe will be Arsenal vs Man Utd and Chelsea vs City.
Take a listen to my ‘PNH Expanded’ audio podcast. Just 15 minutes expanding on what you’ve read. I discuss the Sliding Doors moment of the game. Chat about why Arteta didn’t sub Xhaka. What we are missing from Odegaard. How we can use Willock if we decide to keep him and how I think we can lean into Unai Emery’s nervousness on Thursday.
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.
Hello,
Before reading this post, I would like to ask why there was none on Friday after our debacle against Villarreal?