Bigger than the Shield: Arsenal’s onfield shield was the true prize [Positives, Needs & Hopes]

Bigger than the Shield

An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective

I had Max’s soccer team over to my house last week. They need to watch the game. Some of the parents did not send their kids because they didn’t see the value and others complained.

This reminded me of how sport can be looked at in the wrong way, certainly over here in the United States.

What is seen as a good training session or match performance by the parents is one where their child comes home physically exhausted because he ‘hustled a lot.’ I suppose this is similar as the phrase that I grew up with. ‘putting in a shift.’

Sports have 4 components.

Technical

Tactical

Physical

Mental

The Community Shield win actually checked more boxes than I initially saw. I’m in the midst of watching the game back and what initially seems like a somewhat dull game with very few chances will not be seen that way by the coaches.

Arsenal have been too open defensively in preseason. I’m sure that this was spotted and changed. The first 20 minutes we did look nervous on the ball which is largely how we judge a game of football. It’s important that we take the view of the coaches, or we will miss what they have prepared for us. On this occasion, Arteta looked like he had prepared the team in the first 20 minutes not to attack the game as we did often last season, but to show a solid defensive structure. City were surprisingly dominant on the ball, but did not trouble Ramsdale until the 42nd minute when Rodri hit one from near the half way line. If you can play a football match for that long when the worlds best football team have over 65% of the ball then you have done significantly more than just ‘hustled’ and ‘put in a shift.’  Saliba played centrally to take care of Haaland and most certainly won that battle. White and Timber played with defensive patience and waited for support.

Our midfield and attackers were clearly told to not step to Ortega or Rodri when they were 40 yards out in their own half. Allowed them to play the long ball if they want but much like how De Zerbi at Brighton evolved possession last season by having his center backs literally stand with one foot on the ball, we were clever enough to realize that this does not mean that you have to press that player. They do this because they want you to as they have a plan to play around you if you do.

I can’t prove this, but Arteta may have told us to start defensively because if we had success in preseason it was in possession and scoring more goals. The concern has been the defensive side of the game. What we want from the game is a shiny trophy and a chance to stick our fingers up at people on Twitter and in the pub but the coaches goal may be entirely different. He may be nervous about the first games in August in the league as we are not defensively ready and wants to fix this as a priority.

All of that was tactical.

The physical component that isn’t exciting those commenting on the game will be that Arteta wanted to show a team that is as physically large as City’s and we are now there. Also, that we are fitter than them and that was obvious.

After the game I took a nap. When I woke up, I logged on to Twitter to see pictures of every possible combination of players with the trophy. I think if City had won they would’ve slapped hands, lifted the trophy and walked into the changing room. Arteta values the mental side of the game, maybe more than any other coach in football right now. We keep hearing stories of creative ways that he motivates our team. The win clearly meant more to Arsenal, and I’d say that it was obvious that he wanted the players to milk it.

I think that we lost the League because of three main reasons. The first was the absence of Saliba. The second was the nerves and stress. The third was feeling overwhelmed in the shadow of Manchester City.

Before the game started, I analyzed the teams and squads. As it stands right now, even though they can fairly claim to be a better team, there is very little between the two on paper. I understand that the game has to jump off the paper and become reality, but I think the gap is closer than we think.

GK’s

Ramsdale and Raya (likely) v Ederson and Ortega

Full Back options

Timber, Zinchenko, Kiwior, Tomiyasu, White, Tierney v Walker, Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gomez

CB’s

Saliba, Gabriel, White, Kiwior, Holding, Tomiyasu v Ake, Dias, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol, Laporte (leaving and possibly to Arsenal..see below)

DM’s

Partey, Rice, Jorginho v Rodri, Phillips, Kovacic

AM options

Odegaard, Rice, ESR, Trossard, Vieira, Havertz , v De Bruyne, Silva, Foden

Wingers

Saka, Martinelli, Trossard, Nelson, Jesus v Grealish, Silva, Foden, Alvarez, Bobb, Palmer

Strikers

Jesus, Nketiah, Balogun, Trossard, Havertz v Haaland, Alvarez, Foden

I look at this and I say that after the transfer window is closed, Arsenal have….

A) Better GK pool

B) Better DM pool

C) Better Wingers pool

….. and the only area where I think that we have to concede is the strikers. Our first choice striker is a better footballer, but theirs scored over 50 goals so, fair enough. The other areas are up for a really interesting debate and are likely called a tie.

What happened yesterday was a huge mental boost. A defensive tactical success. The first time I’ve seen Arsenal physically match Manchester City in over a decade, and yet another penalty shootout technical success.

It’s always important to remember that watching Arsenal is always so much more than whether we won, were entertained and how hard the players tried.

Finally, you probably weren’t wondering what Max’s soccer team is called but I’m going to tell you anyway.

The Gunners.

POSITIVES:

• Timber seems to have had the ‘composure wand’ that Saliba owns waved over him. I’m thoroughly enjoying watching him play. What a fabulous piece of recruiting. Not just in the quality of the player but also the versatility and options he gives.

• For a player that does not watch football and gives the impression that he doesn’t care as much as others, Ben White certainly doesn’t play like that. He reminds me of one of many players when I was growing up who were tasked with intimidating and got away with it. He is more clever than they were as he does it off the ball but you could see that Grealish was affected. If you are going to run into opponents, step on their toes, elbow them, etc. then you have to put in a totally focused physical performance. The last thing that a player like that wants is for Grealish to come running past him with his arms in the air celebrating. so I think that this keeps Ben White even more focused.

• Saliba is very good. We know this. What stands out to me though is that he seems to be a big game player, also. Relishes the challenge against the very best. I can’t pretend that I didn’t know Haaland was playing because you can’t miss him but these two images say it all.
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• I think that we have to get used to the fact that Havertz will frustrate. I think it’s his languid style and his emotionless face. His game intelligence and positioning were very good and his link play, also. I think that he was picked because City have the best press and we needed to have the option to go over it to a target man.
• I think we will score many many goals this season when Saka comes infield to receive the ball from a vertical pass. It seems to totally confuse opponents and it also leaves the right wing wide open for the right back.
• Our press was better than we probably realized. Again, sometimes we look for the obvious like whether the press leads to an instant tackle or interception, but the main point of a press is to deny your opponents their preferred pass.
• A Ramsdale game seems to follow a very similar pattern. A few game-winning saves, an aerially dominant performance, a few very good pieces of long distribution and and one unnecessarily silly short passes out of the back.
• It’s a positive that we won and showedpo we can be their equal and especially without our front 3 starlets in Saka, Martinelli and Odegaard getting a mention from me or others. Important for our team.
• I think that it’s a positive that Arsenal were not intimidated by the fact that Manchester City‘s goalkeeper looks like Robert Downey, Jr., and that we scored four penalty kicks against Iron Man.

• Mikel had a good day. Yet again, he set up the team for success against the best team in the world. He blocked the central areas and the access to Haaland and gave the right man the job of marshaling him. He suffocated their passing options and forced them to continue recycling the ball hence the lack of chances they created. This will be missed but he had a good day. He must like Wembley Stadium. He has won all 12 of the games that he has played or coached at that stadium in his playing and coaching career. I think this puts them in the Guinness World Book of Records.

• I would imagine that giving Fábio Vieira the opportunity to take penalty kicks in the last two shoot outs has been instruction from Arteta. Showing faith in somebody who made a mistake from the spot and showing him that he is trusted.

NEEDS: 

• Mikel Arteta needs to stop shopping at Top Man/Old Navy. Surely we pay him enough to buy a nicer looking shirt from the Kings Road. Maybe Mini Mikel, his youngest son, stole his Dads wallet?

• On a serious note, Mikel is going to have to control his behavior on the sideline. Also, stay inside that technical area. The new rules are going to give him many yellow cards otherwise. I wonder if a coach gets a suspension for five yellow cards?

• Is Rodri dating Howard Webb’s daughter? He seems to have immunity from cards. I remember doing a coaching course over here in the United States and a certain comical situation happening. There was an older gentleman on the course that did not know the sport but was a big American football fan. I remember him asking the instructor if you were allowed to grab players around the torso and throw them on the ground. Everybody giggled and he became the butt of the jokes for the rest of the course. If only I had taken a photograph of this gentleman, I might be able to prove that it was Stuart Atwell.

HOPES:

• There was a rumor that this picture was of David Raya at the game. I went to The Knowledge to find out and Maxwell McDonald told me it was him because, “Dad, that’s Janalt of Brentford standing next to him” I appreciate Julia Roberts showing up too. I’m loving that we are bringing in another top quality goalkeeper who is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world with his feet
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• Rumours circulating about Ansu Fati. This would be a typical Arsenal Football Club signing. A player with elite talent being mis-used by his club. Needing a fresh start and available for half price. Look out for Josip Sutalo coming in to replace Tomiyasu and my guess is that Raphinha may be the signing ahead of Fati and others. I think the one to look out for is Aymeric Laporte. Would fit Arsenal perfectly and again, half price. Surely City wouldn’t sell to us again?

FINAL THOUGHT

I don’t bet but I’m going to dabble in a flutter on Arsenal to win both the League Cup and Champions League. The League Cup because I think we have the best rotational options in the league and the CL because I think we go into it with only a little pressure. Our fans are just glad to be in it right now and I think we will be in the Top 5 teams in Europe capable of winning it with Real Madrid, City, Bayern and Barcelona. What really is nudging me to drop this bet is our late extra time formation of 1-4-5. Saliba is so good that we are going to leave him to defend alone this season. Nobody will see it coming and won’t know how to handle it.

Mike McDonald

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.