The score reflection (Positives, Needs & Hopes) [BUR 0-5 ARS]

The score reflection

An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective

Before Arsenal went on the Dubai break there were two issues. One was turning into a major short term issue. The other was a long term issue that we were happy to park in the long stay car park.

The long term issue was turning dominant possession into dominant score lines. The short term issue was simply scoring at all.

That break seems to have swung the pendulum in completely the other direction. A formation change to suit the players that are reliable to be available that has utterly confused our opponents, and movement that has made them dizzy. Not many coaches can even do what Mikel Arteta has just done. I remember when I first started coaching over here. Players and especially other coaches would ask me what ‘my system’ was. At first I didn’t understand what they were talking about. I was still fairly new to coaching and just thought it was something that I needed to learn. Thankfully I decided to use my brain and started to question this. Surely, if you are using your brain then you wouldn’t show up with ‘your system’ and play bucket loads of high crosses to a striker who is 5 ft 5in tall.

Arteta has utilized the footballing intelligence of Trossard and Havertz and caused serious confusion in our opponents. One minute Havertz is central and creating a pivot then he is deep in between the lines all alone. Then he pops up in between their right back and centre back. Trossard the same. The confusion those two are causing and the fact that Odegaard is doing similar and staying away from Saka, has left both Martinelli and Saka alone more than they’ve been previously. It’s amazing what a coach can achieve by leaning into his players strengths rather than asking them to lean into his. 

As confusion reigns, and Jesus gets fit, we have not just returned to scoring but have done this…

This was the hope for the long term but clever coaching where players strengths are being highlighted has us dreaming again. It has also accelerated us towards what we thought was going to be a long term goal.

Every elite team that is challenging for the big boy trophies regularly does something that Arsenal haven’t done in many years. It’s the sign of the elite group of teams. Almost like there is a separate island where the elite teams live and the sign at the entrance says, ‘Welcome to Elite Land….a place of no mercy and spankings. Visit at your own risk.” If I asked you to guess what the score was going to be this weekend between Real Madrid and Celta Vigo or Bayern Munich and Augsburg or Man City and Forest, you’d probably say 5-0 or similar. Until post Dubai, Arsenal were winning games by being dominant and solid by a goal or two. Many were wondering when our dominance would be reflected on the scoreboard. We’d checked every other box that Elite Land teaches but not shown ruthlessness, relentlessness and no mercy. Then it happened. Sooner than we thought. The importance of spanking teams is magnified in a sport where you play too much and now we are having opportunities to rest players like Saka and Rice for 25 minutes.

If we are ever to get to a place where we can have our best players fit in April and May then I’d imagine that spanking teams a couple of times a month is rather helpful. Not only physically but mentally. The stress of having tension for 98 minutes was fun last season on occasion, but exhausting for the players.

Arsenal have been driving on the bypass around Elite Land since the beginning of last season. They could see it on the hill. Every once in a while they’d knock on the gate but weren’t let in. The gatekeeper would look at us and say, “no mercy, maybe next time.”  After scoring 21 goals in 5 games he has let us in. If we continue in this vein they won’t kick us out, but those teams I mentioned above have been showing ‘no mercy’ for many years so we are still the new kids in town.

It might end up that on June 2nd a panel of pundits agree that the rest of the Premier League and/or Europe would rather not give Mikel Arteta a mid season break.

POSITIVES

Odegaard

Arsenal are flying and this guy is the pilot. Not just because he is the captain but because he is in the middle of everything. The front man for the press and off ball energy needed and then seconds later he is buzzing around connecting everything. I would imagine that every modern coach wants a replica of Odegaard. He is the best at the Top 2 most important qualities of a modern midfielder. He is press resistant and a pressing monster. Most good teams settle for one of those qualities. Just hoping that he doesn’t run his legs off before April and becomes part of the sub rotation or even starting rotation if Thomas Partey can ever recollect where the Emirates Stadium is.

Havertz the butterfly

I will happily admit that I was shouting at Havertz before our second goal (possibly calling him a plum) because his first touch in the box had killed his first two chances. Seconds after I let loose for the second time he set up Trossard for the trip and penalty kick. Watching Havertz now is like the birth of a butterfly. When we bought him he had been in caterpillar form for longer than he should have been. Arteta was the catalyst for him entering the chrysalis phase. This is the phase that fans don’t like because we don’t have patience. Like we are the 3 year old pulling at our Mum’s jeans asking her if today is the day that the butterfly emerges.

Saturday was the day and a beautiful butterfly emerged. A 65 million dollar butterfly. As I mentioned earlier, it’s his footballing intelligence that is at the core of his success. He just gets it. Modern football is proving to be a challenge for some who struggle to implement training ideas at full speed but Havertz doesn’t. He was more involved than he’s ever been. Pulling defenders away for others. Getting into better box positions quicker so we are able to use his aerial ability.  Always offering himself as an attacking option and much like Odegaard, he was conducting the attack and the first in the attack to press to win it back. Havertz was like a butterfly in a sanctuary at Chelsea. At Arsenal he looks like he’s now been set free.

Kiwior

He was so much more focused. Aggressive yet clever. He seemed to understand his role better and dominated his space. Yet another example of our impatience. He played for 5 minutes as a left back and was deemed not good enough. Like I’ve said many times, Arteta-ball is re-learning the sport. I’d recommend that you read this piece I wrote for @LeGrove.

It explains what Arteta is doing.

Kiwior, Havertz and others to come need love not judgement. He was purchased out of nowhere but picked because he could both defend and play. He checked the most important box for Mikel. He has football intelligence. You can’t re-learn football if you are lets say, Gary Neville or Jamie Carragher, perhaps. Many of the Premier League’s best play on the right wing. Arsenal need the option of a left back who specializes in locking down that side. Tomiyasu is the best but loves the doctors office so here’s hoping Kiwior can be that option.

The Wall

I saw these two called that yesterday. Perfect. We’ve had some good CB partnerships in Arsenal history but these two could end up being the best. Such a wonderful blend of aggression and composure.

Saka and Martinelli

They are both back. Likely because they can breathe now. The threat is now coming from everywhere which releases them. I should’ve mentioned the finishing earlier because Odegaard’s goal was technically perfect. It can’t be ignored that the finishing itself has clearly improved. A lesson in how to get power without sacrificing accuracy. The coaching point is that the swing is compact. Short and fast. Saka has 28 goal involvements and is still not firing with all of his cylinders. Or perhaps, it’s not that? Perhaps he doesn’t stand out because so many others have elevated their game so he looks a little more human.

NEEDS

Tomiyasu

Where is he? Maybe I missed something but I expected him on the bench after he was knocked out of the Asian Cup. It could be that the club are taking it slow with him because he just played a bunch of intense games for Japan. It’s not that we need him right now and it’s given Kiwior a chance but I get concerned about Ben White. They say that he is willing to play with half a leg and a broken clavicle, but I’d love to see Tomi allow him to take a couple of games off.

Refs

Does it annoy you as much as me when the ref looks at the player taking the penalty kick, shows him the whistle and tells him to wait for him to blow it before he takes the kick. In all of my years playing, coaching and watching football I’ve only seen one person take a penalty without waiting for the ref to blow his whistle. His name was Rick. He was like the school mascot. Loved by everybody. He had no business being on the team footballistically but his energy was contagious. He didn’t know the rules of football beyond, ‘kick it that way Rick, and don’t kick it that way.’ His first appearance started like the legend he was. I stood on the sideline explaining the game of football as quickly as I could and then told him to sub on for Alex. Rick said, “Ok’ and just ran on the field. No understanding that the game needed to stop and that he needed to go to the halfway line, let alone wait for Alex to come off or the ref to allow him to. I got a yellow card for Rick’s lack of whatever you would call that. I bet you can guess what happened when we let him take a penalty kick later on in the same game. I thought that I was going to be the first coach in football history to be sent off for 2 yellow cards simply because Rick didn’t understand that there was a referee in charge of the event he was playing in.

HOPES

How to take a penalty

Talking of penalty kicks, I was asked by the legend that is @ChiombaMutindi to give my thoughts on how best to take one. Much like every other part of the game they have evolved, especially the run up.

Here is how I teach it…..

1. Practice with Airpods in. Play something that is distracting whether it’s loud, obnoxious music or a comedy show. I’m not kidding. They say you can’t replicate the pressure and you can’t but you can cause distraction and that is a part too. You have to find serenity if you want to take PK’s.
2. Don’t change your mind unless you are waiting for the keeper to move.
3. Don’t let that important whistle rush you.
4. Don’t look at the keeper. You are trained as a footballer to hit it where you look.
5. Aim for the back bar. Modern goals don’t have those bars in the back but they were the ones that stopped the net from flopping. If you go for the very corner and miss by 2 inches, you miss. If you go for the back bar (or where the back of the net meets the side netting) and miss you should still score.
6. Preferably, it it low. If you aim high, you might hit it over. You can’t hit it under
7. If you go high then it has to be high. Midway is where the keepers hands will appear.
8. Celebrate using no humility whatsoever

Remember Sambi?

Rob Edwards said it was a ‘privilege working with his talent.’ His block yesterday was the best I’ve seen this season. I wonder if he has matured and carries on impressing if Arteta will give him pre season? He would have to show that he is as technically secure as our current team because that level has gone up. I always thought he was best at left eight penetrating on the dribble which is something different to what we have.

SCOUT MAX

Carlos Cuesta

Both Max and I are hoping he stays. He is still so young and could easily spend 5 more years under Mikel hopefully collecting trophies and knowledge and still be a young head coach.

Jaden Philogene

Max introduced me to him pre season. I watched Villa quite a lot pre season because I had boldly predicted that they would finish fourth. He was their best player pre season and then he changed his pace all the way to Hull. To be fair Diaby, Bailey, Buendia and Zaniolo are very good. I trusted myself when I hit Twitter and rambled on about this naturally gifted Olise chap at Reading and I think Philogene has similar potential. Personally, I think he is worth Arsenal considering as Saka back up. A deadly box of skills and change of pace. You may have seen his rabonna goal the other day which some are calling the best goal ever (a bit of a stretch). Either way, this is a fun player that if Arsenal don’t get him backing up Saka, I predict that he will back him up Saka for England soon.

FINAL THOUGHT

Arteta is a persuasive man. I think that when he got to the gates of Elite Land we got past the gatekeeper because Arteta used our goal difference as his main argument. When was the last time we had a better goal difference than Manchester City at this stage in the season?

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.