When tomorrow is gone
An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective
Last week I was scrolling and found a quite profound video. It was a young guy interviewing folks in their 60’s/70’s/80’s and asking them for life advice. The two most common responses were a) enjoy each day and b) value time over material possessions.
We have a tendency to see our grandparents and those who are in this age range as sweet and happy but out of touch. If ‘out of touch’ is their inability to operate a cell phone like the younger generation or not understanding that being ‘sick’ is something that you aspire to rather than pray you avoid, then those of us who are not there yet would be correct.
Those who have lived longer are trying to say that what we value most is not even close to being as important when you have lived through it and get to look back. They say that the dying wish of most is for more ‘time.’ That they would love to see their family more, their grandchildren their friends etc… Even those of us that have a tendency to be materialistic come to that realization that experiences and time are where our value should be at. I’ve never heard anybody at this stage of life say that they wish that they owned a Ferrari or a million dollar home.
We are guilty of looking at our football experience this way.
If we don’t get a shiny trophy at the end of the season then we are upset. Especially when we were good enough and definitely when we feel robbed. Striving for the prize isn’t a bad trait much like owning a Ferrari or million dollar home isn’t wrong. It’s just the ‘all or nothing’ mentality is not healthy and isn’t actually real.
This season Arsenal have proven that they are not yet mentally ready to win the CL. Not particularly bothered about the FA Cup or League but would be worthy champions. It resembles so many other similar experiences in our lives. I’m guilty of enjoying American Idol. A few years ago they had Alejandro Aranda come second when he was absolutely good enough to win. Some squeaky, handsome country singer won and I couldn’t let it go. The truth was that Alejandro was a worthy winner but often in our lives there are multiple people who deserve something that they don’t get because we set up the system where the winner is one person or one team, not ‘all those that were deserving.’
My Arsenal experience has always been wrapped in the wisdom of one older than me. I can get upset in the moment but bounce back quickly as I’ve always surrounded myself with people who have good perspective. My faith greatly helps because it’s incomparable with everything else that I think is important. At the end of the day, all is good. My daughter, LivyLea helps me. She doesn’t care for the competition element in sports. She is a chirpy, happy soul who you cannot be around for long without getting infected with her aura of happiness.
When I look back on my Arsenal experience I will remember getting the 1979 FA Cup Final record and listening to the last 5 minutes over and over. I will remember how I loved Willie Young for no apparent reason and Tony Woodcock because I liked his surname. I will remember the first time I went to Highbury and how large the goals felt when I stood in the 6 yard box. I will remember the sweet smell of greasy onions on Avenell Rd. Climbing every lampost in Tring as I ran down Station Rd celebrating 1989 with Dom Ison. I will remember pulling over on the way to Aldbury because the radio was telling me that we signed Dennis Bergkamp. I will remember Chris Wreh at Bolton away. That should have been a song.
I will remember the pain of getting results from the Vidiprinter on Grandstand. Everton 1 Arsen……. Those were painful days. I’m remembering modeling my game on Anders Limpar and his little jink. That Santi Cazorla was the best footballer I’ve seen live. That I took Thierry Henry for granted because he made it look so easy. When I was asked to write for the Arsenal fanzine. Such an honour as I bought The Gooner for years before I wrote for it. One of my best memories by far is the interaction I have with these blogs and the gratitude I feel to Dave Seager and Paul Hepker for giving me a chance.
I remember the pain of losing in Europe when I thought we could win. Watching us slide out of multiple title races in February. The day that I realized that Arsene Wenger wasn’t going to be able to compete in modern football because he wasn’t a tactical coach and then living through 9 years of knowing that we weren’t going to win the league again whilst he was in charge. I also remember the day I heard his name for the first time and thought it was April 1st. Then Vieira’s first game coming off the bench v Sheffield Wednesday and knowing that Wenger had a gift for signing the right player. I remember Arsenal spending multiple summers in a row signing the players that I would sign including Martin Odegaard. I remember last night and even though I’m not 7 years old, asking God if we can get Vikor Gyokeres because he would bring such hunger to the penalty area. I remember the Invincibles and how they make me feel invincible as an Arsenal fan. I will remember the pride I feel when I go to The Armoury and see my families names on a stone outside. I remember Mike Herz being one of my first Twitter followers and then he invited me on his podcast. I remember 30 seconds ago when my club apparently decided to give Elneny a 1 year contract for next season. Again, rewarding the value and influence of the player off the field and acting with class to those professionals that deserve it. There are many examples of this class as we all know.
If this was a personal diary, I could type for days but at some point I have to stop.
If Arsenal win the league I will be ecstatic. If Arsenal don’t win the league I will be proud of them. A team worthy but much like Alejandro Aranda, you can be worthy and you can be excellent and still only one wins.
If you are struggling with this thought and it’s ‘all or nothing’ for you then I can either introduce you to LivyLea or tell you that Arsenal are a team and club that are currently without any major flaws. A club that is either good or strong in every area (bar selling) that will get their shiny trophy/trophies soon. They are also a team that have the potential to be called the ‘greatest Arsenal team of all time.’ How could I be anything but content.
Like the wisdom that I spoke of at the beginning, ‘help me to enjoy the moment and give me more time with this team’ is where I’m at.
POSITIVES:
One of the best games of the season:
I don’t know how good most of our opponents are. Back when Arsenal were disappointing me, I knew. I have a friend who is a Bournemouth fan and he wanted to know what I thought of certain players on his team. I couldn’t have even told him if they played quite honestly.
They have a player called Alex Scott. Not that Alex Scott that you might know from the ladies team but a bright young English prospect that is rustling some bushes. I’m watching the game back now. I’ve noticed that he was on the field, but his impact is minimal.
Why is that?
An incredible statistic.
I think that the reason why I coudn’t tell my friend what I thought of Alex Scott is that he couldn’t get the ball. I told him that he is part of a team that were very good at blocking shots but beyond that…. If you trail back this season you will find the same issue. What are your thoughts on Chieck Doucoure? How about the threat of Luca Koleosho at Burnley or how Morgan Gibbs-White could be an upgrade on ESR? If you want to find out about these players ability beyond chasing the ball, you have to watch them play Manchester United because you can’t get the ball from Arsenal where as Utd let you play with gay abandon in flowery fields.
You can only have all of your players have attempts to score if you are utterly dominant.
Tomiyasu:
I have a little prediction. He will be starting in August and continue to start as long as he stays fit.
Yesterday he showed off his ability to convert and create. I didn’t realize at the time because it’s easy to get wrapped up in the game, but he created two of our goalscoring opportunities with beautiful technique. The chip is an undervalued skill in professional football these days. One of his passes was a chip delight. Chipping at the highest level is easier if you hit it with your first touch as the defenders are normally moving forward, but he managed to do it after settling the ball. Defenders are so quick at backpedaling and keepers positioning is so much better that there is far less space than it looks. The fact that he is two footed and played as many creative passes with his left as his right is remarkably unique. It shouldn’t be, but it is.
We all know that he is the best defender of all of our left back options right now, and if he continues to offer so much offensively, regardless of who Arsenal sign in the summer a coach’s mind can be changed by excellence.
Rice:
You may have seen the clip of Rice sprinting forward to get his goal. The run embodies the trust that our players have in each other because he ran straight through the middle of the open gap and trusted the past. What was more impressive was that he could run at his top speed in the 97th minute. Nobody is expected to do that and that is never asked of a player.
He plays for Arsenal and so we play with an advantage. David Moyes must really mean this because talking about a former player that many are still upset with for leaving is a risk.
He’s right though, hence why he just got 2nd in the Footballer of the Year award. Players who score goals are always favored for the awards, which is ridiculous but the truth. Phil Foden is a worthy winner, but I’m not sure that he is more important to Manchester City than Declan Rice is now to Arsenal.
Saliba:
After that wonderful first half, it’s odd to have to say that there was actually a sliding doors moment where it could’ve been a supreme first half yet a train wreck on the scoreboard.
Saliba’s most impressive quality is that he seems to have figured out all and every nuance of defending and he’s not even in his mid-20s. Centre back are normally in their prime in their early 30s as much of their success is found in game experience, especially positioning and decision-making. He was blessed with the natural attributes to make the perfect center back, but there are lots of those in Europe. He just gets it and earlier than the others.
Havertz:
A good exercise for me when trying to figure out who has been the most ‘positive’ player at Arsenal this season is to look back at my blogs. If I look through the ‘positives’ section I see that I have commented about Havertz in a positive way more than any other player.
Sticking up for him when others were tearing him apart knowing that he had a rough adjustment. Bouncing back from a lack of confidence and being a Chelsea player. Also, impressed that he never gave less than his best and was a physical menace defensively.
As we can all see, he is now in a place where he is affecting every area of the game. It was always interesting in the summer to hear that Real Madrid were interested in him. I figured that it was based on his high ceiling, but knew that it was a risk because he had an inconsistent time at Chelsea. Now I see that he can do everything. Who are the players who play the two positions that he can can and do literally everything? Looking at the four aspects of football, physical, mental, technical, and tactical you start to get a very clear picture of how good he really is.
Physically, he is supremely fit and plays with more intensity than any striker in the league bar Gabriel Jesus.
Mentally he is completely serene and unaffected by the importance of the game. Many coaches would give an extra 40 million to have a player who shows up in all the big games.
Technically, he has the full toolbox, but to be fair this is his area of improvement as he grows in his confidence in front of goal.
Tactically he is probably at the elite level. Not only does he make the right movements at the right times he makes so many different runs that his threat is huge.
Others would see this if they would look at more than goals and assists. Havertz is capable of getting those also and next season. I’m sure that he will show that he is a 20 goal a season man.
My favorite of his new habits is that he seems to have been encouraged to run behind as his main threat. He makes arced runs, find seams between defenders and asks for a slide pass. Makes proactive runs from left eight or striker from deep positions, so as to stay onside. I absolutely love this particularly because we have been crying out for this for many many years. We haven’t had a striker who scores simple one on one’s since I don’t know who.
Was this the turning point in his career?
Kudos to Saka and Odegaard who may be largely responsible for the turning point in a very talented players career.
Glove tickler:
The glove tickler had two roles against Bournemouth. He irritated the keeper for a little while, but then we switched. I just love that we took him out of this spotlight because every journalist in the country was looking to write another article about him sniffing the keepers shingpads or tying his shoe laces together.
Saka:
To see his full value, you are better off watching the opponent and who they look most concerned about. Fans seem to prefer fast players to quick players, but in modern football where everything is congested, being quick is significantly more important than being fast. Saka is fairly fast, but he is insanely quick. The speed between his touch past a defender and his next touch is electric because his first few steps are so quick. We maybe have a hard time describing his superpower but technically and physically, that might be it.
Odegaard:
In his first 18 months of Arsenal, I will admit to being frustrated with him. He came with a gift and wasn’t using it. The gift of passing through a congested defense is what separated him from ordinary midfielders. Part of the issue was him and part of it was the movement of those around him. Now that our team has started to utilize the space behind the defence more we are getting to see this gift. I remember when Clive Palmer was talking about watching him live. Talking about how you could tell that he was the best at football on the team. That phrase is sometimes cloudy because it can mean different things to different people, but I think now that he is playing at his ceiling or very close to it, it is evident that he was born with a ball at his feet. What is also evident if you sit back and breathe is much like teams in the past, individual brilliance is hard to detect if everybody is brilliant. Arsenal are at a place where every player in the starting 11 at the very least could be thought of as a brilliant footballer. If they are not then they are certainly capable of it in the future.
Ireola:
I always pay attention to opponents coach’s when they are asked to comment about what their impression is of Arsenal.
Ireola was one I was looking forward to because he is one of the better coaches in the league.
He highlighted a few things, but his main point was that Arsenal have the work ethic of a lesser team. That sounds like an insult I know. What he went on to say was that lesser teams have to give more physically because this is somewhat of an equalizer for them as they cannot compete in the technical and tactical. Elite teams can win in second and third gear, and so don’t always give the same effort.
He said that Arsenal are the hardest working team in football. And have the humility to do so. This will never make a headline or maybe even a tweet as hard work has no razzle dazzle. But if you think about what happens every single time we lose possession, we could all agree that there is an instant chase and rapid organization. The keyword here is ‘instant’ and the key phrase here is ‘every single time.’ Rewind to the non-negotiables speech and we can all see that defensive organization, shape and effort are clearly on that list.
Bournemouth:
Fair play to Bournemouth. Our first half was a shower of shooting and they were willing to throw body parts in front of all of it. The other side of it is that avoiding shots being blocked is very much part of the modern game. Even though the torso is the biggest area to block a shot, players flinch, and so they are more effective at blocking with their legs. Shooting from inside the box ideally needs to go high so as to avoid legs. You just don’t need the power that Partey did when he nearly broke the Clock End when only 12 yards out.
Shots:
I’m sitting here re-watching the game. The commentator mentioned on the 29th minute that we had 11 shots in the first 20 minutes. That is abnormal even for a third round FA cup game against Try Hard United. Averaging more than a shot every two minutes against anybody in the Premier League is hugely impressive. I think what happened is that Arteta found some key weaknesses in their defensive shape and took advantage of it. I say this because we kept having success in the same areas. It was between both full backs and the centre backs. The seam between them was large and White, Saka, Haveertz, Trossard and Tomiyasu exploited it.
Max Dowman:
You have probably heard of this 14-year-old. I believe he is the youngest player in the history of the club to train with the first team which he did last week. Here is a picture. Obviously a very special talent and reminds me of Charlie Patino.
NEEDS:
Bournemouth’s kit:
I used to live near Oxford. There was a possibility that they ended up being my team because of locality. When you are four or five and making that vastly important life decision, you make this vital decision based on whichever team has the same colour kit as your favorite ice cream flavor or perhaps you saw a player after the game wave at the camera and you thought he was waving at you.
I think one of the most common decision-makers is the kit. Oxford United will never be a big club simply because they have been burdened with a half and half banana yellow and navy kit that for some reason Bournemouth decided to replicate. I like Bournemouth and I certainly appreciate their form this season, but they will never ever get any new fans wearing that monstrosity.
Saka’s perception:
Why is the nicest player in football picked on by opposing teams fans? I think I might have a possible answer. He is strong in his Christian faith. Mentions it more than most players too. That just rubs certain people the wrong way and always has since the beginning of time. Persecution might sound like too strong of a word, but if we were him and had to deal with this part of his life, you would feel it and probably take it this way. We don’t won’t fully understand because as much as we imagine this world is another world entirely. The good news is that because he is strong in his faith this will help him brush it off and not take it seriously.
This will get worse because it is now prevalent globally and many people can speak to stories that are both different yet similar.
Offside:
I just asked Siri when the offside law was invented and apparently it started in the schools in the early 1900s. I think the conversation went like this…
“ Toffington, I have an idea.”
“What say you, ole chap?”
“ well, those footballers who stand at the back stick with their kneecaps in advance of the last defender are really gaining a huge advantage. I know that the footballs that we are using are more like medicine balls and the boots look like clown shoes but I think the priority here is going to be stopping Brazilian centre backs of the future from taking advantage of our beautiful game because of the chubbiness of their kneecaps. We really don’t need the goal of the season competition to involve this level of dastardlyness.”
Ref:
David Coote looks like a coote whatever a coote is?
He also looks like…
Bart was cute. Coote is not.
Whilst we are talking about the referee, and I’ve been unkind to him, I will compliment the supposedly controversial decision to disallow the goal. What commentators and pundits have to take into account is how much contact is needed to obstruct a player. When a goalkeeper is in motion or jumping in the air just a little nudge is all it takes to move him. Football being a contact sport they are of course allowed to bang into each other, but the key factor is intent. Dominic Solanke had no intention of doing anything but pushing the goalkeeper. He spent the entire time that the ball was in the air looking at the goalkeeper and not the ball. That is the deciding factor. At that point, the conversation is over. It doesn’t matter if he has punched him in the face or giving him a ‘slight nudge’ because of the intent.
For a commentator to talk about a goalkeeper needing to be stronger is a disturbing lack of common sense. When a goalkeeper is running towards a ball to punch it, he has 100% focused on the ball and can’t stop halfway to barge the attacker with his impressively adjusted gym muscles that he had prepared for such a scenario. I swear that commentators just copy each other, but forget to turn their brain on.
VAR:
Just a simple one. Why do the TV companies sometimes show the replays and sometimes show the lines and not others?
I’m just a skeptical person and it may be nothing but I think it’s something.
Ryan Christie:
Don’t zoom in on this picture if you haven’t seen it and have a weak stomach.
His performance was an embarrassment and should’ve met a rectangular red end. He played as if he had a bet at Paddy Power to break somebody’s leg.
HOPES:
Semenyo:
I don’t think that he is a possible solution for Arsenal this summer because we are now in the market for elite players. He just looks like an interesting one to keep an eye on. Our coach certainly had a plan for him because it was a home game that we should’ve won and he didn’t play Zinchenko at left back which he normally does in these situations. He wanted Tomi because this guy is their major threat.
Last summer/this summer:
When I look at this image it gives me a feeling of gratitude and hope.
Hard to say how to rate it until Timber plays a full season, but my best guess is that this window will be a 9 or even a 10 out of 10.
It gives so much hope for this summer as long as we remember to wait until December to judge it. Last December Havertz was apparently a waste of money and Raya’s selection was like your best mate stealing your girlfriend to a lot of our fanbase.
Pre Season opportunities:
There is a decent chance that July could change an Arsenal Academy players life. We are unlikely to see the vice majority of our squad until August.
This is a realistic starting 11 for the first 3 or 4 preseason games….
- Karl Hein
- Ben White
- Takehiro Tomiyasu
- James Sweet
- Ayden Heaven
- Thomas Partey
- Martin Odegaard
- Emile Smith Rowe
- Mika Biereth
- Amario Cozier Duberry
- Charles Sagoe Jr
Bench options:
Fabio Vieira, Charlie Patino, Marquinhos, Sambi Lokonga, Kieran Tierney, Ethan Nwaneri, Chido Obi-Martin, Mauro Bandeira, Miles Lewis Skelly, Michal Rosiak Reull Walters, Brooke Norton Cuffy and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji
I’m making assumption that Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson will be sold before preseason. There is a fair chance that Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe and Mika Biereth will also be sold by then. Perhaps Fabio Viera too. There are only two players on the bench that I think will definitely be at the club next season (Nwaneri and Obi-Martin) and a whole host of them could be sold before preseason. There is a fair shout that only Ben White and possibly Tomi of that starting 11 will start in August.
So many opportunities for so many players.
Not necessarily opportunities to get into the August team, but to certainly change your future. As an example, one player to look out for his Mauro Bandeira. Right now, Arteta’s coaching crew are likely looking for a loan to lower league club. With three or four opportunities and impressive performances he could end up being at the back end of the first team bench with cup appearances.
Interesting whisper:
Am I going to have to go back to trying to spell Wojcech Szczesny’s name every week?
There is a whisper. That would be epic on many levels. He would legitimately challenge David Raya. He would be motivated as he didn’t win the league at Arsenal and most importantly, he would not need multiple games in a row to get the experience to dip in and out of the team, as he has all of that now. He was my favourite Arsenal goalkeeper over the last 20 years.
SCOUT MAX:
Estevao:
You may have heard of this young Brazilian. He’s probably the headline act in that league right now and of course the ‘next Neymar’ tag. His nickname is actually Messinho which is weird for Brazilians.
There is a pureness that some South American players have when watching them dribble. He has that natural ability. This video will not surprise you because you’ve seen these players 1000 times but the hope is of course that you find the gem that you wish you had signed for 8 million when you didn’t want to take the risk.
Apparently, Barcelona, PSG, Dortmund, and Arsenal are interested, which probably tells a tale. Max’s tale is that he will be Arsenal’s new winger.
Another wing option is Desire Doue at Rennes. No links but talking of Neymar, this is the closest I’ve seen. Only 18. Not yet a name so maybe cheaper. High high ceiling. Perhaps too unpredictable for Mikel as he plays like a street baller but all kinds of fun to watch. Sort of player that gets the crowd up off their feet. City rolled the dice on Doku who took the same path. A two footed Eze. An attacking midfielder who plays more like a winger.
I will let you check him out on your own time.
TWEETS and THOUGHTS:


Even more impressive considering the separation.
FINAL THOUGHT:
Oh my! This is the longest blog I’ve ever written. So sorry it’s too long!
Just wanted to give a shout out to one of the owners of Gunnerstown, who gave me my break. Paul Hepker aka Invinciblog is a creative genius that inspires me. I wish he would write more because his writing is like poetry. His genius extends to predictions and only the Coote and his team of Cooties ruined his day when they disallowed Gabriel’s goal.
I also think that you should watch this….
It is Alejandro Aranda. The best unknown artist currently on the scene. This audition is mind blowing. I don’t use that phrase carelessly. Trust me here. It is so good that whenever I’m low I watch this video because it reminds me of joy…..
Thank you for reading this short book. Happy days at Arsenal!

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.
Great blog Mike, a real honor that my name got included in it. It’s been a pleasure knowing you.
Your point about Ales Scott not getting on the ball is well-made. One of the most overlooked aspects of Arteta’s tactics this season is how he has repeatedly neutralised the opposition’s main attacking threats by starving them of the ball.
Thanks for that post Mike, it certainly was a process of a post.
Jorginho signing for a year is very welcome news although I’m not sure what that means for Thomas Partey? Personally I wouldn’t be averse to keeping TP5 for his last year, particularly if we get bids for him that lowball his value. Players in their last year can sometimes discover super powers we never though possible…
Great article. Don’t you think we should cash out on TP5? I know he has given us some hope the last few games. But an injury prone player in his 30’s is not a very good idea to keep. Better sell now that potential suitors are seeing his value. Jesus bar his salary is a very good bench option for the front three, just like trossard. I think we keep him and get rid of every other player that’s not good enough. and get them kids on their places. Elneny, Cedric, Eddie, Nelson, Ramsdale, ESR, Tierney, Marquinos, Tavares and maybe Lokonga
Excellent read Mike. I think your thoughts on Havertz are spot on. Players who can put in that quality and quantity every week without breaking down are so valuable.