Credit: acmilan.com
I have spent way too much thinking time trying to figure out who would be the best left-wing signing for Arsenal?
That’s the exciting position to ponder because we all know it’s between two or three at striker and I’ve asked the good Lord for Viktor Gyokeres for three years and so at some point I need to stop begging.
I’m still not 100% convinced of what I’m going to say, but I am convinced of why I’m going to say it.
I suppose if we try to think like the club has to think and imagine that we had to make a decision rather than pillow dream, we would have to recognize what we actually need.
Unpredictability :
There aren’t too many fingers you can point at Arsenal and Arteta’s tactics, but how often have you said , “I didn’t see that coming!”
If we can stop the tape and be 90% sure of where the next action is going then the opponent has similar confidence.
The position on the field where risk should be encouraged is on the wing. Our current options all have two or three ways of creating trouble.
Perhaps more than anything else, Arsenal need unpredictability.
Of all of the options that are out there, I have found myself being more concerned over whether they will track back than offer what we actually need. If there is a time in the game where you need to be able to trust your winger to play with the same enthusiasm going backwards as forwards, then you put Martinelli or Trossard on the field. If there’s a period of the game where you’re struggling to break down a low block, which has been the case on multiple occasions, then surely there is a need for a maverick rather than a hard-working, reliable option?
If this is the case, then there is one player that stands taller than all of the other options. A player that it could be argued is the most likely to change a game all by himself than any other option in World football.
A player with a ceiling simply higher than the rest. He is being largely discounted because of work ethic and inconsistency.
His name is Rafael Leao.
Should we be concerned about his lack of work ethic and his inconsistency? Sure. But as a coach myself, I put great value in the ability of the coaching staff to change that. I would not put that same trust in a coach that does not hold his players accountable, is not respected by all and does not improve his players.
So, the most important point that I can make is that I think that Arsenal could bring in a maverick and polish his flaws, because our coaching staff have the highest standards and have improved almost every player at the club. Significantly improved them.
Raphael Leao is currently considered to be a ‘YouTube player.’
That is totally fair. A player that looks like one of the best footballers currently playing on YouTube, but will frustrate if you watch an entire game.
His flaws are correctable, though. If we were to sign a winger like Anthony Gordon, who is most certainly difficult to handle and a very good player, but isn’t anywhere near the ceiling that Raphael looks up to. If it’s somebody like Gordon, then I would worry that he would be much of the same.
I try to imagine myself standing on the side of the field as Arsenal coach and if we are playing Bournemouth at home, and much like 40% of our games last season, we are struggling to create simple chances. We could continue to bang away at the style of play that we have been utilizing and to be fair that has gotten us close on multiple occasions.
I just think it would be intelligent to have a player that I could whisper in his ear before the game or before subbing on the field, “I need you to win us the game”
Freeing Saka :
Because Martinelli and Trossard are both 7.5/10 wingers, our opponents feel justified to give them less attention and more focus on Saka. If we had a left-winger that had equal talent, we could potentially win trophies just off the back of this one change. If you have a player that is a maverick, maybe inconsistent, but has a higher ceiling than everybody else you simply don’t know when he’s going to reach that ceiling. You can’t just say, ‘let’s just focus on Saka because Leao isn’t as consistent,’ because you have to base your decision-making on their ability rather than their consistency.
Devastation :
I wonder if anybody reading this has ever played against a low block themselves?
I certainly haven’t. I’ve coached a couple of games against them so I’ve got a little idea what it’s like.
When most of us played, a low block was either never a consideration or not coached at the level that we see in the Premier League and so offered far too many opportunities for the attacking team to score to make it a worthwhile tactic.
To the best of my understanding when playing against this strategy, I understand that it can be a very effective tactic. I’ve seen it hundreds of times watching Arsenal and plenty enough times watching other elite teams. If I coached Leicester City and I was playing Arsenal, I would certainly use it.
So, what is the best way to beat a low block?
The strategy is all about team discipline. Players trying to not tackle unnecessarily. Players always staying in front of their man. So perhaps the best way to beat this is to have a player on your team whose skill level is so varied and high, and whose speed and pace is equal to their skill level. Most players that we would be interested in have one of these characteristics but not both. A player so devastating that even Roy Keane would have to say, “well, there really isn’t anything you can do about that.”
Motivation :
I’m sure you’re comparing Leao to Rodrygo whilst reading this.
He also falls into many of these categories.
Problem that you might inherit though is that he has played for the world’s biggest club. He has also won the world’s biggest trophies. Some players would be affected by this. It would be important to know if he would be.
Leao hasn’t played for a team at the top of the modern game. AC Milan are a legendary club, but bar 1 title, haven’t been competing for a while.
You would think that he would be highly motivated because he would have a chance to win trophies that he really has no chance of winning if he stays where he is and has never had a chance of winning before.
Age:
Arsenal are in a ‘win now’ period.
Some fans won’t give us beyond next season.
Leao is 26 and going into his prime.
If you buy an exciting talent that needs time to adapt or grow up and mature in the game then Arsenal may not be the beneficiary of their best.
YouTube:
YouTube can deceive. To its credit though, it reveals a players ceiling. We get to see the very best of their highlights.
If you watch this video, you will get the sense that Arsenal could possibly get a player with a similar ceiling to another player that we signed from Serie A over 25 years ago.
In fact when Henry came from Serie A he was less polished and probably less gifted.
Could Arsenal take a risk on a cathedral rather than a church?
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.
No comments yet.