Changes at Arsenal [Positives Needs & Hopes Extra Edition]

Changes at Arsenal 

Before I start, I have a favour to ask at the end of this piece 

I spend way too much time thinking about how Arsenal can be the best that they can be. I do it not out of lack of trust in the club, but because it’s my passion. 

I suppose coaches are wired this way. Always looking for problems and solutions. Fans are currently wondering what changes are going to get us from 2nd to 1st as the problems are becoming obvious. 

I want to address….

• The problems
• My solutions
• What I think the club will do.

So, what are the problems?

• Too predictable
• Too shy to shoot (a 25 year issue)
• Unnecessarily slowing transitions
• Balance is too weighted in favour of no risks
• Movement in the box
• Creating simple chances
• Wingers not running behind and always wanting ball to feet
• When players do run behind, they are largely ignored.
• Tempo/one touch
• Slow starts, especially at home with crowd behind you
• Over playing players in order to prove that EVERY game matters
• Lack of variety in corner kicks during the game
• A left wing as potent as the right
• Wingers not switching sides
• Rice in the half space
• Long term injuries
• Front post movement to get first opportunity on crosses
• Not playing for penalties (the easiest chance to score)
• Alongside that, not dribbling at speed into the box
• Ruthlessly finishing games where we are dominant, in the first half.

Firstly, it is to Arteta’s great credit that there is not a single defensive issue on this list.

We make mistakes like all teams but apart from conceding the first goal there aren’t regular issues. This one issue is more of an attacking issue anyway….. Conceding the first goal and then having to play the whole game against a deep block. If we were to start with more energy  we would go ahead more often than not.

I don’t necessarily think that all of my thoughts are what I would activate given the opportunity, but I do think that they are all of value and worth discussion.

Rather than answer all 20 points, many overlap and all are answered with these solutions.

Trust

Some are confidently stating that the main and possibly only change will be the addition of players that the coach trusts in.

I would say that this is certainly the most important step that we will see. 

If we were to analyze why we have not won the trophies that we desire then the common denominator is probably rooted in Arteta’s lack of trust in player B compared to player A. It is also fair to say that if player A is an elite player and player B is not and player A is available then the temptation is to pick him. I get it. The hope is that our coach has learnt to be proactive and not always pick player A even when he wants to play. Pep Guardiola is the master of this. He rarely puts out the same team, but makes one or two changes. It is also fair to state that he has players on the bench that are as good as the players on the field. That is where we have had to get to and this summer we have largely achieved that. So, I expect at least one change for most games so we don’t get to March and start losing our elite players for the run in.

Of the 11 positions on the field, I do not see one position anymore where we couldn’t rotate. Here are a couple of examples… If we were to lose to Bournemouth again, and Bukayo Saka did not play then the decision to not play him cannot be the reason for the loss. Bournemouth are a very impressive up and coming team, but if we can’t beat them with our best 10 plus Madueke, then we have a bigger problem.

We need to ensure that our best 11 is fit and available to play the top teams, which we have an excellent record against over the last two seasons. I would argue that starting Saka and Rice against one of the far too many teams we drew against was unnecessary. Even though putting Saka‘s name on the teamsheet gives everybody comfort, he is the one having to perform way too often and not able to be the player that we have put on the piece of paper. Even though Liverpool were deserved winners, we would’ve won the Premier League last season if we would’ve turned half of the draws to wins. That was not a big ask. They were all very winnable games where we were favoured to come away with three points.

I do wonder if Raya’s post February mistakes were down to mental fatigue. Kepa was one of the best GK’s in the league. Let him play a run of easier games and let Raya rest his brain. We play Leeds, Sunderland and Brentford back to back in late January/February. The FA Cup will be in there too. Play Kepa.

One or two changes have to become comfortable.

The Madueke effect

After we signed Madueke I had to initially come out of mourning as Spurs had signed my pick. After the mourning period I saw the light.

I am now of the belief that not only is his direct style what we need, but when he has success with it, others will be challenged to replicate. 

I sometimes get the impression that some (lots) of our players are reticent to take risks because  they are fearful of their stats dropping. Actually, I think that this is one of the biggest problems in modern football. Players don’t want to be publicly embarrassed by coaching staff for having low percentage stats when in fact, they should be applauded for taking appropriate risk.

I think he will start on the left wing. Frequently. Why? I think (hope) that Arteta will be preaching more directness from our attackers and this is his natural leaning. 

Also, if we start with the Swedish Avenger in the box then surely at least one of your wingers needs to be crossing/cutting it back with their best foot. On some level, it seems straightforward to cut the ball back with either foot, but the gaps are so small in the box that players with their favored foot do better.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Ethan and Max D. are tried there for the same reason.

      4.Max Dowman

I hope this quote doesn’t make the rounds. Big chat will start and expectations will rise. On the other hand, an Argentinian saying this must be convinced. 

I would use him for the first 3 months as a super sub. 

The main point of a substitution is to change the game. He will be one of the most likely to do this in the entire squad simply because he looks like he doesn’t necessarily need help. This will be a steady integration for him with far less pressure. If he is not on our bench each week I can see Arteta getting stick from frustrated fans who don’t want a solid player like Kiwior on the bench who only comes on in emergency, they want the maverick to get the regular spot. The ‘game changer.’

        5.If Eze….

If we sign Ebe Eze then I predict that Martin 

Odegaard will sit on the bench more than just on ‘rotation day.’ Not necessarily through loss of form or ‘he’s better than him,’ but simply because Eze will likely prove to be more effective against deep blocks and in transition. 

I’d say that he was largely responsible for this statistic.

Rice isn’t sitting down, except rotation, so….

6.A better use of Rice

I’m hoping that Declan Rice gets out of the half space. He’s nowhere near as good with his back to goal in these pockets than running on or off the ball from deeper. I’d try a 4-2-3-1. Get Odegaard more central so he can affect both sides. Get Rice on the angle to Zubimendi so he can receive and go, or run from deeper off the ball, arriving in the box unmarked. 

Many are now talking about the possibility of Rice and Odegaard switching sides. I am also in favour of looking at this. Why? Because both are in the top whatever for elite technical skill. If you play them on their natural side then it is easier for them to take less touches in order to execute a cross or shot. Our tempo is often too slow and as we pass around the attacking horseshoe, we often take one too many touches. This would fix that. It would also give our opponent something different to figure out. For Declan Rice in particular, he could be receiving out swinging crosses from not only Madueke, but Odegaard himself.

Do you remember the beautiful MO pass to Rice for this winner?

Last season Rice never quite got his head to crosses because they were swinging away from him. He’s capable of 15 goals per season in this more attacking role but he needs the ball to out swing.

What do I think Arteta will do?

I think we will see a more direct style on occasion. This will happen in transition. Earlier balls to Madueke and Gyokeres to take advantage of their pace and channel running. Why didn’t it happen against Villareal? Well, it did for the first 15 mins and then they sat deep. 

I’ve noticed in pre-season that early switches to Saka are a thing. Leaving him 1 on 1. A very important improvement.

I do think that we will see faster transitions. Zubimendi’s influence will prove to the team that verticality is here to stay. It also leans into the best of Gyokeres and Madueke, and possibly Rodrygo, if we get him.

With the addition of more direct wingers on and off the ball, I think we will see more off ball runs behind, More penalties as we will have more players running at speed in the box.

I also think that the left side will get an upgrade. The current rumours of Rodrygo on loan in order to buy Eze seem the most likely of all the solutions I’ve heard.

I do have a lil hope that Zubimendi’s influence will encourage others to play quicker and forward. I’ve noticed that his teammates are getting him visibly frustrated with their delaying. I think that he will encourage Arteta to change this as he becomes more comfortable and influential.

I would love to say that there will be other improvements to tactics and strategies, but if I have one major complaint about Arteta it is that even though player improvement is obvious, there is too much focus on control, more control and better control, to the detriment of variety and unpredictability. It is also fair to say that Arsenal are not far away in either of the two big competitions. Perhaps all that is needed is better players and the right players? More luck with injuries and referees that referee fairly. I could go along with that thought process. 

Changing subject….

I was asked by the ‘Football Content Awards’ to nominate myself. I did, but that felt weird. If you like my writing and have a few extra minutes, I’d appreciate the love 

 Football Content Awards – Created to recognise & award the best football content

Happpy note;

I wanted to finish on a positive because our club is in a super positive place. Six important signings, a brilliant squad, a fantastic coaching, staff, and more than anything, hope.

I love this comment from Noni Madueke…

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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.