‘The brake or the gas’

‘The brake or the gas’ 

An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective

The dialogue among Arsenal fans after the Liverpool game has been quite fascinating. 

Apart from those that automatically start attention seeking and wanting over the top accountability for one game of football, the rest of us seem to be somewhat uniquely divided on whether we think that Arteta took the right or wrong approach to the game.

I think that there are fair arguments both ways.

There are, of course, many who lean on being smart after the event. Not so many are quite so brave to post their allegiance to a strategy before kickoff, I’ve noticed. 

My two cents on what I saw has to be funneled through the filter that modern football uses rather than take the game as a whole. It is now broken down into phases. Arsenal in particular, play this way. We ordinarily start slowly so that the coaches can analyze the other team’s approach. We then gain control of the game and might push the accelerator from the 15th minute to the 40th minute. As we see our opponent accelerate towards halftime, we often change our approach and will play the half out if we are winning. The second half is based on the successes of the first half, but also has different outcomes based on the score line and game flow as the second half progresses. The players will know the signals and alternatives.

This is how I saw the game… 

Numbing phase:

Regardless of whether a coach has intentional phases and strategic twists or just one simple game long message, most coaches will know that for the first 10 minutes or so at Anfield you have to numb the crowd. Not so much shut them up as that might be bold and foolish, trying to go for an early goal, but sit them down. At Anfield, the crowd are up on their feet at kickoff and noisy, but regardless of what the media tell you, it is not an intimidating atmosphere throughout the entire game. They can be numbed. They can be sat down. The noise often becomes a general hum of conversation rather than encouragement for the team. Liverpool started with intent and Arsenal rode the wave of the first 10 minutes and successfully numbed the crowd’s enthusiasm, which made Liverpool tap the brakes for fear of over committing.

Control phase:

As the game slowed down from the 10th minute until halftime, Arsenal intentionally kept possession and probed rather than hitting the accelerator too hard. Liverpool couldn’t string three passes together as Arsenal won the ball back quickly, and the increasing noise in the crowd was that of frustration from the Liverpool side.

Much like the memorable game in 1989, the game looked like it had a plan to be 0–0 at halftime and to then press accelerate in the second half where possible.

Adaption phase:

Arsenal were the kings of the first half because they got their way. Arsenal‘s plan succeeded and they were somewhat unfortunate not to be ahead. The second half swung the opposite way as there was a tactical shift at halftime to man-to-man marking in the central areas which successfully squeezed Arsenal.

For the majority of the second half it looked like a mirror image of the first half, but still likely to end in a draw as both teams seemed to have the ultimate goal of satisfaction if the game ended in a draw. The caveat in a strategy that both Slot and Arteta used was that ‘if opportunity presents itself then take advantage. Just don’t force it.’ Neither team wanted a basketball match as Liverpool are the kings of the transition and Arsenal with their new front line have clearly been working on the same thing but now have the players to execute it.

The goal was like an island. A completely separate affair to everything else discussed about the match. A ‘why not’ moment. Szoboszlai probably knew that his coach would be OK with the draw but felt confident enough to give it a go as he knew that the repercussions were nil as the position of the free kick wasn’t optimal.

Fair play. Sometimes you just have to applaud even if it is two days later. David Raya was even moving that way as he kicked the ball and still couldn’t get it. You won’t believe me but I heard Michael Owen say something intelligent about the goal earlier today. He stated that perhaps a wall is a hindrance when the free kick is 30+ yards out. That a GK should be able to save any shot from there and that a wall gives the kicker a target to aim over and a way for the keeper to be blinded.

Acceleration phase:

This phase of the game is under the category of ‘what if.’ 

We were forced to press the accelerator and our fan base were at that point given a 30 minute window of ‘what if,’ themselves. Eze came on and off went the biggest talking point, Martinelli. B was better than A and so those fans who didn’t have the balls ahead of the game to suggest a winning strategy jumped on this point as proof.

I’m not attempting to come to a conclusion and tell you what should’ve happened. I just wanted to correctly state the facts of the matter and how the game succeeded from the coach’s perspective. 

It is important to recognize that even if we think that our approach was right, that there are multiple approaches that will get the same outcome. This game, which was won by a world class kick of the ball, could also have been won in our favour with the exact strategy that Arteta went with. 

I’ve always had the belief that there are multiple ways to win and multiple ways to lose. The main job of the coach is to balance the two and give your team the very best chance of the first outcome. 

My synopsis of this game is that Arteta got the first half right and did something that very few coaches managed to do. He effectively numbed the crowd, controlled the game and gave his team opportunities to go ahead. The second half looked like it was going the same way until the incredible strike, but if Arteta is honest with himself, he was too slow to adapt to Liverpool‘s halftime switch in their press and too slow to make the necessary changes from the bench.

I suppose that, even though it is not modern and it is not respected, the final analysis can be both good and bad. 

This analysis is also evidenced by the performance of the Arsenal players. In most games where a team is victorious, it would be fair to say that the players ratings are normally 7/10 or higher. This game was proof that you could have a handful of players that were actually 9/10 and another few that were 5/10.

POSITIVES:

Mosquera:

I was honestly gutted when Tomiyasu left. I trust the club that they did the right thing because I’m sure they would’ve loved to have kept one of the best versatile defenders in Europe. His injury must be a long-term concern. The recruitment this summer seems to be spot on. What is so impressive though is finding another player who can play all across the back line, step in without rhythm and make you feel like you aren’t missing one of the best defenders in the world.

Not only does Mosquera look like a good football player, but he looks ready. So confident. Quite unnatural for such a young player going to Anfield for the first time. Somebody needs to check his birth certificate. He looks closer to 40 than 20.

Calafiori:

We have had a few players over the years that are hard to figure out. Arshavin was another.

Players that you can see are good, but can’t figure out where on the field they should stand. Much like Mosquera, Calafiori is playing with so much confidence for somebody of such tender age. I suppose that is why people are getting even more frustrated with Martinelli, who is older and been at the club a whole lot longer.

Calafiori is best described as Kai. He can do everything. An 8 out of 10 player in every area of the game.

Timber:

I want to be intentional about not missing out on his good performances, even though they are entirely unsurprising. Our squad is best described as a group of players with multitalented skills. This might be why people are struggling with the performances of Gyokeres as he seems to be more of a specialist.

Madueke:

Apart from the threat of the left foot shot, he did everything that Saka normally does. I know he has Premier League experience already, but he has settled very quickly and seems determined to prove that he is the answer to the question that some people are still asking.

Arteta:

It’s fair to acknowledge that Arteta had a brilliant first half. Liverpool would consider themselves as arguably the best team in the world. If they aren’t then they are definitely in the top five. To have them under your thumb for 45 minutes is something that likely nobody else will do this season.

Zubimendi:

It’s just so nice to have more than one conductor. Odegaard has needed help for a while and Zubimendi looks more than capable of being this. He has adapted quite quickly and so we aren’t even close to seeing the best of him. His superpower is tempo raising. The ability to split lines with first touch passes. We’ve only seen a few of them, but they will become more frequent as he becomes more comfortable.

Eze:

I don’t know if a player deserves a compliment for doing something that is natural to him, but Eze did exactly what Martinelli needed to do for the first 2/3 of the game. Play unafraid.

Dowman:

What an incredible compliment, and clear evidence of the confidence that Arteta has in Max Dowman, that he was chosen to get Arsenal back in the game above Trossard and Nwaneri. They are rightly caging him away from media spotlight so you won’t at this point in his career find out exactly what the coaching staff think of Max Dowman. You just have to make up your mind based on Arsenal being 1-0 down at their rivals stadium and he was the one chosen when there were other options. He may not have been successful, but as of today, it is now clear that this young boy is right at the front of the list of players that will be used to change games.

Squad rotation:

I’m sure that Arteta did not pick the team based on trying to keep the players happy but sometimes you get an accidental benefit from this. Talk is cheap and action is trusted. The fact that Merino, Martinelli and Madueke were all trusted will give everybody in the squad some hope. I’m sure that Arteta will have had the conversation with the players about the team choice not reflecting ability, but reflecting the need of the game ahead of them. This is all good until you go to Anfield and have to prove it to the players.

NEEDS:

Arteta:

I’m not entirely convinced of what I’m about to say. I know what it’s like standing at pitch level trying to evaluate the myriad of things that a coach needs to be aware of.

Individual performance, combinations, weaknesses, possibilities to take advantage of, potential substitutions, opponent, strategies, etc., etc., etc.…

If I had the facilities of a professional club, I would have trusted coaches in the stands all given me their opinions. I would be sitting amongst them in an elevated position so I could get a better tactical vantage point. This has never been used by professional coaches and because I haven’t coached a professional team I have to concede to the fact that they are probably right. I also think it’s fair to point out that it’s at least worth discussion.

In the case of Sunday’s game, I’m reminded that our coach has very few weaknesses, but that one of them is stalling for too long before taking action. Again, if it were me, I would have one of my coaches have the responsibility of ‘what if.’ What if we go ahead? What if we go behind? What if the pressure shifts? And on…..

It’s just a whole lot for any brain to figure out largely by themselves.

The other possibility is that he is cautious to make quick decisions. I get that too, but there are certain situations that demand it.

If I was the Arsenal coach, I would lean towards being aggressive in my decision-making, especially now that we have such a competent squad. Eze needed to come on earlier. I fully understand starting Martinelli against Liverpool because he has such a good record against them and he is arguably the best defensive winger around and Salah is probably the biggest threat in the Premier League.

It was obvious after five minutes of the second half that the momentum had shifted and that Martinelli wasn’t providing an outlet and interestingly Salah was being comfortably handled by Califiori. Bringing on Eze may have been weakening our defensive unit by 5% but it would’ve strengthened our attacking options by 50%

The other and more regular concern is picking those players to game change for you. That should really be an instant switch. If you are gonna do it in the 85th minute then why wait that long?

Martinelli:

I have a bad memory so I can’t give you specific examples, but there have been many players over the years who have had ‘that game.’ The one where the fan base finally lost it. I know it was his first start of the season, but he was trusted by the coach when many would not have done so. I don’t really blame him for the outcome of his decision-making so much, but he is responsible for the lack of bravery and lack of acknowledgment that he desperately needs to pick his head up more often.

Either way, he is here until at least January and he most certainly has the potential to be whatever he wants to be. It’s about personal improvement with him because he has the natural tools. He will be an impact sub, and if he can improve those few things, then he could be a very important addition to our season.

I just don’t think that the fan base is going to put up with more poor decision-making, especially when the rest of the squad are playing at a different level.

HOPES:

Saliba:

Players really need to do a better job and understand the importance of being honest with your coach. Without knowing all of the information, there is a likely chance that he knew that he wasn’t going to last arguably the most intense game of the season. If a player tells a coach that he’s feeling good and he can do it whilst he is sitting down in the changing room, what is the coach supposed to do? He is likely going to trust you, but in this situation, a player has to be team minded. We wasted a sub and we now have a player in Mosquera that seems to be a very able deputy. We still haven’t shaken the injury curse from last season and so this becomes even more important.

Missing players:

Internally, the fact that we had some of our best players not able to play will not be used as an excuse in front of the players. There are two things going on here though. We went to Anfield with a sub optimum lineup and still controlled the game unlike any team I’ve seen at that stadium in a very long time. As I said a few weeks ago, don’t forget that there is a difference between a reason and an excuse and I think we would all agree that if Saka and Odegaard were on the field during the first half that we would have been ahead by at least one goal.

Hincapie:

The perfect signing.

An alternative to Gabriel, who will largely be used as an overlapping full back when Eze plays on the left wing.

Fast, aggressive, powerful, and determined, Hincapie will be a crowd favourite. Much like Lewis- Skelly is experiencing with Califiori playing so well, it might be hard to leave Hincapie on the bench once we see him and admire the fit. On paper, his ability to play in the first channel will put our new signing in the area of the field where he flourishes best. Once we see that and the potential benefits, we will have given ourselves a really nice problem.

Lewis–Skelly might just have to be satisfied with being a finisher.

TWEETS and THOUGHTS:

People like Billy should be the ones on the television analyzing the game. People who are clear eyed and don’t have relationships with the people that they are analyzing

If there was a competition for tweet of the year, then Fredrik would be nominated. I can’t tell you if he is serious, comedic, or desperately needs some help.

And then he proves it. Somebody give Fredrik a trophy.

If you like stats, and if you like facts, then this will help you scream at Arteta a little less.

A really good point from Richard

If you wanted an example of how the media are anti–Arsenal

Another example

Did anybody pick up on this?

At least James Benge has a brain

FINAL THOUGHT:

I really think that it is important that we park this disappointing outcome and move on. Liverpool got the three points, but I’m not convinced that they proved superiority at all. If the game was at the Emirates and we would’ve won 1-0, I think we would’ve come away being elated but concerned and probably confused as to why we were dominated for half of the game.

For as good as Liverpool‘s transfer window has been on paper, I actually don’t think that it has been as good as ours. We have filled every need for the first time in the club’s history. Because of the lovely Igor at Brighton, Liverpool have not. Guehi’s move to Crystal Palace did not happen and this might prove to be a huge mistake as Joe Gomez is about as reliable as asking Keir Starmer to tell the truth, and so if he gets injured and Konate is unfit, then they have a problem in an area that they don’t look very solid in anyway.

Six points from three games is OK. Arsenal have been OK so far this season. I rest in the knowledge that Arsenal will not be ‘ok’ for the majority of the season unless they get hit with an epidemic of depression.

I don’t think anybody in world football now has a squad quite as impressive as ours and so I think we will see Arsenal steam rolling many teams, especially in the last third of games when they bring on Callum Neverheardofhim, Steve Rubbish and Richarlison and we bring on three players that would be considered as first team regulars in any elite team.

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.