‘Time for the Coach to coach’
An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective
I couldn’t write after the Villa game and I wanted to pause before I wrote after the last day of the transfer window.
I always do better when I pause.
I come down on the fact that three things can be true at the same time.
Arsenal could have screwed up by not improving their attack enough.
The lack of new options could unlock more minutes for some very talented players that we already have.
As we sit, Arsenal have the best squad in the Premier League and have won their first two games and are the envy of the entire league.
The short story is that I am ok with the outcome. Not happy, but ok. I love a transfer. I spent way too much time thinking about who would improve Arsenal. Over the years I think I’ve got a better balance between wanting a shiny new toy and considering the toys that we already have.
In late July, I wrote a blog about changes that I thought that Arteta could make to give us a new look in attack. Some of it involved a new midfield structure and some was switching the wingers. Transfer suggestions were included.
Beyond transfers, I had settled on the fact that our strikers need at least one winger who takes the ball to the outside and crosses with their stronger foot. It takes away their ability to cut in and shoot themselves, but offers the other attackers better opportunities for one touch finishes from strong foot crosses.
Morgan Rogers on the left wasn’t my idea of the best solution. A player that is hard to stop, but not what I thought that Arsenal needed. As with all of the players that the club chased, I trust them and so I rest in that.
Vini Junior wasn’t going to be the type of winger that I was looking for, but the talent and productivity cannot be ignored. Ultimately, he is involved in more goals than the vast majority.
Julian Alvarez is a super footballer, but I didn’t shed one tear when that did not work out for two reasons. Firstly, because I think VG can get 20+ goals this season and secondly, this current group that seemed to have so much love and respect for each other looked like they could have a new teammate that wasn’t even close to being fully persuaded.
It is so very lovely that Arsenal are now in a position where they can attract interest from the very best players in world football. Because of that, I didn’t think it was too far-fetched to at least want Michael Olise. As much as I’m sure he is having a lot of fun in Munich, he is still a young man who was brought up in London and Arsenal represent the best of the Premier League and are one of the top three teams in world football and would represent a return to where he has spent most of his life and a chance to be back with family and friends.
My idea was that, at least for a part of each game/season, that Saka would play on the left. To this very day I still see a player who, even though he has it greatly improved his right foot, still struggles to pick out a player whilst he’s dribbling through the penalty area. The fresh look would add more goals and assists, and also more goals and assists from others. Saka on the left and Olise on the right. It would also give our opponents a brand new set of problems. It’s hard to watch Saka play these days and see him rip teams apart because our opponents know exactly what they need to prepare for.
So the window has shut, and even though we have numerically less attackers than last season, we have either deliberately or accidentally left ourselves with what I consider to be a rather interesting situation.
I would love for Noni Madueke to have a run of games on the left-hand side for the same reason that I’d like to see Saka played on that side every once in a while. This may now happen. Ebe Eze is another player that I think most Arsenal fans would like to see more of. If Odegaard is back to his best then Eze has two options. I’d imagine that Arteta will play him as a left eight against a low block and trust that Rice can do the dirty work without too much help from somebody like Bruno or Myles. More likely is that Eze will be first choice or second choice left-winger. It’s the side of the field that he prefers and given the confidence of the manager, it’s hard to deny that he has the ability to be a fantastic left-winger. Even if he has been hit or miss the few times that he has played there.
I feel more comfortable when Arsenal need a goal and he is on the field. He is undoubtedly one of the best players in Europe at shooting and finishing on target. Such reliability to get the ball on frame and ultimately that’s kind of the whole point of the game.
Tzolis looks like he is going to be one of the left-wing options and I really like the contrast between Noni and Eze. Certain game states require Noni’s directness and speed and desire to run behind. Other more technical games need a player like
Eze to pick the lock or finish from 15–20 yards.
As the summer was trundling along, my major concern was that Max Dowman wasn’t going to get more minutes than last season. I’m of the opinion that he is ready to take a greater role, even at the age of 16. The majority of 16-year-olds are absolutely not ready and need to be protected. Fabregas didn’t and I think Dowman is in the same category. He is physically ready to play on the wing and more often than not, looks like Arsenal‘s most dangerous winger when he’s on the field. I don’t know whether he needs to be used periodically due to his personality, but I just don’t get that impression.
It now looks like Saka and Dowman and Madueke will compete for the right wing spot and because we have one less attacker, Dowman should get more minutes which I think will be greatly to Arsenal’s benefit.
When we get into a state and want to shout at our laptops and phones, I think it is really important to understand what the fallout will be if a shiny new toy arrives.
If I was to tell you that Max Dowman was pissed off because he felt like he deserved more opportunities and wasn’t getting them and was considering moving elsewhere, then I’m sure you would be very concerned. Arsenal have a very special young man that needs to be played if and when he is ready. If we believe that he is going to be one of the world‘s best in a few years time, which he very well could be, then you have to give him a pathway to more minutes this season, even more minutes the following season and so on.
If a player comes in with a huge price tag, which is what was looking likely to happen, the coach is under pressure to make it work. So this player plays, even if he is in a slump. These are the realities of bringing in new players that most people don’t want to consider. They’ll just get mad at their screens when they find out that one of the most talented players that the club has ever produced does not want to continue at the club. Without looking back and taking any responsibility themselves, they will continue to shout until they get what they want. Arteta and the club cannot act this way. They have to live in the reality of repercussions. No matter how convincing you are as a coach and a club, it is very difficult to persuade a player that knows he could start at 95% of any club in world football, that he needs to be patient much longer. We all know that the modern day player lacks patience and only a few possess it.
Another benefit, this time in not replacing Gabriel Jesus, is that we get to showcase a player that every squad in Europe would want. Mikel Merino.
He’s too good to not play, but now we’ve opened another opportunity for him. Was Gabriel Jesus a better striker option than Merino over the last two years? Absolutely not. The more opportunities we have to get him on the field then the better chances we have to score and control games because his technique offers genius levels of composure in both areas.
If this doesn’t work out, then I think people are forgetting that we only have to suffer this issue for four months. I’d love to think that we can avoid an injury crisis within that period.
Retrospectively, there is every chance that we look back on this particular season and feel glad that we gave minutes to deserving current players and waited for a player of the talent of Kroupi and didn’t panic buy in August. This is a very likely scenario and quite possibly a favorable idea even if there is risk involved.
Again, it’s really important to remember that there is risk involved in bringing in players to an elite squad. Most everybody is playing to an elite level and so the new player has to do the same. One player comes in and so one or two players lose minutes and opportunities. It’s not so long ago that Arsenal tried to Band-Aid the situation and we were stuck with a player for four years who we couldn’t sell for more than Alex Oxlade Chamberlain.
It’s also interesting to note that our main three rivals also have fans that are dissatisfied.
I know City fans who are very concerned that they have replaced elite players with very good ones. They also sold their backup striker and now only have Haaland. Relying on Phil Foden to be a back up false nine hasn’t worked for a rather long time.
Semenyo has played there in pieces but not for a good while.
Liverpool, once again, spent all their money on the attack and are playing a four man defense with two wing backs who aren’t natural full backs and it’s not working out.
Chelsea have quite hilariously been left short in midfield. This seems impossible when a couple of weeks ago they had 41 squad players, but that is their reality. They tried to sign one of Europe’s best young players, Lamine Kamara on deadline day and got 98% of the way to signing him before Monaco backed out. Chelsea are short. Their best player over the last couple of seasons, Marc Cucerella is no longer there and their defense doesn’t even come close to what we have at Arsenal. Lots of shiny new toys and options but just another group of 7.5/10 players. Nowhere near Saliba levels.
United are still wide open, especially at home on their big pitch. There is no way that a team playing 90s football can win the Premier league in 2027.
The disappointment of the last week of the transfer window has caused a form of dementia in Arsenal fans. Many thought that the purchase of Bruno, Konsa and Tzolis put Arsenal one player away from having the best transfer window.
Not getting this player cannot possibly mean that the transfer window was a flop.
It’s just not ideal and it’s not perfect but it’s far from being a problem yet, especially looking at how we have started.
Bruno might end up being the best signing of the season. The shortlist for that award will always include a list of players that are ‘exactly what the club needed.’
Arsenal can be very one paced and lacking in verticality, especially in their passing. In the short time that Bruno has been at Arsenal, there have been at least five beautiful passes leading to goal scoring opportunities.
Here’s another cheeky thought… Did Arteta pause on signing another left-winger because he wants to see the Bruno/Eze link up on the left-hand side. On paper that could be very dangerous..
Konsa is the same as Bruno.
Exactly the right player that the team needed. Such little risk and so difficult to find a player of similar level to Saliba. If you look at the statistics in the Premier League, especially in duel winning and progressive passes, Konsa is number one. What an excellent option we have there.
Tzolis has started extremely well. He was poor against Villa, but we’ve seen plenty enough to see a productivity machine as an option on the left.
We’ve got rid of every player that we needed to move on and don’t have deadwood sitting around. That is an achievement that even though fans ridicule, has been very difficult for Arsenal for many years to get a good fee or even a fee at all for players with high wages, who are only worth 50% of those wages since their drop off.
The biggest signing of the season could end up being stealing Aston Villa’s medical staff.
None of us really know who is to blame for our ‘one back, one injured’ injury habit. The ridiculous amount of games is probably number one in this chart, but I’m guessing with the turnover this summer there must’ve been another problem.
If this medical team can keep us from big injuries, especially in the first four months, then Arsenal should win the Premier League again.
There may be a few beautiful surprises this season, also.
Marli Salmon might just be 17 years of age, but has never looked out of place during his minutes last season and this preseason.
We have turned over many Academy players and brought in some very interesting signings.
The most interesting one may never play for our Academy. Much like Max Dowman, he may go straight into first team training and actually become a true option on the left wing. His name is Andria Bartishvilli.
What an incredibly talented dribbler we have acquired.
I’m sure we will see him quite soon in the early Carabao Cup games and easier Champions League games.
A good coach is never going to tell the public that the solution to the problem that everybody sees is a 17-year-old who’s just arrived in the country, but he might be thinking it.
Another truth that we may come to realize is that we nearly won the two big trophies without a whole lot of positive participation from Saka and Odegaard. If they play at their level, then that one positive change could be enough for us to secure both trophies this season.
Finally, I wanted to comment on the blog title and the thought behind it.
It is so incredibly rare for anyone in the media or online to mention coaching as a way of improving players, teams, and the club situation.
Arteta’s ability to improve almost every single player and turn our players and club from a miserable eighth place finish to Premier League champions, and everybody’s favourite to repeat, is largely based on his coaching ability.
If there was any coach in the league that I would want to have to solve what many see as a crisis on the left wing, it would be Mikel.
Arsenal need some new attacking patterns anyway, and we have almost forced ourselves into that with the decision we have made in attack.
A player like Eze could be about to explode. A player with the highest technical ability, the experience and a year learning Arteta’s system should be perfectly placed to coach that final piece of consistent productivity and become the solution.
It’s not just Nicholas Jover that finds solutions. We have a coaching staff who are more than capable of turning an imperfect situation into the perfect one.
All of this might be too positive.
The truth about what happened is that Rogers was a risk because he’s not an out and out left-winger. Chelsea have overpaid and we weren’t willing to. I’m OK with that.
Arsenal did exactly what the coach and the fans wanted. They went after the best of the best and they got really close. The truth is that Vini Junior didn’t reject Arsenal, he accepted Real Madrid. No shame in that.
Julien Alvarez had a dream. His dream is identical to the vast majority of footballers. To play for Barcelona. He’s been to England and he didn’t particularly like it so it was always going to be a large risk bringing him back to the same country. We tried and then we tried again and it didn’t work out.
We gave both of these players time because their decision could go one way or the other way. That meant that we didn’t have a whole lot of time left. That’s just the way that it panned out and I can respect it.
If Berta gets fired, then that story will tell itself.
I really appreciate my club doing exactly what everybody wanted the club to do. If it was a shopping trip and they went to the wrong mall, then the social media reaction would be fine until it wasn’t. Arsenal went to the right mall and tried to make elite purchases and on this occasion they weren’t available.
Maybe one day we will become bullies in the transfer market and get players to run down their contract so we can sign them for free like Real Madrid do. That we will also get players to take half of their salary like Barcelona do.
Right now, this is where we are and I understand it.
Would love to hear from you as to what you think? Even though I do lean on the positive side, I challenge anybody to argue that any of these ideas are not possible.
I suppose it depends on the lens that you look through and I support a team that is the envy of everyone in world football and I could list many, many reasons why.
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.