Coaching concerns clear POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES I’m not sure I can think of a new coach that has had one unfortunate circumstance after another quite like Mikel Arteta. We know the list. I won’t bore you. Yet again, he was confronted with another list of unfortunate circumstances with multiple key starters out and others […]
A rectangular shaped problem POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES One of the joys of my coaching career was having the blessing of meeting and coaching a boy called Mark Sherrod. (Above) Mark drove 45 minutes four times a week to play on our team and did so for many years. Mark was not only a fabulous […]
Preparing for the absent POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES I’m normally not in the camp of folk who say pre-season is just for fitness and rhythm. I’m still not. As a coach it is pivotal, not just for players to get in the groove but to try out the most important tactics/strategies that you want to […]
Will Arsenal go to Top Man? POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES (A Summer-so far report) Are you concerned that we haven’t signed the players we need yet? That the players we’ve signed aren’t going to make the immediate impact on the first team that we need? That the club won’t actually have the money or time […]
The Conductor and his part time Rock Band POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES End of season review This is a tale of the unnecessary. There once was a really good music teacher. He had been given the opportunity to work with a fairly talented but unbalanced rock band called ‘Unexpected.’ The music teacher had taken […]
Small happy, bigger frustration POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES Perhaps I’m overthinking this as the answer to my frustrations could be so very simple. It’s the last game and the pressures off, right? The players would rather have not played in the Conference league, I’m sure. But…. Why were so many of our season long problems […]
The 4 Minute Rebellion POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES I might be reaching here. Could be wrong. I’m happy to say this as it’s truth. Watching the game yesterday something jumped off the screen at me. We had spent 90 minutes trying to execute Arteta’s passing patterns. We then binned them. Then we won. It’s also […]
Little Lucky Winks Back POSITIVES, NEEDS AND HOPES Amongst the wash of badness that Arsenal have been this season, Arsenal have also been unlucky. Perhaps all teams are as unlucky as us? I don’t pay close enough attention to all of them to know. I can say however, that I can’t remember a season being […]
A little glimpse, but not enough POSITIVES,NEEDS and HOPES There was so much about yesterday that could’ve been better. Happier. Perhaps, hopeful. I was trying to feel more excited but couldn’t fake it. All 3 goals were ordinarily seat jumpers but my son and I only managed a token fist pump. Perhaps like you, I […]
The Controller and his joystick POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES It was the 70th minute yesterday. For the first time this season, I’d lost hope. Actually, that’s not true. There have been others. I felt without hope because I knew everything that Arsenal were going to do next. Nothing came as a surprise. More importantly, Unai […]
