‘The Absent Solution’ POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES I made a prediction back in December that we would fall short this season. I’m not in the slightest bit interested in being right. My thought was based on one big missing link. Arsenal lack ‘individual brilliance’ on the dribble. We are very capable of collective brilliance (last […]
‘The Birth of the Future’ POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES I’ve been waiting, wondering and hoping that we were going to get this performance. If you read often you may have got bored of my ‘need’ for Arsenal to play at a quicker tempo in the final third, the need for 1 touch to become a […]
‘Balance, Belief, Better…… Buzzing!’ POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES Balance Squad balance and in-game balance doesn’t come quickly and we are impatient. Have you noticed that it may well have arrived? Amongst the litany of change on and off the field it has been lost that Arsenal have a very balanced squad, age wise. I looked […]
‘The Unacquainted Twins’ POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES Have you ever met people who should know each other, perhaps they are essentially the same, but look like they have never met? I introduce to you Arsenal 2018–19! ‘Good Arsenal’…. Shows up one in three. An intense team with laser focus that starts finishes and does […]
What is the definition of ‘cruelty?’ I am too bummed to find out but it feels like it should be that game. Rather than whine about an offside goal I want to acknowledge that Arsenal had some players that played like real heroes today and were possibly a penalty kick away from being legends. I […]
Positives, Needs & Hopes from Arsenal 5 Bournemouth 1 The Recipe for Identity POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES As a coach I have always held the belief that your identity should be a by product of your ability to find the best system for your best players enabling them to play […]
Did I see Intent, Rhythm and Fun? POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES As the season was about to start I remember wondering what I was going to see. I remember thinking that we would quickly try to impress our new coach with a fluid, typical Arsenal rhythm combined with the obvious initial need of a more […]
A Tale of Execution and Deception POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES I feel happy but still concerned. Ultimately happy. Did we need to produce a fluid performance?… not really. Did we need the 3-0 victory?…. absolutely. As forgettable as these two games have been they were pivotal to Emery and Arsenal. The longer we don’t make […]
Should’ve been easy, but just too difficult! POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES One of the most impactful pre-game team talks I can remember came when I was a teenager. My coach was a man called Roy Butler and I was playing for St.Albans. It was a big game. We were the better team on paper but […]
Intensity or Exhaustion… The clear Arsenal style POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES That was absolutely maddening. Almost embarrassing. I’ll get on to that (see first point in ‘NEEDS section), but for now I want to talk about a theme that I see. There has been much talk recently about what Emery’s style is. Almost all of […]
