Morning all. Wherever you might be, I hope you’re doing nicely at present. I’m positive I hope that every single day, however typically it’s price saying it out loud.
I touched on this yesterday a bit within the recap of the 2-0 win over Man Utd, however I discover the entire debate/dialogue/furore round Arsenal scoring from set-pieces completely hilarious and engaging in equal measure. As followers of this membership, we’ve skilled issues which form our view of Arsenal itself, of soccer, the sport, and what occurs in it.
Simply return to final weekend once we have been ripping West Ham to shreds on the London Stadium. We have been 4-0 up, taking part in brilliantly and, to all intents and functions, the sport was gained. Then, soccer being soccer, they scored a few targets in fast succession and I don’t suppose there was a single Gooner on the planet (who was sufficiently old for this to be related) who didn’t instantly consider that 4-4 draw at Newcastle all these years in the past.
Should you recall targets from Theo Walcott, Johan Djourou and Robin van Persie (2) placing us 4-0 up by the twenty sixth minute, you additionally bear in mind conceding 4 within the second half after we went all the way down to 10 males – together with two scored by Joey Barton of all individuals. That recreation befell on February fifth 2011, almost 14 years in the past now, and but when West Ham scored twice, I had flashbacks. Put them in a Vietnam conflict film and so they’d be dismissed as hackneyed and too clichéd, however they have been actual!
Equally, I bear in mind video games in opposition to groups like Stoke and Bolton (however significantly the Tony Pulis period Stoke), the place a nook or a throw-in or free kick anyplace on the pitch the place it could possibly be lumped into our field gave me the heebie-jeebies. We have been a small workforce again then, technical however definitely missing physicality and stature, and the opposition gave the impression to be stuffed with giants who could possibly be NBA gamers.
So, the ball would are available, we had goalkeepers whose strategy to coping with these deliveries was to look completely stricken, say a fast decade of the rosary, then both keep rooted to their line or come steaming out – eyes closed – hoping for the perfect. The defenders by no means regarded as snug as you would possibly like; our assortment of 5’8 midfielders did their greatest however have been out-muscled typically; and every set-piece was a chest-tightening, stomach-flipping, nerve-wracking, arse-clenching nightmare. I didn’t take care of it in any respect.
As for what we may do up the opposite finish, I could be confirmed incorrect by somebody who can dig up the stats, however we by no means felt significantly threatening. The one participant I can recall scoring with any frequency from set-pieces was Laurent Koscielny. I do know there will need to have been extra, and we needed to have scored a number of targets each season from corners and free-kicks, however you by no means felt like we had any constant menace.
Which is why I’m so having fun with what we are able to do now. If anybody on the market desires to dismiss it as industrial or boring or anti-football, be my visitor. The targets we rating from set-pieces are price simply as a lot as a brilliantly labored transfer (like Leandro Trossard’s objective in opposition to West Ham, for instance), or a rocket of a shot into the highest nook (like Riccardo Calafiori’s in opposition to Man Metropolis). If opposition followers suppose set-piece targets are too good for them to fret about, then that’s wonderful by me.
I think that’s not going to be a view shared by any critical supervisor or head coach for for much longer although. You possibly can’t ignore what Arsenal are doing. Definitely not once you’re taking part in us, as a result of we’ll take a look at you and your defence to absolutely the restrict; and never when you concentrate on how one can win video games in opposition to all people else.
There’s a critical level to be made although. Right here’s Mikel Arteta talking about set-pieces in September 2020:
It’s a key proportion of targets scored and conceded that has an ideal affect on outcomes and factors on the finish of the season. So it’s one other side of the sport that you must dominate.
This was simply after hiring Andreas Georgson from Brentford as our set-piece coach. In July 2021, after the Swede left for a job with Malmo, Arteta raided Man Metropolis and introduced in Nicolas Jover – who he himself had employed/really helpful whereas working as an assistant to Pep Guardiola. To say the job he has finished has been first-class might be an understatement, the fruits of that are apparent to everybody once we see one other objective go behind the web and the depressing, downcast faces of the opposition who knew what we needed to do however simply couldn’t cease it. That’s demoralising.
The important thing level for me although is that this: regardless of all the perfect preparation, organisation, coaching, planning and every part else, there will probably be days when your workforce simply doesn’t fairly click on. It occurs, it’s simply a kind of issues in soccer. We’ve all been there, you have a look at the workforce and suppose we may play until midnight and never rating from open play. Nevertheless, if in case you have the sort of menace we possess from set-pieces, there’s a side of the sport that’s sort of distinct from every part else.
So on a day when it doesn’t click on, once we can’t discover our rhythm for no matter purpose, we nonetheless have a solution to win. It gained’t occur each time, however it’s a sort of security web for when efficiency ranges are usually not the place we want them to be. It’s, as Arteta typically says, maximising each side of the sport to present your self the perfect probability of profitable.
To me that’s not industrial or boring or no matter time period you wish to use to try to dismiss Arsenal’s high quality from corners and free kicks – it’s frequent sense. And lengthy could that proceed in a world the place that appears to be too typically briefly provide nowadays.
Proper, I’ll go away it there for now. The Arsecast is under for those who haven’t had an opportunity to pay attention, and in order for you extra in your ears, we’ll have a double serving to over on Patreon at present. First, we’ll look again in any respect the midweek Premier League motion in The 30, earlier than we do our Fulham preview podcast later within the afternoon. To enroll in on the spot entry for simply $6 per thirty days, go to patreon.com/arseblog.
Have an ideal Friday people.
