Morning all. Wherever you might be, I hope you’re doing effectively in the present day. I’m positive you understand I hope that every single day, however generally it’s value 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, now we have skilled issues which form our view of Arsenal itself, of soccer, the sport, and what occurs in it.
Simply return to final weekend after we had been ripping West Ham to shreds on the London Stadium. We had 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 objectives in fast succession and I don’t assume there was a single Gooner on the earth (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 objectives 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 folks. That sport happened 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 battle film and so they’d be dismissed as hackneyed and too clichéd, however they had 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 may very well be lumped into our field gave me the heebie-jeebies. We had been a small workforce again then, technical however actually missing physicality and stature, and the opposition appeared to be full of giants who may very well be NBA gamers.
So, the ball would are available in, we had goalkeepers whose method 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 very best. The defenders by no means seemed as snug as you would possibly like; our assortment of 5’8 midfielders did their finest however had 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 unsuitable 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 should have been extra, and we needed to have scored just a few objectives 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 will do now. If anybody on the market desires to dismiss it as industrial or boring or anti-football, be my visitor. The objectives we rating from set-pieces are value 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 assume set-piece objectives are too good for them to fret about, then that’s effective by me.
I believe that’s not going to be a view shared by any critical supervisor or head coach for for much longer although. You’ll be able to’t ignore what Arsenal are doing. Actually 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 consider how one can win video games in opposition to everyone 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 share of objectives scored and conceded that has a fantastic affect on outcomes and factors on the finish of the season. So it’s one other side of the sport that it’s a must to 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 performed has been top notch might be an understatement, the fruits of that are apparent to everybody after 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 very best preparation, organisation, coaching, planning and all the things else, there will likely 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 take a look at the workforce and assume we may play until midnight and never rating from open play. Nevertheless, in case you have the form of menace we possess from set-pieces, there’s a side of the sport that’s form of distinct from all the things else.
So on a day when it doesn’t click on, after we can’t discover our rhythm for no matter purpose, we nonetheless have a strategy to win. It gained’t occur each time, however it’s a form of security internet for when efficiency ranges will not be the place we want them to be. It’s, as Arteta typically says, maximising each side of the sport to offer your self the very best likelihood 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 in brief provide lately.
Proper, I’ll go away it there for now. The Arsecast is beneath if you happen to haven’t had an opportunity to hear, and if you would like extra to your ears, we’ll have a double serving to over on Patreon in the present day. 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 join instantaneous entry for simply $6 monthly, go to patreon.com/arseblog.
Have a fantastic Friday people.
