Ready-made Arsenal players
If Arsenal were to get this more wrong than right, I still think we would do better next season as Arteta’s biggest strength is arguably improving all the players at his disposal.
There is much opinion on senior players joining Arsenal. Much of it is based around fans not wanting players that are seasoned, have wages over £100,000 per week or no resale value. There is a preference for more younger players that earn far less than this a week and can turn Arsenal from a woeful selling club to one where there are bidding wars and the numbers go up rather than the world of Mkhitaryan where we just give up.
The problem with seeking just this profile is Arsenal’s strength is in their younger players. We already have a flock of at least five that have a considerable resale value. The sacrifice is that if you simply want to pad the squad out with young talent there will not be any experienced players at the club to provide guidance and composure.
The best squads have a mixture of players across all age profiles; however, a lack of prime talent can lead to problems. Therefore, Arsenal’s transfer push has been centred around the likes of Phillipe Coutinho, Willian and Thomas Partey – as opposed to the younger talents seen as ‘plan B’ options. Further to this, it is also why Bellerin and Xhaka are expected to remain and play key roles in the squad next season.
Promoting strength, not hiding weakness
Beyond the importance of signing quality, Arsenal need to transform their line-up’s mentality. Arteta has skilfully hidden the weaknesses of many in order to get short term results. Due to this, Arsenal have gone from being sub-par in matches to having the ability to win big games. The next step is to turn these big performances into more consistent showings against any opposition.
In order to do that we need to equip the coach with players with multiple strengths and minimal weaknesses.
I think David Luiz will have a big role next season. What I do not want is Arteta sitting down to organize the formation and tactics and wish he could play a compact team when defending but be stunted by a defender who does not like to defend high.
Arteta clearly wants flexibility. He wants to be able to switch from game to game as well as mid match. We need to field a team which can both press high yet stay disciplined and calm when the midfield is overrun or bypassed.
We use our central midfield as a decoy. Part is strategic, part is necessity. We were all reminded of the risk in playing through a crowd to Xhaka in the FA Cup final. Like Luiz, I see Xhaka playing a big role next season. What we need to acquire is a central midfielder who when we need to play centrally more, can do so.
Lacazette has improved. His physicality and pressing are better. The problem, however, is what he does well is not accomplished at an elite level. His goals, assists, link play and physicality are good but they are not world class.
Giroud is a good comparison. If you want a physical pivot centre-forward that can lay it off quickly and has high level near post finishing I challenge you to tell me anyone in World Football that is better than Giroud. He is far from ideal, as we know, but he gives you a clear reason to pick him.
I hope for a player between the lines that changes the dynamic as well as leaning into our biggest strength. Aubameyang.
Aubameyang has done extremely well on the left but the question remains whether he could be as successful in the middle. For this to work, the emphasis on adding creativity centrally would need to be prioritised. With the recent link to Coutinho, one wonders whether this could be the case.
What is the message?
Arteta will have a theme, a message that he will want to spearhead the new season. Were I in his shoes, at the forefront would be the word ‘challenge.’ Not just pushing for Top 4, but challenging for the league.
In my experience as a coach, you do not say things that your players know is foolish, but realistic ambitious aims to keep them thinking forward. If our new team can reach the top 4 spots, then they are good enough to challenge too.
The untapped source
There is a possibility that some clubs have figured out how to take full advantage of the love that their fanbase displays. I have never seen one.
These days it has got to the point where players prefer playing away due to home fans (Arsenal for sure) quick to turn and let out a chorus of audible groans for a misplaced pass.
But it would be wrong of me to highlight this negative without suggesting ways to turn this scenario into a positive and to the club’s advantage.
If players were to arrive earlier at matches and engage with the eager fans in the ground, taking photos and shaking hands this immediately creates that more personal connections between players and fans.
Creating fan forums where players can have further interaction with different groups. Season ticket holders at Q&A sessions and Zoom meets with supporters from foreign lands unable to attend games.
The greater link between players and supporter which can be generated the less likely are fans in the ground to turn and the greater chance to see rousing support even after a mistake is made.
Using player chants in a more frequent ways beyond the 90 minutes. There are few things a player loves more than to hear their name sung by thousands of people.
I remember Dani Ceballos declaring his love for Arsenal after the Burnley game because he talked about the love from the crowd. This has a direct impact on player confidence, and we all know how important that is to this squad.
The first 10 minutes
Arsenal start slowly. I have often thought that maybe Arteta wants a more methodical start so he can figure out the opponents’ formation and strategy. The team must fly out of the blocks. To generate a positive environment within the stadium adding to the psychological momentum.
The thought is twofold. Much like the cup final, if it goes wrong you still have 80-plus minutes to correct it. Secondly and more importantly, the other team may be fearful of you pre-game. Why let their minds ease? The first 10th of the game can often dictate the lead up to the final whistle.
Arsenal teams of the past had the game mentally won way before half time. Often it was won in the tunnel. Bring the energy and capitalize on it.
More to come in Part 2 where I look at specific improvements on the field.