It’s very chilly right here in Dublin this morning. You already know who I blame? The Carabao Cup ball.
Actually, I do know we dwell in an age the place clickbait guidelines, however a number of the stuff round Mikel Arteta’s post-match feedback has been dismal to say the least. Should you assume he’s actually blaming the ball, you didn’t watch what he stated, and it’s a measure of the place we’re on this media world that his phrases have been twisted the best way they’ve.
Remarking on one thing shouldn’t be the identical as complaining about it. And it’s positively not the identical as blaming it. If anybody actually thinks that when the supervisor and his workers sit across the video screens to analyse the sport once more they’ll come to the conclusion that it was the fault of the ball, they’re nuts.
Right here’s the place I feel the ball may lie within the listing of ‘culprits’, for need of a greater phrase:
1 – Jurrien Timber miss2 – Gabriel Martinelli’s miss3 – Kai Havertz’s miss4 – Poor defending for each goals5 – 845 [A load of other things that we can do better when facing a team in a low block]846 – One thing else847 – The ball (possibly).
It additionally ignores his post-game remarks when he made it clear what the large situation was:
It’s about scoring targets. After we miss the possibilities that we missed after which concede a aim, it’s at all times powerful.
BuT thE BallS!!!!
Scoring targets. Being scientific. I discover this dialogue so attention-grabbing, as a result of I don’t assume there’s any doubt we will do higher in that regard – however while you take a look at the Premier League desk solely Liverpool have scored extra they usually have the very best participant on the planet in a number of the greatest type of his profession to make them that bit stronger. We now have scored the identical as Chelsea, they usually have a participant in Cole Palmer who’s producing with unbelievable consistency.
Salah has scored 38% of Liverpool’s Premier League targets this season; Palmer is chargeable for 33% of Chelsea’s targets; whereas our highest scorer within the league is Kai Havertz with 7 which is 17% of our complete. Is that higher as a result of we’re much less reliable on one man, or will we miss that one man to offer us the sting? I suppose it’s price declaring that we’re lacking Bukayo Saka whose 10 assists make up 25% of that complete for us this season, and his 5 targets cement his contribution additional. When it boils all the way down to it, Saka is for us what Salah and Palmer are for Liverpool and Chelsea – you possibly can’t assist however marvel/hope how they’d deal with their absences.
Within the Champions League, we’ve got 11 targets from our 6 video games, a good distance behind a number of the main scorers, however having conceded simply twice we sit in third place in that exact desk proper now – and it does generally really feel like defensive parsimony is an effective factor to have in Europe. Which isn’t to say you wouldn’t need extra up entrance, however that defensive solidity stays an necessary platform.
My intestine feeling on this, and it’s simply that, is that we’ve hit one thing of a ceiling relating to what these gamers can produce from an attacking foundation. That doesn’t imply it’s throughout, nor does it imply we will’t get a bit extra out of sure people. I feel it’s apparent that Leandro Trossard is able to extra, Gabriel Jesus has solely simply began scoring once more after a interval within the barren wastelands, and if Gabriel Martinelli may produce numbers akin to his greatest season, we’d be in higher form up entrance.
The large query of whether or not we add to the attacking roster earlier than the tip of the month is the one that’s on everybody’s lips. Proper now, it doesn’t sound like there’s something imminent, though Arteta insists we’re open to creating that occur if the correct alternative comes alongside. I hope it does. We’ve come such a good distance and made such glorious progress, and it now seems like we’ve simply plateaued just a little bit. An injection of one thing new and contemporary feels just like the factor we have to kick on once more.
It additionally seems like one thing everyone wants proper now. Not simply the supporters, however the gamers themselves, and even the supervisor. A brand new face can have a big effect when it comes to the dynamic and what they will convey to the staff. If the fires are beginning to dwindle, pour just a little petrol on them within the form of a brand new participant. I hope the possession are paying consideration, as a result of whereas it’s not a 100% assured repair, you possibly can breathe life again right into a staff with the correct of addition.
Past that although, I nonetheless assume we’ve got issues we will do to make us a bit more practical. As I wrote yesterday, velocity of thought, passing and motion can enhance. I’d wish to see a bit extra threat taking with passing from deep when ahead gamers make actions that are too typically ignored. If we lose the ball, we’ve got gamers who can win it again, we shouldn’t be so afraid of transition moments. Sacrifice just a little management, and maybe the reward is the chance to go at a staff who’ve to return ahead and go away a little bit of area for us to assault.
Anyway, I’m certain after he performs a coaching floor ritual during which he burns a load of Carabao Cup balls in entrance of the gamers utilizing an historic Latin incarnation to alleviate of us its curse, these are issues Mikel Arteta shall be engaged on forward of the FA Cup tie towards Man Utd on Sunday.
For now, keep heat, until you’re someplace heat already during which case I’m jealous. Until tomorrow.
