Morning all. Wherever you might be, I hope you’re doing properly right now. I’m certain you recognize I hope that on daily basis, however typically 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 interesting in equal measure. As followers of this membership, we’ve got 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 have been ripping West Ham to shreds on the London Stadium. We have been 4-0 up, enjoying brilliantly and, to all intents and functions, the sport was received. Then, soccer being soccer, they scored a few objectives in fast succession and I don’t suppose there was a single Gooner on this 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.
In the event 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 individuals. That recreation befell on February fifth 2011, practically 14 years in the past now, and but when West Ham scored twice, I had flashbacks. Put them in a Vietnam battle film they usually’d be dismissed as hackneyed and too clichéd, however they have been actual!
Equally, I bear in mind video games towards groups like Stoke and Bolton (however notably 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 group again then, technical however definitely missing physicality and stature, and the opposition appeared to be stuffed with giants who could possibly 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 perfect. The defenders by no means seemed as snug as you would possibly like; our assortment of 5’8 midfielders did their finest 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 might do up the opposite finish, I may be confirmed unsuitable by somebody who can dig up the stats, however we by no means felt notably 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 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 are able to do now. If anybody on the market needs 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 towards West Ham, for instance), or a rocket of a shot into the highest nook (like Riccardo Calafiori’s towards Man Metropolis). If opposition followers suppose set-piece objectives are too good for them to fret about, then that’s high quality by me.
I think that’s not going to be a view shared by any severe supervisor or head coach for for much longer although. You may’t ignore what Arsenal are doing. Definitely not once you’re enjoying 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 towards everyone else.
There’s a severe level to be made although. Right here’s Mikel Arteta talking about set-pieces in September 2020:
It’s a key proportion of objectives scored and conceded that has an important influence on outcomes and factors on the finish of the season. So it’s one other facet 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/advisable whereas working as an assistant to Pep Guardiola. To say the job he has accomplished has been top quality might be an understatement, the fruits of that are apparent to everybody after we see one other objective go at the back of the web and the depressing, downcast faces of the opposition who knew what we wished 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 thing else, there shall be days when your group 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 group and suppose we might play until midnight and never rating from open play. Nonetheless, if in case you have the sort of menace we possess from set-pieces, there’s a facet of the sport that’s sort of distinct from every thing else.
So on a day when it doesn’t click on, after we can’t discover our rhythm for no matter cause, we nonetheless have a option to win. It received’t occur each time, however it’s a sort of security internet for when efficiency ranges usually are not the place we want them to be. It’s, as Arteta typically says, maximising each facet of the sport to present your self the perfect 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 widespread sense. And lengthy might 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 when you haven’t had an opportunity to hear, and in order for you extra to your ears, we’ll have a double serving to over on Patreon right now. 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 prompt entry for simply $6 monthly, go to patreon.com/arseblog.
Have an important Friday people.
