An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective
I try not to ever make this blog about one player.
After a while though, certain players deserve credit aside from their team related performance.
They need to be singled out because they are largely responsible for changing the game of football itself.
Arsenal have a few of these players who are on this journey.
David Raya isn’t just a good goalkeeper. He is comfortably an extra field player who is never not engaged in the game. His superpower might be that he is the most ‘cat like’ goalkeeper currently in world football. A goalkeeper who can drop to the ground quicker than everybody else and get up in the air to the same level.
This isn’t necessarily changing the game as these are staples for goalkeepers. He’s just better at it.
What he is doing though, is showing that positioning and timing are the most important qualities when dominating your box from crosses. Some might say that he is taking a risk, but if he was then coaches would be telling their players to shoot from crossing positions and they are not. He is smaller than most goalkeepers and yet symbolizes the myth that the taller goalkeeper should be better in the air. He just has better decision-making, but the point isn’t that. He is snuffing out way over 50 percent of the crosses that come into our box and of that 50%, I’d say that 30% of that number are crosses that other goalkeepers aren’t even coming for, or at best, they come out and flap or punch.
Jurrien Timber as an extra attacker is somewhat revolutionary. Many games go by where he seems to have the most touches in the opponents box. We’ve seen lots of attacking fullbacks, but we haven’t seen this.
Calafiori having the role that was previously given to a number 10, if they were really lucky, is another example.
There are others like Saka, MO, Rice, Zubimendi, and Saliba who aren’t necessarily making changes to how football is played in their position, but are playing to such a elite and consistently elite level that other coaches cannot seem to get out of their players.
I have a tendency to start by telling you what I want to talk about and then not talking about it for another few paragraphs. I’m sorry! Well, here goes…
Gabriel is changing the standards of what the position of centre back has always been.
For at least the last 10 years, there has been significantly more focus on the ball playing ability of those in this position and although he is good in that area, this is not what is changing. That change has happened and some like William Saliba excel at it and others are just simply doing it because they are told to.
It’s the actual job of a centre back. Their primary job that is being changed by Gabriel. I don’t want to seem like I was smart before the event and I don’t know how much I’ve talked about it on here, but I always thought to myself that I’d far rather have a defender that prioritized his defensive skills and absolutely loved defending than one who made me think of Alan Hansen.
I wanted the return of Tony Adams, not the new Alan Hansen.
You might be expecting me to talk about his ability from set plays and I’ll get onto that later, but everybody’s talking about that.
I want to talk about his defensive standards.
The biggest change is the willingness to be hit by the ball. I will happily admit that I’ve wished for defenders who have this bizarre psychotic desire for pain and the willingness to go searching for it, but I’ve never demanded it as a coach. It just seems so unfair to expect a defender not to flinch. Recently Gabriel has been squaring up to every strike. This is not normal. If you watch him take hits square on and then watch the replay of the third goal then you see what you’ve seen 1 million times but always been OK with. Forward about to shoot… defender flinch‘s… goalkeeper is let down and cannot see the ball. In all reality he would’ve had a far greater chance of saving it, if his defender wasn’t even standing in the way. This has got to the point where coaches teach players to aim for one side of the body because what they see when they look is not gonna be there when they shoot.
Gabriel goes the extra mile where others have already got out of the car and gone home.
Gabriel isn’t just brave defender. We can all name plenty of those. He is borderline reckless in regards to the possibility of getting hurt. Especially those perfect teeth. When he dove at Tieleman’s boot to head that cross away, Max said.” what’s he doing??” I know what he meant. Max thought he was stupid for risking injury. A serious injury. Again, not something that you would recommend a player to do, but Gabriel is extra.
Even though there seems to be a difference in the passion that Arsenal‘s goalkeeper and defenders have in keeping the ball out of the net, we can all name individual players who see a block as their strikers see a goal. They just seems to be something different in Gabriel’s desire, though. Again, it’s his standard. It is simply higher. He isn’t just excited that he performed an important action. He demands it of himself and is utterly pissed off when he personally does not make the difference.
Next week I’m about to start coaching my new high school team. I’ve made a short list of the things that I want to achieve. I always choose a few things that are common denominators.
Number one on the list is ‘standards.’ The example of squeezing the lemon. How much better can I make player X if I just challenged him to expect more of himself.
If anyone has Gabriel‘s phone number and is willing to buy him a return ticket to Nashville, I will go pick him up so he can show my boys the level that is attainable. A level that isn’t so much about your age or your level in the game, but what you are willing to do regardless of your age and level.
There are many skills that a 17-year-old boy cannot accomplish and compare themselves to an elite Brazilian footballer but guts, passion, and the highest possible standards are all attitude related, and I’m most certainly have met young people in my life with better attitudes than those in their 20s.
I had a player on my Lakeway Kickers team called Matt Craine.
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He was similar to Gabriel.
Always performing actions that the other boys weren’t interested in getting involved in. He was shorter than everybody else at the time as well, which illuminated his talent. Subconsciously we all expect bigger people to be braver. Sometimes I sit back and enjoy my coaching career and think about what my best starting 11 would look like. Matt Craine became better and better with his feet as I pushed him into midfield and Renato and he pushed him to learn different techniques. I could put Matt in my best ever 11 based on that alone. When considering who I would choose, Matt Craine would actually be one of the first on the list even though I have been fortunate enough to coach players who made it all the way to the MLS.
If you have a player who is willing to raise the standards of your team, then you have 17 other players who are going to give more because the coach isn’t the only teacher.
Matt could also run in the air ⤵️
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Men are inspired by the bravery of other men. And so back to Gabriel…
After the game, Gabriel Jesus was talking about how the return of Gabriel changed the level of Arsenal’s back four, even though they had been playing well. Gabriel is indirectly challenging everybody that steps on the field in an Arsenal shirt to make sacrifice and the willingness to suffer, a part of their personal standards. He steps on, everybody’s level rises up. So now I can confidently state that he is not the only player in the Arsenal squad who is squaring up to the bullets and dropping a knee and not protecting their goolies. Who isn’t just going up for set plays because the coach told them to.
Finally, let’s talk about the set playsthat everybody else is talking about.
It’s simple really. It’s the difference between a player wanting to score and a player who is disappointed when he doesn’t. A completely different mindset. You would notice it more if the standards were lower at Arsenal. Arteta does not let the players pout, point fingers or switch off and give themselves five seconds to be disappointed. Gabriel just sprints back into his position when he doesn’t score from a set play. You can see on his face and most certainly in his body language and attempt to score that yet again, his standards are higher.
You’ve got to know that he knows that Emi Martinez isn’t just planning on punching the ball away and possibly taking his head with it, but has probably given thought to punching Gabriel’s head before punching the ball because he’s a rather interesting chap. Yet Gabriel jumps higher, stretches every neck muscle and gets the glory as the ball rolls down his body like a a playground slide. Some called it lucky and those that say that you make your own luck win the day because they are right.
Play against Gabriel must be like a game of chicken. There is always somebody out there that is willing to not slow down and get out of the way.
He is levels above everybody else at set plays, because whether he is in the action or not, opponents and coaches know that if the ball is anywhere in his post code that he is not backing out and so that anticipation causes fear.
We can’t prove this, but I wonder how many goals that Arsenal have scored in the last few years have been scored because the opponent was fearful of Gabriel?
I remember learning what the word ‘clutch player’ meant because of Matt Craine. I rarely subbed him out, but did so in a big game once somewhere in the Carolinas. He waited for me after the game and told me that I told him that he was a clutch player and so why was he being subbed out. I know I used a different word because I didn’t know that term, but I went home and realized that either way, Matt was right.
Certain players just have to be on the field because they are like the police when you have an emergency. You can’t rely on just anyone but players like Gabriel and Matt are more willing to go that extra mile because they’ve determined that their mileage is higher. Great parenting too!
Every once in a while, a player comes along that everybody wants. They want him because he’s different than the players that they have. Different, better. He’s wanting to do more. He’s not satisfied. He wants to go to different levels. He’s unafraid. He wants to make the difference. He’s an individual playing a team sport who not only sees the teams needs, but gives strong consideration to what he can do personally to be that difference.
Gabriel Maghaeles has joined this very small club.
POSITIVES:
Odegaard:
The best way to improve a player is to get competition for him.
MO didn’t get back into the team after his injury because he was greatly missed. The best version of MO was missed though.
Arteta had tried Eze with mixed results. This position is the playmaker position. Eze did a part time attempt at the role and MO stepped back in mainly because Eze went part-time when the role was full-time. Alongside this, Ethan is clearly been on the naughty step behind the scenes and so he shows up to work, but he’s only trusted to wash the dishes. Not even trusted to mop the floor.
MO had two breakthroughs against Villa. I saw a video of Heinze coaching him in being defensively aggressive. Then he performs the exact action and threads the perfect ball to Zubimendi. Nailing the two actions that he has been lacking. Actually, lacking is the wrong word. His pressing has been a strength for over 2 years but not so much the tackle after the press. The through ball has become so infrequent that we’ve wondered if he left it in Spain.
I hope that Arteta gets him to roam more in central areas as that pass is him. The best of him appears in a quicker transition game and the opportunity to pass through a small crowd rather than the front few rows of an Oasis gig.
The ball striking/shooting was evident again.
Big improvements all round.
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Zubimendi:
Not many DM’s would even see the opportunity to make that run, let alone time it so well and finish in a way we’d like to parcel up and mail to VG.
What a fantastic signing he has been. So much responsibility and so much to learn. He might be the best signing of the season to date.
Arteta:
Something happened at halftime. My best guess is based on Gabby Jesus’ interview where he talked about a change of mentality. So, I’d imagine he encouraged them to be front footed. To believe in being the best team in the league because we are. It seems like others believe it (Morgan Rogers) more than we do.
Trossard:
The only attacking player who played close to his ceiling for 95 minutes. He might not ever have the athletic gifts of Saka but his level of consistency and threat is becoming more and more similar.
I listen to ‘The Two Robbie’s’ podcast which I recommend for a short overview of the PL weekend. They have a section where they name their ‘under appreciated’ player of the weekend. I’m not sure if he’s ever been chosen but that imaginary trophy fits him perfectly.
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Underrated
Jesus:
Gabriel Jesus still sits at the beginning of his prime. Strikers hit prime between 27-32.
Most of us (me included) had given up on his career being at Arsenal. Fairly so. We can’t wait because we are sitting in our prime too. Ready for those silver trophies.
But then he comes back from his unfortunate year off and not only does he remind us with glimpses, he looks to already be at our improved level.
We have to also remember that his general play wasn’t really the problem. It was the need for a more consistent goalscorer in that position. That may never change and so he may not be the long-term answer.
What is becoming increasingly clear though is that his spark is exactly what we’ve needed off the bench in the last few games and it would be hard to find better.
What’s going to be super interesting is how he has handled because VG is struggling for applause, but may well continue to be given the opportunities because of the investment.
Whilst the team is still getting three points most every week, it’s probably smart to try to play your missing link into form rather than change.
If a short term change is needed then it will happen organically rather than forced. With the cup games coming up the opportunity may be more local than we think.
Oh, and by the way Jesus wouldn’t have scored if he was shooting against his Brazilian teammate. Most players flinch and he knows that.
Timing:
There’s something to take a look at. When Arsenal have possession of the ball. They are reticent to pass before they have committed a defender. Only highly technical teams can risk doing this because it can lead to multiple interceptions and transitions.
NEEDS:
Mr Ref:
Whatever his name is, he’s not good enough. He called so many fouls the wrong way. Villa will rightly claim that he missed an easy yellow card/red card. He added on time that was from another game.
Gabriel’s goal was a 10 second review. Maybe that’s VAR’s fault but oh my, it’s like they are watching commercials in between each replay.
MLS:
He was fine when he came on. But he wasn’t any better than that because he made a few big mistakes. It was 4–0 but he jumped out of his hole when it was totally unnecessary. On most teams it would be swept aside and he would be given a pat on the back, have it pointed out but get to play next week. That doesn’t happen at Arsenal.
Merino/Arteta:
Was it Merino’s fault that he was too high in the first half? Was it Arteta’s? I’m glad it was fixed, but that game had way too many sliding doors moments and he was involved in a few of them.
We don’t normally wait until halftime. Somebody’s instructed to go down so we can have a team talk. Don’t rewatch the first half. It’s a little scary. Zubimendi all alone.
Merino was also extremely lucky to stay on the field as the referee missed an absolute gimme of a yellow card.
Saka:
Please run behind! Please!! Please oh please!
There was a breakaway in the second half. It was three against three and Saka once again was exclusively wanting the ball to his feet. Here is a good question to ask… How often have you seen Saka alone, one on one with the goalkeeper?
His life is hard enough because he is the spotlight at our club. Somebody has to point out that it doesn’t always have to be done the hardest way possible.
Madueke:
That cameo was bad.
I really hope that we aren’t separating ourselves into two groups. From those that are fully trusted to those that are not trusted at all. The list is getting bigger. Plenty of opportunities upcoming in January for that to change though.
HOPES:
MLS or…?
What is noticeable is that he is getting no opportunities in midfield when we have been missing players. Not even a few minutes.
With Declan Rice out there was an obvious issue in the first half, and the solution used was a player who had equal athletic deficiencies to the midfielders already on the field. MLS it’s a more athletic option and has a similar drive going forward. He also played the majority of his career in that position.
Arteta operates on trust and I don’t think MLS has it anymore. He’s been used when others aren’t available. That’s it.
It sounds like we were going into the market and I won’t be surprised if it was January. I always think it’s smarter to buy in January when you are on top because anybody and everybody would come to your club when you are top of two leagues and they get a far longer preseason before they get judged the next season.
Eze:
See MLS, see Ebe Eze. He’s lost the trust. New signings normally get more grace, but he has not been given that.
He seems to be a guy of great character, so I’m sure he’s taking it the right way and looking in the mirror rather than at the coach but I suppose we will find out against Pompey. It’s not his last chance, but if he wants to take part in one of the most exciting Arsenal run-in’s for 20 years, he needs to take this opportunity quickly.
VG:
He really needs a big month in January. This was actually one of his better games as he made a few promising contributions and showed some good signs. A time will come when it might get too close for comfort and the team will always be more important than his feelings and confidence.
I still believe in him. I still believe he could become one of the best strikers. I’ve learned not to judge a player until you see him at his best. We haven’t even come close to seeing that.
If it’s best is mediocre in comparison to where the team is at, then he will be an expensive substitute and rightly so.
TWEETS and THOUGHTS:
I’m not sure I care about this a whole lot. He’s a very talented guy though and I’ve watched The Dark Knight far too much.