Morning all.
I watched the FA Cup match between Chelsea and Man Utd last night. Sarri is seriously struggling to get his multimillion pound team firing. Defensively they look disorganised, their midfield wasn’t exactly what you’d expect to see and up front, they were pretty toothless. I wasn’t overly impressed with Utd either really, apart from their attitude which seems to be very different than it was under Mourinho. Matic should have been off with a second yellow, in fact he could have had three but I guess Old Red Nose was still still dictating things from the stands. Poor from Kevin Friend.
What stood Utd out though was their quality of crosses into the box. Two crosses, two goals. Superb really yet so simple. At Arsenal we can’t even beat the first defender from a corner let alone whip one accross through the air for Aubameyang to nod home. I say him because he’s the taller of our two strikers and a player who really should be making himself more on a nuisance in the air. Mesut Ozil can cross a ball, so can Xhaka and Torreira but recently, it’s just not been happening. Recently, a lots not been happening really.
Apart from set pieces, our balls into the box seem to usually be kept on the ground, something which has been the case for years. Arsene Wenger loves to play that way and when he and Arsenal were at their best, our football was fantastic to watch. Successful too but as much as that style is entertaining, sometimes a ball whipped into the box works just as well as Utd proved. If you can go through or round a defence, go over them. Plenty of great goals have been and always will be scored with a header, we know because that’s what Ollie was good at. Not that we put that theory to the test often enough. We’ve been beaten by that tactic too and often. Aston Villa, West Ham, Southampton – teams with the big guy up front, use him. Teams with smaller strikers too as Alexis Sanchez did for us. I always use to smile and wonder how he’d beaten a much taller player to the ball and score with his head. Determination is half the battle. If a striker wants the ball at any cost, he’ll often get to it. Our only players who seem to want to head a ball with a bit of passion are our defenders.
Aubameyang stands at 6’ 2” and our wide players should be doing more to find him in the box. He should be doing more to find space for a cross to find him. Kolasinac should for once forget the return ball to Iwobi perhaps and look up. Cross the ball in the air instead of placing another pass along the ground to a defender. Same on the right with AMN or whoever else plays at right back. Football isn’t hockey, the ball is allowed to leave the turf. It might sound obvious but why aren’t we trying something different? Can’t the players think for themselves on the pitch, spot an opportunity and take it? Same with a swift ball over the top of a high defensive line for Aubameyang to chase down with his pace. It works against us so why not make it work for us too?
Little things can make a big difference but if they are not tried in the first place, no one will know. How often when we need a goal in the final ten minutes of a game do we see a backwards and sideways passage of passing in yet another slow build up? Time is precious during those kind of games and instead of faffing around with the ball, get it into the opposition box ASAP and make something happen.
Unai Emery seems to have got stuck on repeat. He really needs to change the record and try something different. Just every once in a while, or better still, when required. Stick with playing the same way with the same outcome, isn’t going to secure 4th spot, nor will it win the Europa League. Being flexible might though, opting for a slight change of approach might do too. Mix it up and don’t play the way others expect us to play. Don’t play who other teams/managers expect us to play either. With Lacazette banned, try Eddie against BATE. Or Willock, Saka or Amaechi. Try something different.
It’s not like they could do any worse than last Thursday is it?
See you in the comments…..
Morning Rico. I agree that Aubameyang, given his height, should be much better in the air. But, having watched him making half-hearted gestures, it’s clear he is a terrible header of the ball. He is also very average, at best, at holding the ball up. His ‘thing’ is to run onto a ball played in front of him it seems.
I understand your point about trying something different but I doubt we’ll see much in the way of improved play myself. I watched the game last night and MU had a confidence on the ball and in Pogba, someone who can manufacture a goal scoring chance from midfield in a moment after winning the ball with his sheer physicality. I suppose that’s why he cost so much money.
Good morning Rico, another very good post thank you.
I’ve been banging on about our lack of crosses for years. We just seem happy to play tippy tappy in front of the other teams defenders regardless of who the opponents are. The only exception is when we get sucker punched by teams with faster and more direct attackers.
I thought we had at last found someone, to get behind the opposing full back, in Lichtsteiner who managed to put a couple of decent crosses in but then seemed to run out of gas.
Bellerin and AMN both turn inside on almost every occasion while Kolasinac and Iwobi get tangled up on the other side of the pitch.
The other stand out problem is corners, no matter who takes them we seldom clear the first defender, that should be something even the dumbest coach can sort out.
Morning Rico. Do they do anything admirably these days? I have often talked about this United side and how Solksjaer woke up a group who forgot how to play football. But it has often been dismissed on the argument that United have good players. But they were not cutting it. Someone came in and the story changed. What of Arsenal? Are they totally bad players? Someone is not telling them or correcting their lapses. Chelsea were beaten by a team that marked vigorously, cut off crosses, closed the spaces for even a Hazard, stuck to their game plan and fought for each other. Watch our team play!! When you beat an arsenal defender, you are through to goal . Crosses rain in to our box and our markings are only half hearted, just showing up with little commitment . Chelsea could have played forever yesterday without scoring. But we must concede even when it is the only attempt by the other team. And even when playing against a team of school boys. I think it is rather lazy thinking to say that it is all because we have poor players.
The really sad question to ask is; where has our creativity gone? Why are our acknowledged strikers isolated upfront? Look again at that Manu game and see their strikers as part of the build up and not hanging upfront for balls that may not come. Rico, it is not because our players are bad that we are floundering, there are obvious areas of our game that the manager really has to work on. The sad thing is I doubt if he sees them.
Morning Gooners
Morning Rico, interesting post and yes it’s down to coaching and if you watch our Stiffs or the youths you’ll never see anybody crossing the ball, so heading has pretty much disappeared from our armoury.
How great was it to see Brian Marwood (our last proper winger) hit those driven, pin point crosses into the box for Alan Smith and co to dispatch.
When we had a corner the defensive team was in bits, Bouldy on the near post flicking it on whilst there was chaos in the box behind him. But it’s like anything, if you practice you improve, if you don’t then you, don’t….
Morning Kev, Daniel, Cicero, Adam, all.
That’s the Pogba I suspect Utd thought they were getting, not the one Mourinho was dealing with. Badly I hasten to add.
I don’t get the lack of crossing into the box, it’s all part of the game an effective one too at times.
Aubameyang is a luxury player imo. As you say Adam, he has one prime attribute really and that’s his pace. In all honesty, is he doing anything that Walcott couldn’t do?
Adam. If Emery doesn’t try something different, he won’t last past the summer imo. We have some exciting younger players who’ll play without fear imo. Why not stick one of them into the team because we know we’ll get effort from them. We have no width/pace on both sides of the pitch yet we two 18 year old who possess both.
I loved our corners back then Kev, and when Adams, Keown played. Campbell was a beast in the air too. I’d love to know how many goals we’ve scored from headers this season. Not many I bet. And where’s the ruthlessness in front of goal gone? There was one against BATE which sailed past Kos yet he could have so got to it had he tried.
Daniel. I think it’s a bit of both. By no means are we a squad full of great players but yes, Emery should be getting more from them. I’m also beginning to believe that Emery isn’t the manager for Arsenal.
I remember a ploy at a corner, long ago, David Court elbowed the centre-half in the balls and ran towards the corner, the defender naturally chased him leaving a gaping hole in the defence of which John Radford took full advantage to nod in a goal. Lovely!
6′ 2″ – you have to be kidding! He looks much smaller on the pitch, but for a big guy he’s certainly got some pace. Not hitting the target often enough though.
Some good points Cicero and am in agreement with you, too many crosses on the ground and, poorly hit – more of a hit-and-hope tactic.
Alexis was great at holding the ball up on the side of the box, looking up briefly to see where our players were and loft the ball over the defence. We scored some good goals that way.
I thought Kos should have been following through too Rico………if only…….
I think several of the players not getting “stuck in” are worried about maintaining an injury-free season so don’t commit fully. Well, we’ll never know will we?
Can someone here explain to me how a substitute about to come, on is shown a piece of paper by the “coach”, so what is it? A set of instructions or drawings of where players should be? Might as well be in Chinese!
What’s wrong with some brief verbal instructions to inform the player what he is supposed to be doing in the context of where they are in the match?
Like you Rico, I see NO DRIVE or PASSION in the latter stages of a match, particularly when a goal down, when we should throw almost everything (without compromising our “defence”, haha!) at the opposition instead of this stupefyingingly painful, sideways movements when the clock is running down.
I am tired of it – bring on the young ones.
Andorra, it could be a language thing, coach and player not speaking the same one, showing pictures or plans hints at the player being illiterate. Many of them started playing football before learning to read. 😉
The man that time forgot, Jenkinson has a lovely looping cross. Although it seem he has only a marginally greater chance of playing than Ozil.
I just read an article suggesting Wenger wasn’t happy at all about the clubs sanctioning if Özil new deal, but was over ruled by Gazidis.
It was Ivan’s job to make these decisions and to sort transfers out so it makes sense.
I have heard sîmilar Scott.
In fact I’ve heard that as part of Wengers two year extension, clauses were put in about new job titles to be created and new responsibilities. In fact after that point Wenger had little say in player moves. That’s one of the reasons why I heard he finally went.
That Gnabry feller looked good,the kind of midfielder we are looking for.
Hobart,
Exactly and the fact the man still gets blamed for almost everything is harsh when it’s pretty clear that the last year or so was aimed at life after him.
Potter,
Never saw it but a mate reckons Gnabry was sensational and asked whether we have a buy back clause.
Now THAT is on Wenger 🙂 🙂
I reckon it’s on Pulis too .However whoever allowed him to get near Gnabry was definitely culpable.
True,Potter.
https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/02/20/paul-davis-the-arsenal-midfielder-ahead-of-his-time-who-remains-one-of-the-clubs-most-under-appreciated-legends/
One of my all time favourite players…
I see that we’ve been linked with young Ajax prospect De Ligt…
My initial reaction to that rumour was that it’s surely a bit too early for the club to be putting out that kind of transfer bullshit, in February, in order to try selling season tickets…
Great read, Kev.
Morning all………………………I know it`s probably Frosty February elsewhere, but it`s Flaming February here !
😎
Done the stables, had brekkies and relaxing for a while until the ab workout ! 😀
I shall ignore any and all rumours about £XXXM wingers when we have Nelson, Amaechi and Saka …………………….and if they are all injured at any time I`d bring back Peter Marinello, with todays lighter balls he should have improved that powder puff shot he had, if it wasn`t for his powder puff shot he would have been better than George Best !
Afternoon Gooners
Afternoon Rico.
First it was Guendouzi, although that rumour originated from the totally discredited Express website (try it and enjoy a million pop ups and ads) and now we have Lacazette from that pile of shite that is the Metro – no doubt Football.London will pick up on it soon…
Are the club softening us up in preparation of a big exit in the summer, a £50/£60m million sale to top up the paltry amount provided by KSE, whilst they lavish billions on the Rams?
Raul will call the shots, it’s his gig now, he decides who comes and who is sold, he can’t hide behind Gazides anymore.
Imagine the scenario, that if we are to sign Suarez that we have to sell one of our promising youngsters?
Will that keep Enos awake at night?
https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/02/06/why-arsenals-2001-02-vintage-are-perhaps-the-greatest-in-the-clubs-history/
Emery speaks Arsenal manager Unai Emery says “the key is in Mesut Ozil’s hands” as the midfielder tries to regain his first-team place.
Ozil, 30, is the Gunners’ highest-paid player, having signed a £350,000-a-week contract in 2018, but has started only 13 of 26 league games this season.
“He needs to be consistent in training and for matches, without injury or being sick,” Emery said.
“Without that we can see the best Mesut with us.”
.
Cicero, those quotes smell very much like Emery has been told to build bridges with Ozil.
All reports have consistently said Ozil is got and training well, so we’ll see how this goes.
I think Dick is having a snide dig at Mesut………………………….If I was Mesut I would tell Dick …….”Fcuk the £350K per week I`m off !”
Or more likely screw you, I’ll do the bare minimum, cause a shitstorm that’ll be blamed on you, pick up my £6 million for the rest of the season and see if you’re still the boss in the summer.
It’s certainly a bit of propaganda by Emery, in response to Ozil’s Twitter twittering.
This sort of thing just makes both the player and the manager look bad. It’s not the Arsenal way. 😉
Good morning
i’m not very confident for today
Sevilha is in next leg.
Where’s your positivity Jm? 😜
New post up now..