Jurrien Timber marked his return from harm this week with an impressive aim from left-back for the U23s at Ewood Park. As any smart individual knew when he injured his ACL in August, this marketing campaign was all the time going to be restricted to some cameos within the dying embers of the season for Timber.
An absolute magnificence from Timber 🔥
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— Arsenal Academy (@ArsenalAcademy) April 22, 2024
Arsenal followers mustn’t count on something vital from Timber this season however his return does invite curiosity as to what his position would have been had he been match. One of many key strengths of the squad that Arteta (and Edu) have assembled is its flexibility. The Gunners have a core of versatile, adaptable gamers able to working in quite a lot of roles.
Was Declan Rice purchased as a six or an eight? The reply, up to now, is each. Was Kai Havertz purchased principally as an eight or a 9? The intention was clearly that he was able to taking part in each and subsequently would play in each roles on occasion. (He began the Neighborhood Defend match towards Manchester Metropolis as a centre-forward).
Nevertheless, I doubt that Arteta totally deliberate for Havertz to predominantly play as a 9, with Rice as a left eight and Jorginho behind him. I’m sure he noticed that state of affairs taking part in out occasionally however he in all probability didn’t plan for it to change into such a default theme of his staff choice.
However one of many benefits of getting such a versatile squad is that the supervisor can roll with the punches somewhat. As Arteta himself mentioned just lately of Havertz’s future upfront, ‘I believe it’s a must to really feel the participant. Till he’s within the setting it’s obscure. I assumed he might play in three totally different positions as attacking midfielder or as a 9.
‘After which we began to really feel in sure areas, sure relationships that is every part. Typically the gamers determine, not the supervisor, the place they should play.’ I had a dialog with Arsenal Ladies supervisor Jonas Eidevall final season alongside related traces. Final January, Arsenal purchased Victoria Pelova from Ajax, who can play as an eight, a ten or on the fitting wing.
After I requested Eidevall the place he noticed her place long-term, he mentioned, ‘The place we’ll see within the coming intervals the place Victoria’s strengths will actually flourish into one place. That’s the reason it’s so attention-grabbing working with gamers to see the place you possibly can work out these particulars. We will all see the expertise and the qualities she has and now it’s to see the place we are able to actually put that into as a lot effectivity for the staff as attainable.’
He additionally mentioned that while you work with gamers aged 24 or beneath, it’s a must to be actually open minded about which attributes they may develop. ‘It additionally exhibits why typically it’s so laborious to only take a look at statistics while you take a look at younger gamers…That’s the place that you must take a look at the potential while you work with younger gamers, it’s a must to see the qualities.’
Adaptability isn’t simply beneficial from a canopy or squad rotation perspective, it allows a coach to seek out options that possibly they don’t totally anticipate. I’m positive Ben White’s means to play at right-back shaped a part of the calculus when Arsenal coughed up £50m for him in 2021. I don’t suppose the plan was for him to change into the de facto right-back on a everlasting foundation.
Final week, I wrote about Arsenal’s left facet. I talked in regards to the staff not having its ideally suited left-back or its ideally suited left eight, which I believe has had a knock-on impact for Martinelli. Whereas I retain that conclusion, what I’ll say is that Arteta has been capable of minimise that as a difficulty as a result of different gamers have been capable of step into these roles.
I don’t suppose it’s ideally suited that Arsenal have three left-backs, none of whom are the equal of Ben White on the fitting. However having three gamers able to taking part in there competently- even with Timber injured- isn’t dangerous going. Zinchenko’s waning affect on the staff might have been a terminal subject this season however Kiwior (primarily a centre-half) and Tomiyasu (who performs as a centre-half for Japan and was purchased primarily as a right-back) with the ability to play there has enormously dampened a possible hearth.
This time two years in the past, Arteta was deciding between Xhaka and Nuno Tavares at left-back with Tierney injured. Throughout the identical time interval, Partey was injured and Lokonga’s lack of suitability meant Mohamed Elneny was parachuted into the staff. Arteta additionally clung on to Lacazette as a striker till his kind circled the drain so many instances that he was just about compelled to discipline Eddie Nketiah.
Jesus’ accidents and patchy kind might have been a extreme malfunction for Arsenal’s season however Havertz’s suitability as a striker has relegated it to a digital non-issue. Martinelli’s lack of kind is much less of a difficulty as a result of Trossard- who may also function in a number of totally different roles- has picked up the baton.
I believe Arteta was fairly open minded about Timber’s position final summer time. The Dutchman presents assist and competitors throughout the again line. I believe the coach didn’t intend to flog Ben White at right-back once more (his England exile has labored out very properly for Arsenal in that respect) and Arteta in all probability wished a centre-half worthy of the title in order that Arsenal’s season wouldn’t fold if Saliba have been to be injured once more.
Perhaps Timber would have simply wrestled the baton from Zinchenko and change into our Ben White like left-back. We’ll by no means know for positive however the truth that all of these potentialities exist illustrates a key energy of this Arsenal squad- flexibility, which breeds resilience and unpredictability.
