Howdy.
It was fairly attention-grabbing to learn Aaron Ramsdale speaking concerning the win over Villa on Saturday. From my perspective no less than, the way in which it performed out felt vital – just like the group would profit from a shot within the arm after a troublesome few weeks. They nonetheless may, however the Arsenal keeper stated it was ‘It’s most likely one of many worst methods we will win …’
His reasoning is sound, to be honest:
‘… as a result of we pleasure ourselves on defending and holding clear sheets from quantity 9 to number one and the employees.
‘There might be some truths spoken within the week about how we will enhance and what we have to do higher within the coming weeks as a result of totally different video games, if we don’t present that stage of efficiency within the second half, a 2-1 or 2-0 head-start for the opposition group and there might be no means again.’
It’s onerous to argue with that, and whereas he acknowledged the good feeling within the dressing room, a part of what I like about this group is the popularity that prime requirements are obligatory for fulfillment. I’ve written usually this season concerning the one recreation at a time mantra, which is designed to maintain folks’s ft on the bottom, but in addition to stay centered on the short-term whereas the long-term prize begins to come back nearer and nearer.
Arsenal could be happy with the second half efficiency, they’ll take all of the positives – and three factors – from the previous few minutes, however the studying from the Villa recreation is within the first half. The explanation we’ve seen phrases like extraordinary and memorable used to explain this win is as a result of it’s uncommon. Very uncommon. When is the final time you noticed a former goalkeeper rating and personal purpose together with his head after which simply moments later go up for a nook/walkabout [delete to your preference] to permit a ahead to steam by unopposed and rating? Precisely.
Which isn’t me attempting to piss on anybody’s chips right here, I loved as a lot as the following individual, however I can assure you Mikel Arteta’s video overview session this week received’t focus as a lot on the late, late comedy as it’s going to on the targets we conceded within the first half. The second specifically can have infuriated him as a result of whereas it was a properly labored transfer from Villa, it was all too straightforward. No person received their duels, and our supervisor will get upset when that occurs.
His response on the Bench Cam video tells you loads:
I do assume this was a win we actually wanted, and I’m certain there might be positives taken from it by the gamers, however as we put together for Leicester on Saturday, making certain we don’t discover ourselves firefighting as a result of we’ve been a bit sloppy and a bit careless might be excessive on the agenda.
In the meantime, we had an excellent query on the Arsecast Additional concerning the group having a little bit of an edge as of late, and I believe it’s a extremely attention-grabbing factor to contemplate. Yesterday, I discussed Bukayo Saka reacting to Coutinho’s unhealthy problem, and the truth that Arsenal gamers have been there to again him up. That was good to see, as a result of it tells you one thing concerning the togetherness of the group. You don’t should go too far again into our previous to see how totally different it’s from earlier groups who not often stood up for one another in that means.
We all know the supervisor is a presence on the touchline, and it drives some folks mad. We all know that our reactions to sure incidents have led to FA costs. We all know that after we do something in any respect, the Celebration Police are out in pressure, tut-tutting at folks simply having fun with themselves.
It appears like there’s a better highlight on us, as a result of the way in which Arteta behaves isn’t any totally different than Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola (who was booked on the weekend for complaining a couple of penalty not given for an Erling Haaland dive), or numerous different managers. So why is he given better consideration?
A part of it’s as a result of no one anticipated this Arsenal this season, so there’s a little bit of ‘Who’re these chubby little rascals? We have to put them of their place.’ On prime of that, I believe Klopp and Guardiola and different managers get away with extra as a result of they’re thought-about mature. They’ve been there and carried out that, and their expertise informs their reactions. Arteta is the youngest supervisor within the league, and he – within the minds of a few of these folks – must earn his stripes earlier than he can stand up to antics. It’s nonsense, after all, however a notion of the group and the supervisor as immature due to how younger we’re typically is why it’s straightforward to have a go.
However the group and the gamers don’t take their cues from the media, they take them from the supervisor. The supervisor who, in a Sunday Occasions article, was described as a ‘steely little fucker’ by a former colleague within the recreation. That transmits to them from his teaching, his preparation, his team-talks, his in-game huddles, and his post-game opinions. You may’t set excessive requirements with no measure of inside self-discipline, but in addition a want to win that may present itself in behaviour that others can typically take exception to.
Have been the Invincibles sensible? Sure. Have been they beautiful boys on a regular basis on the pitch? Hahahaha, no. They’d unimaginable high quality however a streak of bastardry that was key to them successful video games and choosing up factors on the times when it didn’t absolutely click on for them. And within the mists of time, I believe we will lose sight of the actual fact there have been greater than few days like that.
Only for the file: I’m not saying this group is nearly as good because the Invincibles, merely declaring that with no little bit of a hardness, it’s very troublesome to achieve success. I believe Arteta has cultivated a few of that on this group. We’re larger, we’re stronger, we don’t get pushed round as a lot, and it’s a part of why this season has gone in addition to it has.
We nonetheless haven’t discovered what we’re on the lookout for [the title], however we do have a little bit of an edge.
Sorry. Not sorry. Until tomorrow.
