Mikel Arteta’s press convention passed off yesterday, however a lot of it was centered on the sport in opposition to Liverpool tomorrow, there’s not a lot I can use from it as a result of it’s extra related to the preview put up I’ll do tomorrow.
He was requested, framed across the place of Liverpool within the desk, if this was essentially the most aggressive Premier League there’s been, and mentioned:
For me, I’ve been on this league for 20 or 21 years, and I’ve by no means seen something like this.
Requested why, he continued:
Due to the extent. The extent of the managers, the extent of organisation, the standard of groups, the person high quality of gamers, the capability to alter groups/gamers/formations – it’s one thing no person has seen earlier than.
I’m wondering is that this one thing that’s extra evident on the backside of the desk than on the prime. Usually, there’s one group, typically two, who’re marooned on the foot with little or no hope of escaping that at this level of the marketing campaign. For instance, after the identical variety of video games final season, Norwich had 17 factors, leaving them 8 behind the group in seventeenth (Everton on 25).
This time round there’s a solely 7 level hole between backside aspect Southampton and twelfth positioned Crystal Palace. It does look as if the Saints are in bother, and I might strongly advise them to get three factors in the present day in opposition to whoever it’s they may be enjoying, however typically talking it’s a lot tighter down there than in any earlier season I can keep in mind.
On the prime there have at all times been bizarre seasons the place a group that ought to, by rights, be aggressive by way of the title simply isn’t. With out wishing to scratch at any previous wounds, the season Leicester received the title, Man Metropolis completed 4th with simply 66 factors, Liverpool tenth with 60 factors, and Chelsea’s 50 factors earned them a twelfth place. These issues can occur, however I feel a real measure of how aggressive a league is might be seen in what occurs beneath that, and this season we’ve bought that proof.
The previous cliche about how there are not any simple video games within the Premier League is a pleasant soundbite but it surely’s not at all times true. There are groups who’re simply to this point off the extent they get eaten up week after week after week. There are such a lot of examples of that down the years. This time round although, not a lot. To not point out the truth that we’re in April and nearly each group has one thing to play for – whether or not that’s escaping relegation, qualifying for Europe, or the title itself, tells you a lot. Often there are fairly quite a lot of groups so safely ensconced in mid-table their video games are principally meaningless, and that’s probably not the case this season (apart from perhaps Chelsea hahaha and Fulham).
It’s why Arteta talks so persistently about respecting the opposition, and why the brand new breed of supervisor/coaches should have larger tactical selection than ever earlier than. It’s additionally why I feel managers like Antonio Conte, and Mourinho earlier than him, discovered themselves turning into a bit out of date earlier than our very eyes. You may’t deny or ignore the success that that they had throughout their careers, and whereas their interpersonal or man-management abilities may need been discovered wanting, so too had been their techniques.
Consider Conte’s final sport, they’re 3-1 up away from dwelling in opposition to the league’s backside aspect, and he modified formation to a 5-4-1 (or a variation of that not less than), as a result of prior to now that’s what labored. You get forward, then shut up store/park the bus within the last phases of the sport to disclaim the opposition a means again into it. Hilariously, I feel he was proper when he talked concerning the selfishness of a few of his gamers and their incapacity to do pretty basic items, however on the similar time that form of tactical strategy is outmoded in a league the place even the group propping up the desk comprises prime quality gamers who can harm you at any second.
Positive, Southampton bought a really beneficiant penalty determination (good man Ainsley!), but it surely was a consequence of his determination to go defensive. Which isn’t to say that isn’t a sound strategy. It may be, and we’ve performed it ourselves at occasions, but it surely’s riskier than it ever has been. Given all that, the actual fact we’re prime and have carried out so effectively dwelling and away this season is an actual credit score to the supervisor and the group. I don’t suppose there are any simple video games, not this season anyway, however at occasions we’ve made it look that means. Which, for me anyway, says extra about us than the opposition.
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For some further studying this morning, this can be a nice piece within the Guardian (through The Blizzard) about an Arsenal win at Anfield within the 2001-02 season. A sport which produced one my favorite Arsenal objectives of all-time, when Pires despatched Gerrard to the retailers and Freddie nicked in on the close to put up to attain.
Over on Patreon, there’s a Liverpool preview podcast able to go. For now, take it simple, let’s hope for some good outcomes in the present day, after which we will concentrate on Liverpool tomorrow.
Have a superb one.
