Salty set-piece snobbery is humorous

Morning all. Wherever you’re, I hope you’re doing nicely right this moment. I’m positive you realize I hope that every single day, however typically it’s price saying it out loud.

I touched on this yesterday a bit within the recap of the 2-0 win over Man Utd, however I discover the entire debate/dialogue/furore round Arsenal scoring from set-pieces completely hilarious and engaging in equal measure. As followers of this membership, we’ve skilled issues which form our view of Arsenal itself, of soccer, the sport, and what occurs in it.

Simply return to final weekend after we had been ripping West Ham to shreds on the London Stadium. We had been 4-0 up, enjoying brilliantly and, to all intents and functions, the sport was received. Then, soccer being soccer, they scored a few objectives in fast succession and I don’t assume there was a single Gooner on this planet (who was sufficiently old for this to be related) who didn’t instantly consider that 4-4 draw at Newcastle all these years in the past.

For those who recall objectives from Theo Walcott, Johan Djourou and Robin van Persie (2) placing us 4-0 up by the twenty sixth minute, you additionally keep in mind conceding 4 within the second half after we went right down to 10 males – together with two scored by Joey Barton of all individuals. That sport occurred on February fifth 2011, practically 14 years in the past now, and but when West Ham scored twice, I had flashbacks. Put them in a Vietnam conflict film and so they’d be dismissed as hackneyed and too clichéd, however they had been actual!

Equally, I keep in mind video games towards groups like Stoke and Bolton (however notably the Tony Pulis period Stoke), the place a nook or a throw-in or free kick anyplace on the pitch the place it may very well be lumped into our field gave me the heebie-jeebies. We had been a small staff again then, technical however definitely missing physicality and stature, and the opposition gave the impression to be stuffed with giants who may very well be NBA gamers.

So, the ball would are available in, we had goalkeepers whose strategy to coping with these deliveries was to look completely stricken, say a fast decade of the rosary, then both keep rooted to their line or come steaming out – eyes closed – hoping for the very best. The defenders by no means regarded as snug as you may like; our assortment of 5’8 midfielders did their finest however had been out-muscled typically; and every set-piece was a chest-tightening, stomach-flipping, nerve-wracking, arse-clenching nightmare. I didn’t look after it in any respect.

As for what we may do up the opposite finish, I may be confirmed fallacious by somebody who can dig up the stats, however we by no means felt notably threatening. The one participant I can recall scoring with any frequency from set-pieces was Laurent Koscielny. I do know there will need to have been extra, and we needed to have scored just a few objectives each season from corners and free-kicks, however you by no means felt like we had any constant risk.

Which is why I’m so having fun with what we will do now. If anybody on the market desires to dismiss it as industrial or boring or anti-football, be my visitor. The objectives we rating from set-pieces are price simply as a lot as a brilliantly labored transfer (like Leandro Trossard’s purpose towards West Ham, for instance), or a rocket of a shot into the highest nook (like Riccardo Calafiori’s towards Man Metropolis). If opposition followers assume set-piece objectives are too good for them to fret about, then that’s advantageous by me.

I believe that’s not going to be a view shared by any severe supervisor or head coach for for much longer although. You may’t ignore what Arsenal are doing. Definitely not if you’re enjoying us, as a result of we’ll check you and your defence to absolutely the restrict; and never when you concentrate on how one can win video games towards everyone else.

There’s a severe level to be made although. Right here’s Mikel Arteta talking about set-pieces in September 2020:

It’s a key share of objectives scored and conceded that has a terrific influence on outcomes and factors on the finish of the season. So it’s one other side of the sport that it’s a must to dominate.

This was simply after hiring Andreas Georgson from Brentford as our set-piece coach. In July 2021, after the Swede left for a job with Malmo, Arteta raided Man Metropolis and introduced in Nicolas Jover – who he himself had employed/beneficial whereas working as an assistant to Pep Guardiola. To say the job he has finished has been first-class might be an understatement, the fruits of that are apparent to everybody after we see one other purpose go at the back of the online and the depressing, downcast faces of the opposition who knew what we needed to do however simply couldn’t cease it. That’s demoralising.

The important thing level for me although is that this: regardless of all the very best preparation, organisation, coaching, planning and the whole lot else, there can be days when your staff simply doesn’t fairly click on. It occurs, it’s simply a type of issues in soccer. We’ve all been there, you have a look at the staff and assume we may play until midnight and never rating from open play. Nevertheless, you probably have the form of risk we possess from set-pieces, there’s a facet of the sport that’s form of distinct from the whole lot else.

So on a day when it doesn’t click on, after we can’t discover our rhythm for no matter purpose, we nonetheless have a technique to win. It received’t occur each time, however it’s a form of security internet for when efficiency ranges should not the place we’d like them to be. It’s, as Arteta typically says, maximising each side of the sport to present your self the very best likelihood of successful.

To me that’s not industrial or boring or no matter time period you need to use to try to dismiss Arsenal’s high quality from corners and free kicks – it’s widespread sense. And lengthy might that proceed in a world the place that appears to be too typically in brief provide today.

Proper, I’ll depart it there for now. The Arsecast is under should you haven’t had an opportunity to hear, and in order for you extra in your ears, we’ll have a double serving to over on Patreon right this moment. First, we’ll look again in any respect the midweek Premier League motion in The 30, earlier than we do our Fulham preview podcast later within the afternoon. To join prompt entry for simply $6 monthly, go to patreon.com/arseblog.

Have a terrific Friday people.