I wanted to start this column with some anecdote. Something that connected Arsenal to me and my story. I always think of Fever Pitch when it comes to these types of stories, whether they are about love or not.
My dog puked yesterday, on the corner of the rug. I was quick to throw a towel on it but then she went to her bed and puked there too. At least she had jumped down from where she’d been sitting with me on the couch.
I don’t know why she puked. I think she’d eaten some chicken poop from the back yard. I try not to let her out back with the chickens for this exact reason. Also because I have to clean her paws after or she’ll track “mud” into the house. But in a fit of laziness, I let her out there and then caught her behind a tree with her head down.
Bad puppy.
But she’s better today. She actually recovered quite quickly. Was up and jumping around after a few hours. I even took her for a walk.
This was like Everton’s first goal yesterday. 30 seconds into the game and we were off in a corner retching. Pepe, Auba, and Nketiah left two of their forwards wide open, Kolasinac was playing paddy cakes with Yerry Mina which played everyone onside, David Luiz tried to clear the ball with his shoulder, and the referee apparently thinks it’s ok for a player to bicycle kick another player in the face.
My dog’s name is Pork Chop – named after the famed Pork Chop Express from Big Trouble in Little China. I put Pork Chop’s pukey blanket in the wash and gave her my newer blanket I’ve been using as a throw on the couch. Then I took the rug from the front door and put that under her crate so she has a comfy place to lie down. And I went to Costco to get some new rugs and blankets.
Now the house has some great new rugs (I feel like I have to say that all of these things are extremely cheap, I’m not some king!) and Pork Chop has a new blanket.
Xhaka played in Saka who whipped in a cross for Nketiah to score the most Theirry Henry-like goal since Thierry Henry’s last goal for Arsenal. Look it up, it was against Sunderland. Arshavin plays in a cross, Henry jumps up and sticks out a boot, and the ball just ghosts past the keeper. Same as this goal for Arsenal.
David Luiz provided Arsenal’s 2nd goal with one of the most perfectly-timed throughball passes of the game. Dani Ceballos received tons of plaudits for a similar pass earlier which was mistimed. But this is one of those things that David Luiz and to some extend Mustafi can do for Arsenal under the right manager.
I can’t praise this pass enough, that was a left-footed throughball from a right-footed player. So while Ceballos had a rather mediocre game made to look good because he ran around clattering people for a few minutes – and while the forwards will get all the credit – it was players like David Luiz, Mustafi, Xhaka, and Bernd Leno who really cleaned up the blankets, laid out new blankets, and provided us with comfort on a cold Tacoma morning.
Arsenal had a 2-1 lead and threw it away. I didn’t throw anything away yesterday. I wish I had so I could have an analogy. But I didn’t, at least nothing as careless as the way Arsenal defended that corner. Some folks are suggesting fatigue. That’s probably a good call, especially if I want to be generous. But the less generous part of me is more than a little frustrated because that was the second time we didn’t guard one of their two forwards on a set play. There seemed to be an expectation on the part of the Arsenal defense that one of the two CBs would clear the danger. But the whole team needs to play defense.
Anyway, we came out in the second half and scored in 30 seconds. Pepe clipped in a cross and Auba put his head in harms way and scored. From there out we had to protect the lead.
We had a storm here last night. The wind was roaring and tore the grommets off the tarp which I use to keep my chicken coop dry. The tarp was flapping around, 30 feet in the air, anchored by the three remaining cords.
Around 6pm I was out in the yard battling winds and trying to get my chickens back in their coop. Imagine me, my beard, a raging storm (thunder and lightning!) and a tarp flapping like crazy as I try to secure it. One of the bungee cords I use to tie the tarp down slipped and smacked me right in the temple. That’s when I decided to just take the tarp down! Fuck it! Gotta let those chickens roost on their own, then button them up. I went back out at 9pm and sure enough they were on their perch. So I locked them up for safety (raccoons love to kill chickens in my hood). And I’ll deal with the tarp this morning.
I think that’s pretty much how Arsenal finished out that game. The underlying stats will be ugly (and have been under Arteta, actually) but some really key saves by Leno and an all hands at the pump defensive effort from Auba and Mustafi and Arsenal won their third game in 7 days and looked like a team that had just played three games in a week.
The games keep coming. Arsenal have to play Oly on Thursday and then get a mini-break and play Pompey on Monday in the FA Cup.
Now, pardon me while I go put up a tarp and walk the dog.
Qq
I’ve never owned a pet. Dogs are okay but I’m more of a cat person. In exchange for room and board they put up with your existence, which is just about purrfect for me.
Arteta’s impact on this team is what all Goobers hoped it would be on contrast to the last Spaniard who coached Arsenal. Like cats and dogs. Arteta is one cool cat and I hope he puts up with us for some time and a few trophies.
Luiz is confusing. One play away from either disaster or perfection. Inscrutable but not a like cat. More like a dog who pukes on the rug one minute and fetches your paper the next.
I’ve come to know that being a Gooner can too often be like that but at last, with some decent coaching and bit of luck we’ve found some consistency and form.
Two months into the year and we’ve yet to lose. We can qualify for for the last 16 in Europe with just a draw on Thursday, Bukayo Saka is the most exciting teenager in the Premier League and we have the joint best top striker in Aubamayeng (he will stay because of the new manager).
Arsenal is coming back and it feels good.
Think I’ll heat up my lunch. Sit back down at my desk. ‘Oh, Tim’s got a new one up’.
First bite of medium-rare sirloin and– I’m reading of chickenpoop and dogpuke cleanup on Aisle 5. ~urgg~urp~
Right. Well. Don’t know why it is. After nearly four decades, my sweetie always waits until I’m mid-bite to describe what joys our dog or cats have regurgitated– or worse. And she’s not a vindictive nor dark type. Just impeccably consistent in her timing.
Fortunately, no flapping is ever involved.
Maybe some recognition of resilience is also in order.
A comeback from conceding swiftly twice (if once on the other side of half). Then holding off Everton for 45 minutes. All while watching Calvert-Lewis tally the widest array of methods with which to not score. How he did not score at least four is beyond me. On two attempts? When it was a harder try– to miss the goal.
Providence it is then. Got nothing else to explain the phenomena.
Don’t make me call a priest.
That was kind of a weird one yesterday. Everton have been playing well, so I wasn’t expecting it to be easy, even with their poor record away at Arsenal.
They scored from two random, relatively lucky balls bouncing around in the box. More times than not, those balls are probably cleared. And yet they also missed some higher probability chances. And we scored 3 very good goals to their two luckyish ones. I’ll take it.
And Mustafi has been playing well, but that yellow card was an indication that he hasn’t ironed out all the crazy. He was never getting to that ball first, and there was no need for him to go to ground. But he’s definitely been a positive in recent matches. If nothing else, he’s increasing his resale value.
Saka was mostly good, but did still show that he’s a relatively inexperienced defender. With Kola out with what looked to me like a broken collarbone, getting Tierney back to a have a more experienced defender available will be good.
Thanks for the post Tim. It was a good win. We did not play all that well but fortunately we have Auba and they don’t and that was the difference. We are in an uphill struggle to get back into one of the Europa league spots for next year and we need every 3 points we can get.
I am certainly not and I have never tried to suggest that a manager isn’t important. However, the manager can’t kick the ball for his players and the suggestion that Luiz and Mustafi’s ability to make good passes if they have a specific manager on the sideline seems a bit over the top in the other direction.
Hi Bill, may I ask you a question (actually its two questions but related!)
What do you think is the manager’s primary role (what is his *priority*)?
I say priority as we can list off stuff they have to do, but maybe focus on the one priority.
(the other related question is, are you a manager of people in your work? Just curious as may shed light on your answer about footy managers).
Me – I manage designers and have an answer, but realise there are different valid answers to the question.
Just curious, as you are very consistent which is great, but perhaps at odds with others here, so maybe trying to shed light on why that is and help conversation.
You can either inspire people to perform at the upper limits of their ability, or you can’t. As simple as that really. All of us, in one capacity or the other, have come across “managers” who fall into one category or the other.
The other thing that has to be said is that in recent weeks there has been a noticeable improvement in what could loosely described as “team spirit”. Where has that come from? In the first place, the management I would have thought.
Except you just did suggest that a manger isn’t influential enough to affect the performance of his players.
There is no question in my mind, having attended virtually all home PL matches this season that MA8 has transformed the mentality of the team in the few weeks he has been in charge. Arteta’s management is the reason that Mustafi and Xhaka are almost unrecognisable in their performances on the field, that Ozil is much more involved and influential and that the team don’t wilt in the face of adversity. We look like a team again, a team that knows what it wants to achieve and is confident in the knowledge that they are capable of achieving their objective. Frankly it’s a pleasure not a chore to go to games again.
We did play well on Sunday until the legs hit the wall around 65 minutes in. We were running on fumes at the end, rode our luck but so many players put in a colossal effort and an Emery team would not have seen that game out in a million years.
I look forward with huge optimism to what Mikel Arteta will achieve at Arsenal.
Appreciate the eyes-on perspective. Thought too we played well. And, against a team that had also been playing well and inspired under their new manager. The energy that Arteta has fostered in a short time? The reinvigorated play of players whose performances had become less-than? Can be observed 5,000 miles away. Feels nearly palpable.
Feels nearly normal now.
Hmmm… the stats may not say it but MA ‘s Arsenal is surely passing the eye test. Maybe it’s just a case of mean reversion and the stats will catch up eventually if the performance keeps up.
It’s interesting for sure. I’m normally one who would be sounding alarm bells and I think some things are making me nervous in the background but I’m not sure why I’m not nervous about this. Could it be that the stats are a bit deceptive?
TIM: Blow, winds and crack your cheeks! rage! blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have loosed our tarps, drowned the cocks – Oi! Chickens! Get your asses in there!
CHICKENS: Cluck?
*Tarp flies away like an angry slapping ghost*
PORK CHOP: No, I will be the pattern of all patience, I will say nothing
I think we all have a bit of King Lear in us.
The beauty of Eddie’s goal was not that he hit the ball cleanly whilst in the air, but that he quite obviously directed it at the same time past the keeper.
It shows that he has great skill and potential.
I am pleased that we have him back and are using him.
when arsenal decided to retain eddie, i knew it was to provide cover/competition to lacazette. so many want aubameyang to be deployed at a center forward but it’s not what auba’s good at. he’s best as a striker.
Whisht
Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. A managers job is to get the beet possible results he can based on the amount of talent available to him. The main thing he can do is get his squad to consistently play with energy, intensity, focus and play together as a team rather then a group of individuals. Something’s a manager can get his players to significantly over perform such as Ranieri did with Leicester in 15/16 but I don’t think Ranieri was a great manager and its rare for any manager to get a squad of players to consistently out perform its talent level on a long term basis. Sometimes a team will lose focus and significantly under perform such as Arsenal with Emery earlier this year but over the long term most teams will end up close to where they should be based on the talent level in the squad.
The idea that a manager can consistently improve players is a bit of an urban legend just like the idea that certain managers have a great ability to develop young players. Those ideas just don’t stand up well to careful analysis and close scrutiny. Arsene Wenger had the reputation for improving players and being a great developer of young players but if you examine what actually happened in the last 12 years of his reign and especially this decade i think its pretty clear that he wasn’t really doing either.
Well, I’m not totally averse to the idea that managers mostly succeed by not failing – i.e. that in any line of work there are a very big number of things that can go wrong and your job is to make sure that none of them do – and after that it’s up to your staff / team. My managerial roles have been mostly spent clearing obstacles and protecting staff from time-wasting bureaucracy, getting the organisation out of the way of my team.
But this misses four key things that managers do – recruitment / selection; training; leadership; and role allocation.
Good managers choose people with the right skills and attributes (selection), they improve their skills, performance and give them experience (training), they frame the task in a way that makes it easier for everybody to do well (leadership), and they give the right tasks to the right people (role allocation).
All of those things can directly improve a player – not just their temporary performance levels but their base level of ability and experience. And then you have the indirect stuff like team spirit.
I agree with so much of this.
Much more succinct than my splurge I just wrote!
greg’s spot on as for the manager’s duty to provide leadership and maximize the resources he has available.
where i think you get sidetracked is that a manager’s role is to improve the talent levels of a player. well, there’s technical skill and tactical skill. technical skill is, plainly, the talent level but the tactical skill is how to employ your technical skill to make yourself more effective. this is where good coaching comes into play. arteta’s not significantly improving their technical skill but he is improving the effectiveness of their technical skill, which is the definition of tactics or tactical skill.
in an endeavor to simplify, i’ve explained to players that the difference between technical skill and tactical skill is this: being good technically is like being good at math but being good tactically is like being good at math word problems; different skills. an example: i believe the difference between pepe and neymar is marginal on the technical level but that neymar is a better tactician, hence a better player.
technical skill is about one’s ABILITY with the ball or at the point of attack.
tactical skill is about DECISION-MAKING with the ball. it is also about one’s ability to be effective without the ball. if you can get a player to be good without the ball (arteta was like a jedi without the ball), they are incredibly effective or, put plainly, better players. this is what managers do to improve their players.
wenger’s approach was to allow players to express themselves through their actions. emery’s approach was to micro-manage the players actions. i believe arteta straddles the wenger/emery fence. he tells players what to do but not how to do it. this gives direction to the players while allowing room for expression. now, there are times where a player struggles with the decision-making. this is how a good manager helps players. if a player’s good at something, only a fool would try to coach him out of that to try and impose his will, which is what it seemed emery often tried to do.
i’ll close with a summary of a quote from the late johan cruyff: during the course of a 90 minute game, the average player has the ball on their feet for 3 minutes…so what is that player doing the other 87 minutes? the greatness of a player is determined by how effective they are during the entire game, not just when they’re on the ball. one of cruyff’s biggest protege’s is josep guardiola, who’s also served as a mentor for the current arsenal manager since they were at barcelona.
A managers job involves the entire team and I don’t see how he would have the time to work with individual players to improve their skill. At the professional level each team has has a whole coaching staff including individual position coaches to work with individual players. It’s difficult for me to accept the idea that a new manager could quickly improve an individual players speed of thought technical skill and decision making when those players have been working on those skills since their early teens.
I agree about the most important thing a manager can bring is leadership. A manager can improve the teams work ethic, attitude, focus and intensity. That’s what often happens with the new manager bounce. This team had completely lost its focus and will to compete and it was floundering
Hi Bill,
Apologies didn’t reply yesterday (I seem to be a day or two behind reading 7am!).
Thanks so much for the reply.
I think I have a different view to my role as a manager’s job.
I see the manager’s primary role as making their team better than they were yesterday – as individuals and as a unit.
Maybe not intentional but you don’t see the manager’s role in improving the people in the team. I actually think that part is the main point.
I do this through providing processes, support, feedback, coaching and clarity on what the targets are – what outcomes are we trying to achieve and how will we measure if we’ve done them? Constant learning and improvement (of them and me).
I also work with wider tams we interact with to ensure we’re aligned, smooth over issues and as Greg (kinda) says “put the umbrella up to keep the sh!t away” ;¬)
When I think of people in my teams, those that didn’t improve I think I failed. You might suggest its unrealistic, that they need to put the effort in, but I think I needed them to care more, take more pride and I obviously didn’t manage that with those individuals.
Basically if people are ‘better’ – gaining skills, more effective and efficient, then they’re able to contribute to the overall targets.
It also means that if the targets require me to dump on the team (eg they are forced to do overtime, no training, not be clear about the goals as they may confuse or raise questions etc) then sure I might hit the targets, but the demotivated team will leave. I’ll also know that the target was ‘wrong’ if it required that and that I should’ve argued against it. Orgs collapse if the people get treated poorly long-term.