PART TWO GUEST POST FROM COACH MIKE MCDONALD, ENJOY.

To fully understand what’s happening at Arsenal you will need to read the first piece I wrote so that this piece makes sense. It’s about Arteta adopting the ‘Juego de Posicion’ ethos and almost re-teaching football into positional play.

(Le Grove’s most popular piece last year)

If you were wondering what the hell Mikel Arteta is attempting at Arsenal, this write up by @mike_mmcdonald is excellent. He’s a coach IRL, so has a very nice way of explaining complex ideas. Enjoy! I did https://t.co/rG5IEBJ42F

— Le Grove (@LeGrove) September 16, 2021

Did you read it? Are you set for part 2?

Now we ask, why have Arsenal suddenly clicked?

How have we gone so rapidly from being a low-scoring team with minus goal differential to a team fluidly creating and scoring far more often?

I think the answer sits in the comfort that our players now feel part of Arteta‘s JDP positional play style, therefore our coaches are more willing to turn the page to the next chapter of the textbook.

Initially in learning JDP you have to spend a good amount of time understanding that simply being open isn’t sufficient. There are vertical and horizontal channels that each player is asked to occupy as a general rule. These channels and zones are seen in the diagram below change for each player based on where the ball is and who has it.

As I said in my previous piece, the players have been asked to throw away the textbook from last year and almost been requested to stay in the same school grade but open a brand new textbook that teaches the same subject in a very different way. Naturally and whether we like it or not, this takes time. We are impatient so it was hard to get through and without the connection in the front third being taught to its end, it looked very robotic.

The JDP textbook started with chapter 1, ‘Playing out from the back.’

This is arguably the hardest chapter as it is still fairly new to all modern footballers. The vast majority did not learn how to do this in their youth so it is uncomfortable for many. Thankfully we purchased players that feel far more comfortable in this system. If you remember back to when we started chapter 1 we were all hiding behind the couch whereas now we feel quite confident that we will get out and so we moved on to chapter 2.

Chapter 2 was ‘Transitioning through the middle third and more recently exiting through the middle’

The initial plan back in August was almost exclusively exiting down the wings. As our automatism‘s in midfield have settled the players are now opening their hips and playing forward more. The perfect example being Xhaka’s one-touch punch pass that broke the lines and led to Saka’s goal vs City.

Chapter 3 is the ‘High press.’

Firstly, Arteta has coached a more organized press. So now our ability to create goalscoring opportunities from regaining possession in the opponent’s defensive third has become a regular reality.

Secondly, moving Martín Ødegaard from overloading with our right-winger to connecting in other zones in the horizontal half spaces across the field. Chapter 3 has also brought Odegaard centrally in the final third when we have throw-ins and crowded possession in wide areas. You will notice how frequently we now open hips and switch the ball to him seeing him turn and attack the backline. The first goal at Carrow Road was one example of this. Chapter 3 has proved to be a success to date. Arteta looked like he might be ripping up the second part of this chapter and possibly regretting signing Martin Ødegaard a couple of months ago, but his new freedom to drift beyond zone 15 has opened up everything for him and us. We were unfortunately given a glimpse of the past against Nottingham Forest when Odegaard stayed almost exclusively on the right with Saka. It was crowded, difficult, and didn’t work. Not sure why Arteta reverted but at least he has seen the contrast.

The fourth chapter was the chapter that we have been desperate for Arteta to teach since he arrived. ‘Execution in the final third.’

Most coaches given the responsibility to teach from this new textbook would have blown it because their executives and owners would not have had the patience to wait for the appropriate signings or the inconsistent results to turn. Our owners stood steadfastly behind our coach and let him teach the textbook in logical order. This is proven by the fact that chapter 4 is largely working because of chapters 1, 2, and 3 being given the requisite patience. Without successful playing out from the back, the confidence to play through the middle third without low percentage hopeful passing, and the successful connection into the final third with Odegaard and Lacazette, Arsenal would not be able to see the improved end product of Saka, Smith Rowe and Martinelli.

Chapter 4 is in full flow but very much unfinished. Our center-forward is playing to the top of his personal game but is still inadequate in certain areas. Our delivery from wide areas is having moderate success but without a CF with the desire and movement to move defenders around and away from others, we will be stunted until this is fixed.

What has been working from chapter 4 is leaning into the personal strengths of our young players. Smith Rowe seems to have the gift of timing whilst reacting well to opportunities in and around the box. Saka is more direct and proactive than Pepe and his finishing is starting to replicate Arjen Robben or Mo Salah. Martinelli is an agent of chaos and has clearly been given instruction to run defenders both with and without the ball. In time I think he will prove to be statistically the attacker in the Premier League with the highest number of regains in the final third. Again, at Carrow Road the first two goals came from Martinelli chasing and winning back possession. In the modern game coaches see this statistic as a very close second to being able to create yourself. Martinelli, therefore, becomes the envy of European coaches (ask Klopp).

You will also have noticed that our fitness levels have risen. This will be in part due to a lighter schedule than our opponents and our ability to move the ball faster. When the tempo is higher, the ball moves faster and exhaustion and stress from having to hold off strong Premier League opponents is nullified if they cannot get close to you before you release. We are currently saving energy, especially in our senior players. We’re also allowing our younger players to use their added youthful energy. We are rotating well from the bench to keep the energy high for 95 minutes.

What next?

With the JDP style largely in place, the club will focus on teaching the chapters to new players and taking advantage of recruitment that specifies perhaps a ball-winning midfielder and hold-up striker. Both of these two additions will add to our ability to control games and become the possession dominant team in the vast majority of fixtures. We currently have defenders that specialize in winning the ball early, but our midfielders are good, not great, in this area. None of them are physically dominant in a league where many teams have at least one midfielder that can physically dominate. We thought looking at Thomas Partey‘s athletic build that he would be but he is often the physical equal but not dominant. A ball-winning, duel-winning gladiator will also give wings to the 4-3-3 single pivot that we have seen against weaker teams.

Recently, we have seen Partey look like he might become this player. He has the attributes but needs to dominate more frequently and against the bigger teams.

You will have also noticed that against bigger teams or teams putting us under pressure during a certain period of the game, we greatly struggle to relieve the pressure. The ball is cleared or even passed accurately but seems to come right back at us more often than not. The addition of a physical CF will not only deliver mental insecurity to our opponents, it will also help us out in these situations and take advantage of the youthful pace and direct running of Saka, Smith Rowe, and Martinelli on the counter-attack.

This CF will also add to the types of delivery in the final third. Right now we quite rightly do not cross the ball in the air in the final third as our strikers are very unlikely to win the header in the box. Apart from Martinelli‘s outside-to-in runs and impressive heading ability none of the other options have the movement or aggression to stand much of a chance. This mystery striker if blessed with superior movement, strength, and aerial ability will bring out the best in at least four players who have rather good delivery from wide areas. I speak of Tierney, Pepe, Saka and Tavares.

Currently, it is a shame that these players have this ability that they cannot really use. This addition will be somewhat transformational. Both center backs will likely be consumed with stopping the striker, therefore, giving room to a player like Smith Rowe to arrive late and finish as well as he has been this season.

Much of the unfinished work in our textbook you will see if you watch Manchester City. I’m not sure what type of striker we will go with but City are the masters of the firmly-hit low cross between the last defender and goalkeeper as well as the cup back and when they get Harry Kane or Erling Haaland they will also have the aerial threat.

The ultimate goal is to have a legitimate threat from all of your players that you send into and around the box. This is likely chapter 5 and we are showing promise but are still a way off. Part of this will also be more accurate shooting from the edge of the box. That comment is brought you in association with our central midfielder from Ghana.

If recruitment was my task I would give Thomas Partey wings and buy a specialist destroyer and tempo-setting play-maker.

Yves Bissouma would be my pick, but his off field issues with the police are probably putting off suitors.

I would also want the physical striker who specializes in movement in the box.

This is Dusan Vlahovic for me and has been for 16 months.

My Arsenal vision in the final phase is capitalizing on Martinelli‘s quick bending runs from outside in front of the center back and leaving your striker to cross over and attack the central area and back post. The striker would also have to have the ability to possess elusive movement when the ball is being crossed from Martinelli‘s side and be able to attack the front post and central spaces with two runs. Vlahovic can do both tasks described. His movement reminds of RVP.

I do wonder if our second striking option might be a completely different type of CF. A pivot who scores perhaps 10 goals per season but maximizes the new found goalscoring talent in our wide forwards. This model would be replicating Liverpool. Firmino is the brains and Mane and Salah are the goals.

I wonder if we are looking at Mikel Oyarzabal for this role. Johnathan David at Lille isn’t as selfless or creative but plays more like a second striker.

We may also be surprised in the speed of development that Mika Biereth possesses if given the chance. Just a hunch.

The pivot or Centraverso would offer unpredictability for opponents. They wouldn’t know if we were playing with the Centraverso or Striker. Two totally different attacking systems.

I would also buy a right-back that can offer the opposite to Tomiyasu. A player who would specialize in breaking down weaker teams and low blocks with speed and invention. Two players that I think we should pursue are Tariq Lamptey and Ridle Baku.

The unpredictability that this would offer would be an overlapping fullback as our current RB comes inside or stays back in a back three.

It would also offer speed in the first phase of transition on counter-attacks.

Both of these players suggested have the versatility to also be a rotational option at right-wing if we give up on Pepe.

If we want a true winger that offers similar flexibility to our current starlets then Michael Olise at Crystal Palace would be perfect. Such a natural ability to create and deliver.

Alternatively, we could see the emergence of Omari Hutchinson and Salah-Eddine. This would possibly shorten the teaching time of the new Arsenal textbook as they are taught it in our Academy too.

As unpopular as it has been with many, Arsenal Football Club are now seeing the fruits of patience.

Whilst many other clubs chop and change and sway with fan sentiment Arsenal stood firm and backed a coach that asked for time to teach football from a brand new book.

You can read more of @mike_Mmcdonald  on his post-match PNH blogs and podcast on www.Gunnerstown.com as well as his transfer blogs here @legrove. He also writes for The Gooner Fanzine.

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One bit of housekeeping, if you found yourself binned for no reason, it was an accident. My spam filter took down many accounts. I cleared out the banned names list, it’s amnesty month, just don’t be awful if you come back in or the hammer of justice will fall again.

Matt Kandela and Pedro also banged out a podcast and video. Enjoy. Share. Tell your mum to put down GBBO and get a new show… The Arsenal Opinion. Johnny is back on Thursday.