{"id":7437,"date":"2023-02-17T16:15:35","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T16:15:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=7437"},"modified":"2023-02-19T15:15:36","modified_gmt":"2023-02-19T15:15:36","slug":"arteta-must-ensure-loves-labours-are-not-lost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=7437","title":{"rendered":"Arteta Must Ensure Love\u2019s Labour is not Lost"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Goonerholicsforever are seriously chuffed to welcome another Goonerholic alumnus, Lonestar Gooner, to our fold of authors. Welcome, Lonestar. Enjoy, everyone…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Sun sets on Plano, Texas\u2026but not on Arsenal\u2019s season.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m a Cancer. That\u2019s really all you need to know about me (queue The Floaters \u2013 \u201cFloat On<\/a>\u201d…\u201cCancer, and my name is Lonestar\u201d). I display a hard outer shell, but, if you manage to pierce it, you\u2019ll find sweet, meaty goodness. Years of neglect, atrophy, near misses, capitulations, disinvestment, and disharmony (even if occasionally punctuated with celebratory false dawns) resulted in quite the Arsenal carapace. I was an emotional crustacean. Never too high, never too low\u2026much like the attendees at the Emirates of old, I was all too content to sit on my hands. \u201cCome on Arsenal. Entertain me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came Mikel Arteta. Henry Winter astutely observed, \u201cArsene Wenger built the Emirates and now Mikel Arteta lights it up,\u201d but there\u2019s more to it. Arteta has lit us up<\/strong>. Much like Hemingway\u2019s quote about bankruptcy, Arteta\u2019s transformation started slowly, haltingly, and then all once. Mikel and Edu cleared out the deadwood, bet on youth, and, generally, purchased elite talent. Starting this fall, Arsenal went from strength to strength; scoring goals and grinding out tough, character-building wins. All this effort\u2014all this labor\u2014resulted in a fantasy beginning to the season: fifty-point tally at the midway mark; best season start in Arsenal\u2019s history; a swashbuckling attack coupled with a parsimonious defense; a renewed connection between players and support (home and away); the Ashburton Army; and, heaven forbid, a drummer in the Emirates!  Bottomline, Arteta pierced my shell (and not just mine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now comes Arteta, a Spanish general astride a combined-arms army, not unlike that other<\/em> vaunted Spanish general of yore, Hannibal*, surveying a menacing Premier League landscape and refining his plans for conquest. Just as the Carthaginian army that straggled out of the Alpine passes into Italy was a shadow of the army that began its trek out of Spain, the current Arsenal squad traveling to Birmingham on Saturday is not as vital as it once was. Perhaps other teams have sussed us out? A loss at Everton, a draw at home to Brentford, and a home loss to the-expensively-assembled-\u20acitzens-of-(allegedly)-Off-Balance-Sheet-FC share distressingly similar traits: an out-of-form midfield, sterile wide possession, uncharacteristically deliberative transitions, and diminished chance creation\/goal scoring. We\u2019ve hit a slump\u2026no doubt about that, and there\u2019s work<\/u> to be done<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, what to do? Now, I\u2019m about as qualified to opine on solutions to this team malaise as I would be to scrub-in for surgery having stayed the prior night in a Holiday Inn Express (Remember that advertisement campaign<\/a>? It was so dumb.) However, I consume a lot of Arsenal content, I chat with people who have more football gravitas than myself (several of this parish amongst them), and, although I am a mere punter, I have some thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Predictability is the Achilles Heel of an army. To bastardize Sun Tzu, when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are distant. When we are distant, we must make the enemy believe we are near. Arteta is an aggressive manager who wants to deny opposition attempts, in the first instance, by possessing the ball. This tactic served Arsenal exceedingly well in the first half of this season, but over the past three matches (I discount the FA Cup loss as a free hit), our once vaunted possession game (especially in the attacking third) has reprised the horseshoe-of-death. Perhaps it\u2019s time to play Martinelli through the middle with Trossard starting on the left? Or, maybe we should give Xhaka a rest and start Vieira at the left eight? Would we even be so bold (perhaps reckless) as to embark on a formation change to a back three at certain periods; ceding possession for a chance at a swift counterattack? Whatever the play, the end result has to strive, once again, to inject uncertainty in opposing defenses and sap opposing attacks of their vitality. I back Arteta to find a solution (but do me a favor, boss, and sort out the substitutions\u2026like-for-like isn\u2019t the only way).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historians recount that Hannibal, as he led his bedraggled army out of the Alps into the Po River Valley, was surrounded by hostile Gauls who, having heard Hannibal was coming to free them from the yoke of Roman oppression, remained, shall we say, unconvinced. Arteta could commiserate. Fresh off the back of three forgettable outings, Arsenal now face an early Saturday kick-off in the Birmingham hinterlands against none other than our dear uncle, and former gaffer, Unai Emery. A whopping forty-eight hours to recover? The Premier League fixture programmers are simply spoiling us. To make matters worse, just as Hannibal lost his battle elephants, save for one, during the Alps crossing, Arteta has also lost his midfield pachyderm-come-matador. No one can seriously argue we didn\u2019t miss Partey on Wednesday, and his absence on Saturday, should that come to pass (no pun intended), would be a significant loss. Nketiah looks jaded (defenses are no longer troubled at the moment), and heaven help us if something happens to our Starboy. Finally, Emery will be spoiling for a fight, and the Villa players and fans will be champing at the bit to put right their own 3-1 defeat at the hands of the-expensively-assembled-\u20acitzens-of-(allegedly)-Off-Balance-Sheet-FC. The coincidences are bewildering and may portend a frustrating slog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dastardly Villans currently sit in eleventh place, and they are a mercurial lot. On their day, equally as likely to defeat Tottnum (I mean who doesn\u2019t, really) or Chelsea (again, who doesn\u2019t) as to lose to Leicester, Villa features a World Cup winner in goal (formerly of this parish, but always thinking of lost love); a lively, if underachieving, midfield; and an athletic and wily strike partnership of Watkins and Bailey. The midfield, particularly interesting, sports Buendia (perennially rumored as an Arsenal transfer target), Luiz (an Arsenal target in the last summer transfer window), and Ramsey (disappointing season so far, but with that name\u2026oh, now THAT\u2019S a thought). With McGinn and Coutinho as substitutes, the Villa midfield provides a good mix of graft, connection, and bite; hell, they might even add some goal threat if they ever learn to get out of their own way. It\u2019s the Villa back line, however, that could be just the healing salve for Arsenal\u2019s battle-weary troops. Against the-expensively-assembled-\u20acitzens-of-(allegedly)-Off-Balance-Sheet-FC, the Villa back four started the vampiric Ashley Young (how old is he now?), Konsa, Chambers (formerly of this parish), and Digne, but the Edgbaston clodder, Matty Cash, and Tyrone Mings (if healthy) could also deputize. In the reverse fixture, last August, Arsenal bagged two goals (Jesus and Martinelli) on the back of twenty-two shots (nine on target) and fifty-nine percent possession. I could see Saka and Martinelli shredding the Villa flanks, and, if we duplicate those previous shot numbers, we could replicate the Carthaginian slaughter of the Romans at Cannae. Alas, that was Stevie G\u2019s Villa, and Arsenal have averaged just fifteen shots (four on target) across their last three matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although it feels like the Arsenal of the first half season featured blistering starts, a cursory review of the match reports doesn\u2019t necessarily substantiate that. However, I believe it axiomatic that early goals force the opposition to become more attack-minded, and this current Arsenal could use every advantage as they endeavor to overcome the opposition low block. I back the wily Spaniard to freshen things up a bit and go with the following line-up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ramsdale<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomiyasu — Saliba — Gabriel — Tierney<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00d8degaard — Jorginho — Vieira<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saka — Martinelli — Trossard<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, I expect Emery to counter thusly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watkins — Bailey<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buendia — Luiz — Kamara — Ramsey<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digne — Mings (if healthy) — Konsa — Young<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martinez<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s imperative we re-ignite our attacking left side, and I think Tierney could combine with Vieira and Trossard to do just that. Even if Arteta elects, in Partey\u2019s absence, to retain Xhaka for defensive stability, I would expect Tierney and Trossard to combine early and often on the left. On the right, I think Arteta will stick with Tomiyasu (and give him a chance to make amends for Wednesday\u2019s error). Playing Martinelli through the middle is exactly the kind of unorthodox change that could provide some much needed unpredictability. He, Trossard, and Saka could swap roles as needed, and Eddie could come on in the final twenty minutes to terrify tired legs. I like Vieira to provide attacking verve and industry. I\u2019m of the view that the fastest horses are useless, if they aren\u2019t allowed to run, and the Carthaginian Army lived (and died) by its cavalry; so, \u201cRegulators<\/a>\u201d mount-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018Holic Pound<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not much of a gambler. I mean, I\u2019ve been known to play a hand or two of Texas Hold \u2018Em, and I might be persuaded to contribute to the idiot tax whenever the Powerball exceeds $500MM or so, but I couldn\u2019t begin to tell you how to read odds or find a bookmaker. Current projections have Arsenal at fifty-three percent to win. We need a response, and I expect a fast start from Arsenal on Saturday. Look for Martinelli to get off the schnied and score early. We\u2019re also due for a clean sheet, so I\u2019m forecasting a 0-3<\/strong> scoreline. In keeping with my line-up prediction, a cursory betting search did return a cheeky 7\/1 odds (whatever that means) for Martinelli to score the first goal. As usual, Holics, only bet what you can afford to lose because, when you play for fun, you\u2019ve already won!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arteta and the lads have labored mightily to get to this point (joint-top with a game-in-hand, may I remind), but, right now, this army needs a bit of spark, a touch of magic. Providing that inspiration is the general\u2019s job. It\u2019s up to him to find the right mixture of personnel, tactics, insight, strategy, and initiative to ensure his army is gestalt. Leading this club, playing for the shirt, and supporting the team are all labors of love. So, although Love\u2019s Labour\u2019s Lost is a comedy with a less-than-humorous ending, if Arteta takes a cue from Lady MacBeth, he may yet find a way to lead us to glory. Time to screw your courage to the sticking place, Mikel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have a good one, \u2018Holics. Come on you Gunners!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MCMBD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Now, before the pedants come for me, rightly, observing that Hannibal was Carthaginian not Spanish, I maintain that, given Hannibal was around nine years old when he accompanied his father, Hamilcar, as the patriarchal Barcid \u201cleft\u201d Carthage for Spain, and Hannibal was approximately twenty-nine years old when he assumed command of the Carthaginian Army and set out for Rome, Hannibal was at least as much Spanish as Carthaginian. Hell, I\u2019ve been living in Texas just over twenty years, and I\u2019m definitely a Texan now! If you remain unconvinced, then, it\u2019s my review, so there!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Goonerholicsforever are seriously chuffed to welcome another Goonerholic alumnus, Lonestar Gooner, to our fold of authors. Welcome, Lonestar. Enjoy, everyone… I\u2019m a Cancer. That\u2019s really all you need to know about me (queue The Floaters \u2013 \u201cFloat On\u201d…\u201cCancer, and my name is Lonestar\u201d). I display a hard outer shell, but, if you manage to pierce […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7437"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7437"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7437\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7450,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7437\/revisions\/7450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}