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If you didn’t know this already, Mikel Arteta is the new Arsenal manager. The Spaniard was presented to the world last Friday with a rescheduled press conference.
The new manager spoke of how proud he is to be at Arsenal and how he can’t wait to build a legacy at the Emirates. Now the boss is looking to get down to work and try to turn around an awful season for the Gunners.
Considering he has never managed a game in his life, many were skeptical of this appointment, but Arteta’s opening words have offered comfort to most. The 37-year-old specifically mentioned that he wants to get the players used to a new way of thinking, and perhaps he was referring to his ideal philosophy.
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Arteta is going to have his work cut out for him, and he will perhaps look to make smaller changes first which will contribute to the long-term picture.
On that note, here are four changes we expect Mikel Arteta to make at Arsenal:
#4 Coordinated attacking play
In the days of Arsène Wenger, Arsenal were best known for their attacking football. The Frenchman’s team embraced the philosophy of tiki-taka, making it their aim to pass opponents off the pitch.
But somehow in the space of just two years, Unai Emery has managed to remove all attacking potency from this side - despite having players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Özil.
Having studied under Pep Guardiola for a few years, Arteta would have a clear appreciation for coordinated attacking play. Manchester City are renowned for their attractive style of play and the Spaniard was a key part in implementing at the Etihad.
Recently Arsenal have become too static in the final third. The 37-year-old will look to improve the fluidity of their attacks and most importantly, the speed at which they pass and make decisions in the box.
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#3 High press off the ball
The Sky Blues are a great team not just because of their attacking play, but also because of their off the ball work.
Guardiola has an unwritten rule that his team must always aim to win the ball back 30 seconds after initially losing it. However, the players don’t just press recklessly without a sense of direction; they press in packs, based on certain trigger patterns.
It’s a coordinated press which allows the team to press as a unit, thus depriving opponents of time and space on the ball.
Currently, Arsenal have a half-hearted press that only a few players adopt. Kevin de Bruyne said it best: “We saw upfront in the videos… the attackers they try to press up but when we pass their front four, they really don’t help the Arsenal defence.”
An uncoordinated press does more harm than good. This will be the new manger’s first point of call in order to turn Arsenal into a formidable team again.
#2 More inverted / overlapping runs
A sign of any good modern team is the way full-backs are integrated into attacking play. Gone are the days where full-backs were just defenders; they’re now integral parts of any team’s build-up. Full-backs not only provide width but can also act as second wingers or, as we’ve seen at Manchester City, additional central midfielders.
In modern-day football, teams have found more compact ways of defending in a low-block. It’s not just about putting 11 men behind the ball; it’s about positional play and cutting off passing lanes.
What the new manager will look to bring to the Emirates is an interchanging of inverted and overlapping runs. With this, the likes of Bellerin and Tierney will not just make overlapping runs which are predictable, but sometimes come inwards to attack the centre-backs too.
#1 Higher and more compact defensive line
On far too many occasions this season we’ve seen the Arsenal backline get pushed back into their own box by teams of much lesser quality. This is counterproductive for a team of Arsenal’s defensive structure, as they are not designed or trained to adopt a low-block.
That’s why the likes of Sokratis and David Luiz have made so many errors; their deep defensive line is constantly putting pressure on them.
To adopt an attacking and pressing philosophy, Arteta will first have to apply a high defensive line. This will then push the whole team further up the pitch, allowing them to keep opponents camped in their own half.
This high defensive line wouldn’t just consist of the two centre-backs, but also the defensive midfielder for extra cover. Pressing starts from the back, especially when it pertains to the shape of a team.
Under Arteta, Arsenal will seek to improve the work ethic, pressing patterns, on the ball decisions and defensive structure. For this to happen, the Spaniard needs time and support; the fans would be hoping he gets just that.
