Arteta may not sign natural passers to control games because he feels they’re too rare, not tactical players or not athletic enough. So Arsenal will try to dominate games with the ball but accept that there’s other good teams too so we must control games without the ball too.
He’s not going to approach it with the close-minded possession, possession, possession based approach but more so the controlled one. Arteta played under Moyes at Everton where they so often beat big teams without the ball. Classic 4-4-2. Also at Arsenal where they failed at that
So how do you control games vs inferior teams and beat them repeatedly? With the ball and via pressing. How do you control games vs similar standard/better teams? If you’re a possession based team, with the ball but be able to control games without it too.
Arteta’s done that.
Arteta’s done that.
So in the league, be better than everyone else technically but accept you can’t always control that way. Teams like Liverpool, City and Chelsea will play through your press and keep the ball. How compact are you then? That’s where Pep falls down. Singular in his approach.
In Europe, it’s the same. You can try and sign natural passers to compete with European teams but then that harms you physically and tactically in the league. Get the best of both worlds. Torreira almost resembles that in Arteta’s system - bit of everything.
Arteta has potential to revolutionize the sport in the sense that he’s looking to control games on all fronts. Liverpool the only team who can do it. Mikel has shown the tactical level capable of doing it - possession based team who are also capable of blocking space. Unheard of.
Positional play on the ball, compactness on AND off the ball, pressing once possession is lost, if that fails, revert into a 4-4-2 block. That’s control and elite coaching.
Can work domestically AND in Europe. Arteta has incredible potential. Frightening.
Can work domestically AND in Europe. Arteta has incredible potential. Frightening.
Arteta played for Moyes’ Everton (compact 4-4-2 + physical team) and Wenger’s Arsenal (naive tactically but ‘pretty football’). Then became a coach under Pep - improvement on Arsenal’s game. Took away 4-4-2 shape, pressing, space from Pep but added compactness to on-ball play.
And he played in the middle of the park for both sides so he knows what all phases of play entail. Blocking space, maintaining a high line and all that good stuff + controlling games with the ball (or at least attempting to) and then how it should be done with Pep.
All this before adding his own qualities to it. Maintaining positional play in the final third but also central compactness (Pep’s flaw) and a 4-4-2 block if their press is bypassed.
Arteta’s ceiling is limitless.
Arteta’s ceiling is limitless.
