Morning.
As anticipated Mikel Arteta was giving little away in his Friday press convention with regards gamers who would possibly or may not be accessible for tomorrow’s encounter with Liverpool. On Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, and Riccardo Calafiori, he stated:
We’re going to do our highest to in some way have them accessible but it surely’s very unsure.
There was somewhat extra about how Saka had been coaching on the grass a bit; Timber may be in motion in a coaching session after which a call might be made; and Calafiori’s means to make a fast restoration after we suppose he’s injured; however not way more than that. Which is simply what you anticipate from him forward of a giant sport.
It additionally occurred to be a query within the press convention, about controlling the data that’s within the public area, to which Arteta replied:
We’ve a number of info, a number of delicate info, a number of info that individuals wish to have and share, and it’s our obligation and responsibility to keep up and shield the membership and the workforce in the very best method.
I do know it frustrates some folks however I don’t actually thoughts this in any respect. Arteta’s job is to win soccer matches, and if he believes that holding as a lot beneath his hat can play even a tiny half in us doing that, then honest sufficient. Anyway, we will discuss extra tomorrow about attainable line-ups, again 4 permutations, and all the remaining.
What was clear from his press convention yesterday was the message the supervisor was eager to ship. Whether or not it was aimed on the followers, his gamers, or simply typically – the message was that feeling sorry for ourselves about accidents and suspensions and absences isn’t going to do anybody any good. He stated:
That is the sport. Clearly we didn’t wish to be in that state of affairs, however we’re actually fortunate as effectively to have the squad that we’ve, to have the gamers that we’ve, to have the perspective that we’ve.
Get on with it, present your enamel, present how a lot you need it, the wonderful alternative for different folks, the wonderful alternative for us as a workforce to insurgent in opposition to sure conditions, we want the group extra. Preserve the identical perception that even like this, we’re an awesome workforce.
Going right into a sport as massive as this one with all the problems we’ve will not be ultimate, however I like this perspective. There are managers on the market who would use their press convention to put the groundwork for excuses in the event that they needed to doubtlessly play with out 4 or 5 key gamers, however a lot of what Arteta has executed at Arsenal is concerning the mindset of his workforce. Wouldn’t it be higher if we had a totally match Saka, Timber, Odegaard, Tomiyasu, Saliba and so forth for tomorrow? After all. Will it do the gamers any good to cry about it or make a giant deal about that? No, it’d be counter-productive within the excessive.
So, it’s a reasonably apparent strategy for Arteta to have taken, and that message will probably be one which resonates with followers too. We clearly ‘really feel’ each single damage and participant absence, and as soccer followers do, we fear. We get anxious. We fret. It’s simply the character of it. However as soon as that whistle goes on Sunday, the gamers have a job to do, and all we will do is watch.
Maybe it’s akin to a situation once you’re on a flight and there’s a little bit of turbulence. As passengers, we fear. We get anxious. We fret. Then you definitely take a look at the cabin crew and so they’re simply going about their enterprise with no care, and you are feeling comforted by that. So, tomorrow the gamers are the cabin crew who gained’t be panicking regardless of issues being a bit bumpy, and within the cockpit we’re searching for Mikel Arteta to get us down safely with all three factors.
And on that airplane associated be aware, I’ll merely ask the massive query, the one which’s on everybody’s lips: What’s our vector, Victor?
Precisely.
When you’d like one thing to take heed to, we’ve a Liverpool preview podcast over on Patreon, during which we talk about the choices that the supervisor may need for his again 4, and the potential knock-on affect on different areas of the pitch too. Get it right here.
For now, have an awesome Saturday, and I’ll be again tomorrow with a full preview of the sport.
