Comments for The Arsenal Column http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk Arsenal Analysis and Tactics. All views expressed are those of Pat Rice. (Disclaimer: they are actually not his words). Thu, 17 May 2012 23:13:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on 2011/12: Arsenal Season Review by Timi http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/2012/05/15/201112-arsenal-season-review/#comment-7539 Timi Thu, 17 May 2012 23:13:06 +0000 http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/?p=10783#comment-7539 So I would like to ask,after all these obvious faults defensively as a team,do we have the set of players to turn all these aroun? Is Bould the right man to "fix" the team defensively? If we end up buying .M'Villa how would his presence help out? My thots... So I would like to ask,after all these obvious faults defensively as a team,do we have the set of players to turn all these aroun? Is Bould the right man to “fix” the team defensively? If we end up buying .M’Villa how would his presence help out? My thots…

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]]> Comment on 2011/12: Arsenal Season Review by Can’t pull the wool down ‹ Arseblog … an Arsenal blog http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/2012/05/15/201112-arsenal-season-review/#comment-7535 Can’t pull the wool down ‹ Arseblog … an Arsenal blog Thu, 17 May 2012 18:46:49 +0000 http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/?p=10783#comment-7535 [...] Arsenal Column points out here our attacking play requires a high defensive line. A high defensive line should begat a midfield [...] [...] Arsenal Column points out here our attacking play requires a high defensive line. A high defensive line should begat a midfield [...]

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]]> Comment on 2011/12: Arsenal Season Review by Sreenath http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/2012/05/15/201112-arsenal-season-review/#comment-7530 Sreenath Thu, 17 May 2012 16:43:19 +0000 http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/?p=10783#comment-7530 <a href="#comment-7510" rel="nofollow">@Arsenal Column</a>, Thank You for giving that perspective of Podilski in floating role in koln. And Podolski being very lethal even on outside the box his positioning there can create a lot of confusion in the opposition, I suppose. Thanks for the reply. @Arsenal Column,
Thank You for giving that perspective of Podilski in floating role in koln. And Podolski being very lethal even on outside the box his positioning there can create a lot of confusion in the opposition, I suppose.
Thanks for the reply.

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]]> Comment on 2011/12: Arsenal Season Review by Ahmad http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/2012/05/15/201112-arsenal-season-review/#comment-7520 Ahmad Thu, 17 May 2012 11:56:54 +0000 http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/?p=10783#comment-7520 I think one issue that needs to be resolved quickly is our identity. This season saw Arsenal take a new approach which involved more relaxed pressing and a 3-striker system which was different to the setup deployed in seasons past. I can imagine how such a transition could be difficult for the players to have adjust to. It also did not help that injuries prevented us from playing the way we wanted at various points throughout the season. I think one issue that needs to be resolved quickly is our identity. This season saw Arsenal take a new approach which involved more relaxed pressing and a 3-striker system which was different to the setup deployed in seasons past.

I can imagine how such a transition could be difficult for the players to have adjust to. It also did not help that injuries prevented us from playing the way we wanted at various points throughout the season.

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]]> Comment on 2011/12: Arsenal Season Review by ariv http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/2012/05/15/201112-arsenal-season-review/#comment-7518 ariv Thu, 17 May 2012 09:35:53 +0000 http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/?p=10783#comment-7518 thanks fr the reply..hope we improve the defensive part next season...as a team. thanks fr the reply..hope we improve the defensive part next season…as a team.

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]]> Comment on 2011/12: Arsenal Season Review by Tee Song http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/2012/05/15/201112-arsenal-season-review/#comment-7515 Tee Song Wed, 16 May 2012 14:48:09 +0000 http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/?p=10783#comment-7515 <a href="#comment-7512" rel="nofollow">@Arsenal Column</a>, I agree that TV5 needs to curb his aggression a little bit. I'm not sure that he'll ever be the most positionally sound defender, however, and his aggressive, heart on sleeve defending is part of his nature and why he can be very effective at winning the ball back. I suspect whether or not he learns to temper his natural instincts with better reading of the game, both in terms of the situation at hand and the overall scoreline (do we really need to push up when we're up a goal with 5 minutes left?), will determine just how good a defender he can be. On the other hand, especially this season (but it's been an issue for a handful of seasons now), there's been poor organization between the midfield and the defenders. Defenders push up when the midfielders are falling back and vice versa, midfielders pressing (often ineffectually) while the defenders stay back. Or midfielders simply not sensing when they need to run back and help out on the counter. Personally, I feel that TV5 has been unfairly singled out when midfielders have not rotated and covered his forward runs or have left him exposed to simple balls played behind him because they didn't close down an opposition player, allowing a player time and space to pick out a pass. @Arsenal Column, I agree that TV5 needs to curb his aggression a little bit. I’m not sure that he’ll ever be the most positionally sound defender, however, and his aggressive, heart on sleeve defending is part of his nature and why he can be very effective at winning the ball back. I suspect whether or not he learns to temper his natural instincts with better reading of the game, both in terms of the situation at hand and the overall scoreline (do we really need to push up when we’re up a goal with 5 minutes left?), will determine just how good a defender he can be.

On the other hand, especially this season (but it’s been an issue for a handful of seasons now), there’s been poor organization between the midfield and the defenders. Defenders push up when the midfielders are falling back and vice versa, midfielders pressing (often ineffectually) while the defenders stay back. Or midfielders simply not sensing when they need to run back and help out on the counter. Personally, I feel that TV5 has been unfairly singled out when midfielders have not rotated and covered his forward runs or have left him exposed to simple balls played behind him because they didn’t close down an opposition player, allowing a player time and space to pick out a pass.

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]]> Comment on Exploring the Chance Quality Index: Why more chances doesn’t necessarily mean more goals by kv http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/2012/03/29/exploring-the-chance-quality-index-why-more-chances-dont-necessarily-mean-more-goals/#comment-7514 kv Wed, 16 May 2012 14:14:29 +0000 http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/?p=10549#comment-7514 <a href="#comment-7504" rel="nofollow">@Arsenal Column</a>, I think it's a great article. However, I do feel they could have made it slightly simpler and it would have been better if they had specified the mechanics of the xG formula. It does confirm our analysis though, but it seems they haven't used the number of players parameter, which can have a big impact on chance quality. For example, liverpool create shots that are very close to the goal, but still Luis Suarez fails to score, which could be because the penalty box is crowded at that point. But if OPTA can't record those kind of stats, who else can?! The challenge is to get the formula to give out whole numbers, which will make it an attractive stat to use. Their method seems to be better than ours at doing that, but I am sure even we could have done something similar, if we had access to data like them. Do you really think liverpool's attackers have been that bad or do you feel they haven't created enough high quality chances? @Arsenal Column,
I think it’s a great article. However, I do feel they could have made it slightly simpler and it would have been better if they had specified the mechanics of the xG formula. It does confirm our analysis though, but it seems they haven’t used the number of players parameter, which can have a big impact on chance quality. For example, liverpool create shots that are very close to the goal, but still Luis Suarez fails to score, which could be because the penalty box is crowded at that point. But if OPTA can’t record those kind of stats, who else can?!
The challenge is to get the formula to give out whole numbers, which will make it an attractive stat to use. Their method seems to be better than ours at doing that, but I am sure even we could have done something similar, if we had access to data like them.
Do you really think liverpool’s attackers have been that bad or do you feel they haven’t created enough high quality chances?

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]]> Comment on 2011/12: Arsenal Season Review by Arsenal Column http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/2012/05/15/201112-arsenal-season-review/#comment-7512 Arsenal Column Wed, 16 May 2012 11:36:01 +0000 http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/?p=10783#comment-7512 <a href="#comment-7509" rel="nofollow">@ariv</a>, As the season progressed, it was evident how important Per Mertesacker had become. His calmness and readiness to see the situation helped Koscielny immensely. He's still been very good but Vermaelen's riskiness has exposed him somewhat although Koscielny has tried to balance that out by being a bit more disciplined. And that's the other issue - getting the ball back quickly is a key part to our game. However, there's the thinking that Vermaelen's been a bit too zealous and especially if the team is not pressing, one cannot push up like he did v Norwich, WBA and QPR and not be exposed. @ariv,

As the season progressed, it was evident how important Per Mertesacker had become. His calmness and readiness to see the situation helped Koscielny immensely. He’s still been very good but Vermaelen’s riskiness has exposed him somewhat although Koscielny has tried to balance that out by being a bit more disciplined.

And that’s the other issue – getting the ball back quickly is a key part to our game. However, there’s the thinking that Vermaelen’s been a bit too zealous and especially if the team is not pressing, one cannot push up like he did v Norwich, WBA and QPR and not be exposed.

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]]> Comment on 2011/12: Arsenal Season Review by Arsenal Column http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/2012/05/15/201112-arsenal-season-review/#comment-7511 Arsenal Column Wed, 16 May 2012 11:29:31 +0000 http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/?p=10783#comment-7511 <a href="#comment-7507" rel="nofollow">@D</a>, Here's something on Bould's "philosophy" if anyone's missed it: “I believe that for every sport every seven or so years they become almost revolutionised in that they become, faster, more powerful, more technical than before and football is even more different. In our game, we also have the rule changes. I could not tell you what the offside rule is now,” he grins. “You could not step up with your arm out and scream offside like we used to. That is not an area you can really coach any more. Also, you cannot get away with going to ground or any real aggressive tackling the way we used to nowadays. So, while there are some principles that persist, passing on what I used to do as a player has to be adapted to the modern game.” One of those principles is the value of closing down opponents and pressing with great energy. “Over Christmas,” reports Steve, “I looked at the way that our Under-18s were playing and I felt that we were fine when we had the ball, but poor when we didn’t have it. We used to sit back and let opposing teams play. Since we came back in January we have had a bigger emphasis on winning the ball back and closing opponents down quickly and that has improved us immensely, even with the ball...." Link: http://www.arsenal.com/usa/sh/news/reserves-news/-i-feel-i-have-the-best-job-in-the-world- @D,

Here’s something on Bould’s “philosophy” if anyone’s missed it:

“I believe that for every sport every seven or so years they become almost revolutionised in that they become, faster, more powerful, more technical than before and football is even more different. In our game, we also have the rule changes. I could not tell you what the offside rule is now,” he grins.

“You could not step up with your arm out and scream offside like we used to. That is not an area you can really coach any more. Also, you cannot get away with going to ground or any real aggressive tackling the way we used to nowadays. So, while there are some principles that persist, passing on what I used to do as a player has to be adapted to the modern game.”

One of those principles is the value of closing down opponents and pressing with great energy. “Over Christmas,” reports Steve, “I looked at the way that our Under-18s were playing and I felt that we were fine when we had the ball, but poor when we didn’t have it. We used to sit back and let opposing teams play. Since we came back in January we have had a bigger emphasis on winning the ball back and closing opponents down quickly and that has improved us immensely, even with the ball….”

Link: http://www.arsenal.com/usa/sh/news/reserves-news/-i-feel-i-have-the-best-job-in-the-world-

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]]> Comment on 2011/12: Arsenal Season Review by Arsenal Column http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/2012/05/15/201112-arsenal-season-review/#comment-7510 Arsenal Column Wed, 16 May 2012 11:24:24 +0000 http://arsenalcolumn.co.uk/?p=10783#comment-7510 <a href="#comment-7505" rel="nofollow">Hi Sreenath</a>, I think a 4-4-2 of some sort will be out of the question from the start of matches but I can see it being used more during games. And the question might be who plays the number 10 role if we do use two strikers? Because the way van Persie has refined his game, you'd want him higher up the pitch while Lukas Podolski has tended to float around the pitch for Koln. Hi Sreenath,

I think a 4-4-2 of some sort will be out of the question from the start of matches but I can see it being used more during games. And the question might be who plays the number 10 role if we do use two strikers? Because the way van Persie has refined his game, you’d want him higher up the pitch while Lukas Podolski has tended to float around the pitch for Koln.

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