Whilst Mikel Arteta is a “son of Arsene Wenger”, making waves in the managerial game alongside the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Patrick Vieira and the recently appointed Jack Wilshere, he is more comparable to another iconic Arsenal manager – George Graham.

Graham came into an Arsenal Football Club in the doldrums.

When appointed in 1986, we were 15 years without a title, 7 years without a trophy, and loitering in and around mid-table.

A squad filled with players reaching the end of their career who were not performing as expected, one of Graham’s first tasks was to remove them from the club and replace them with younger, hungrier players. New players were signed and youngsters promoted from the academy.

This is comparable to the situation that Arteta came in, where his first task (or Phase as some like to call it) was pushing out those overpaid, underperforming, egotistical former superstars (Ozil, Aubameyang, etc), and replacing them with younger, hungrier talents.

Graham built a team based on being defensively solid and discipline first. This did not mean he built a defensive team, but one that understood if you did not concede, you did not lose. Likewise, Arteta’s team are disciplined and defensively solid. We do not concede shots on target, let alone goals.

Both Graham and Arteta respected the importance of set pieces – Tony Adams scored 22 goals in the 5 seasons from 1986/87 to 1990/91, whilst Gabriel has 19 and counting in the last 4 and a half years.

This season (and we are in the early stages) is reminding me a lot of 1990/91. The almost invincibles.

That year, Graham’s Arsenal won the league, conceding just 18 goals. And whilst the “Boring, Boring” tag was beginning to materialise, we finished 2nd top scorers with 74 goals. Meanwhile, that lot up the road were beginning to play “thrilling attacking football”, which they were heavily praised for.

In reality, Tottenham’s play was not thrilling, attacking football. It was an ill-disciplined approach that led to chaos, high-scoring games, and not particularly great results. They failed to score more than the 74 league goals Graham’s Arsenal scored in 1990/91 between 1985 and 2017. And have only achieved north of that figure twice in 60-years.

And it was a bit like that last season. Whilst Arteta was being criticised for his disciplined approach, Tottenham had “Ange-ball” and the Australian’s supposed fre-flowing attacking football. We outscored Spurs last season just as Graham continually did as manager.

The key is discipline and defensive solidity. You can do both without being a defensive team.

Graham’s 91 side conceded just 18 goals and won the league as second top scorers.
Under Jose Mourinho, Chelsea conceded just 15 goals in 2005/05 as they won the league. They finished 2nd top scorers.
Right now we have conceded just 3 league goals in 8 games. We are second top scorers.

I am sometimes baffled by the way some of our fans who rightly glorify George Graham and his achievements are then critical of the way Mikel Arteta sets up. The parallels between the two are so obvious.

From inheriting transitional squads, integrating young players, and prioritising a strong defensive structure. Respecting set-pieces and being a disciplinarian. Promoting a pragmatic, defensively solid approach to the game.

The only thing missing for Arteta is the honours (although many seem to forget he has an FA Cup and 2 Community Shields to his name). These will come.

When Wenger left, the question was “who can replace him?”. The correct answer seems to be the reincarnation of George Graham.

PS: Yes, I know GG is still with us!

Keenos

In day two of talking about the “instant results era of football“, we look at Viktor Gyökeres.

Like with Eze yesterday, Gyökeres has the negative nancies, the moaners, the unhappy in their home lives already on his back.

I really do not understand why fans are moaning about Gyökeres and goals. We are top of the table and only Manchester City have scored more. Clearly, scoring goals has not been a problem for us this season.

The criticism of Gyökeres comes from those who do not really watch the game and only care about statistics. For then, 3 goals in his opening 8 Premier League games is not good enough. But they ignore everything else he is bringing to the team right now.

Gyökeres occupies defenders is the best analysis I have read of his game.

Whilst I get the comparisons to Olivier Giroud (although I am sure many are comparing him to Giroud in a negative way), the Frenchman did not have that turn of pace to also be a threat in behind. He could be too easily pinned high up the field knowing that ball over the top would not kill you.

Gyokeres has the strength and power to pin a defender like Giroud, but also the pace and directness to be a threat in behind. That means teams can no leave him one on with a centreback. They need to send someone up with him to compete, and also leave a sweeper behind incase that ball is played over the top. The result is a lot more space for the likes of Bukayo Saka.

Saka has spent most of his career in 2v1 situations. This season it has certainly felt like he has been left in more 1v1 situations – and that is mainly because of Gyokeres.

The way Viktor plays is freeing up space for others on the pitch beyond Saka. Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli on the left also have more space, as does Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze in the middle. All their extra space comes from teams having to double up on Gyokeres, and having to sit that little deeper due to his pace in behind.

I also find the criticism of Gyokeres returns as laughable when you look at other “new striker signings” in the Premier League.

Gyokeres has received more criticism this season than players he has outscored and, in most cases, cost more. It just shows that mainstream media and those that make money from social media are heavily reliant on Arsenal-led negativity to pay their bills.

Anyone that has watch Gyokeres, live, in the stadium can see what he brings to the team. And you also know that the goals will come.

Bar Erling Haaland, no other striker has really lit the touchpaper this season. Everyone else is in and around the same place as Gyokeres when it comes to goalscoring output. But anyone that has watch Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal over the years will know his football is not about one player scoring a bucketful of goals.

Under Arteta, we score goals from across the pitch. It is about everyone being confident in front of the goal, not just the striker, and engineering positions for easy-to-take chances.

We are the second top scorers this season, with 10 different players scoring in 8 Premier League games.

As a comparison, Liverpool have 7 different scorers this campaign, with none scoring more than Gyokeres. Whilst Manchester City have 5 different scorers, with Erling Haaland scoring 73% of their goals (excluding own goals).

I am not bothered if Gyokeres does not score, as long as Arsenal score and Arsenal win. We are a threat across the pitch whilst others are not.

Instead of looking for reasons to criticse Arsenal, embrace that we are top of the league, playing brilliantly, and in a title race that many had written us out of before the game at Newcastle.

Keenos