MEGA NLD TEST FOR A MORE TRUSTED SQUAD
I don’t really want to be thinking like this... but if we’re looking at the next two games with the harsh light shimmering off the Perspective FC badge, taking 2 points would be considered a success. That would mean 5 points from the top 5 away from home, with the return legs in the new year. I don’t like being that guy, but I’m going to have to pour sun-toasted mayonnaise on your breakfast chicken korma before we can get spicy.
My LET’S F*CKING HAVE IT FC view is a bit different. I think we can scalp Spurs in their own backyard and put pressure on Ange ‘Mate, I’m just a massive winner, can’t you see that?’ Postecoglou. There are clear weaknesses in their tactical setup; Ange is only capable of playing one way, and I think Arteta has the players to get the better of them.
Our weakness is that we’re lacking creativity at the very highest level, we’re missing the monster that is Declan Rice, and we’re all a little bit unsure how Mikel is going to shift his squad around to cope with the challenges.
The obvious move, to someone who isn’t very tactical, is that Gabriel Jesus starts up front, Kai drops in behind, and we go with a double pivot of Jorginho and Thomas Partey. Spurs won’t sit back, mostly because they’re not capable of that, and secondly, because they’re at home and their fans won’t accept that sort of game against a rival they know is better than them.
Arteta said at the start of last season that he wanted to build a squad capable of playing against any opponent. This opponent needs to have our metaphorical head on a pike when the final whistle blows. Arteta knows that, so he might play into it, deducing that we have an incredible defence and players who can sit back and spring traps by catching possession-loving Spurs in transition.
I’m also quite tempted by the idea of Calafiori maybe slotting into the defence as part of a back three – we now have the advantage of a defender who is an unknown quantity and can carry the ball through midfield if he fancies it. That would cause Spurs all sorts of problems if the Italian can come in at the level we’ve seen him play at for Italy over the past few months.
Arteta has options. High-quality options. These are the sort of games where the investment in world-class coaching tends to pay off.
We can’t underestimate Spurs. Their manager is a lunatic. He believes in football as an art, in the same way Wenger did. He’s there for the spectacle, which is why there’s a limit to where he can take Spurs. You can’t be that guy in the Premier League these days. But… that does mean that Spurs can murder any team on their day. The big question for me this season is that all the analysts have had a year to sit with Angeball... and I think they might have sussed him out. You don’t get away with being one-dimensional in this league.
As always, the first 20 minutes are going to be key in a big away game. We don’t need to savage them. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks. There will be chances because they are always open. Despite their defensive shitness, the afternoon will be in fine margins. When we get the chances, do we take them? We didn’t do that in the Brighton game, and it cost us when calamity struck in the second half. If we have a good phase in this game, can we do what City would (maybe not to Spurs)? Are we going to start the season in average form in front of goal - or can we summon the type of form we showed in the second half of last season? To win the league, it has to be continuity from May.
I’ve got the jitters, but what’s new? Hopefully, it’ll be a banger. One thing is for sure, we’ll be there after the game with an On The Whistle Podcast. Sign up on Patreon for a 7-day free trial right now, OR subscribe here if you want to see that and if you like the writing.
Jump into the comments for matchday below. xxx