Shooting camp for Arsenal (Positives Needs & Hopes) [NAP 0-1 ARS]

Shooting camp for Arsenal

An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective

I know that every game is different.

Watch Arsenal score four at Sunderland with some of the best and most accurate shooting you’ve seen in a while.

Players don’t forget how to shoot overnight.

Without knowing exactly what happens at training I have often wondered how elite coaches attempt to replicate the adrenaline and pressure that a player feels when they shoot.

I’m aware that what is posted on social media isn’t all of it. Clubs can’t reveal what they are doing not just because they don’t want opponents to see what they are preparing, but also they don’t want to give what might be unique drill ideas to the world.

I’ve always had a suspicion that although getting many reps on shooting under no pressure, or just a little, has great importance, but shooting in an actual game at any level is so very different.

You’ve got adrenaline, expectation, more competitive environment, significantly less space and time, normally at least one, if not 6 defenders trying to block it etc….

When I coach shooting, I do both.

Lots of reps to remind the mind of the correct technique. A short swing, or as I tell the boys, don’t let the keeper see what colour the soles of your boots are. Then we spend at least a third of the time challenging them by asking them to replicate the same technique and accuracy whilst the heart is beating quicker under pressure.

It’s not an Arsenal problem. Every team at every level has days where their shooting is off. I’ve always wondered if there is a way to make these days further apart.

I’ve always tried to have rewards or punishments for hitting the target or being off target. I think at the highest level the biggest problem by far is hitting the ball over the crossbar. It seems like around 60% of all shots hit somebody in the crowd.

What I’m doing with youngsters isn’t necessarily possible to replicate at the elite level, but I’ve always thought that every single training session should either have shooting practice at the end or those players that get to shoot in games have functional training by themselves to get hundreds of reps.

Not only was Arsenal’s shooting wild, but there were some really odd misses. Players using the wrong technique at the wrong time and essentially snatching at chances or trying to hit the ball too hard.

For what it’s worth, when a footballer gets to the age of 12 or 13 they are now capable of hitting it over the crossbar. They have sufficient power to score any kind of goal and it now becomes about controlling that power.

When I was coaching at the high school level, we found ourselves in this position where we were dominating most games, but our finishing was letting us down. The next season our emphasis was on the word ‘enough.’ When it’s time to shoot or finish, the players had to give consideration to what was ‘enough’ power because most were using all of the power that they possess and losing control of their body.

For those golfers out there, this thought process works well, especially when teeing off.

That’s always been my best thought regarding shooting and finishing. Elite players have more power than the rest of us and so in most cases if they use 50–60% of this power and focus more on accuracy then they would score significantly more goals.

Thankfully, Martin Odegaard was the exception and he hit a technically perfect short swing shot with a little less power and perfect accuracy.

I didn’t think it was going to be our day because the disease had spread around the entire team, but Odegaard is in fantastic form and most importantly, has found his composure and confidence in front of goal.

POSITIVES:

Odegaard:

I felt bad for him before we scored. He was the middle of everything. The conductor was back. He was creating everything that was good.

Saka:

Just wanted to mention that I saw him winning a couple of headers that he doesn’t normally try for. Especially because of what I said the other day. An improvement. Let’s not talk about his finishing though :/

Clean sheets:

Including the Community Shield that is four clean sheets in five games. Tonight was largely an off night, but this kind of ability to keep a clean sheet will allow us to have an off night and still win.

Hincapie:

He wasn’t super busy, but he was so incredibly on it. His  positioning was perfect and his ability to stay calm on transition and find an outlet pass rather than clearing was very evident.

NEEDS:

Gyokeres:

He made the game too physical tonight. Whenever we were in a clear crossing position, he was stapled to a defender and didn’t seem to have the savvy or movement to pull himself away and get open. A little concerning.

Watching him in these situations is odd for me. For a player who has banged so many goals in his career, he doesn’t seem to be able to shake his marker in a deep block scenario.

Eze:

He’s obviously going to play, but he should be concerned as to whether he is going to play because the coach needs Tzolis to rest or whether he’s going to play because he’s the best option.

He wasn’t bad, but he didn’t seem to be playing with a determination to grab that left wing jersey. He was a little too narrow in the first half and gave himself very little room. I think I speak for everybody when I say that we just want to see a more motivated player.

Rice:

I don’t know if Bruno couldn’t start  because of fitness and coming back from injury, but Zubimendi could have.

It just makes me a little nervous to see him starting a game where I didn’t feel he was necessary.

I figured that Arteta was going to do it and not rotate heavily because he never does. And I know that he wanted to start strong in the Champions League. I just don’t think that it’s worth the risk with Rice when your back ups are two players who are also world class or very close to it.

HOPES:

Barrios:

I wasn’t very aware of Pablo Barrios at Atletico Madrid until last season. There was a podcast talking about how they would’ve done much better against us if he was playing. I’ve been watching him recently and I doubt he’s going to be there much longer. Somebody is gonna pay 100 million or more for him. He makes that team tick and is the closest thing I’ve seen to Declan Rice in Europe.

Camera and McQueen:

They sound like a cop show.

A couple of players to keep an eye on. Both are wingers and both have a very high ceiling. Suleiman Camera plays for Slovan Bratislava. He scored their only goal against PSG yesterday. You might have seen it.

His goal sums up his ability. Extremely quick and skillful and he’s finished with perfection.

Ryan Kavuma McQueen is one of many Chelsea players out on loan. He’s at Portsmouth and much like Camera, he is a big talent.

Finneran:

Rorri Finneran will likely get to play at Newcastle. He is currently on loan at Notts County but with Newcastle rebuilding I would imagine that in around a year or so he will get an opportunity. A wonderfully talented Irishman with the most Irish name and all around game.

TWEETS and THOUGHTS:

I didn’t realize our XG was this good/bad. Definitely shooting camp time.

Barcelona in big financial trouble again. Look out for Arsenal potentially taking advantage of this in January. Raphinha, please.

Highlights what a great game he had.

Part of this is us not using him the way he needs to be used, but most of it is down to his movement in and around the 6 yard box.

We can all think of somebody that we’d love to share this information with.

So I’m not blind.

I wonder if this was a deliberate charm offensive because Arteta would love to have him as a rotational option.

Elite.

I wonder how much emphasis Arteta puts on keeping this number below 0.3, for example?

FINAL THOUGHT:

The game this weekend against Sunderland was a bit of a mess last season. A win would speak to what Martin Odegaard said after the game,” I think we are at another level now.”

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