Mikel Arteta: Bourne Of Frustration

[DUFFMAN]

Other teams will just practice and copy what we do at corners in the near future.

We’re making hay while the sun shines.

 

[Bagels]

I think we physically just strong nothing to do with other sport also when you got deadly delivery like Saka and rice it's just make the opposition worry

Dunno, I don’t see other teams approaching set pieces the way we do, beyond our size and delivery. Jover is definitely working wonders here, imo.

 

[gunner1]

We are definitely jover-performing when it comes to corner kicks.

 

[Tourbillion]

He must feel Jovial this morning.

No?

 

[db10_therza]

Saint Nicholas came early this year…

 

[Deleted member x1214]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5970917/2024/12/05/nicolas-jover-arsenal-set-pieces/

Spoiler: Nicolas Jover’s Arsenal stats are off the chart – so how much is he worth?

View attachment 29927


By James McNicholas
1h ago

How much is set-piece coach Nico Jover worth to Arsenal?

He may be about to find out. Arsenal are in the final stages of extending the contracts of Mikel Arteta’s backroom staff. Jover and his colleagues are expected to join the manager in receiving extensions until 2027, along with a significant pay rise. Based on this 2-0 win over Manchester United, it will be richly deserved.


Arsenal’s two goals on Wednesday mean they have now scored 22 times from corners since the start of last season — more than any other Premier League team across that period. Ten of those goals have opened the scoring. So often, set pieces are what allow Arsenal to break the game open.

How do you begin to quantify Jover’s contribution? If a player had contributed directly to that many crucial goals, what would their market value be? Even with a healthy pay bump, Jover could be considered cheap at the price.

When Arsenal signed Petr Cech from Chelsea in 2015, John Terry said the goalkeeper would win them “12 to 15 points a season”. How many points might Jover win them?




Of course, the success at set pieces is not down to just one man. It was Arteta who brought Jover to Manchester City and then Arsenal, giving him the platform to showcase his abilities, and the trust required to carry out his work.

The players have had to buy in too. Practising set pieces is not always top of every footballer’s wishlist. Arsenal run their drills several times a week — Jover has had to find ways to ensure the players remain engaged and invested. That job gets easier when the work produces such tangible results.

But it is not just Jover’s coordination of Arsenal’s movement in the box that gives them such a threatening presence on set pieces — it is also the calibre of the delivery.

Against United, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka swung corner after corner — 13 in total — right on top of a beleaguered Andre Onana.

Reflecting on his delivery, Rice told Arsenal’s official website: “There were a couple tonight that were really good. Every time I was going to take the corner, I knew it was going to be a good ball. In my head I was just thinking about putting it in the same spot and with repetition you end up scoring goals.”


Arsenal have also recruited for this. It is no coincidence the squad is packed with giants like Gabriel, William Saliba, Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino. The fact Arsenal can allow the tall figure of Rice to take corners, or alternatively linger on the edge of the box, tells you something about the wealth of aerial power at their disposal.

They needed those game-breaking dead balls against United. Although the pre-match atmosphere had crackled in anticipation of the Emirates Stadium’s 500th competitive men’s game, the first half was largely underwhelming. The two chances Arsenal did create — missed by Thomas Partey and Gabriel Martinelli — came, of course, from corners.

Arteta admitted to “tweaking a few things” in the second half, and the improvement was obvious. When the breakthrough came, it was Jurrien Timber rising at the near post to flick the ball into the net, with shades of Steve Bould in George Graham’s heyday.

Jurrien Timber gives Arsenal the lead (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

The goal topped off an excellent performance from the Dutch defender, who shone at right-back before switching over to the left to help shut down substitute Amad. Timber had been getting closer to breaking his Arsenal duck in recent weeks. He had a goal disallowed against Nottingham Forest, and was denied by a brilliant Lukasz Fabianski save against West Ham United — both from set pieces. This time, there was nothing Onana could do.

Then it was Saliba’s turn. In the absence of his defensive partner Gabriel, the Frenchman produced a superb display. Without his more senior defensive partner, he seemed to take on a leadership role. The goal was just reward for his performance — even if the manner in which the ball ricocheted off him was somewhat fortuitous.

Arsenal’s prowess at dead-ball situations is evident, but Arteta emphasised that their game is about more than that. “Last year we scored the most goals in the history of this football club,” he said. “Not because of only set pieces, because of a lot of things that we have. We want to create individual and magic moments. A lot of players can create their own goals. We can create goals from short counters and long counters, slow build-ups, restarts and the opportunity to open up the opposition. Every single phase of play let’s maximise it, keep working on it, keep improving.”


Jover knows however that he is valued at Arsenal — by Arteta especially. After the manager signed his deal in September, the club set about negotiating renewals with his support staff. The resignation of sporting director Edu has not derailed those talks — the baton was picked up by managing director Richard Garlick, and the club are now confident of finalising agreements with the likes of Jover, Carlos Cuesta, Miguel Molina and Albert Stuivenberg.

Arsenal’s win takes them seven points behind leaders Liverpool. Perhaps even more importantly, it continues the sense of positive momentum that has built up since the team returned from international duty.

As for the set pieces, Arsenal will continue to innovate. In order to stay ahead of opposition analysts, Jover makes tweaks as the season goes on — but always based on the same fundamental principles.

Those do not need to change. As Wednesday demonstrated, they are working brilliantly.

Kinda nothing article about Jover, there is a better older one out there that I will post if i find it.

 

[Synical]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1864431118167974192

I love this stat!

 

[Deleted member 98559]

Can't take him seriously anymore when he is still starting Martinelli. Set pieces coach doing more good work than the rest of his coaching team combined

 

[SA Gunner]

Amorim looks a coach people, I know you wont listen to what I say because I big coaches up, but this guy has got that hardness to his teams that make playing them difficult.

Just look at the amount of coaches in the league now...

Pep, Arteta, Slot, Maresca, Emery, Hurzeler, Amorim, Iraola, Frank, Silva, Postecoglou, Nuno.

Ridiculous quality there.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Other teams will just practice and copy what we do at corners in the near future.

We’re making hay while the sun shines.

Ahh why we not think about that before my man?

Defend like Mourinho Chelsea.
Keep the ball like prime Barcelona.
Press like Liverpool Klopp.

If we copy those we can become even mpre deadly!

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

We outplayed every opposition since coming back from the break even against Chelsea where Ødegaard back we played well specially 2nd half against team who are proven to be really good side

This set piece excuse some fans use need to stop it's a weapon that help us to score

 

[db10_therza]

Just look at the amount of coaches in the league now...

I’m gonna go out on a limb for this one. Are there 20 coaches in the league? Did I get it?

 

[SA Gunner]

I’m gonna go out on a limb for this one. Are there 20 coaches in the league? Did I get it?

Good coaches I meant

Its going to be a battle this season, for all of us.

 

[Deleted member x1214]

Amorim looks a coach people, I know you wont listen to what I say because I big coaches up, but this guy has got that hardness to his teams that make playing them difficult.

Just look at the amount of coaches in the league now...

Pep, Arteta, Slot, Maresca, Emery, Hurzeler, Amorim, Iraola, Frank, Silva, Postecoglou, Nuno.

Ridiculous quality there.

I felt he got his approach almost right he just had no answer for the set pieces.

Didn’t brief his players properly to think twice about giving up corners as well from the looks of things.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

Not to knick Jover, he's obviously worked really hard with the lads in terms of movement and routine from corners.

But you put the ball in the areas that Saka and Rice consistently do, and you've got big strong lads attacking it, you're going to cause carnage no matter what.

 

[Deleted member x1214]

I've read in the Athletic that Arteta does actually speak to American coaches (I'm assuming KSE's other teams) to trade ideas. They spun it like he's advised them, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's picked up things himself.

Multiple quick team talks which is like the time outs they have over there, some of the advanced set piece patterns you alluded to - etc.

I am probably reaching and even if I am, this is one of the most fascinating times I can remember being an Arsenal fan. Our worst and most effective football ever and there is so much discourse around it.

To chime into the discussion I’ve also said something really similar in the past in regards to some of the Americanism in our set up fwiw.

 

[El Duderino]

I felt he got his approach almost right he just had no answer for the set pieces.

I know he just got the job, but I thought it was weird that he made no changes to how they defended from corners.

Clear we were targeting Onana and whipping them in as close to the goal as possible and United kind of just... let us do it?

Amorin looks like a very bread and butter guy, defo has the Arteta/Pep gene for looking 400% miffed at the touchline regardless of how the team is doing.

Could be what ManU need.

 

[El Duderino]

Not to knick Jover, he's obviously worked really hard with the lads in terms of movement and routine from corners.

But you put the ball in the areas that Saka and Rice consistently do, and you've got big strong lads attacking it, you're going to cause carnage no matter what.

Yeah, this is where I'm at right now.

People are talking like it's some groundbreaking routines or something, I can't ****ing stand how every broadcast they are gagging for the guy.

It's just good, high performance training. Not some Friday Night Lights, 4th down, state championship on the line masterclass, ffs.

 

[Deleted member x1214]

I know he just got the job, but I thought it was weird that he made no changes to how they defended from corners.

Clear we were targeting Onana and whipping them in as close to the goal as possible and United kind of just... let us do it?

Amorin looks like a very bread and butter guy, defo has the Arteta/Pep gene for looking 400% miffed at the touchline regardless of how the team is doing.

Could be what ManU need.

I think with Rice’s delivery and the physical guys we have those set pieces are almost indefensible, it’s only a matter of time until everybody follows suit and recruits accordingly.

What really surprised me was how Utd couldn’t tell we sometimes played for corners. They gave them up freely when they could have tried harder for a throw in or something, but they didn’t get it.

 

[MartiSaka]

At this rate We have to Joover what he ask for.

We're city that good at corners when he was there? I really can't remember but here he took it to other level

Hes working with better ingredients for corners at arsenal. So many tall, physical players and Rice/saka are providing excellent delivery. Its probably Jover who is setting the recruitment i.e. why Merino and Havertz are here.