Arsenal make important coaching staff appointment

Arsenal are primed for vast changes to the playing squad this summer transfer window but an important step has been taken in regards to the training staff following the departure of Andreas Georgson.

Looking back on a miserable season for Arsenal, where it all went wrong would involve multiple fingers pointing in various directions. Yet, the biggest finger of all was directed at the number of goals scored in the Premier League.

Trying to amend that by bringing in additional ball progression from deep with the acquisition of Ben White, and searching far and wide for midfield reinforcements with options aplenty, the creative issue was the starkest of all.

The lack of goals from the forward line was worrying, not least from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but centre-forward looks, for now, to remain untouched with only departures mooted.

Arsenal make important coaching staff appointment with Andrea Georgson leaving and Manchester City’s Nicolas Jover joining as a set piece specialist

But goals are scored from all angles.

Arriving from Brentford, Andreas Georgson became assistant first-team coach and was tasked with being Arsenal’s set piece specialist. There are two sides to that job and, for half of it, he did magnificently. No team conceded fewer goals from set pieces than Arsenal (5) in the top-flight last season. The season before Arsenal let in 15. A tremendous improvement.

In 2019/20 the Gunners also scored from 12. Last season that figure was six.

Only Fulham and Sheffield United netted fewer and two of those Arsenal scored were direct free-kicks. The attacking set plays last term were painful viewing.

Of course, not all of that is on Georgson as it does help having someone who can beat the first man, but for all the shoring up he did at the back the opposite side of the spectrum suffered hugely. Enhanced solidity in defending corners and free-kicks came at the cost of any output at the other end.

As per Charles Watts, he has now left Arsenal to join Malmö FF, the team he spent most of his coaching career at in a variety of roles, including Under-21 boss prior to his move to Brentford.

His replacement comes in the form of someone Mikel Arteta wanted to bring to Arsenal shortly after his initial appointment, Manchester City’s Nicolas Jover.

He arrives a set piece specialist, which apart from being a cool title is something Arsenal did significant fine-tuning on for the coming campaign. Looking back on the torrid October/November/December run where Arteta oversaw one win in ten matches, seven of those games were either drawn or decided by a single goal.

It may not be the glamorous way to score, but it’s a weapon Arsenal kept in their sheath for most of the season. Especially amid poor performances where games are won or lost on fine margins – for most of last season Arsenal were reliant fine margins – any other means of scoring has to be fullt exploited – and they weren’t.

Even if Jover, who is highly rated, only makes a minor improvement on the set pieces then it’s worthwhile. It might also help if Nicolas Pepe and Willian work a few extra corner drills in training, but this is an important step.