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George Graham knows a thing or two about winning at Arsenal and he’s become the latest to add comment on the current set-piece debate.
Arsenal’s dominance from set-plays has been talked about all season but ultimately, it’s helped the Gunners to be top of the table.
Back in his day, Graham oversaw a very tough and resolute Arsenal side and he believes that right now, Arsenal are simply the best at what everyone else is trying to do.
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Credit: Getty Images/ Marc Atkins George Graham’s verdict on Arsenal’s set-pieces
Anyone who watched Arsenal under Graham will remember the ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ chants well. He was all about winning and that’s what Arsenal are doing right now.
However, while Graham believes Arsenal are doing little wrong, he has suggested football in general is on a dangerous road.
“Okay, they’re the best at it,” Graham commented for the Daily Mail.
“‘But they’re not alone. And if others are getting away with it, what are they supposed to do?’
“The bear-hugging, wrestling opponents to the ground, pushing and shoving and blocking players off the ball, wrenching arms almost out of their sockets, the non-stop shirt-pulling, the elbowing, the head-banging, the clambering onto rivals’ shoulders.
Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
“It’s not only in the box but all over the pitch now,’ he points out. If they’re not fouls, what are? But few are given. Rarely blown up. Even when there is dangerous mugging of goalkeepers. Who I also feel sorry for.
“The referees are always under pressure to keep the game flowing. So they only penalise a few of the worst offences. Otherwise there would be free-kick after free-kick, penalties galore and a procession of more players being sent off for repeat offences than would be left on the pitch to finish matches. None of us want to watch that.
“Our game is being dragged down a steep decline. Do the fans want to watch this? Don’t think so.”
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Graham makes a good point here about the wrestling and jostling going on in current matches.
The only way it will stop is if referees start giving penalties and free-kicks consistently and that way, players will simply have to stop doing it.
However, it’s not going to happen and over the summer, there could be an influx of set-piece coaches brought into clubs as teams try to follow what Arsenal have done.
For years, it wasn’t fashionable as teams like Stoke, Everton and Bolton have all reverted to this sort of football. However, now a team is looking like winning the biggest prize, others may take note.
Going into next season, we might end up in a position where we see even more of this fighting from set-plays and ultimately, it might come down to who has the biggest players.
Football often follows trends – as we saw with Mourinho’s Chelsea and Pep’s Man City – and this could just be the latest tactic that’s adopted by the masses.
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