Morning.
We spoke a bit about Kieran Tierney on the Arsecast Additional this week, after he made what will probably be his closing house look within the 1-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday. Mikel Arteta is just not often a person who makes choices primarily based on sentiment, however each Tierney and Jorginho – who may also go away this summer season – got a number of closing minutes on house turf earlier than their summer season departures.
There was a second after he got here on when Gabriel Martinelli was despatched scampering into their half, and Tierney charged by way of to assist him. I might see it in my thoughts’s eye, the ball throughout, and on his proper foot, the Scottish worldwide saying goodbye to the Arsenal followers with one final aim. Sadly, the motion was good, he was in the appropriate place, however Martinelli couldn’t fairly ship the cross.
He might nicely nonetheless be concerned on Sunday after we face Southampton, however that was the final probability to do it at house. His return to Celtic is all organized, he’ll be going house to a membership he loves, and I believe he’ll achieve this with real affection and no small tinge of remorse amongst Arsenal followers about how his time at this membership performed out.
When he arrived on deadline day in August 2019 (which was in early August as a result of they’d modified it so all the things needed to be executed earlier than the season began), I wrote of his arrival:
He’s a 22 12 months outdated left again who, all going nicely, will probably be our mainstay in that place for years to come back. He’s fast, sturdy, defends nicely, assaults nicely, and makes us higher in a key space of the pitch. There’s loads to love about this type of signing, one other one which is a part of reducing the common age and our rebuilding for the long run.
It had been a deal that was on the playing cards all summer season lengthy, so maybe we must always have seen some warning indicators in regards to the choice makers on the time that it didn’t occur till the final minute, however finally it was a stable signing on paper. Nacho Monreal wasn’t getting any youthful, and Sead Kolasinac wasn’t in any respect suited to left-back. With hindsight the choice to let Monreal go away for Actual Sociedad a few weeks later wasn’t an amazing one, however Tierney was a nod to the long run.
There was an instantaneous rapport between him and the followers. The dearth of frills was endearing, a participant carrying his boots in a Tesco buying bag was one thing the ‘widespread man’ might hook up with, somewhat than the grotesque £6,000 backpack favoured by darts loving, carvery-dominating gadflies like James Maddison. However past that you would see instantly Tierney was an actual skilled. His angle and dedication have been simply as straightforward to hook up with, significantly at a time after we had too many gamers on the membership whose major focus was themselves somewhat than the staff.
Though he was signed as a left-back, it’s straightforward to overlook he performed rather a lot because the left-sided centre-half in a again three, together with the 2020 FA Cup closing wherein we beat Chelsea. He had David Luiz one facet of him, a midfielder in Ainsley Maitland-Niles the opposite as his wing-back. That FA Cup win was a collective effort, with a smattering of particular person brilliance (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe specifically that day), however the penalty we gained to attract stage got here from a Tierney ball excessive which led to Cesar Azpilicueta making a foul and, I believe, getting injured within the course of.
Talking of injured, the unlucky through-line for Tierney’s time at Arsenal has been the accidents. He arrived that August however didn’t make his debut till September, after which after bedding in picked up a severe shoulder damage, dislocating it 3 times in a single recreationand that meant surgical procedure in December. Ordinarily that will have been a 3 month absence, however the occasions in early 2020 after we have been confronted with a world pandemic meant he didn’t play once more till June when soccer began once more.
6 months out of the sport. And afterwards, his time was blighted by issues that got here with a frequency that meant it turned troublesome to depend on his availability. You possibly can at all times depend on him to present you 100% when he was match, however that uncertainty performed an element in how his Arsenal profession performed out.
Kieran Tierney damage historical past
Personally, I can’t join with the anger individuals really feel in direction of gamers who get injured. It can’t be a private affront to you that an individual is topic to the human situation and the inherent frailties of the physique. I can take situation if, for instance, a participant is unavailable as a result of their life-style, an absence of professionalism, or simply plain stupidity is the foundation trigger, however when you recognize there’s somebody who simply needs to get on the pitch and do their greatest for Arsenal however they’ll’t, nicely … I’ve sympathy for that.
The opposite factor to contemplate is that we speak loads about match health, rhythm, kind, and the way you want these issues to carry out at your greatest. For those who’re at all times enjoying catch-up with the previous it turns into very exhausting to ship what you’re able to as a participant. In some methods it prevents additional growth as you become old and extra skilled, and picture how irritating it have to be to undergo that point and time once more. You suppose you’re there, after which bang, one other damage. Don’t come at me with the footballers wages nonsense right here both. Sure, they’re nicely paid, however when all you wish to do is play and you’ll’t – regardless of your greatest efforts – it’s powerful going for them.
There’s additionally the tactical facet of how the staff has developed beneath Mikel Arteta and whereas each participant has their strengths and weaknesses, it turned obvious that Tierney wasn’t actually suited to that ‘inverted’ position the supervisor carried out. There’s no disgrace in that, by the best way. It’s a troublesome job to marshal your defensive space, after which function in midfield the place you must be a bit extra ‘two-way’. Defenders play, for probably the most half, with the sport in entrance of them, midfield is far more difficult.
The large damage he suffered enjoying for Scotland on the Euros final summer season in all probability prolonged his spell at Arsenal by a 12 months. Every time he’s been known as upon this season, he’s delivered the sort of trustworthy performances we all know he’s able to, and the actual fact he was used greater than as soon as as a part of a front-three (even late in video games) was an illustration of how this squad was impacted by damage and lack of ahead choices this season.
I’d like to see a closing look from him on Sunday, whether or not he scores a aim or not, and when the time comes for his official departure and a return ‘house’, he’ll go along with affection and appreciation. Not essentially for what we acquired, however for what we unquestionably knew he needed to present.
Thanks KT.
