We've been in free fall, not only this season but since February and the club is danager of putting itself several years back. It might be a while before we're challenging for the top 4 It's unlikely Wenger will leave through force or choice so what are the short term solutions (knowing we can't add any players). #1 - Sign a defensive coach!! There's nothing stopping us adding to the back room staff. Our defence has been a problem for too many years to be left in the hands of someone as inept as Wenger and Pat Rice. It's like they bleed all the defensive qualities from the previous management completely out of the club #2 - Change the formation!! We look horribly exposed in the 4-3-3 and don't even look that great going forward. I'd go for the old school 5-3-2. Santos and Sagna as wing backs and 3 CB's might help? Plus reverting back to 2 up front as RVP looks uncomfortable as the lone forward right now #3- Start playing Miyachi & Chamberlain!! They seem real quality and Arshavin and other more senior players need to have their position put under more pressure. We're in relegation form right now with no end in sight! You'd argue we were only 2 players off out first choice 11 today (Vermaelen and Wilshere)...scary!!!
Wenger is poor tactically - I am at a loss as how he cannot see our flaws and fix them. The cornerstone, the foundation of any team difficult to beat is a strong defence but we haven't had one since 2005 !! WEnger needs to make it difficult to beat us and difficult to break down, we are too easy to break through. Wenger has gone 4-3-3 because it works for Barcelona but we are not Barcelona. The clever money in the EPL is with 4-5-1. To play 4-5-1 you need a strong striker who can hold the ball up, RVP is not that player, he is too lightweight. The second problem we have is players are not good enough. Koscielny is better suited to European football, he is a clumsy oaf in the EPL and not strong enough - the same goes for Djourou. We need a strong English CB who knows the English game and has pace and power. I can't believe I am saying this but maybe Cahill would've been the answer alongside Mertesacker - considering TV hadn't played last season - it was wishful thinking to think he would be injury free this season. In midfield Song is slow and technically poor and it is saying something when many Gooners actually rate the guy, my how standards have dropped. As much as I like Frimpong I don't think he is tall enough, I've always liked the fact we had 6ft+ CMs back in the Vieira days, but, going with what we have I'd like to see both Song and Frimpong holding because neither have the character or tools to completely boss midfield, so, like Man U and Barcelona, we need bodies in midfield, safety in numbers. This leaves us one creative midfielder down, the spot would go to Wilshere but Arteta gets the nod seeing as Wilshere is injured. I'd lay Gervinho and RVP with one other. If I was to play Walcott I'd have to play him as a striker, none of this winger business. The only way we can tighten up is by flooding midfield, this has been a problem area for us for years, far too easy for teams to waltz through. We also need to take advantage of the counter attack that we used to employ so well when Henry was here, we need to get the ball from back to front far quicker and stop this tippy tappy bollox ! You would never bet on us winning 1-0 or holiding on to a 1 goal lead and this is our actual problem, we are too easy to score against. This should be our number 1 priority to fix.
The answers to our problems are fairly obvious as mentioned above. The problem is that Wenger is not going to solve them as it seems to be against his principles to improve the defense. He needs to be moved upstairs and a new coach/manager has to be brought in to enact the required change of tactics now and then to bring in one or two quality, PL experienced, defensive players in January. Otherwise we are sunk.
I agree with what's been said especially 1. Defence and Tactics which includes strategy 2. Formation with Walcott as a striker and RvP and Gers in a free role. Gers needs to know when to pass and when to shoot as well. 3. If we have Miyaichi, Park and Chamberlain then play them. However do not overload the younger ones or they'll end up with broken limbs before their time. Will Arsene change his thinking? I find it strange that an obviously intelligent man like him hasn't. That he can be extremely stubborn or put it mildly, too focused on his own gameplan is all too evident. The difficulties over the summer may not all be his doing. I think the board may be to blame for some of it, especially on the negotiations BUT when the team is in freefall, the only one who can change that is the manager who must instill new direction and belief into the team.
Therin lies the problem, we rarely seem to have a 'gameplan' these days. More often it seems as if he just allows the team to go out and 'play it as they will'. They never seem to take the obvious specific threats of the opposition into account, it seems to come as a surprise to them when for example Stoke take long throw-ins or Blackburn play the long ball game. It is clear Wenger has no answers any more.
