Could this be the answer to sloppy defending? I don't think we've played a back 5 for a VERY long time, but playing 5-4-1 may possibly work. Our full backs go forward a lot anyway, so... -------------------------------------Szczesny------------------------------------- ---------------Mertesacker--------Vermaelen-----------Koscielny---------- ------Sagna-----------------------------------------------------------Santos ---------------------------Wilshere--------------Arteta--------------------------------- --------Walcott---------------------------------------------------------Gervinho------- ---------------------------------------RVP---------------------------------------------- I think we should at least try it for a game just to see if it could work. I think Mertesacker, Vermi and Kosc would combine very well with each other. Maybe Song could be replaced by Ramsey between Theo and Gervinho further up the field. EDIT: No song now, we're not allowed 12 players
But essentially, yes I agree. I'd go for a back 3 of CB's with two wingbacks, a holding DM, an attacking CM and three up top. Santos is much better going forward than he is defending. It would also mean that Song could get forward without leaving the defence open if we were playing a 5-2-3. The wingbacks would have to link up the midfield play, otherwise with just two in there, they could get overrun. I think it's a formation to be used towards the ends of games that we're leading in.
--------------------------Szczesny--------------------------- --------Koscielny--------Mertesacker--------Vermaelen-------- Sagna---------------------------------------------------Gibbs -----------------Arteta-------------Wilshere------------------ Walcott----------------------------------------------Gervinho --------------------------v.Persie---------------------------- I would play this if we go for 5 at the back. Essentially replacing a DM for CB, allowing our full backs to be more attacking. A team with 3 up front the 3 CB's can get the strikers with the full backs staying on the wings to block attacking full backs of the opposition, while against teams with 2 up top we can basically have a sweeper behind the other CB's.
Just get a better defensive coach and sort the back four unit out. Your defenders are decent players, some of them quite good, so there's no reason why your team should be any different to anyone elses to the point where you have to play 3 CB's. The answer to sorting out a sloppy defensive unit is not to just make the defensive unit bigger.
i think we should play 2-2-1-2-1-2, as those three guys on the fa cup itv ads say: -----------------Szczesny-------------------- ----------Koscielny-----Vermaelen------------ --Sagna------------------------------Gibbs-- ------------------Song----------------------- ---------Ramsey--------Arteta--------------- -----------------Arshavin-------------------- ---------Walcott---------v.Persie------------ Essentially a 4312
koshielny would be the far more effective sweeper, TV going forward slightly into a kind of defensive defensive mid, merte staying as a defender and kossy sweeping having said that tho, 3 CBs could make it harder, up against 2 strikers its basically 1 on 1 but with 3 CBs the strikers can get inbetween and confuse the defenders
The biggest thing Arsenal have going for them is the attack. We're lethal when we're on form in the attack. We take away options in the attack, and we're not gonna win games. You can't compromise the best part of our game to try and improve the defense. Our options in defense are limited at best. Our options in attack are stellar. Play to the strengths, and try and make the back four work as best we can.
We take risks in defense so that we score goals. It isn't always just bad play. I think we have opted to play this open type of game against the big teams and have been much more careful against the smaller teams. Our defence wasn't that bad. Quit listening to the hacks.
What happens when you have a defensive team visiting and you have 3 centre backs marking one lone striker? Do Santos and Song push up as wingers? Not sure they're good enough to do that, really.
For what it's worth I agree with Chappaz that defensive coaching is needed to sort the defence out. Our defenders are OK. It's just a case of getting them to do the right thing and to have more of a strategy at the back which still shows up a lot of holes. We're fortunate to have defenders who go forward as well which is useful when needed. If we have a solid defence we can then concentrate on the attack to win games. We just need to keep on winning.
