Match Day Thread Borussia Dortmund vs. Arsenal Official Match Thread

Doubt he will play Ozil middle today after Wilshere's performance, if Ozil isn't playing central today, then I wouldn't even start him and just rest him, and put Santi out wide on the left instead.

 

Drop Ramsey, Wilshere and Ozil central

Won't happen though

 

Am I the only one here who likes Ramsey in the starting 11? How times have changed.

Ramsey is a name that automatically goes to the starting 11 no matter what.

 

Last season AW had Ozil CAM with Wilshere AML quite a few times (when Ramsay and Arteta were CM). Worked well. Wilshere was AML when he scored that wonder goal against Norwich (if I remember correctly).

 

Well one of Ramsey, Ozil, Wilshere needs to be dropped and Wilshere's form is the best of the 3 at the moment

 

None need to be dropped if Wilshere plays AML. Ozil is a better player in general than Wilshere and it's more important to have him playing in his best position than JW.

-----------Arteta------------Ramsay------------

Sanchez-------------Ozil---------------Wilshere

OR

-----------Arteta------------Wilshere-----------

Sanchez-------------Ramsay---------------Ozil

 

Isnt it better to put a player on confidence on the left because he will do well anyway and then put back Ozil where he can gain confidence again.

That, or bench Ozil.

 

Rest Wilshere and play Ozil and Ramsey in the middle. Please no Ozil on the wing! Also OXO, Sanchez and Welbeck start up front. One good game for Wilshere can't displace a central partnership of Ozil and Ramsey.

 

Arseblog posted a heatmap of Ozil during the last couple games.
Even though the formation says he starts on the left he really ends up playing more central anyway.

 

But that congests the middle and leaves the left bare and unprotected. We don't need wilshere, ramsay, ozil AND arteta playing centrally with no one on the left. It's imbalanced. Oxo needs to be on the left (or Sanchez with Oxo on the right).

 

My impression was that Ozil, Wilshere and Sanchez tended to share defense on that left side, when they play together. Ozil wasn't on the left all the time, but it wasn't "bare and unprotected". As long as they communicate, it shouldn't be a problem. I don't think the team sheet has positions on it, and if it does I shouldn't think the managers care much about it. It's whoever televises the game that put the players in the formation they think fits, and quite frankly I am not sure they have much of a clue.

 

Ozils stats for the last 4 games


Ozils heat map


Source: http://www.squawka.com/teams/arsena...season-2014/2015#126#all-matches#1-4#by-match

 

and here is ozils heat map against leicester....he is all over the pitch:

 

Didn't Wenger state in an interview that he gives Ozil a free role to roam anyways? He drifts into the middle from the left. Hell all our LWs in recent times barring Oxo and sometimes Podolski did that.

 

I imagine Wenger encourages most players (except Walcott, Arteta, Podolski and Oxo) to roam like that - I remember him saying that he encouraged Song to charge forward from DM at a time when our other players were being stifled and we didn't have the pace to get through the opposition - during that time it meant that there was an extra option who wasn't marked, suddenly breaking through the lines.

Now I imagine it means Wilshere, Ramsey, Cazorla and Ozil are interchangeable and much harder to mark - though of course it means more congestion in the middle. Still when it comes off it means great interplay and goals like the Norwich (Wilshere) one last season

 

Avg defensive actions: 1

Let's hope he does a lot better than he did against Bayern or Flamini might do more than just shout at him this time.

 

Regardless of heat maps etc... What he needs is runners/options to the left, to the right and in front. And he doesn't have all three right now.

 

According to ITK, Arsenal's 3rd choice GK Damian Martinez, Hector Bellerin is set to start. Big moment in his career

 

Your wording isn't 100% clear. Are you saying that both Martinez and Bellerin are starting? Or are you saying that Martinez IS the ITK and that he's said that Bellerin will start??

 

Martinez is the ITK. He posted on his Twitter good luck to Bellerin on starting tonight.