The Olympiakos game underlined why this system is doomed to failure for our current squad. The middle 3 players all get in each others way, do not stretch the play and consequently attacks get broken up as the plays become too tight and intricate and the forward is all alone. The ball was then coming straight back at us with no option to break out. Reverting to 4-4-2 is the way to go I believe with wilshire and song doing the flamini-fabregas thing, oxo on the right, gervinho on the left. It doesn't matter if they can't tackle but it presents an extra defensive body and attacking runs can be far more effective from deep than off the full backs shoulder. Can collect the ball in comfort, turn and run at him rather than fighting and losing to get the ball in the 1st place. Then rvp and theo up top. Wenger even said in the program notes that rvp is a better 2nd striker than target man, so let him do it and give Theo free reign to terrorise the epl. But I don't think wenger will. His main criticism from me is his stubbornness, but I bet the next boss will do this and succeed. Sometimes it's easier to see things from outside. Wenger is blinkered by performances in training and what he believes! I believe play ayers in their correct positions and reap the rewards.
Alternatively, a 433 allows you to dominate the midfield as you have more players there whilst the wingers perform the role of stretching play. Moreover, having the wingers so high up the field can scare the full backs in to not attacking so that the full backs only have the opposing wingers to worry about.
I'd prefer to see us play 4-4-2 I just think we get overrun in MF sometimes as our fullbacks like to attack. We end up with 7-8 players in and around the box and when it breaks we're horribly exposed. I'd like to see Song, Frimpong, Wilshere and Walcott in MF with RVP and Gervinho up front.
" The Olympiakos game underlined why this system is doomed to failure for our current squad. The middle 3 players all get in each others way, do not stretch the play and consequently attacks get broken up as the plays become too tight and intricate and the forward is all alone." The defensive mid stays back and offers an outlet between the midfield and the defenders both with the ball and without the ball The other 2 midfielders control the midfield which is the same as a 4-4-2 (2 midfielders) Then the wide 2 of the forward 3, operate as wingers dropping back to make 4 attackers in the midfield and 5 at the back basically we have 5-4-1 when fully defending then when fully attacking the 2 fullbacks go up to create 4 in the middle with 3 up front so we end up in a kind of 2-1-4-3 Although we play 4-2-3-1
Szczesny Sagna Mertesacker Koscielny Gibbs Walcott Song Ramsay Arteta van Persie Gervinho 4 4 2, could reduce Spurs space,
Wenger hates 3 CB formations even more than he hates buying players older than 25. Although Sagna has improved the attacking side of his game i'm not sure he is accomplished enough yet to be an excellent wing back, bring back Eboue I say!
How Arsenal would look with 5 defenders: Szczesny Mertesacker Vermaelen Koscienly Sagna Santos Song Arteta Ramsey Van Persie That side looks pretty decent. Santos would be an excellent wing back, as for Sagna I'm not sure but I think he'd do a decent job.
People need to get a grip the 442 is an antiquated system. 1.Last team to win the league with a 4-4-2? Us in 2003-2004 (which was more of a 4-4-1-1 anyway)the last team to win it with a traditional 4-4-2 was United in 1998-99. 2. Last team to win the European Cup with a 4-4-2? Real Madrid in 2001-2002. 3. Last team to win a World Cup with a 4-4-2. Brazil in 1994. Just saying. Also last Season we did'nt play a 433 (except against United and against Newcastle) for most of the year we played a 4231. A few points: 1. A 4-2-2 is not more attacking than a 4-3-3. It's a myth, mainly because the English press generally cant tell the difference between a 451 and a 433. 2. A 4-3-3 does not have traditional 'wingers' but should contain three forwards - they are not part of the midfield. (much like Barcelona who play Messi/Villa out wide) It's a much more attacking system than say a 4-5-1, something the English football press get consistantly confused about. 3. Nearly all of the better domestic and international sides have now adopted either a 4-3-3 or various four-banded formations (4-1-2-3 etc.) that allow a certain extent of fluidity within it’s constraints, thus facilitating a much more open and expressive style of football. Yup.
Our formation would be fine if people actually stuck to their feckin' roles! If I see one more defensive midfielder in the opposing six yard box and lazily jogging back whilst the opposition break I'll scream. Same goes for fullbacks who think they're forwards and centre backs who think they're midfielders. Our positional play is, frankly, appalling.
