Interesting post from an Arsenal fan on JA606 re. tactics for Saturday's game: comment by DaStuDogg (U9291) posted 17 hours, 16 minutes ago As an Arsenal fan, this is my main concern. Against any team, I feel our lack of width and pace in the final third stifles us at the moment, but against your 352 (or 532), I fear this will be even more of a hindrance than usual. As you say, the system leaves you vulnerable to doubling up on the full-backs if you can switch play quickly. I also feel that a lot of pace down the flanks could help pin the wing-backs/full-backs deep and stifle the width in your system. Unfortunately, at the moment, we're essentially a team of central midfielders and Giroud in the final third. In the absence of Walcott and Chamberlain, Gnabry is the only player we have who can provide us with the necessary speed, movement, and dribbling to cause problems, which is why I think it's imperative that he starts on Saturday. Even still, that only leaves a threat down one side, which should be relatively easy for Liverpool to nullify. I expect we will line-up something like: -----------Szczesny Sagna-Mertesacker-Koscielny-Gibbs ----------Arteta------Ramsey Gnabry-------Ozil-------Cazorla ---------------Giroud Another concern I have is that without Flamini, not only do we lack the leadership you speak of, but also we lack a bit of mobility in the centre of the park. Ramsey is very athletic, but tends to push forward, which could leave a relatively immobile Arteta isolated....so if Coutinho is fit to start, I could see him getting a lot of space and causing problems.
Here is the original post taken from JA: Will a lack of natural width cost Arsenal? by What a hit son! What a hit. (U18710) 30 October 2013 With the system Rodgers is currently employing, Liverpool have been able to route much of their play through the middle to the strikeforce. The weakness of the formation is that wingbacks can be doubled up on to expose certain frailties in defence. Due to injuries, I think Wenger will stick with his method of using eye of the needle attacks. If Arsenal were at full strength I would play a 4-5-1. With Arsenal as they are now, I think we should keep the current set up. Rodgers should fire up his players so they go in hard to weaken Arsenal's resolve. Without Flamini they are lacking leadership and look defensively weak. We have bigger and stronger players in the middle of the park so they need to impose this superiority to stop Arsenal from clicking. Henderson to start because we will be outnumbered centrally and he'll need to track back while Giroud should be easy to handle. Most of the goals scored against Arsenal have come from fast counters and balls over and behind partly because they are reasonably comfortable with the play in front of them. This presents ways for the team to remain compact but unleash Suarez and Sturridge to make things happen. A point will be a good result but depending on which Liverpool turn up, a win is not out of the question.
Thats a good post imo. If I were Wenger () I'd tell the wide two in the three to stay up field and player as wingers. This would stop our WBs getting forward leaving us with a back five plus Lucas. Arsenal would still have seven other outfield players (ignoring their striker here) to influence and dominate the game.
well its all about full backs. west brom made a tactical blunder in playing narrow and if you look that the average player positions published on lfc website in game stats our full backs played on the half way line... on average. we were closing down in the opposition half... using full backs..... if arsenal allow this they will find the midfield congested. one striker plus width is the way to go v 3-5-2... no question. they have the one forward but they must tell whomever is nominally wide to push our full backs out of the game thus dominating the midfield. I want 4-5-1 from lfc this week not 3-5-2
That's the bit that gives me a bit of encouragement, Arsenal like to play narrow. I just can't see Wenger not pushing our fullbacks back to create more space in front of our defence. Of course, not pushing them back allows Johnson and Cissokho to get forward leaving space in behind which he may prefer.
FOOTBALL Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says Philippe Coutinho has got the 'all clear' to return to action following a shoulder operation. Brazil midfielder Coutinho, 21, has not featured for the club since the 2-2 draw at Swansea on 16 September.
I heard that last week! wasn't he back in training last thursday? anyway... i am going to be waiting to see what we do. do we: a) drop skertl and play 4-3-3 with coutinho... ie go back to what worked at the start b) play 3-5-2 and bring coutinho on for sahko on 70mins.... i am really firmly in the camp that we should go 4-3-3, put shako on giroud in marking terms, put suarez right and coutinho left in the 4-3-3
