http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20199261 When I went to Old Trafford as a player, whether it was with Leicester, Birmingham or Blackburn, we always set ourselves up to try to stop United. In training matches where we prepared for the game, and the onslaught we would face, we would sometimes play with eight outfield players against 12 or 13 on the other team. We would be in two banks of four, and they would try to score. We sometimes went 40 or 50 minutes without conceding a goal because, if you are strong in your shape, then you are hard to break down. Arsenal were the complete opposite on Saturday. The main reason for that was their formation. It just did not suit the team that Wenger picked. It is bad enough putting square pegs in round holes but even worse when it plays to the strengths of the opposition, which is what Arsenal did against United. The Gunners lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape but that often turned into a 4-3-3 with Santi Cazorla dropping deep alongside Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere and, in front of them, Aaron Ramsey and Lukas Podolski either side of Olivier Giroud. I knew as soon as I saw United's teamsheet that they would come forward down the flanks, particularly the right. They always do if Antonio Valencia is playing, so Wenger knew what to expect. But, from the start, Andre Santos and Podolski looked totally exposed down Arsenal's left and the decision to combine them there was shown to be a big mistake after less than three minutes. Thomas Vermaelen has been blamed for United's first goal for his hashed clearance but there were plenty of opportunities before then to stop the move. I remember one of my old managers, Mark Hughes, telling us that goals come from consecutive errors - you won't ever eradicate isolated mistakes but you have to ensure you don't keep making them in a row. Hughes would call us in for ProZone analysis after games where we looked at videos of when we had conceded and it would be a case of 'error, error, error - goal'. That was the case if you look at United's first goal on Saturday. The first error came when Giroud let Rio Ferdinand get past him too easily. Then, from Ferdinand's clipped pass, Santos got his positioning wrong when he was unsure whether to close down Valencia near the halfway line and, because Arteta and Podolski had not tracked back down that left flank, Rafael was able to run on to Valencia's flick. Yes, Vermaelen had a shocker to give the ball straight to Robin van Persie but the goal could be traced back two or three stages in play, and goals like that can be stopped. United did not get a second goal until midway through the second half but they looked completely comfortable throughout. Arsenal had nothing to offer at all. For me, the main reason for that is that when you play 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, as Arsenal did, you need your wide-men in midfield and defence to be attack-minded. The best example I can think of was when I was at the Bernabeu to see Real Madrid, with their winger Cristiano Ronaldo and full-back Marcelo coming forward down their left, beat Manchester City in September. But at Old Trafford, apart from a couple of occasions in the second half, Santos was scared stiff to come forward down the left and Sagna was also cautious on the other side of the field because he had Ashley Young to deal with. So there was no overlapping going on when the likes of Podolski and Ramsey got the ball. In addition, that duo and Cazorla were never going to run beyond Giroud. With their formation, Arsenal needed to get the ball up to Giroud, so he can lay it off and then get in the box to get on the end of a cross. That did not happen and Giroud was never going to run in behind defenders himself either, even though his movement is decent. So, whenever Arsenal played the ball up to him, they had nowhere to go, apart from backwards. The biggest difference between this Arsenal team and the ones I used to face in the Premier League is pace, or lack of it. I still look at the side they had in the late 1990s with the likes of Marc Overmars, Dennis Bergkamp, Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Vieira and Nicolas Anelka as the best team I ever played against. They would keep the ball and keep the ball but then absolutely kill you with the pace they had in the last third of the pitch. On Saturday, they showed they can still keep the ball but there was nothing else. No pace, no incisive passing. Nothing. That made Wenger leaving Theo Walcott out of his starting line-up even harder to understand, especially because Ramsey is not a natural right-sided midfielder. Walcott's pace would have stretched United, and given Giroud somebody to link up with. But I would have played Walcott as a central striker, especially after his hat-trick in midweek against Reading, because of how Ferdinand and Evans have struggled against pace this season. If they had been fit, Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would also have made a difference down the left against United. Without them, Wenger did not have players who suited his formation and he definitely did not have a team who looked like being title contenders anytime soon. === Whatever you think of him, in my opinion, this perfectly highlights 3 reasons Arsenal lost: Poor player selection, Lack of attacking penetration, Lack of pace.
I would agree with that, particularly the defensive analysis. The other is one of the reasons why Spurs were successful against Manchester United at Old Trafford. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to work out that one.
he is just saying whatever everyone knows. he basically says towards the end is that the only way we could have been solid down the left would be playing Gibbs and Chamberlain, but unfortunately they were injured. a manager has to deal with the team that is fit, and ours was very understrength
Yep, but EVERYONE knew Santos was going to be a liability for this game. Arsenal are FAR too predictable - formation, personnel, method of playing - all known weeks before kick-off. There's zero variation, and it's costing the team...again.
predictable and SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW . The reason spurs beat them is because spurs play FAST balls , some would describe it as kick and run. The only teams that beat united are the ones that play at pace. You WILL NOT catch them out by passing it around methodically , no chance. They looked like it was stroll in the park beating Us .
100% spot on, Arsenal have been such a slow side this season lacking pace, so many times a player gets the ball and just holds on it, get's very frustrating. And making it worst is that sometimes no players are making any good runs or movements to a play the ball.
There is another side to this as well. United have looked defensively vulnerable this season (and last), but what has got them oyt of jail is the brilliantly effective and remorseless attack. I have felt in almost every game I have seen of United's that an effective attacking team will have a chance if their strikers are on form. I think Wenger probably succumbed to the temptation to be bold. Even against Southampton, up until the Sth manager took his forwards off United were having difficulty in coping, and in taking his danger men off at 2-0 he basically handed Utd the initiative. What Savage says about preparing with 15 v 8 is all fine, but I don't recall him having much success at OT. A striker who shoots, a fox in the box, all making intelligent pacy runs and midfielders with an eye for the clever ball that inbvites the strikers to attack space is what we needed on Saturday.
There was no "being bold." Wenger doesn't think tactics. He picks his best fit 11 and sends them out. We've seen TWO tactical switches this season - that of playing Ramsey on the wing to add an extra CM when required, and the alteration of Gervinho / Giroud in the middle. That's it. Ramsey worked once, and not since. Gervinho is out so Giroud was going to start centrally. It's far too obvious, and that's why Man Utd exposed Arsenal with consumate ease.
Arsenal greatest problem right now is leadership on and off the field. I certainly have great respect for Wenger but for the pass few years his ability to manage Arsenal to a championship have me doubting how smart a manager he now is. There is no doubt since Henry departure I've seen Arsenal played some of the most beautiful football, before the emergence of this Barcelona team, Then we were the true poetry in motion. We came close to winning the EPL on numerous occasion but because of Wenger's inability to make the necessary defensive adjustment, those opportunity went a begging. WE no longer play the football we were famous for. Our ball possession leads us no where. The players without the ball is very ineffective because they become a stationary post( just take notice of Swansea player around the ball). The player on the ball should have multiple option to a make a pass in close proximity,but since our player moving away from the man with the ball they are force to make longer passes which are now easier to intercept. now look how our passing from the defensive to the midfield is now. Our goal keeper no longer try to make a short pass to the defense but is more comfortable booting it up field because no one wants the ball. It's time our better player take responsibility on the field. Santi Cazorla should now take control and be the main conductor in midfield. Most passes should come from his magic feet,and be the focal point of the attack. he should at all time be close to the ball when we are in possession. As for Walcott I am not a great fan but I strongly believe with better one on one coaching he could be the trump card, and maybe if he leaves Arsenal any other Team could make him into a star. It's just sad Wenger doesn't really know how to utilize the speed of Walcott. He need space to run and how many time was he given ball to run up on, very rare. But as i said if the manager is not seeing it players should. more to be said but have to run off to work.
The lack of pace has been a huge worry for me. One thing Wenger has always had in his teams has been that pace. It's so easy to defend against us at the moment.
Robbie Savage is blonde dyed long haired Welsh **** and i wish he would just **** off.He must think that nobody remembers him attempting to play football
I remember him attempting to play football. He was crap and to try and make up for it, he tried to cheat, foul players, feign injury and basically act like a ****. A trait that he has carried on into his punditry.
He's from Wrexham, in Gogledd Cymru, you can tell by the accent. And Penarth is nice, you're just jealous.
No matter what some might think about Savage he has some valid points about saturdays game and our season in general. Santos was out of his depth and got no support, Walcott could have played in a center forward role, and we're only ten games into the season and already we're down 6 - 8 regular first team squad members
