There is a game on Sunday; it cannot be called crucial as all our previous, as well as the remaining, games are of the same importance. It is likely to be a weird game, and the main reason for this is not to do with Van Persie (VP), but us playing a team who have just become PL champions.
I would have preferred the Mancs still needing something from this game. If we beat them on Sunday we will not get much credit for it, and if we don’t, the criticism will be very high. You could say it is a no-win situation, but in the end it is isn’t: it is about three points and moving on to the next match.
The guard of honour has to be done and I hope the fans show class and respect: we would expect the same. If VP turns up at TE, he will no doubt get a hostile reception, but I expect him to stay behind in worldly Manchester for this one.
So how are we going to play against the Mancs?
We’ll do a proper pre-match report on Saturday, but let’s discuss the key formational challenges. Without Giroud up-front, Arsene will have to make adjustments. We don’t have anybody who can play the ‘Giroud’ role. I don’t think Theo, Gervinho or Pod have the stamina and physicality required to play the way OG does.
In my opinion, Arsene will have to change the formation to 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1, or go with a ‘fluid-three’ up-front, just like he did at the start of the season.
I reckon the latter is the most likely scenario. Arsene has the luxury that all his remaining attackers are fit and ready to go, so he can choose three from Gervinho, Theo, Ox, Cazorla and the Pod. The idea is that any of these three can play centrally, left or right at any moment in the game. This will make us unpredictable for our opponents, but our team’s unfamiliarity with this attacking system might lead to some miscommunication, misplaced passes, and unspotted runs. We are also likely to miss the aerial focal point of Giroud’s added height in the box.
However, I reckon the Mancs would much prefer having to deal with Giroud’s height than having to accommodate for the attacking variety that our remaining attackers have in their lockers. Gervinho or Ox have the close control and can work themselves into the box with the ball; Theo adds speed and lethal finishing (a good game for him to find it again!); and both Walcott, Gervinho and the Pod can all be the fox in the box and any given time. On top of that, all of Ox, Pod, Theo and Cazorla can score from outside the edge of the box, and at least on paper this is a good attacking force to choose from.
As always with a 4-2-1-3 formation, the pivotal role is the most advanced midfielder, and Wenger has to make a big choice who this should be: Rosicky, Cazorla or Wilshere. It is too early to say who he will go for, but I am convinced he will not leave out Cazorla; so if he does not play up-front, I reckon he will be ‘in the hole’ on Sunday.
My other train of thought is that Wenger will want to strengthen the midfield against the Mancs; something he often does against a top-four team. I would feel more comfortable with this as well, but then I am a big fan of playing with a solid midfield, with lots of possession and passing options: I reckon this suits our current squad the most. Obviously, it does require our ‘midfield-wingers’ to play a disciplined defensive as well as attacking game, and it could mean that the likes of Gibbs and Coquelin will get a start there, although it is more likely to see a midfield of Cazorla – Ramsey –Arteta – Wilshere, or Cazorla- Wilshere – Arteta – Rosicky. We have plenty of options to play a very strong midfield on Sunday; although, a beast of a DM is still badly missing.
Playing four in midfield would give us the opportunity to play two up-front: either in a 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2. I reckon if Arsenal want to get the best out of two of Pod, Theo, Ox, Gervinho (and Santi), one of these two formations would be our best option.
Now, the big question is which two attackers should be combined against the Mancs. Our highest paid, and also most prolific strikers are Pod and Theo, but could they hit the ground running on Sunday. I am not sure they would. Pod could play behind Theo and maybe it would work, but I reckon such a partnership needs time to develop.
Given Wenger’s recent remarks re the Pod being groomed to play in the middle up-front, I believe that he will start on Sunday, regardless of the formation. That leaves the question who will play behind him, and I reckon it will be Cazorla. These two have played a lot together this season and seem to have quite a natural understanding with each other.
However, I don’t think Arsene will go with either 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1, but with a fluid-three up-front:
Although the formation shows Pod in the middle, all three attackers will interchange regularly.
Last night, Jack had plenty of fire in his belly but his legs and mind seem out of sync.
It is so good to see Super Jackie Wilshere back on the pitch again. With his injury record, it is always a worry when he is out of contention for a long while, so to see him in our shirt again is simply great.
But the Jack who returned against Norwich, and had another game against Everton three days later, hardly looks like the giant killer we have become accustomed to, and have been so enthusiastic about, this season.
His motivation is never in doubt and the passion and healthy aggression he adds to the team is of great importance, but something is missing at the moment.
His first touch and passing accuracy have not been great to say the least, and I also did not see much of that characteristic burst forward of Jack, or many of his quality through-balls. He looks like a player who does not believe he is ready for the big battles again, despite trying very hard.
Now it is fair to say that he was targeted by Everton in such a way that he hardly could conduct our game last night: it was a very obvious and just about legitimate tactic by the Toffees; and with little protection from the referee things were not made easier for him either. But still, the Jack we all know, is normally able to deal with this.
Actually, it was a total surprise to see Wilshere included in the line-up last night. Wenger had come out prior to the game and admitted he might have rushed him back too quickly; only to confuse us all by playing him again three days later….. 😕
I am a big fan of Jack and love to see him play, but it does not seem right that he is preferred to the apparently fully fit again Rosicky. Our little Mozart has had a few fine games for us recently and really helped to give us drive, shape and purpose to our football again.
Perhaps, Arsene is keen to build the team around Wilshere once again, with him positioned in the most advanced midfield position; and I for one, am totally in favour of this. But this is not a time to take risks by reintroducing a rusty and seemingly lacking in confidence Wilshere to such a pivotal position and with such little room for error.
We were doing well with Rosicky’s organisational skills and thrust in the centre of midfield, and with his experience he seems our safest bet to help us finish in the top-four again by the end of the season.
How ever much I love Wilshere, I am really hoping Wenger will opt for Rosicky in the hole against Fulham, so we can get our shape, focus and thrust back again. Jack’s time will come again, but now it’s time for Arsene to allow Rosicky to get us back to winning ways.
A rare treat for us nowadays: a meaningful mid-week game!
Having worked in Liverpool for a few years, I have nothing but respect for both Everton and Liverpool. The Liverpudlians know how to enjoy live and seize the day, and they know their football as well. And there is nothing but respect for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger over there, something the Mancs could learn a lesson from.
David Moyes is a fine, loyal manager, who, every few years, is able to put a talented team together with the potential to move into the top-four. It looks like he has done it again this year, and the Toffees come to the Emirates in great form – let’s not mention the embarrassing FA-cup exit though, but then, who are we to talk…?
This will be a tough game for us, as a confident and fully fit Everton will fancy their chances. A home win against the Northern Oilers and away draw against the Spuddies in recent games, Everton have proven they can handle the pressure and get results. The Toffees’ strength seems to come from the wings, and especially, from the centre of midfield, where the hard working Osman, Gibson and Fellaini form an impressive defensive wall as well as a fountain of creativity.
Eveton’s away record is not brilliant, with only four wins out of 15 games, although a glass half full Evertonian will tell you they only lost four away games all season.
So how are we going to combat the tough Toffees?
I reckon, Arsene will fall back to what he knows best and will stick with 4-2-1-3; and he will play his most experienced team.
Defence:
I am pretty sure Szczesny will return to the first team. The coded language from Wenger re Fabianski’s ‘injury’ tells me the Pole will be between the poles again tonight.
The back four is interesting once more: will Arsene drop TV again? I reckon, he will. This is no game for sentimentality and the best CB pair should play: Koz and BFG. On the right, I expect Mr Reliable to play, and on the left, I go for Nacho this time.
Midfield:
Zorro and Rambo to combat with Osman, Gibson and Fellaini in our double-DM pivot, with Rosicky in the hole. Given Arsene’s recent comments, Jack will get a rest and Rosicky is likely to replace him. Alternatively, Cazorla could be played ‘in the hole’, but I reckon the Professor will go with the Czech conductor this time.
Attack:
The above mentioned inclusion of Rosicky, would mean that Arsene has to choose to fill his three attacking positions from: Walcott, Gervinho, the Pod, Giroud, Ox and Cazorla. Will Wenger surprise us all and, after his recent comments re the Pod spearheading our attack any time soon, put the Pod centrally? I don’t think so: not for this game, as it would be too disruptive to our shape and system of football.
I feel Wenger will stick to what he knows and play Ollie centrally, with the Pod on the left and Cazorla on the right; although, I am also tempted to go for Cazorla on the left – forming a fine partnership with Nacho there – and Theo on the right to keep Baines busy….. But that would leave the Pod out, so maybe he will play centrally tonight…. pfffffff. Not easy, my friends, not easy. And then many of us want Arsene to buy at least one more attacker hahaha 🙂
I am going to go with Cazorla – Giroud – Theo up-front, as Arsene’s choices, but I probably get it wrong and won’t achieve an 11/11 once again tonight.
Predicted Line-up:
Anyway, here is hoping for a fantastic game and Arsenal playing at their very best, and collecting three more super-valuable points. Let’s give the Spuds a better, more in perspective, view of the mighty, red and white Arse!
Come on You Rip Roaring Gunners!!!!!!!!!!! Do Us Proud.
Wanyama is the sort of DM Beast we have been missing this season.
Arsene Wenger’s comments about no longer needing a traditional defensive midfielder at Arsenal have been well publicized. His theory is that the modern game demands balance and for all players to collectively attack and defend, opposed to being “purely specialists”.
This theory has been met with little success in important Cup/CL games, as well as against the top clubs domestically. In the majority of those games that we have lost, we failed to settle in early because of shaky defensive starts, and/or were bossed in the midfield by stronger and more physical presences (Ramires of Chelsea, Schweinsteiger of Bayern and Parker of Tottenham are the most notable). It was clear in those games that a proper, traditional holding player would have helped to counter both the strength of their defensive midfielders, as well as the creative talents on the opposition’s side.
Also, one must consider that our best performances have come in games where we have played rather compartmentalized, with our more attacking-minded players focusing on offense and a demand for all our players to track back, while our defenders be disciplined at our own end, only joining the attack when need be. This pattern was evident during our early season successes, in addition to the recent upward trajectory in our performances since the draw against Liverpool. The correlation is no surprise, since I believe we lack the personnel to properly play the type of football that Wenger envisions for this squad.
There is some truth to AW’s theory that the modern game has and continues to evolve. A midfield “enforcer” will be useless unless the individual is either well disciplined and/or has the technical ability to protect the ball and find his teammates further up the pitch. At Arsenal, we have a very capable player in Arteta based on AW’s defined role for a holding player, in that he is intelligent, anticipatory, disciplined and efficient with his passing. However, what AW fails to realize is how much better we could be if Arteta had pace, strength and the ability to play any variety of pass (short, long, over the top etc.), in addition to the skill set he already has. However, this breed of player is certainly rare, and to ask this from Arteta would be absurd when you factor in his age and natural playing position.
The old-fashioned approach is to employ a classic double defensive midfield spine, such as WBA, Athletico Madrid, Malaga, AC Milan, Bayern Leverkusen etc. with both midfielders generally sitting back to protect the back four and only attacking when necessary; while other clubs have switched to a formation with two attacking midfielders and one designated holding midfielder, such as Swansea City, Ajax, Barca (the Catalans has played this formation for a long time) etc, to take advantage of the creative talents in their central midfielders.
Finally, there are teams like Bayern, Manchester City and Real Madrid who play with two central midfielders, taking turns in attack and sitting back, with one generally being given the responsibility to carry the ball up field to transition the attack, better known as the classic box-to-box midfielder. All of these clubs heavily rely on the players designated as traditional B2B midfielders and all of which are world-class talents (Schweinsteiger, Yaya Toure and Xabi Alonso).
The traditional box-to-box position, or ‘Vieira role’, requires an individual to have outstanding endurance, strength, ball control, pace, creativity and mental strength on both offense and defense. It is by far the most physically demanding and mentally draining position in football, which also requires an elite level of skill to consistently be effective and dominate at both ends of the pitch. Because of how rare it is to find the perfect blend of skill and natural physical gifts, I am led to believe that the traditional B2B midfielder is a dying breed. I believe teams have switched to either a dual DM set-up or a sole DM with two AMs, due to all the aforementioned reasons.
However, as the modern game continues to evolve, so has the box-to-box midfielder position. The modern day B2B midfielder is not expected to carry the ball up field as often, and mainly joins the attack through a flat passing system. This allows the B2B midfielder to evade the direct attention of the opposition and experience less physical strain when running up and down the pitch. Teams like Juventus, Chelsea PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Everton etc. commonly incorporate such a midfielder in their starting formation.
Then there are the clubs such as Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United who have seemingly gone back and forth between all the aforementioned strategies this season, adapting based on the personnel available to them and the strength of the opposition. However, I believe this “versatility” has more to do with lacking the right personnel in the squad (whether it be injuries or not having the proper DMs in the squad) to consistently play one way than adjusting based on the opposition.
If we quickly examine the statistics of goals conceded among these five clubs without a true DM or a consistent formation in center of the park, compared to the other domestic top clubs (Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton), there may be some truth in the theory that Arsenal are in need of a proper DM, or a more stable DM set-up:
Club
Games Played
Goals Conceded
1 Goal Games Lost
Manchester City
30
26
2
Manchester United
30
31
3
Chelsea
30
32
5
Arsenal
30
33
5
Everton
30
35
3
Tottenham
31
38
6
Liverpool
31
40
3
One must keep in mind that some clubs approach the game more defensively and that the statistics are not purely based on the effectiveness of Chelsea and Manchester City’s defensive midfielders. City is widely considered to have the best goalkeeper and strongest back four in the EPL, while United have conceded less goals than Chelsea, but the latter are in fourth, despite only conceding one more goal than them.
In the case of Chelsea, Ramires, who is recognized by most as Chelsea’s best DM option, has only started 21 games due to the rotation policy of the FSW. Of Chelsea’s 7 losses this year, he only started 4 of those games, half of which were to the current top 2 clubs. Again, it’s not the most telling sign that a quality, proper DM is at the foundation of a club’s success, but it’s definitely something worth keeping in mind.
Also worth pointing out, is Everton’s record of conceding fewer goals than Tottenham despite working with considerably less. The trio of Fellaini, Gibson and Osman in the heart of Everton’s midfield has worked wonders for them this season. However, it’s worth nothing that the Toffees have always been known for having a stingy defense, which matches the club’s reputation in the transfer market.
What do these statistics mean to Arsenal? Well, if one takes into account our goals scored domestically this season (59), we will all see that goal scoring has not been a huge issue (though consistent goal scoring in clutch situations is a different matter altogether and not what my article focuses on). However, together with Chelsea and Tottenham, Arsenal has a high number of games lost by 1-goal margins. 5 games lost represents anywhere from 5-15 points in the table, and if we look at the current table, Arsenal could be as high as 3rd if we were able to come out with draws in those contests.
It is my opinion that a true beast of a DM would have helped us to gain more points in those 5 games lost by a 1-goal margin. While it is true that there were several parties at fault in those games lost by 1 goal (i.e. lapses by GK or DEF, turnovers etc.), it never hurts to have a proper presence helping to protect the back four. The DM could have aided in stabilizing the back early in games, allowing everyone to settle into the game and the creative players to focus more on offense. Clearly, as the other teams stand now, Arsenal would have a distinct competitive advantage if we were able to acquire a proper, beast of a DM this summer.
So what is the best foundation for Arsenal to build on going forward?
As I stated earlier, I believe Arsenal should abandon asking any central midfielder to play the traditional box-to-box role, simply because we lack a player with the talent to perform at such a level, while maintaining a clean bill of health. In addition, efficient and elite, traditional box-to-box midfielders are increasingly rare to find and we lack the resources/recent success to lure the caliber of player like Schweinsteiger, Yaya Toure or Xabi Alonso.
The dual DM set-up, similar to that employed by Juventus, is an intriguing option since we already have a deep-lying playmaker in Arteta who could eventually mirror his game after Pirlo. However, in Vidal, Juventus have the ideal, modern day DM that Arsenal currently does not. Vidal is not only aggressive, a tough tackler, has the strength to knock a player off the ball and the ability to strip them of it, but also the goal scoring instincts, ball control, passing range, pace and endurance to run up and down the pitch for the duration of an entire match. He’s a versatile midfielder who contributes at both ends of the pitch, without the burden of having to also transition the attack with the ball at his feet (as a traditional B2B midfielder is expected to).
Thus, I would be happy to continue in Arsene’s favoured dual DM pivot set-up, with the caveat that none of our players be expected to play as a traditional box-to-box midfielder. The injuries we’ve accumulated by forcing players into this role are astonishing and it’s clear that the perfect balance between talent, physicality, mental endurance and ability to remain injury-free is non-existent in this squad. The set-up Arsenal was most successful with last season was with Arteta and Song interchanging between attacking and defending, with Song performing more of the modern box-to-box role, only sitting back to defend when Arteta joined the attack.
Based on our pattern of success this season, there is considerable merit in pursuing a compartmentalized strategy for the rest of this season and going into next year. However, I believe if we buy a technical, traditional DM this summer that we can afford to play with two attacking midfielders and only commit one central midfielder to a primarily defensive role. This will effectively eliminate our current, unsuccessful dual DM pivot set-up (ineffective against top clubs for the most part anyway), where one midfielder is forced to play in a traditional B2B role (i.e. Jack and Diaby), in order to compensate for the lack of a true DM.
Let me be clear though that buying a proper DM does not mean that I believe our attacking players should not honour their defensive responsibilities and avoid playing a collective team game.
The purchase of a traditional DM will only serve to better protect our back four, help slow down and outmuscle the opposition in the middle of the pitch, while unleashing the creativity up field.
I’m also a fan of the dual DM set-up at Juventus (aka the set-up we established last season), so long as we can find the ideal beast to play alongside a deep-lying playmaker like Arteta. However, based on the style of football Wenger wishes to achieve at Arsenal, i.e. the flowing and beautiful approach, we may be better off shifting to a 4-1-2-3 formation with two attacking midfielders, much like other clubs that have adopted the same philosophy (ex. Ajax, Swansea City, Barca etc.).
Have your say: What DM set-up do you believe would be the best for Arsenal?
Santi has scored four in his last five games for Arsenal – Let’s hope he will continue his fine form tomorrow! 🙂
A week without Arsenal playing football can feel very long around this time of the year. It is a real shame we are out of all cup competitions and only have the league to supply us with the much needed footie-drugs. However, the waiting is over as we will be playing the Baggies at the beautifully named The Hawthorns tomorrow afternoon.
There can be only respect for Steve Clarke. With Villa fighting for survival at the bottom of the league and Birmingham playing a division lower, WBA are punching well above their weight at the moment. The Baggies BoD obviously know how to select and attract high calibre managers, and although Clarke is not a big name as such, he clearly is doing a fantastic job at the moment. Of course, this is only Clark’s first season, and as his counterpart at Villa will know, a manager can go from rising star to having to endure a season-long dogfight from one season to the next.
West Brom are in a not too dissimilar position as Swansea at the moment. They are save and know they have done relatively very well this season. It is now all about finishing as high as possible in the table, but that is not necessarily the best driver for starting a game really motivated. Arsenal on the other hand, are fighting for every point till the end of the season, and a win tomorrow will put us, at least for 24 hours, above Chelsea in a Champions League spot.
That is the sort of incentive that should get the boys really up for tomorrow’s encounter, and I expect us to be hungry and focussed from the start. Despite Theo and Jack’s continued absence, and Diaby being out for the rest of the season, Arsene still has a strong squad to choose from. He will even have to disappoint a number of players who have had plenty of first team football already this season.
Defence
I reckon Arsene will start the same back-five as he did against Reading last week. I am pretty sure the central triangle of GK and CB’s will remain unchanged: Fabianski – BFG – Koz. Arsene has the luxury of having four quality and fit FB’s to pick from; I reckon he’ll go with experience and pick Sagna and Monreal, but he could surprise us once again, with going for either Jenkinson or Gibbs, or both, in tomorrow’s line-up.
Midfield
I am going for Arteta and Ramsey in the double pivot, and I reckon they will be given instructions to play once again conservatively: stay close together and in line, and focus hard on keeping it tidy in front of the defence. For Arteta this comes naturally, but Ramsey will once more have to play really disciplined. In front of the Spanish-Welsh pivot, I am expecting Rosicky to direct our play tomorrow. Rosicky’s experience and ability to give our team focus and shape will be much needed against the Baggies.
Attack
I would love Podolski to start up-front, but I reckon Arsene will stick to what he has preferred most of the season, and play Giroud in the CF position instead. I would also like to see Gervinho start with either Cazorla or Podolski on the other wing, but I feel that Arsene will want to start with both Pod and Cazorla on the wings, which means Gervinho, and also the Ox, will miss out tomorrow.
Arsenal won five out of their last six PL games and let’s hope we’ll make it six out of seven tomorrow. However, WBA have lost only four out of their fifteen home games until now, so it won’t be easy. There is no time for complacency: only a fully committed and focussed performance against The Baggies will give us a good chance to come back with all three points. Anything less and it could all turn sour again.
Little Mozart needs an orchestra and a podium to perform on more regularly than currently is the case!
Rosicky has been at Arsenal since 2006, and is liked by Arsenal fans for his ability to lead a midfield through his vision and dribbling skills, good ball control, quick one-touch football with clever movement, and always having a trick up his sleeve to beat defenders. These qualities allow Rosicky to orchestrate a midfield, which led to him acquiring the nickname ‘The Little Mozart’, during his time in Germany playing for Borussia Dortmund.
It could be argued that the rejuvenated Rosicky, of the late part of the second halve of last season, led Arsenal to securing 3rd place in the Premier League, and more importantly, qualifying for the Champions League once again. This resulted in Rosicky being offered a new contract, which he later signed.
Despite signing a new contract at the end of last season, Rosicky has not played as much as he would have expected to, as a result of Wenger opting to play other midfielders instead of him.
At the moment, Rosicky’s experience and quality is not being utilised in the best possible way by Wenger, in order to get the best out of our current squad of players.
At the age of 32 years old, Rosicky is not getting any younger and many fans are wondering how much longer Rosicky will stay at Arsenal, and whether Rosicky will leave Arsenal soon, or whether Rosicky will stay at Arsenal; eventually going on to retire at Arsenal. The latter is now looking less likely, with Rosicky getting limited game time and being resorted to making cameo appearances.
People may point out that Rosicky has started a number of games lately, starting with the second leg of our Champion’s League tie with Bayern Munich and Premier League fixtures after that match, but in my opinion Rosicky has only started those matches because of injuries to other players in the squad i.e. Diaby, Podolski, Wilshere and Walcott, who are still unavailable; and most recently, possibly players being left out because of transfer speculation i.e. Podolski (and also Vermaelen, although this has no bearing on whether Rosicky starts matches).
And if Wenger had none of these problems to take into consideration when picking his teams, and had a full squad to choose from, Rosicky would not make the first eleven on a regular basis. This was seen much earlier on in the season with Rosicky hardly starting any matches.
Numerous clubs have shown interest in Rosicky and it was rumoured that in January, Everton made an enquiry regarding the sale of the Czech, but Wenger told Everton that he was not for sale. Rosicky’s former club Borussia Dortmund have also shown interest in Rosicky; wanting to bring him back to Germany.
Rosicky is clearly a wanted man!
For Wenger to tell Everton that Rosicky is not for sale could mean one of three things:
1) Rosicky must still be in Wenger’s future plans. Wenger could see Rosicky as part of the group of experienced players which Wenger needs to accumulate before the start of next season, to add the much needed experience which this current Arsenal team needs in order to succeed and win trophies.
2) Wenger does want to sell Rosicky but just did not want to sell him in January, as he would not have been able to replace him in January. It could be a possibility that the player(s) Wenger wanted to replace Rosicky with in the summer, was/were not available in January.
3) Wenger has already agreed a fee with another club for the sale of Rosicky in the summer, with the Czech and the other club already agreeing on personal terms ahead of his move.
Wenger needs to solve this situation regarding Rosicky by next season. If Wenger does not see him in his future plans, the Frenchman must sell him for the good of Arsenal and little Mozart himself.
There is no point in keeping Rosicky and paying his weekly wage if you are not going to play him (something that has been happening too much with other players at Arsenal in recent years). Rosicky’s wages could be used to pay the wages of a younger attacking midfielder, whom Wenger would play weekly; for example Isco.
Arshavin is a perfect example of a quality, experienced player whose career has been ruined at Arsenal, and his reputation tainted in world football, because he did not leave Arsenal when he should have; and as a result, spent a number of seasons sitting on the bench, losing all of his confidence, and is now generally hated by a lot of Arsenal fans.
The last thing Arsenal fans want to see is Rosicky’s career as a footballer ruined (just like Arshavin’s and Chamakh’s); where we are paying/trying to pay, other clubs to take him on loan, or wasting valuable club money paying his wages to sit on the bench and make the odd random appearance, and with Rosicky coming on the pitch dragging his feet, looking like he is being forced to play against his will and cannot wait to leave Arsenal.
So every morning before heading to work, I go through news websites to check on Arsenal updates as I sip my tea. It’s become an important part of my day and without the comfort of this routine, I know I’d be having an incomplete day.
Every now and then, one piece of news screams out making me shake my head either with disappointment, or nod in happy glee. A few days ago, was one such day… unfortunately the head shaking was in sad disappointment.
Abou Diaby is out for nine months. Yep, the next Patrick Vieira… the man who was going to shore up our defense from midfield better then a sold Song, the man who would allow Arteta the luxury of NOT being the sole starting DM… you get the picture….
Oh yes, the man who feels like a new signing every time he gets fit again, and one more if I may, the man because of whom we chose NOT to buy Diame or any other DM (I’m assuming here, maybe the right deal couldn’t be struck)…
But basically, the man who looked like a million dollars in the first few games of the season and ever since then has been a “what if” is now out again for another 9 months.
I shook my head in utter disbelief… how unfortunate is Diaby. And please, don’t get me wrong… I hope he gets fit again and I hope he resumes his career. It’s never easy for an athlete to lose out because of injuries, and the cruciate ligament injury is a really tough one. And for the record, I would also like to say that I had hopes for Diaby. I thought he might stay fit this time… and he might become the player that he has shown that he can be in patches.
I genuinely believe that a fit Diaby, at his best, really adds value to the team. This very interesting article (http://news.arseblog.com/2013/03/diaby-at-swansea-by-the-numbers/) at Arseblog News is sort of testament to that fact. But now it’s gotten late for Arsene and Arsenal to keep waiting for a hopefully fit again Diaby.
It got me thinking that now we are in a bit of a fix… who now to support or back up Arteta?
My answer is Aaron Ramsey.
Now Rambo has been having a bit of an up and down season. He has been the cause of many a fan’s frustration time and time again, but I’ve always felt that the primary issue has been the fact that he gets played on the right. I distinctly remember when he first came on the scene, he would play CM almost always, and for a large part of last season he looked like a solid box to box midfielder with the capacity to play some lovely balls forward. Unfortunately he ran out of form somewhat but still ended the season with 8 assists (Song got 11 and Walcott got 9, as per Wikipedia).
I’ve generally always felt Ramsey best slot is the DM role in conjunction with Arteta or Wilshere, and so I’ve often been surprised that he ends up playing the utility role. Therefore, I decided to compare a few stats and see if indeed Ramsey is good at the defensive role or not.
First, let’s look at Diaby and Arteta in the first three games of the season, where we drew with Sunderland and Stoke, and beat Liverpool away, all the while keeping clean sheets (seems like a lifetime ago!). I think it’s fair to say those three were solid defensive displays that we’d love to see on a consistent basis.
Aug-12
Diaby vs. Liverpool (away)
Diaby vs. Sunderland (home)
Diaby vs. Stoke (away)
Total Passes
64
Total Passes
67
Total Passes
65
Completion %
91%
Completion %
88%
Completion %
72%
Defensive Passes
47
Defensive Passes
48
Defensive Passes
45
Completion
83%
Completion
88%
Completion
71%
All duels won
10/13
All duels won
7/15
All duels won
13/30
All tackles won
2/4
All tackles won
1/1
All tackles won
3/5
Clearances
0/0
Clearances
0/0
Clearances
2/4
Head clearances
0/0
Head clearances
0/0
Head clearances
2/4
Aug-12
Arteta vs. Liverpool (away)
Arteta vs. Sunderland (home)
Arteta vs. Stoke (away)
Total Passes
92
Total Passes
119
Total Passes
77
Completion %
95%
Completion %
96%
Completion %
87%
Defensive Passes
49
Defensive Passes
75
Defensive Passes
48
Completion
92%
Completion
93%
Completion
85%
All duels won
6/13
All duels won
6/12
All duels won
10/14
All tackles won
3/3
All tackles won
2/4
All tackles won
4/6
Clearances
1/1
Clearances
0/0
Clearances
0/0
Head clearances
1/1
Head clearances
0/0
Head clearances
0/0
Interesting stats! Diaby, as is evident, is good at getting into the thick of it. He does well when it comes to tackles, and is decent in terms of winning duels.
Versus Stoke, he got into 30 duels, winning 13, which is not shabby at all. However, he lags behind in terms of total passes and the pass completion.
Arteta on the other hand does brilliantly well in terms of total passes and pass completion %, and does fairly well in terms of tackling and overall duels.
Interesting to see also, that he got into 14 duels winning 10 against Stoke.
Now let’s look at Ramsey in the two games I remember him starting as a DM, vs. WHU and vs. Brighton away. Both the games took place in January 2013.
Jan-13
Ramsey vs. WHU
Ramsey vs. Brighton
Total Passes
123
Total Passes
89
Completion %
95%
Completion %
93%
Defensive Passes
75
Defensive Passes
49
Completion
93%
Completion
92%
All duels won
6/9
All duels won
8/16
All tackles won
3/3
All tackles won
5/6
Clearances
1/1
Clearances
1/2
Head clearances
1/1
Head clearances
0/0
WHU was a comfortable win, while Brighton away was a tight win for us. Interestingly, Ramsey out-does Diaby in terms of total passes and pass completion %, which to me is not surprising.
What, however, is interesting is that he does very well in terms of duels won and tackles won. In the tough away Brighton game, he wins 5/6 tackles.
It should also be noted that in both these games Arteta was not playing, so the burden of defensive duties was more on Ramsey than on his partner (Rosicky, Santi and Jack on separate occasions).
So my point essentially is that Diaby’s injury may actually be a chance for us to get Ramsey playing in a position in which I think he can do a good job for us, and also get his confidence up. Ideally, I’d love to see Ramsey and Arteta playing together with Jack/Santi up ahead.
I feel Rambo can be massive for us if used properly, and now is the chance to do exactly that.
1 – I have used games that I felt illustrated the defensive prowess of the three players best, and for Ramsey the two games analyzed can serve to highlight the defensive potential that he has.
2 – By no means do I intend to opine that we don’t need to buy a DM now. Rambo can be an option till the summer, but we need to get a solid DM as a starter or a back up once the transfer window opens.
3 – Source for the data is a nifty iPhone app called EPL Live.
Most of us believe that Arsenal need to get a beast of a DM in the summer, in order to strengthen the ‘double-pivot’ in our midfield. For this article, I am going to assume that Arsene will strengthen our midfield over the summer with a midfielder who can either replace, or play next to, Arteta in the ‘2’ of our 4-2-1-3 formation. It does not look like Arsene believes that either Coquelin or Frimpong are ready for this pivotal role on a full-time basis, although this could still change over the coming summer.
I am also assuming that Arsene will not change next season to either 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1 or 4-1-2-3 as our Plan-A formation and playing philosophy, but that we will continue with 4-2-1-3. Therefore this post is all about the ‘1’; our most advanced/attacking midfielder in that particular formation.
This is a fascinating position, and having the right man in it will make all the difference. In order to decide who should ideally play ‘in the hole’, we need to establish what such a player needs to be capable of in order to get the best out this crucial position.
The most important task for the ‘1’ is to initiate attacking moves; to direct our play going forward. One of the two double-pivot midfielders can help with this, but the main driver of all our attacks is our most advanced midfielder. Success should be measured by the number of attacking moves initiated from this position, and key in all of this is, that the advanced midfielder combines a great overview, with quick decision making and accurate execution of passes, forward runs, and deadly through-balls. This player needs vision, close ball control, passing, speed, drive, stamina, and can get past a man, or two, if needed.
An attacking midfielder in a 4-2-1-3 does not necessarily need to score a lot goals, or even produce a large number of assists; but what he does need to do, is start attacks and get the best out of the other attackers (and FB’s).
A good ‘man in the hole’ gives our team shape and purpose by conducting our play, and will produce a great number of indirect, or penultimate, assists.
The advanced midfielder in our formation has three attackers in front of him and should get extra support from the box-to-box midfielder. Although, I believe that scoring goals is not the most important task for this position, it would be great if the advanced midfielder can offer this as well.
In the great many discussions we have had with regards to this position, I often detect a strong believe by fellow Gooners that we need a lot of goals from this position, in order to be successful as a team. If we were to play 4-4-1-1, I would fully agree that we need a great number of goals from the ‘1’ behind the centre-forward, but in a 4-2-1-3 this is less important in my view; in the main, our goals should come from the three attackers up-front.
This, for me, is an essential point; and unless we can find/develop a player who can combine the conducting/initiating part of this role with scoring a lot of goals, the main focus should be on the former. We had the perfect player for this role in Cesc, and it comes as no surprise to me that we have struggled to replace him properly ever since he left; although things are looking better now.
It is looking better because Jack finally recovered from his long injury lay-off and Arsene bought Cazorla. On top of that, Rosicky has been available since December last year. If we could put both Jack and Cazorla into one person we would get Cesc-2. Cazorla is a great attacker and, for me, would be ideal in a Bergkampesque 4-4-1-1.
The diminutive Spaniard can play everywhere and be effective, but I reckon he is most effective close behind the central striker, just outside the box. Using Santi in the hole, we could come close to the style of play of Bergkamp in a 4-4-1-1 formation.
However, I reckon that Santi’s tendency to play close to the box often keeps him from giving shape and purpose to the team, and as such leaves a big gap (behind him) in the team.
Jack, on the other hand is most effective in the wider midfield area, where he can find space and exploit it.
Jack has the vision, and natural/technical ability to give shape to our play and lead our attacking moves. When Wilshere gets the ball, the whole team starts to get into shape and action, because they know something promising will be created by him at any moment.
And I reckon, Rosicky is pretty similar to Jack in terms of type of midfielder.
If we were to get our beast of a DM, I believe we should move Jack in’ the hole’ permanently and play Santi on one of the wings, with a licence to move centrally if and when he wants; in fact, I would just give him a free role similar to Messi at Barca. It would be key, though, to have a proper winger who tends to stay wide on the other wing, and for the full-back on Santi’s side to link up really well with him.
I would prefer it if we can keep Rosicky as back up for Jack, but only if he is able to stay fit, which as we all know, is a big IF. It also looks like he might make a move back to Germany this summer, and I could live with that too, albeit reluctantly as we need experience in our team.
Ox might develop into a good replacement for Jack, but I reckon, like Cazorla, he would also play at his best behind the central striker in a 4-4-1-1 formation. And the same goes for Podolski, in my opinion.
So it is Jack for me from the current crop of players, but what about those players we have been linked with on more than one occasion: Jovetic, Isco and Benzema?
Of all those players, taking into account the question of this post and my assumption that Arsenal will continue with 4-2-1-3, I am most excited by Jovetic playing ‘in the hole’. He seems a very good mix between attacking midfield play and being a shadow striker. I can see him play at Arsenal in that pivotal position with Jack behind him as the box-to-box midfielder and a beast of a DM next to Jack.
Jack and Jovetic could take turns in ‘the hole’ role, or both fitted into the team as mentioned above.
Isco, from what I have seen (not much) and heard (quite a bit, thanks to HH and others), seems to fit best in ‘the hole position’ of a 4-4-1-1 formation, or on the wing in our current formation. And Benzema looks like a proper CF to me, who could also probably play behind the main striker in a 4-4-1-1 formation.
So Jack or Jovetic ‘in the hole’ for me next season, but do you agree? And if not, who do you believe should play as our most advanced midfielder next season?
When will Arsenal rediscover its beautiful football again?
It has been a while now since Arsenal played the sort of football that makes us all purr like a cat; the sort of football that makes the crowd go ooh and aah!
I reckon ever since Fabregas’ last season for us, Arsenal have been struggling to find their identity again. And when I say, Arsenal; I really mean Arsene. Last season we played more or less continuously Plan B: the ‘feed the Dutchman he will score’ scenario. We became very dependent on him, and despite my absolute loathing of the self-celebrating traitor now, it is fair to say that he played a big part in Arsenal finishing third last season.
This season, many of us will struggle with describing what our plan-A is. Arsene has tried a number of different player-combinations up-front, in midfield and at the back. We have seen glimpses of both effective and beautiful football, but it has been pretty ordinary most of the times. This season, I have been to Norwich and Wigan away and Blackburn at home; and last season I watched Fulham, QPR and Blackburn at home, and their was little beauty/ real quality of play to be seen in any of these matches: a far cry of how we used to play!
Whilst driving back through black and bleary motorways from London last night, I thought deep and hard how and when we will get our beautiful game back. Is it simply a matter of buying more quality players, as in players who can reach the heights of Bergkamp, Henry, Fabregas and Pires again; or is it a matter of getting a couple of solid, quality defenders/midfielders who will allow the rest to play Wengerball again?
Having analysed our recent games a bit, it is clear to me that both Wilshere and Cazorla are more than capable and willing to lead our game back to Wengerball. They are working their socks off to get this team going. However, their efforts have been wiped out by big, and mostly unnecessary, defensive mistakes. On top of that, with our strike-force still finding its feet and going through a big goal-lull at the moment, we have been unable to do a ‘Mancs United’; simply outscoring the opposition.
A simple answer to the main question in this post is to go and buy both top quality players and a couple of solid defenders. Like everybody else, I also believe that without adding these sort of players in the summer – as early as possible, ideally – we will not make much progress next season.
However, as Arsenal cannot buy any players until then, and we have still 10 games to play and with a top-four place at stake – and going with the answers in yesterday’s post, most of you believe we are still going to make the top-four this season 🙂 – let’s talk about what can be done NOW to get back to both beautiful AND effective football again.
Arsene has said on a number of occasions that his team has been playing with the handbrake on. I agree with him, but what can he do about it? For me, the answer lays with the ‘2’ of our 4-2-1-3 formation.
I would like us to play 4-1-2-3 for the remainder of the season. I cannot see us fix our defensive issues any more without buying a quality DM and CB, or at least one of them during the summer. I also cannot see us change to 4-4-2, 4-5-1 or even 3-5-2 during the remainder of the season; the change would be too drastic, whereas moving the ‘2’ forwards can be done without too many adjustments.
So I say, let’s focus on playing our game as much as possible in the opposition’s half and scoring as many goals in the process. Allow Arteta to play as our deepest laying midfielder; or maybe even move Vermaelen there. In the ‘2’ we can play Cazorla and Wilshere or Rosicky and Ox, or even bring back the Siberia working camp exiled Arshavin.
We have so many quality players to play in the double advanced midfielder positions, that we could see an instant, and much needed, positive impact.
Arsenal would be buzzing with attacking intent again, and the likes of Podolski, Walcott and Giroud would get plenty of service to start adding to their goal tally once more. In the process Arsenal might find its new identity again, and in the summer we can add the necessary steel at the back and in midfield, and add another quality flair player as well.
Let’s hope Arsene will be a bit braver now, and will try something different for the remainder of the season: throw the handbrake away and let the team go and enjoy themselves again. There is still plenty of quality in the team and it is time to allow them to throw the shackles away and dictate play again. Yes we are likely to concede a lot of goals in the process, but as recent games have shown to us, this will happen anyway.
So, we might as well go out there and play the sort of football that we are capable of and will bring joy to our Gooner hearts again. I also reckon, it is the best way to secure a top-four spot this season.
But what do you think Arsene should do to give us back our identity again; to start playing beautiful and winning football once more?
Since the departure of Fabregas, almost two seasons ago, Arsene Wenger has struggled to find the right combinations in midfield.
Last season, he experimented desperately to get enough creative spark in his beloved 4-2-1-3 formation. He tried Ramsey as his lone creative/attacking midfielder (CAM) but it did not work out. If and when Rosicky was fit, he was played as our CAM and the team often played a lot better as a result. But Tomas Rosicky’s anagram of ‘Sick Room Stay’ seems to always follow him, as he was once again more injured than available for Arsene. Wenger was hoping either Wilshere or Diaby would return to fitness, but they also remained in the treatment room, and in both cases for the entire season.
Ultimately, Wenger found a solution in asking Song to become our lynchpin player between defence and attack, which included producing a significant number of assists. Song did a great job at this and together with Theo and van Judas he saved our season, in terms of goals and assists. Many fans criticised some of his defensive performances, but these were the price to pay for the invaluable support he gave to our attack.
The Cameroonian’s partnership with Arteta had become a very strong one, and if Arsene could have added a new CAM during last summer, or JW10 would have returned to full fitness from the start, we finally would have had a strong and consistent midfield to kick-off the 2012-2013 season.
Inexplicably, Song was sold late in the summer and no replacement was brought in. Yet, Arsene did bring in a quality CAM in Cazorla, and luckily, JW10 finally returned to full fitness as well. Initially, everything looked great as both Arteta and Diaby started the season strong, both individually and as a ‘double DM tandem’.
However, Diaby became injured once again and Wilshere took his place once he became fully fit. With our defence not firing from all cylinders, and Arteta not the prototype DM many of us have been asking for, Jack was forced to stay back and help out on the defensive side a lot – and I would say too much. At the same time, Santi struggled to really give shape and purpose to our attacking play, and it became clear that the balance in our midfield was not right, once again.
During the January Transfer Window, we were linked with a number of typical, hairy-arsed DM’s, but regrettably, nobody was signed. Diaby has returned and has played a number of games recently. However, he is a shadow of the player we applauded so much after his game at Anfield, at the start of the season. Furthermore, and even more worrying; his partnership with Arteta has gone flat, as both players struggle to protect the defence properly, or support our attacking moves with the necessary impetus and gusto.
Rosicky has been fit for a while now, but does not seem to be able to get a foot into the first team anymore. This is surprising, given that he signed a new contract not so long ago and Wenger has always liked him. Rosicky had a decent game against Blackburn last weekend, but did not start against Bayern, and did not feature at all against Aston Villa. What is going on here?
I know that Song is not every Gooner’s favourite player, but I feel we are missing him badly at the moment. I am convinced that if Arsene would have asked Song to play as a sole, traditional DM, he would do this with gusto, and be very good at it as well. But he was sold and not replaced, and I feel strongly that this is biting Arsene badly in the arse at the moment.
So what to do with our midfield and with the likes of Diaby, Rosicky and Arteta?
I was glad to see Jack being played in the CAM position this Saturday, but just as against Blackburn a week ago, both Diaby and Arteta did not provide him, or the defence, with the required quality of support. This is a worry, and on top of that Diaby is injured again, and God only knows how long it is going to take before the lanky Frenchman is fully fit again.
We cannot buy a DM until the next TW, so we have to make do with what we have. I guess the easiest solution for Arsene is to put Jack next to Arteta and play Cazorla as our CAM. Another option is to combine Arteta with either Ramsey or Coquelin. For me, they are both not ideal but either of them should have a run of games now. Another option is to play Rosicky as our CAM, or even next to Arteta, but Wenger does not seem to want to play him regularly anymore.
However, Wenger will need to get this balance right as soon as possible: our defence needs better quality protection and our attack the right level of thrust and creativity. If he gets it right, we will finish in the top 3/ top 4 this season; if not, it will most probably be ‘Channel Five – Thursday Night’ for us.
Bergkampesque 