Maturity, why Bendtner is out wide and the Verminator

Denilson started 49 matches last season. Song started 37. A good young player does not play that number of games and comes back the same the next season. A group of players - Fabregas, Denilson, Clichy, Song and Bendtner don't spend years growing and playing together and fail to get better.

Celtic gave us the kind of game that is a mix between the low end of Man United and the high end of Everton at their best last season. Arsenal of last season would have had much more difficulty with that match last season. This was the first time I have seen maturity in the entire side.

I was watching on a French TV channel where Samir Nasri was in the studio. When asked about the game, he said the result was the most important but that it was great that the team defended as a unit. Asked about Abou Diaby returning from injury he said that it was great for the team because he believes that if Diaby is injury free for a while he would an enormous player. In fact he said he IS an enormous player. It is very hard for me to see that but I will try and believe Samir.

Against Everton, I figured out how Wenger plays 4-3-3. Arsenal will not play through midfield from defence because he doesn't want to lose the ball in midfield. Arsenal get the ball forward through the wing backs if there is a potential for a quick counter attack. Otherwise they will play it to Bendtner. Bendtner is Arsenal's best player in the air. He has more chance of winning a header than Robin van Persie. I now understand why it makes sense to play Bendtner wide because it gives him only one defender to jump with. In the middle, it could be up to three. Wenger wants to win the ball or lose the ball forward in the opposition area. Not in midfield, not in his defence.

If Bendtner wins the ball, Arsenal tries to secure the area and win the second ball by closing the area with one midfielder and RvP and launch an attack. Our midfielders are scoring because they can run from the centre while defenders concentrate on van Persie and Bendtner. If Bendtner loses the ball, there are people there to start defending right there and force the opposition back or force a long ball.

Fabregas doesn't need to be at the start and end of everything any more. He can now arrive to score.

In Glasgow, Mowbary tried to close down the Bendtner avenue after watching the Everton game and Arsenal and Bendtner suffered a little. Celtic also focused their attacks there which forced Bendtner back. But this group of boys have played 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 so adjusting to different attacking options was not totally alien when that route wasn't working. Arshavin's disallowed goal involved more than 10 passes.

With 4-3-3, the strikers may not be scoring but we are much more dangerous and much quicker in the attack. The opposition fully expects those strikers to score because of the repeated dangerous and sudden attacking situations we create. When a French pundit was asked about Arsenal's lucky deflected goals, he said the goals were provoked by the good play not by luck. Most own goals would have been goals if the defender decided not to try to save it.

With 4-3-3, the strikers may not be scoring but it allows Arsenal to have their best players on the pitch in a way that allows them to play at their most natural. Even Bendtner and Arshavin are not as out of position as they would be in a 4-4-2. It allows our three best central midfielders and very arguably our best attacking players to be on the pitch at the same time. They may not be replica's of Barcelona players but at least they can play where they are more or most comfortable.

I am desperate to see Eduardo in this formation. When Rosicky is fit, we will pay a slightly different version of 4-3-3. Of course we have to expect 4-3-3 will not work with every combination of players but the team can play differently occasionally, they have done the alternatives for 4 years. If there is a third high quality player in the front three, it would help to make up for the fact that we don't have Eto'o or Ibrahimovic. If Arsenal had that, they would be incredible. Stand up van Persie or Eduardo!

My best memory is the cohesion in the team. Everyone seems to know where the other would be. Fabregas has a role now that doesn't clash with the player beside him. It complements it. The defensive unit that they whole team creates is fantastic and the attacking unit will surely only get better. I really hope so. It seems the team has built around something much more sustainable and basic now. The way Denilson ran with purpose and commitment to save us from a blistering Celtic counter-attack. The confidence with which William Gallas cut out a low cross which may have ended up and own goal.

Gallas is a rock!

And it was right to sell Touré. Thomas Vermaelen and Gallas really work. I met a Belgian guy at the station and asked about Vermaelen. He said most Belgians were surprised that Wenger bought him because he is not Belgium's best defender. But he said, he is young and plays like a lion so he expected the Premier League would be the place for him to see how good he can be. He is very good with his head so don't worry about the height, he said. True.

Vermaelen talks and organises. He has great positioning. Gallas talks and organises and has great positioning. It makes everything more solid. Manuel Almunia is also really good but needs to keep his concentration.

The team seems more confident. Gallas can run forward and stay for a while because he knows Song moves back and stays. Song has actually won a lot of balls in defence while Gallas was in midfield. It is a natural position for Song so it works. The team seems to flow nicely in controlling the game and defending and I am sure if they get secure doing that and maintain it, their attacking will get much much scarier and effective.

Lastly, it was very nice to see Song and Denilson standing up, being strong and mature. Song has a lot more variety in his play than most people have seen before. We have to pray that we just get a break with injuries this season.

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