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What is your preferred midfield?

What three players would you prefer to start in midfield?

  • Xhaka

    Votes: 14 8.2%
  • Torreira

    Votes: 147 86.0%
  • Özil

    Votes: 23 13.5%
  • Guendouzi

    Votes: 73 42.7%
  • Willock

    Votes: 99 57.9%
  • Ceballos

    Votes: 154 90.1%

  • Total voters
    171

Toby

No longer a Stuttgart Fan
Moderator
Torreira was excellent for Uruguay playing just in front of the defence. Not sure why he is being moulded into more of a b2b midfielder now, maybe it is indeed because of his size.

Think it's very likely a tactical tweak, similar to what Sarri did with Kanté at Chelsea, Walter with Ascacibar at Stuttgart, Thiago is often the deepest mid at Bayern with more 6-like players shifted higher.

The thinking is you want your DLP deepest when winning the ball so he's the first to receive the ball and organize play, with ball-winning 6s like Kanté, Ascacibar and Torreira pushed higher up the pitch to try and win the ball higher up in an aggressive and tight press.

The obvious problems are that not every DLP is a perfect mix of passing and defensive ability, so without a ballwinner behind him once he's surpassed it can create defensive issues, same goes for him being targeted by the opposition as they know play will mostly go through him. Another problem, especially at Arsenal, is that there's still no cohesive overall pressing system, so the pushed up ballwinner is not very useful as of now - there's still no pressing traps and the like so he's mostly just running around.

You can go back and do it the traditional way of putting your 6 behind your 8, like e.g. Real Madrid under Zidane do with Casemiro sitting behind Kroos and Modric, but you'd ideally need a ball carrier in that three and obviously Emery prefers to have two 6s sitting so that doesn't seem to be a way for him. You can go about fixing this tactically via off ball movement, player spacing, decoy runs and positional rotation, but I honestly believe we won't see that. It's going to be more of the same.
 

RacingPhoton

Established Member
Think it's very likely a tactical tweak, similar to what Sarri did with Kanté at Chelsea, Walter with Ascacibar at Stuttgart, Thiago is often the deepest mid at Bayern with more 6-like players shifted higher.

The thinking is you want your DLP deepest when winning the ball so he's the first to receive the ball and organize play, with ball-winning 6s like Kanté, Ascacibar and Torreira pushed higher up the pitch to try and win the ball higher up in an aggressive and tight press.

The obvious problems are that not every DLP is a perfect mix of passing and defensive ability, so without a ballwinner behind him once he's surpassed it can create defensive issues, same goes for him being targeted by the opposition as they know play will mostly go through him. Another problem, especially at Arsenal, is that there's still no cohesive overall pressing system, so the pushed up ballwinner is not very useful as of now - there's still no pressing traps and the like so he's mostly just running around.

You can go back and do it the traditional way of putting your 6 behind your 8, like e.g. Real Madrid under Zidane do with Casemiro sitting behind Kroos and Modric, but you'd ideally need a ball carrier in that three and obviously Emery prefers to have two 6s sitting so that doesn't seem to be a way for him. You can go about fixing this tactically via off ball movement, player spacing, decoy runs and positional rotation, but I honestly believe we won't see that. It's going to be more of the same.
I remember even Wenger tried with Coquelin for a couple of matches and failed miserably.
 

Toby

No longer a Stuttgart Fan
Moderator
I remember even Wenger tried with Coquelin for a couple of matches and failed miserably.

It does have upsides as ideally you free up space and other players to take up playmaking duties situationally, it can be pretty unpredictable and the high ballwinners give you a tighter and higher grip and access to the opposition ideally resulting in higher up and quicker turnovers. But it's a high risk thing and not the easiest thing to get right. The way this team lacks overall structure and an overall pressing system and off the ball movement with the lackluster implementation of playing out from the back it's doomed.
 

PoleInGoal

Well-Known Member

Player:Tomiyasu
To be fair, I’m not sure Guendouzi is anything special in terms of his passing.

Wasn’t Sunday his first ever assist for us?
It may have been. I'm hardly claiming he's Pirlo, but saying he can't pass is doing him a massive disservice. E.g. his pass vs Huddersfield last season for our winner was pretty phenomenal.

He also keeps playing ticking well and doesn't give the ball away much.
 

PoleInGoal

Well-Known Member

Player:Tomiyasu
Takes too long to decide. We need someone quicker in making decisions if you are trying to play a short passing game.
The same can be said of Xhaka. I'd rather Guendouzi takes a bit more time to choose the right pass than watch Xhaka play the ball straight to the opponent 30 yards from our goal.
 

krackpot

Established Member
Trusted ⭐
The same can be said of Xhaka. I'd rather Guendouzi takes a bit more time to choose the right pass than watch Xhaka play the ball straight to the opponent 30 yards from our goal.
but Guendonzi cannot control the midfield like Xhaka.

You need both
 

zilfy

Active Member
I wish I could vote again. I didn't put doozie in the 3, but after the derby it's clear he is a special talent.

Haters would say cant judge too much from one game, hope he starts proving then wrong on a regular basis
 

Aevi

Hale End FC
Moderator
I wish I could vote again. I didn't put doozie in the 3, but after the derby it's clear he is a special talent.

Haters would say cant judge too much from one game, hope he starts proving then wrong on a regular basis
There's an option to change your vote right under the poll.
 

Divided_Pie

Active Member
Torreira was excellent for Uruguay playing just in front of the defence. Not sure why he is being moulded into more of a b2b midfielder now, maybe it is indeed because of his size.
Look at what happened against Sp**s - we cut off their midfield and were pressing high, so they countered by dropping Kane deeper and playing long balls in to his head, with Son playing off him, running in to the channels and causing us all kinds of problems. Xhaka struggled to cope, imagine Torreira trying to defend that. Emery also likes to drop his deepest midfielder between the CBs who split out wide in the buildup, creating something like a back 3. Torreira's size makes him less than ideal for that role as well.
 

Divided_Pie

Active Member
Torreira was excellent for Uruguay playing just in front of the defence. Not sure why he is being moulded into more of a b2b midfielder now, maybe it is indeed because of his size.
honest question because I haven't watch Uruguay play, do the push up both of their FBs like Emery does? If not that might help explain his effectiveness in that role
 

RunTheTrap

Kai Havertz Offense League
I remember even Wenger tried with Coquelin for a couple of matches and failed miserably.
I remember Wenger used to have Cazorla as the deepest midfielder and Coquelin further up during build up play. It’s like he used Coquelin as a decoy and to be fair it worked some games but overall it wasn’t really a good idea.
 

Oxeki

Match Day Thread Merchant
Trusted ⭐

Country: Nigeria

Player:Saliba
I feel our best combination should be

Torreira

Guen Ceballos


a mixture of grit, creativity and and control
 
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Oh-Zeal

Member
Arsenal left a squad that has every player playing in the wrong position. That has left a manager trying to figure out what he does not have in the team, at the same time try to stick to his tactics. Torreira is a 6. He anticipates, we yet to even witness his class interceptions.. He actually can start play from deep and swivel away from a marker with his small frame protecting the ball.. now making him run around like a headless chicken will make him look bad Time and time again. It's not his game. Now Arsenal have missed a ball carrier with silky movement in transition.. I am a fan of Willocks abilities and only excited to have a player of his sort finally come through.. Cabellos does this good as well and has bite for those who think he doesn't. Now that other position has to go to someone who's game would be to help Torreira.. physical and a good passer of the ball. Thank God we got Guendouzi. I want this player to be very important as from now. He comes deep to collect, his got zipped passes, that most of our players are even afraid to pull off, his got a good engine for his all round game. People talk about his awareness and I mean.. He can mature each game.
So we have a good mix in midfield.. But we honestly have to play players in their best positions to even figure a functioning midfield.
**** Xhaka
 

HBL

Established Member
I still rate Xhaka highly. Him and Guendouzi were top draw in the second half at the weekend, but not sure you can keep picking Xhaka if he continues to make these costly errors. Either way he'll either come good for us and cut the mistakes out of his game or we'll get a good fee from a serie A/La liga club because he is a seriously good footballer.
 

Santi's Left Foot

No Longer Sleeping in Theo's bed
I still rate Xhaka highly. Him and Guendouzi were top draw in the second half at the weekend, but not sure you can keep picking Xhaka if he continues to make these costly errors. Either way he'll either come good for us and cut the mistakes out of his game or we'll get a good fee from a serie A/La liga club because he is a seriously good footballer.

Xhaka has been poor to average at best for us. It's not even his mistakes, his general play too.

I don't understand why people are still defending him, he should be out the team asap it's just a shame we have to long for him to be sold.
 
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Santi's Left Foot

No Longer Sleeping in Theo's bed
I don’t think Torreira has a long term future at the club. Nothing specifically against him, I just don’t think it will work out. I assume Emery will get top four and want players who more fit what he wants and not the homeless German. Just a hunch.

Absolutely baffling how underrated Torreira is, but Xhaka no matter what he does gets a free pass.

Unreal
 

pigge

#Pigge #Equality

Player:Martinelli
I still rate Xhaka highly. Him and Guendouzi were top draw in the second half at the weekend, but not sure you can keep picking Xhaka if he continues to make these costly errors. Either way he'll either come good for us and cut the mistakes out of his game or we'll get a good fee from a serie A/La liga club because he is a seriously good footballer.
Hes been making them for more than three years. How many years untill its enough? He's literally mustafi in midfield.
 

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