good start to the season look playing him as LW getting best out of him
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Alex Iwobi: Big 17 No Safety
- Thread starter beaney
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Couldn't Iwobi-Özil-Auba behind Lacazette be an option? No clue how Auba will do on the right wing though.
He had a good start to the season. Think it actually benefits him not being first choice and playing LW/CAM regularly. Speaks for him that when called upon he gets his head down and plays good football.
I think it's great to have guys like him and also Mkhitaryan apparently being in the constitution to deliver when being called upon although not being set starters. Too often we had the problem that non starters weren't able to produce.
I think it's great to have guys like him and also Mkhitaryan apparently being in the constitution to deliver when being called upon although not being set starters. Too often we had the problem that non starters weren't able to produce.
#254
Well-Known Member
More like we can't accommodate Auba without playing him on the wing cos he hasn't been threatening enough at CF when he's played there while Laca tears it up there!
Mark Tobias
Mr. Agreeable
Take a bow Alex Iwobi. Thought he was outstanding. Dipped a bit in the second an Emery rightfully pulled him, possibly saving him for Everton too.
ksarp
Active Member
The glaring problem still remains...his offensive daftness. Iwobi's hit his ceiling just like Wilshere/Ramsey. Might be worth selling while he's worth something. Don't be swayed by his performance against the equivalent of a league 1 outfit.
ksarp
Active Member
It's an issue isn't it? Auba just can't handle the conventional 9..can't hold and doesn't press . Maybe hold if he drifted like Titi did.
He's very well known to press under Klopp and Tuchel at Dortmund, where he also flourished as a No. 9.
The thing is he's paired with different players here. Reus and whoever Dortmund played on the right side (usually Mkhitaryan or Blaszczykowski) would behave differently than the guys he's paired with here. Reus is a quick attacker, almost a second striker or striker himself - Iwobi doesn't provide that from the left, and neither does Welbeck really. Kuba was quite a straightforward workhorse running the lines mostly - and we haven't got a player of that mold on our right side. Right now there's Özil who drifts in and plays as a 10 in the half spaces.
This all means for Auba there's less movement and less baiting around him done, so CBs can focus more on him as neither e.g. Iwobi or Özil as his wingmen will regularly take on defenders and try to penetrate the box. In this light it's pretty clear why he's better with Lacazette on the pitch - and vice versa.
Another thing to factor in is the specific gegenpressing style: you win the ball high up the pitch and brake instantly with as much pace as possible - that's golden for a guy like Aubameyang. Tuchel's style got a bit more patient and focused on possession, and incidentally Auba often took on the role of a fox in the box, or he was shifted to the right side, from which he would drift in with speed and unmarked. That wasn't a long term option for BvB as they didn't have a proper CF to accomodate that spot, but Arsenal have. Emery's style is closer to Tuchel's than to Klopp's. It's one of the factors why Auba is more dangerous on the wing for us - and Arsenal have the CF that allows us to play him on the left or right.
As for the pressing: Auba has pressed under Klopp and Tuchel. Saying he can't do it per se is a weird statement. I'd much rather say that the collective and cohesive pressing isn't really working for the team as a whole as of now and we will probably see it get better over the course of the season.
ksarp
Active Member
You're probably right. He can press, but within this system he can't do it successfully. That begs the question though, can Laca press?
Have you watched games this season?
Both players pressed in pre season games and against City and Chelsea. Only in the last few games we've come to see the press isn't fully in place yet. I though think that against Cardiff and Newcastle the game plan was different then in against the two big rivals. It was clear we'd have more of the ball and we actually wanted that. That shines a little bit of a different light on the tactics in these games.
You'd need a more situational press when being the team with more possession and that's definitely something that's not working properly yet - the quick transition form offense to defense when losing the ball and the use of a quick, gegenpressing style press in these situations - it sure looked better when we were the "underdog" or in pre-season and the whole game plan was structured around a constant press. You could see our players hunting in packs of three made up of those closest to the ball, with a second wave of one or two players to win second balls.
Ramsey as 10/furthest CM also makes sense here, as his engine is a big benefit if you're constantly tasked with hunting all around the pitch, e.g. in comparison to only when the ball is on your side. I think it robs him of his strength to cause havoc coming from deep which limits his output, but at the same time seems an integral part to Emery's plans and has led to him actually playing a more disciplined role like many have urged him to do - albeit a bit further up the pitch. Özil doesn't have this hunting mentality which is why he's an off fit here. Mkhitaryan could be an option. You could then push Ramsey back into CM where he could better use his offensive strengths and be of great use in the second wave of the press. But that would only work with Torreira on the pitch, which means sacrificing Xhaka, who, for all his defensive mistakes and immobility, is the tantrum of the side to get the ball forward with his passing. That would be shifted to Torreira, but it would surely cause Özil to drop deeper to try an pull strings, but we've seen how much of a bigger offensive threat he is when further up the pitch.
I think it will depend on the opposition and the game tactics, but longterm we should see a more varied approach to different games.
What I don't really get right now is how we want to play defensively. We we're pressing allround against City and Chelsea and honestly looked good doing it for early season games, then taking a more patient approach for the other games, which in these last games resulted in a bit of disorganization at the back. Are we a pressing side or are we a patient side? If we go for the latter Emery has to work on a more rigid and deep defense which can soak up pressure and play out from the back with patterned press situations up front to create decent chances, e.g. like Favre sides. Or we revert back and give up possession even against smaller teams and focus on the allround press with an eye on gegenpressing. If we want to be a hybrid, then it's going to take a lot of work and time to really see the systems come through on the pitch.
I'd also really like to see some more offensive organization. We've got such a fluid attack, but it still seems to mostly rely on individual moments. This is not something I'd want to curb, but a few clear patterns on how to get at the opposition team, a few structured, planned movements of our attackers would be nice to see.
#254
Well-Known Member
The answer to that would be a resounding Yes! I have seen him pressing and hustling opposition defenses, which basically is what you want in a CF, well of course he also has to be good at holding up play, have good close control, first touch, an eye for goal and a cool finish; attributes which I'd say Laca excels at IMO. As @Toby Andrl posted, both Laca and Auba pressed in the little time both were on the pitch together in the first two games. The problem seems to be the latter games when the only pressing I have seen has been sporadic from all our offensive players, which easily allows opposition players to easily contain the supposed press. I wouldn't speak for the boss, but am guessing the reasons behind his sporadic pressing depending on certain games could be:
- Steady pressing (gegenpressing) in all games is very physically demanding and could result in fatigue/injuries in the latter stages of the season.
- The team hasn't quite mastered the art of gegenpressing especially against elite opposition like City. You could see them exposing us easily when we played them and as such we need more time to train on it and put it in practice in matches.
- Different tactics could be preferred against different opposition depending on the quantity of possession the boss expects us to have in a match.
- Some players with other qualities may not be good at gegenpressing which again is not wise to do against a quality side as they'll easily take advantage of the spaces left in between.
#254
Well-Known Member
I didn't quite watch Dortmund in those days but if what you are saying is true, as in he excelled on the right side at BVB, it could have been the perfect reasoning for the acquisition of a Zaha type who is fast, good technically, can beat opponents, and most importantly is a winger and would ideally have helped in getting the best out of Laca and Auba.
An attack of Zaha-------Laca-------Auba
Player:Martinelli
Iwobi gells so much better with Aubameyang than Alexis. Him leaving done the club a world of good.
Nicenho
Active Member
Alexis being piss poor at United makes it even better.
rich 1990
Not A Big Believer In Diversity
Still don't understand the thread title.
Country: Iceland
In firearms, a safety or safety catch is a mechanism used to help prevent the accidental discharge of a firearm, helping to ensure safer handling.
Player:Martinelli
When life brings you down, no better remedy than the Alexis thread on Redcafe.
rich 1990
Not A Big Believer In Diversity
So it's racist.
Country: Iceland
Think its linked to his signature celebration.
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