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The tactics thread

Garrincha

Wilf Zaha Aficionado
Trusted ⭐
Just drop the Upamecano fund on a well balanced DM that loves defending. That will than allow us to build a strong midfield rather than just rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic... I believe we do have the other pieces in midfield for a good set up.

That kid at Benfica is the dream. Sure Mourinho will pick him up next job.
 

Coolin

Doesn't appreciate the mighty Nacho
I'm no expert, but we can start by bringing our only competent DM back into the fold. Ceballos, Guendozi and Xhaka are too weak defensively. The slighest bit of skill sends them the wrong way, which puts our defence under a huge amount of pressure.
 

Rex Stone

Long live the fighters
Trusted ⭐

Country: Wales
Just drop the Upamecano fund on a well balanced DM that loves defending. That will than allow us to build a strong midfield rather than just rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic... I believe we do have the other pieces in midfield for a good set up.

That kid at Benfica is the dream. Sure Mourinho will pick him up next job.

We need a CB so badly right now seen as Emery is refusing to have any form of midfield press or start with wide players who can actually run in behind.

We go full turtle as soon as we score which actually requires our CB’s to be decent.
 

Jae

Well-Known Member
Surely it's only a matter of time before this team implodes? You can't have the same players costing us points every game when others are literally carrying us on their backs. Surely someone gets ****ed off and says something to them eventually. I know I would.
 

CaseUteinberger

Established Member

Country: Sweden
I'm no expert, but we can start by bringing our only competent DM back into the fold. Ceballos, Guendozi and Xhaka are too weak defensively. The slighest bit of skill sends them the wrong way, which puts our defence under a huge amount of pressure.
Amen to that! I just don't understand why he isn't starting. I'd play Torreira and Guendozi as a two in a 4231. I fear that Torreira will look to leave if he cannot get enough playing time.
 

BigPoppaPump

Reeling from Laca & Kos nightmares
Surely it's only a matter of time before this team implodes? You can't have the same players costing us points every game when others are literally carrying us on their backs. Surely someone gets ****ed off and says something to them eventually. I know I would.

Aubameyang had an interview basically saying we give away points for stupidity. Like he feels his goals are going to waste.
 

field442

Hates Journalists Named James
Trusted ⭐
Some interesting points brought up in Arseblog today and one of them i've been thinking about myself. Why if the plan is to play out from the back does he insist on having both CBs stand next to the keeper? Just because they can now be inside the box doesn't mean they have to be. If anything it's better if they're outside the box. Then the opposition will stick close to the CBs and follow them around meaning you can make more space for the midfielders to receive the ball from the keeper.

If you think back to last season the CBs pushed out wide, the full backs went high up the pitch and the midfielders dropped deep (effectively in a CB position) to receive the ball. That was iffy in the beginning but it started to get better once Cech ****ed off. You can still do that now so i don't know why he's insisting on the CBs standing next to the keeper.
 

krackpot

Established Member
Trusted ⭐
Ceballos and Guendouzi is like having two Ramseys. Both run around and tackle a lot but don't have positioning sense.

Xhaka looks so much bettter than the others we have simply because he doesn't leave his station.
 

Red London

Anti-Simp Culture
Trusted ⭐
I'm no expert, but we can start by bringing our only competent DM back into the fold. Ceballos, Guendozi and Xhaka are too weak defensively. The slighest bit of skill sends them the wrong way, which puts our defence under a huge amount of pressure.
The problem is when the slightest bit of skill is done and those players are passed by an attacker, there is no cover.

Its a super glued piece of paper covering our defence, its like its just there for the sake of it. The structure is all wrong. Even if we put Torreira there he would just be getting ran at by players all day long.

We saw more of a 433 vs Burnley and Newcastle at times, I dont know what the **** we have decided to start doing since then. Even though we weren't exactly rolling them over it looked like we were getting somewhere eventually. But in our last two games Emery has decided to go back to one idiot standing in front of the defence while the other two seemingly have no responsibility to defend.
 

Sniper Mik

Not a Closet Sp**s Fan
Is it just me or have our set-pieces gone down the ****ter? Some shocking corner and freekick routines last night
 

Iceman10

Established Member
Tactically I would at least like to see Unai Emery establish a "Plan B" option in CM to what is clearly his "Plan A" of Xhaka as #6, whether we like his "Plan A" or not. It would be negligent not to establish that Plan B option in EL matches, domestic cups, and easier PL home games.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
I have a question - what is the purpose of wide forwards in our setup?

Our midfield is typically disorganized but I think it's harder to make those wide spots work so far in this team. Maybe we were too hard on Iwobi and Mhki. Pepe doesn't appear to be able to make significant impact for a sustained period in the final 3rd, nor Nelson. Auba gets fewer opportunities than he should be getting and still is converting at a scary high rate, even with the odd miss. It makes Sakas form even more impressive IMO - his individual approach is proving to work a treat so far.

The attack is quite disjointed, theres no real coordinated moves or cohesion between them and no real link with the midfield either. The only real relationships the wingers have are with the full backs, who seem to be more important to the attack.

I think the key could be bringing Özil back. He at the very least operates in the kind of areas where he can link with the attacking players. Failing that, having Ceballos deeper on the field would suffice in terms of bringing play forward reliably. Xhakas one gift to the team is not even being exploited because of how poorly constructed our attack is. That we have managed to score a decent amount of goals already this season is pleasantly surprising.
 

TromsoGooner

Obsessed With Looking for Eric
Is it just me or have our set-pieces gone down the ****ter? Some shocking corner and freekick routines last night

The delivery was poor yesterday but we don`t really have players that are good at attacking the ball on set plays. Sokratis is not that good in the air and Luiz has never scored many headers. Giroud is not here and Mustafi for all his faults is quite dangerous on set pieces, attacks the ball very well. Koscielny also got quite few goals.
 

Toast

Established Member
I think yesterday was a good example of the general approach Emery is trying to implement. Now, this sort of analysis is not really my forte, but I'll have a go it. This is not meant to argue either for or against any or all of Emery's decisions, but merely to try to describe the type of setup he seems to have in mind and the upsides and downsides to it, as I see them, and the implications specific roles have for certain players in our squad.

From 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-3
Despite pre-match reports of a 4-3-3, we still lined up in Emery's preferred 4-2-3-1. During the build up phase we maintained this shape, with Xhaka and Guendouzi forming a block in midfield. As we progressed from the middle-third into the final third our fullbacks both bombed forward, while Xhaka dropped back. Pepe and Saka both cut inside. So, in attack we formed a 3-4-3, with Kolasinac and Chambers providing width while the front three stayed largely within the tramlines.

wRQCNW3.png


When we lost possession we tried, and succeeded in the first half at least, to structurally press the opposition. Notably, it was the front four of Saka, Auba, Pepe and Ceballos who provided the impetus for this after the first few seconds. The rest of the team reformed into a 4-2-3-1 again.

Attacking and creating
As we know, Emery is fairly extreme in his insistence on wing play. That was evident again yesterday. The vast majority of our play went through the wings, with the fullbacks pushing up very high to provide a numerical overload. Guendouzi and Ceballos also drifted out relatively wide.

P9UFNS8.png


There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach. The main advantage is that we create numerical overloads out wide, which systematically sets players up to cross. I recall reading somewhere that Emery's philosophy is to create as many chances as possible, however small, which will inevitably lead to goals. Essentially, Emery's preferred method is to brute force a defence rather than lockpick it. So, we get out wide and we try to spam crosses. This does often work, especially if the ball falls to Auba (or Martinelli). Further, our emphasis on the wide areas means that turnovers usually occur in areas that are relatively safe. Losing the ball out wide instead of centrally normally gives the team a little more time, often sufficient time, to get back into shape.

Then, the negatives. It's not pretty. Spamming crosses can be effective, but it's rarely nice to look at. It is a highly structured, but very monotonous way of playing. Crucially, this emphasis on wing play means we have very little penetration from the middle of the pitch and, therefore, little variety to our play. It also means we rely on an accumulation of many small chances working out, rather than trying to create 'big chances' Further, the practice of overloading the wide areas can backfire. On the few occassions when somebody does screw up in the centre of the pitch, it is often deadly since two of our CMs and the FBs are not position to combat the eror. A wayward pass in the centre can often lead to a free run at the CBs. Human error is therefore brutally punished in this setup and we arguably have more error-prone players than most teams.

This, I think, is our route one to attacking the opposition: the structural creation of (low %) chances. Emery tries to supplement this with incidental (high %) chances through our press. We press high in order to create turnovers in dangerous areas. It is from these turnovers that we get our highest quality chances. The combination of the steady supply of low % chances from out wide and incidental high % chances from the centre are, in Emery's view at least, sufficient to make it highly likely that the opposition defence will eventually be forced open.

Square pegs and round holes
The above unfortunately has implications for a number of players in our squad. To my mind, these are Xhaka, Toreira and Özil.

First, the shifting of 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-3. If this is how Emery wants to play, it is more understandable why he prefers Xhaka - despite all our misgivings - over someone like Toreira or Guendouzi. Toreira lacks the height and Guendouzi lacks the positional discipline, for now. Xhaka is more adept to the role in that back three, though I think even Emery recognises he is not ideally suited. Chambers and Luiz should, on paper, be able to do the same and perhaps we'll see them deployed in that role at some point.

Second, the way we're set up to press means the #10 role must be occupied by someone willing and able to press, since those front four have to buy the time for the rest of the team to reset. Secondly, we rely on this pressing to create high quality turnovers. Last season Ramsey played this role, and he is arguably one of the most suited players in the world. This season, Emery is struggling to replicate the role. Ceballos can do it, but seemingly not for 90 minutes. So we see Toreira in that role, even though he blatantly lacks the technique to play that high up the pitch.

Third, the emphasis on wide areas. Özil does not fit Emery's system for two key reasons: a) he's not capable of executing the type of pressing Emery wants and b) Özil's game is all about getting lots of the ball in central areas in the final third. Emery's game systematically moves the ball away from this area. Özil and Emery are fundamentally incompatible. It is exceedingly likely that Özil has been told he needs to either change his game or take a seat, which seems entirely consistent with all the reports we have on that situation. Toreira will have been told the same, and is consequently trying to adapt his game to play higher up the pitch, albeit with limited success.
 
Last edited:

RunTheTrap

Kai Havertz Offense League
I think yesterday was a good example of the general approach Emery is trying to implement. Now, this sort of analysis is not really my forte, but I'll have a go it. This is not meant to argue either for or against any or all of Emery's decisions, but merely to try to describe the type of setup he seemst to have in mind and the upsides and downsides to it, as I see them, and the implications specific roles have for certain players in our squad.

From 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-3
Despite pre-match reports of a 4-3-3, we still lined up in Emery's preferred 4-2-3-1. During the build up phase we maintained this shape, with Xhaka and Guendouzi forming a block in midfield. As we progressed from the middle-third into the final third our fullbacks both bombed forward, while Xhaka dropped back. Pepe and Saka both cut inside. So, in attack we formed a 3-4-3, with Kolasinac and Chambers providing width while the front three stayed largely within the tramlines.

wRQCNW3.png


When we lost possession we tried, and succeeded in the first half at least, to structurally press the opposition. Notably, it was the front four of Saka, Auba, Pepe and Ceballos who provided the impetus for this after the first few seconds. The rest of the team reformed into a 4-2-3-1 again.

Attacking and creating
As we know, Emery is fairly extreme in his insistence on wing play. That was evident again yesterday. The vast majority of our play went through the wings, with the fullbacks pushing up very high to provide a numerical overload. Guendouzi and Ceballos also drifted out relatively wide.

P9UFNS8.png


There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach. The main advantage is that we create numerical overloads out wide, which systematically sets players up to cross. I recall reading somewhere that Emery's philosophy is to create as many chances as possible, however small, which will inevitably lead to goals. Essentially, Emery's preferred method is to brute force a defence rather than lockpick it. So, we get out wide and we try to spam crosses. This does often work, especially if the ball falls to Auba (or Martinelli). Further, our emphasis on the wide areas means that turnovers usually occur in areas that are relatively safe. Losing the ball out wide instead of centrally normally gives the team a little more team, often sufficient time, to get back into shape.

Then, the negatives. It's not pretty. Spamming crosses can be effective, but it's rarely nice to look at. It is a highly structured, but very monotonous way of playing. Crucially, this emphasis on wing play means we have very little penetration from the middle of the pitch and, therefore, little variety to our play. It also means we rely on an accumulation of many small chances working out, rather than trying to create 'big chances' Further, the practice of overloading the wide areas can backfire. On the few occassions when somebody does screw up in the centre of the pitch, it is often deadly since two of our CMs and the FBs are not position to combat the eror. A wayward pass in the centre can often lead to a free run at the CBs. Human error is therefore brutally punished in this setup and we arguably have more error-prone players than most teams.

This, I think, is our route one to attacking the opposition: the structural creation of (low %) chances. Emery tries to supplement this with incidental (high %) chances through our press. We press high in order to create turnovers in dangerous areas. It is from these turnovers that we get our highest quality chances. The combination of the steady supply of low % chances from out wide and incidental high % chances from the centre are, in Emery's view at least, sufficient to make it highly likely that the opposition defence will eventually be forced open.

Square pegs and round holes
The above unfortunately has implications for a number of players in our squad. To my mind, these are Xhaka, Toreira and Özil.

First, the shifting of 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-3. If this is how Emery wants to play, it is more understandable why he prefers Xhaka - despite all our misgivings - over someone like Toreira or Guendouzi. Toreira lacks the height and Guendouzi lacks the positional discipline, for now. Xhaka is more adept to the role in that back three, though I think even Emery recognises he is not ideally suited. Chambers and Luiz should, on paper, be able to do the same and perhaps we'll see them deployed in that role at some point.

Second, the way we're set up to press means the #10 role must be occupied by someone willing and able to press, since those front four have to buy the time for the rest of the team to reset. Secondly, we rely on this pressing to create high quality turnovers. Last season Ramsey played this role, and he is arguably one of the most suited players in the world. This season, Emery is struggling to replicate the role. Ceballos can do it, but seemingly not for 90 minutes. So we see Toreira in that role, even though he blatantly lacks the technique to play that high up the pitch.

Third, the emphasis on wide areas. Özil does not fit Emery's system for two key reasons: a) he's not capable of executing the type of pressing Emery wants and b) Özil's game is all about getting lots of the ball in central areas in the final third. Emery's game systematically moves the ball away from this area. Özil and Emery are fundamentally incompatible. It is exceedingly likely that Özil has been told he needs to either change his game or take a seat, which seems entirely consistent with all the reports we have on that situation. Toreira will have been told the same, and is consequently trying to adapt his game to play higher up the pitch, albeit with limited success.
Why can’t Willock be that pressing 10 instead? He has the engine and the physical presence that all other options do not possess. Even against Newcastle, Willock started at 10 but Emery has yet to trust him in that position again.
Willock
Xhaka-Torreira/Guendouzi
 
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