Nela
Established Member
I know many on this site seem to have a negative reaction whenever we don't play 4-4-2. But playing 4-4-2 in a league where most of the teams we meet play some sort of version of 4-5-1 simply isn't realistic given our injuries and inexperienced players. We are having such a hard time trying to win the battle in midfield right now.
Last season the 4-4-2 worked in the begining of the season because we had a midfield in which our midfielders were in the best form of their Arsenal careers with shared responsability, defensive hassling across the midfield, ball retention, vision, passing...etc. You need topclass players in all 4 positions to make it work. And we simply don't have that now.
4-2-3-1
Song, Diaby and Denilson have become almost hated figures on this site lately. But if you put two of them in front of the back for with an ACM in front of them I think they'd perform much better. Because as it is today, regardles of which two of the three play, they can't handle the pressure and take hold of the game when we have a 4 man midfield.
I seriously think we should put Nasri in the "hole," which is not only his natural position, but adds some much needed creativity, drive and vision in the middle of the park. I believe RvP can play up front without Ade. In fact I think he will benifit more from having Nasri right behind him than having Ade beside him. The attack should be built around these two players IMO. And if you have players on the flanks making attacking runs, it'll give RvP a lot more to work with than when we're forced to play Eboue or Denilson on the wing in order to play a 4-4-2.
I am by no means an Ade hater, in fact I have many times stressed how important he can be for the team to work. With an immensly creative midfield behind him, he did well last season. But I think the insistence on 4-4-2 to accomodate both our strikers, comes at a massive expense for the midfield. We need to impose ourselves in midfield, and it's just not going to happen with the way we play currently. Ade could still be a big influence on games coming on from the bench as a big impact sub if needed.
The wide players
A change in formation also gives us much more interesting choices on the wings as it gives us the oppurtunity to play certain players that aren't realistic in a 4-4-2(e.g. Vela). We have two natural left footed players in Vela and Gibbs who can play on the left. Vela is obviously more attacking, while Gibbs can help defensively and has the speed to work well on the flanks. Meanwhile Bendtner has actually done a good job on the right when he's been asked to play there and I think it's worth at least trying. You could also play Diaby there, although I don't like that idea much.(But still better than him on the wing in a 4-4-2.) And of course there's Wilshere, though I din't think he's ready to start yet.
So just as an example..
-------------Almunia---------------
--Sagna---Gallas--Djourou--Clichy--
--------Song-------Denilson-------
-Bendtner----Nasri------Vela/Gibbs-
----------------RvP-----------------
Last season the 4-4-2 worked in the begining of the season because we had a midfield in which our midfielders were in the best form of their Arsenal careers with shared responsability, defensive hassling across the midfield, ball retention, vision, passing...etc. You need topclass players in all 4 positions to make it work. And we simply don't have that now.
4-2-3-1
Song, Diaby and Denilson have become almost hated figures on this site lately. But if you put two of them in front of the back for with an ACM in front of them I think they'd perform much better. Because as it is today, regardles of which two of the three play, they can't handle the pressure and take hold of the game when we have a 4 man midfield.
I seriously think we should put Nasri in the "hole," which is not only his natural position, but adds some much needed creativity, drive and vision in the middle of the park. I believe RvP can play up front without Ade. In fact I think he will benifit more from having Nasri right behind him than having Ade beside him. The attack should be built around these two players IMO. And if you have players on the flanks making attacking runs, it'll give RvP a lot more to work with than when we're forced to play Eboue or Denilson on the wing in order to play a 4-4-2.
I am by no means an Ade hater, in fact I have many times stressed how important he can be for the team to work. With an immensly creative midfield behind him, he did well last season. But I think the insistence on 4-4-2 to accomodate both our strikers, comes at a massive expense for the midfield. We need to impose ourselves in midfield, and it's just not going to happen with the way we play currently. Ade could still be a big influence on games coming on from the bench as a big impact sub if needed.
The wide players
A change in formation also gives us much more interesting choices on the wings as it gives us the oppurtunity to play certain players that aren't realistic in a 4-4-2(e.g. Vela). We have two natural left footed players in Vela and Gibbs who can play on the left. Vela is obviously more attacking, while Gibbs can help defensively and has the speed to work well on the flanks. Meanwhile Bendtner has actually done a good job on the right when he's been asked to play there and I think it's worth at least trying. You could also play Diaby there, although I don't like that idea much.(But still better than him on the wing in a 4-4-2.) And of course there's Wilshere, though I din't think he's ready to start yet.
So just as an example..
-------------Almunia---------------
--Sagna---Gallas--Djourou--Clichy--
--------Song-------Denilson-------
-Bendtner----Nasri------Vela/Gibbs-
----------------RvP-----------------
