4-3-3 Formation

[sray2]

Do you think it could work? Wenger mentioned using it and I think it would be a more flexible approach in Europe and against physically stronger midfields than ours (i.e. Chelski).

We could have Gilberto in the holding role, and Fabregas and Hleb/Flamini/Jenas (if the transfer happens). This would give Cesc more stability so he can really unleash his attacking talents. He is not a Vieira type box to box player (although he has showed he can do that), his instinct is to attack and score goals. This formation would help defensively and I think we would get more goals out of Cesc.

In attack you would obviously have Henry as the lone striker, and on the wings Reyes/RvP/Ljunberg/Hleb/Pires/Bentley/Quincy. With the pace of the players just mentioned, they would thrive in a more advanced wing role, as they can have the freedom to cut in and support henry.

This tactic would take a lot of practice and work (as shown by the FA Cup final), but I think some sort of stability and tactical flexibility is absolutely neccessary for Europe, and I think Wenger has finally realized that.

 

[patrick42uk]

i think he said it was a one-off. he hated the tactics prior to the cup final. he tried it then and it killed our atacking game, our only shot on target coming deep in extra time from a set-piece. i think we have and will continue to see variations of within our 442 of which 4-3-3 is one e.g. bergkamp dropping very deep into midfield leaving henry on his own yesterday. but i doubt we will ever see the team tied rigidly to the formation as was the case in the cup final.

 

[clockwork orange]

Think Henry would be half as effective as a CF in 433 compared to 442. Imo we don't have a 433 CF.

 

[kel varnsen]

formation is just numbers. what matters is how the players move, with and without the ball. with another central midfielder instead of a forward, our striker is too isolated. like santiago says, to play with just one man up front, he has to be big and strong. able to keep the ball and wait for support...

 

[Gurgen]

Henry is big and strong and he can keep the ball up as well, problem is he can't be arsed most of the time, because he knows he has other qualities that are even better and more effective.

 

[agnishevchenko]

i have to agree.. all this while we had a good 4 men midfield behind our success.. why do you want to change it now?

 

[Canuck]

Who's the prime candidate for the central striker in a 3 man forward line? Lupoli's not ready yet, it's not playing to Henry's strengths to play him in a forward central role.
RVP I suppose.

 

[clockwork orange]

Who's the prime candidate for the central striker in a 3 man forward line? Lupoli's not ready yet, it's not playing to Henry's strengths to play him in a forward central role.
RVP I suppose.

Could be, Van Basten played him in that role in the last match Holland played. But I think Robin is more effective in 4-4-2.

Any way we can't change to 4-3-3, it requires a lot of changes -every player will have a different task than the one he's used to - and practise. 4-3-3 in more difficult to play than 4-4-2 and if it's not executed properly -most importantly defenders pushing up to midfield when attacking- you'll be a man short on midfield all the time.

 

[Canuck]

I know Robin prefers to play in the secondary striker role, as does Bentley...
Though I think Bentley will be getting more time on the right wing, unless Wenger decides to move Reyes to the right.

I think we'll might see a couple variations on 442, but not a permanent shift to a 433.

 

[sray2]

i don't know if a 4-3-3 is what we need, but we do need SOMETHING different in the Champions League, something which offers us stability in the back and a different option up front rather than just pounding away through the middle. I really don't think we can have success under Wenger in the champion's league, Mourinho's a prat, but he does know how to succeed in Europe, one of Wenger's very few flaws.

 

[Mark]

I'd quite like 4-3-3 to be given a proper try, but it won't happen. Our football isn't exactly a boring 4-4-2 anyway, so the formation isn't THAT important.

 

[kel varnsen]

the problem with a 3 man midfield and 3 up front, as i see it, is the distance between the winger and the full back is sometimes too big. this could cause problems both offensively and defensively. it is harder for the two to work together. there are some advantages(three man central midfield), but there are disadvantages too(more defensive full backs).

of course, there are no pre set rules to how one implement a 4-3-3, but the things i mentioned here are usually true...

 

[clockwork orange]

the problem with a 3 man midfield and 3 up front, as i see it, is the distance between the winger and the full back is sometimes too big.

????

If you play 4-3-3 properly the distance between the players behind eachother is never more than 20 meters. That's why Holland always play 4-3-3, positional changes (total football) are easier with players positoned in this way). Remember you have 3 players on each wing (and 4 on the axis), unlike in 4-4-2.


-----------------------------------GK---------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------CD---------------------------------------------

------------RFB-------------------------------------------LFB--------------------

----------------------------------CD (free role)---------------------------------

------------RM---------------------------------------------LM--------------------

----------------------------------AMF---------------------------------------------

------------RW--------------------------------------------LW--------------------

-----------------------------------CF---------------------------------------------

 

[kel varnsen]

the problem with a 3 man midfield and 3 up front, as i see it, is the distance between the winger and the full back is sometimes too big.

????

If you play 4-3-3 properly the distance between the players behind eachother is never more than 20 meters. That's why Holland always play 4-3-3, positional changes (total football) are easier with players positoned in this way). Remember you have 3 players on each wing (and 4 on the axis), unlike in 4-4-2.


-----------------------------------GK---------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------CD---------------------------------------------

------------RFB-------------------------------------------LFB--------------------

----------------------------------CD (free role)---------------------------------

------------RM---------------------------------------------LM--------------------

----------------------------------AMF---------------------------------------------

------------RW--------------------------------------------LW--------------------

-----------------------------------CF---------------------------------------------

ok, first of all, that is more of a 3-4-3 with basically three central defenders. i was thinking of the classic 4-3-3:

-----------------------------------GK---------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------RFB----------------cb------cb-----------------LFB-------------------

-------------------------------------cm-------------------------------------------

-------------------------rm------------------lm---------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------RW--------------------------------------------LW--------------------

-----------------------------------CF---------------------------------------------


here, the distance between the rfb and the rw is too big and one can't rely on the rm to always help the rfp out. in a 4-4-2 the rw is much closer to the rfb(or rb). they have a more natural connection than the than the rm and the rfb. both offensively and defensively. in a 4-4-2 the rw takes the position of the rm when defending and the rw position when going forward...

 

[clockwork orange]

kel, 4-3-3 with 3 players playing in central midfield is 4-5-1 !!!!

 

[kel varnsen]

kel, 4-3-3 with 3 players playing in central midfield is 4-5-1 !!!!

i think we have different definitions of what 4-3-3 really is. i've always thought 4-3-3 and 4-5-1 as the same formation, only slightly adjusted one way or the other. that is the way chelsea, rosenborg( ) and even manu play sometimes. a 3 man midfield and two very offensive wingers...

 

[clockwork orange]

Mourinho likes to say he plays for 4-3-3 but actually he plays 4-5-1 (he calls it 4-3-3 for PR reasons, but Chelsea mainly play a reactive counterattacking 4-5-1, he did the same with Porto), in classic 4-3-3 the midfield players play much wider. Though you're right about 4-5-1 and 4-3-3 sometimes can look alike, especially when defending. The easiest way to spot the difference is to look where the midfield players are when attacking.

 

[Courier]

Along with no major signings apart from Hleb Wenger has shown a real lack of planning in our tactics, why? because we do NOT have an out and out forward who just plays on the CB shoulder and despite losing Paddy and Edu (our best pairing since Manu Paddy) and Wenger admitting we need possibly to change we again see 442 again see Bergy struggle up front, pires no conviction and Henry (along with bergy) drop deep into midield.We DONT know if 433 451 343 will workd because we have NOT tried it!

 

[adrianz]

Think Wenger will still try it, hopefully not when we are without Campbell, Henry, Gilberto and play Bergkamp as the lone striker..........just too hard to watch. Man U should won on that day just like Arsenal do not deserve to loose in the shield game.

 

[shariefoo]

I have always said that the 4-5-1 (transfering onto 4-3-3 when we attack) is a very good formation for Europ...

The defense stays the same

Silva
Cesc Flamini
Ljungbert Reyes

Henry

Players can also be rotated..

Cesc and Flamini can be replaces by Hleb and Pires
Ljungbert and Reyes can be replaced by RvP and Someone else..

It would work amazingly for Arsenal against Physical teams.. It wount be a beautifull football but it will get us results