Diamond Midfield

[Spike]

Maybe this could help us in the Champions League?

I was thinking maybe:

--------------Vieira---------

Ljungberg-------------Pires

-----v. Persie/Bergkamp---

----------Reyes Henry-----

Or Reyes LM, V.Persie partner Henry and Bergkamp playing behind them.

This could encourage us to attack with more threat. Although I understand that we've adapted to the flat 4-4-2.
Your thoughts?

 

[sabret00the]

nope leaves us too weak in the centre, we've not got a strong enough defence to cope with the leak from midfield plus Pire and Freddie aint strong enough tacklers to keep the ball or win the ball in teh centre of the park, for a diamod you need scrappy players, not flair players.

 

[Mark]

Diamond formation is rubbish in my opinion. I say we either go 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, but neither will happen. It will always be 4-4-2 under Wenger.

 

[sabret00the]

4-4-2 is the formation especially with our positional fluidity, we really don't have the strenght in defence to accomodate another formation, hence why we miss players like Gilberto so much where as we take missing players like Vieira in our stride.

 

[patrick42uk]

our 4-4-3 can become 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. we cant play a diamond with rvp or bergkamp at the top of it. you need an attacking midfielder to play that role, not second forwards. so it would be pires or cesc. again, our formation is flexible enough to become that in a game.

 

[lewdikris]

If we went with a diamond formation we'd need to play:

....... Vieira

Cesc Edu

Pires/Bergkamp/Van Persie

Reyes Henry

Which might work.

But we're better off, if thinking that way longterm, going with the insanely complex 4-2-1-2-1 formation....

Vieira Gilberto

......Cesc

Van Persie Reyes

Henry

Defensive solidity, attacking craziness....

 

[Spike]

If we went with a diamond formation we'd need to play:

....... Vieira

Cesc Edu

Pires/Bergkamp/Van Persie

Reyes Henry

Which might work.

But we're better off, if thinking that way longterm, going with the insanely complex 4-2-1-2-1 formation....

Vieira Gilberto

......Cesc

Van Persie Reyes

Henry

Defensive solidity, attacking craziness....

But there's no width.

 

[Soler]

It's no different to 4-2-3-1 with van Persie and Reyes playing as 'wingers' ala Albert Luque.

 

[patrick42uk]

If we went with a diamond formation we'd need to play:

....... Vieira

Cesc Edu

Pires/Bergkamp/Van Persie

Reyes Henry

Which might work.

i'd just like to point out that its only a diamond when it has at least one winger in it. when it has essentially 3 cms and an amc/forward, its 4-3-1-2

 

[AFCG7]

Good point patrick.. but the lewdikris formation is the only way we can use a diamond because of our weak defense.We'd have to play 3 CMs and a playmaker type on top of that, and then the 2 strikers.

I'd go with this:


--------------------------------Vieira---------------------------

-------------Flamini/Cesc --------------- Edu/Flamini-----------

--------------------Cesc/RVP/Pires/Bergkamp-------------


---------------Henry ----------------- Reyes


A formation like this could possibly work but it will also mean Cole can be the only one of our fullbacks to be risked bombing forward.. Lauren will have to stay at home.

 

[Gurgen]

This will also mean all of our attacks will go through the middle. Works excellent in Fifa but not in real life.
A diamond with one defensive midfielder is bollocks because we are already conceding too many goals.

 

[patrick42uk]

This will also mean all of our attacks will go through the middle. Works excellent in Fifa but not in real life.
A diamond with one defensive midfielder is bollocks because we are already conceding too many goals.

i'd disagree on both counts. yes you do transfer some creativity to the middle, but IMO thats a good thing. let the midfield create and the attack benefit. relying on your attack for both creativity and goals is too much of an ask in europe. but there is still width. this is from the fullbacks and there is an advantage to having the width coming from them than orthodox wingers. when wingers move forward in your basic 4-4-2, there are two strikers and maybe one cm to aim at with crosses. with a 4-3-1-2, there are 3 attackers and potentially two cms (with the dm staying back to cover) to aim for with crosses. milan, mourinho with porto and now chelsea do this briliantly. watch paulo ferreira or cafu. they effectively play as wide men.

secondly, with a 4-3-1-2, the emphasis is on the 3 midfield players being hardworking and both good at attacking and defending. so i dont believe it will affect us defensively. again, the teams that play this, chelsea and milan, are very good dfensively.

 

[Gooner83]

I really love the idea of Reyes playing in 'the hole' because he can make runs into the box when Henry drifts out to the left.

 

[AFCG7]

I beleive we can use this system bcause 4-4-2 isnt quite working out for us in Europe..with the diamond, or 4-3-1-2 as patrick calls it can be used until we regain some solidity in defense...we must change our approach to games if our usual way does not consistently get the best out of us.

 

[Mbaki Mutahaba]

I try to look at the goals we have conceeded this year..and to be honest..I don't see how any formation would have prevented those goals. The examples of Chelsea/AC Milan does not give the full picture. There is more to it then the formation. If we play 4-3-1-2 but our approach is still based on quick pass and movement in open space..we still WONT be able to protect the back properly.

Only way to really be solid is to slow down our style. Chelsea/AC are excellent at that. Its a very slow down approach..with skilled players who can make a difference in tight angles.

But we all know what happens when we slow down our game!! We become very ineffective overall..becuase most of our current players are not effective in that style of play.

 

[dafish]

i'd play the diamond the Milan way. shift in between 4-3-1-2 during def and 4-1-2-1-2 during atk.

the wingers are semi DM as well. with reyes and freddie in the wings and their dogged back tracking, it's the ideal formation for arsenal in my opinion. stick bergie/pires behind RVP and Henry and we in for a ride of more fluid attacking football than we are right now.

 

[nidza7]

I think AW should try various formations now.Your idea is interesting

 

[Anonymous]

Why change our formation? that will make us worse, the whole reason we are doing ****e is because we arnt playing our natural game. To do well in the CL we just need to start playing our own high temp style instead of the way we are playing which results in alot of passing around but not much attacking movement. Once we got it right last season look how well we did, we need to loose this phsycological problem we have and start just being ourselves. Changing things will only make matters worse.

 

[sabret00the]

it's funny though as when we're playing our style and out for a win we always pass forward or across the pitch but when we're playing for a draw or in europe theirs alot of back passes.