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Henrikh Mkhitaryan: Taking The Mkhi

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Malky

Established Member
I posted in the match day thread - but I got it so very wrong about Mkhi, forgot just now brilliant he was at Dortmund, Mourinho's 'park the bus ' tactics clouded my vision of how good Mkhi is. It's also incredible how seamlessly he's fit into this team, like he's been here for a full season already.
As much as I loved watching Sanchez, Mkhitaryan looks like the perfect player for Arsenal.
 

samshere

Why so serieuse?
He was never really bad at Utd though was he? I remember him being quite important for them in the EL run last year. He started the season well, but then went through a dip in form. Lingard took that opportunity and Mkhi could never get back into the team. Wenger will have a lot more patience with him so that he can work his way back to form even if he goes down a bit.
 

House MD

Active Member
He was never really bad at Utd though was he? I remember him being quite important for them in the EL run last year. He started the season well, but then went through a dip in form. Lingard took that opportunity and Mkhi could never get back into the team. Wenger will have a lot more patience with him so that he can work his way back to form even if he goes down a bit.

Nah he was really poor since September. He would misplace passes, get outmuscled easily and wasn’t creating much either. In fact, he was a regular even off form for a good number of matches before he was dropped. He was very good in EL last season yeah, even scoring in the final.
 

MkhiMagic

Active Member
He was never really bad at Utd though was he? I remember him being quite important for them in the EL run last year. He started the season well, but then went through a dip in form. Lingard took that opportunity and Mkhi could never get back into the team. Wenger will have a lot more patience with him so that he can work his way back to form even if he goes down a bit.
Scored in 4 consecutive european away games for them (never achieved before by a united player, though tbf their other campaigns were mostly cls). Also scored in the final. Most of those away goals were the deciding goals in united advancing to the next round as they literally scraped by everyone except in the round of 32.

He also somehow ended up second top scorer in all competitions behind zlatan despite playing 107 mins of football till late november (frozen out for 3 months because of 1 bad half where the whole team got destroyed by city).

This year he had more assists in his first 3 games in the PL than most teams had goals. Then Mourinho parked his doubledecker bus against Liverpool whilst they were top of the league and playing decent football and it all went downhill from there. He got a lot of stick for that game which was baffling since their entire gameplan was about defending deep and hoofing the ball up to Lukaku completely bypassing any midfielders. Not sure what an AM is supposed to do in a setup like that. Also Pogba getting hurt and the ultra negative Herrera taking his place didn't do him any favors.

The difference between the way Arsenal and United play is night and day for an attacking player. Here he has passing options and players running in front of him into space everytime, and the fullbacks actually overlap and don't stay put.

Mourinho's gameplan is all about making sure his team doesn't concede, at any cost. Putting big physical players as his spine (Matic, Fellaini, Mctominay are all over 6'4"). Even if they lack talent it doesn't matter to him as long as they follow his instructions and are tough enough physically to bully the opposition.

Then he buys expensive offensive players and lets them do their thing without any proper attacking patterns being taught. Hazard was quoted as saying this that Mourinho doesn't teach them any attacking patterns and just relies on them to figure it out themselves and hope they have that moment of brilliance while his defensive setup ensures they don't concede.

Mkhitaryan was never going to shine under him, at Shakhtar and Dortmund they'd play at 100 mph and just steamroll the opposition with the whole team pushing forward and looking to attack. Pretty identical to what Arsenal did today.
 

nick gould

Well-Known Member
Nah he was really poor since September. He would misplace passes, get outmuscled easily and wasn’t creating much either. In fact, he was a regular even off form for a good number of matches before he was dropped. He was very good in EL last season yeah, even scoring in the final.
Because he knew he didn’t have the manager ‘s confidence. All players need love from the manager, fans and teammates. Once you get that you begin to try things that only the Ronaldinhos of this world have a right to do.
 

House MD

Active Member
Because he knew he didn’t have the manager ‘s confidence. All players need love from the manager, fans and teammates. Once you get that you begin to try things that only the Ronaldinhos of this world have a right to do.

You have to earn confidence. Like how martial lingard mata and shaw did in winning their way back to the first XI. Even then, he was started and given a chance to get back to form.
 

Ara

Active Member
You have to earn confidence. Like how martial lingard mata and shaw did in winning their way back to the first XI. Even then, he was started and given a chance to get back to form.
Why don't you say that Miki's game went down when Pogba got injured and he became isolated with Matic/Fellaini/Herrera defensive setup? Add to that defensive games against Liverpool and Chelsea and his confidence went down.
 

House MD

Active Member
Why don't you say that Miki's game went down when Pogba got injured and he became isolated with Matic/Fellaini/Herrera defensive setup? Add to that defensive games against Liverpool and Chelsea and his confidence went down.

That could be tbh. But that is what I said in the other thread. He wasn’t up to it when the going got tough. He didn’t regain his form which wasn’t because we didn’t play him. In fact, we played him even when his performances didn’t warrant it.

In the Liverpool game, the tactic was defend deep and hit them on the counter (which is pretty much the only tactic that should be tried vs klopp to win). Mkhi was to be key in this tactic since he had to be the creator in that instance for a quick counter but he didn’t perform well that day. Of course absence of Pogba and fellaini didn’t help either.
 

kraphtous

Raul Stanllehi
Just like Arsenal fans have to move on regarding Sanchez, Man Utd fans have to move on regarding Mkhitaryan. He's a great player, it just didn't work out with their style of play and it will most likely work out with us because him and the club fit. Move on.
 

Ara

Active Member
That could be tbh. But that is what I said in the other thread. He wasn’t up to it when the going got tough. He didn’t regain his form which wasn’t because we didn’t play him. In fact, we played him even when his performances didn’t warrant it.

In the Liverpool game, the tactic was defend deep and hit them on the counter (which is pretty much the only tactic that should be tried vs klopp to win). Mkhi was to be key in this tactic since he had to be the creator in that instance for a quick counter but he didn’t perform well that day. Of course absence of Pogba and fellaini didn’t help either.
I just feel he will perform here a lot better. Özil is a big plus for him here, because he would not be the sole creator in the team and that would take a lot of pressure off of him.
 

MkhiMagic

Active Member
So smalling/jones aimlessly hoofing balls towards Lukaku is "counter attacking." Did you even string 2 passes together that whole game?
 

House MD

Active Member
I just feel he will perform here a lot better. Özil is a big plus for him here, because he would not be the sole creator in the team and that would take a lot of pressure off of him.

Yeah I think arsenal suits him more tbh
So smalling/jones aimlessly hoofing balls towards Lukaku is "counter attacking." Did you even string 2 passes together that whole game?

Didn’t really help when we had a poor 10 that game ;)
 

G0D

Almighty
Yeah I think arsenal suits him more tbh


Didn’t really help when we had a poor 10 that game ;)
That's the issue though isn't it? Mkhitaryan isn't really a number 10.

At Dortmund he was most effective playing out wide coming in with freedom and more importantly playing alongside other creative players, whereas Mourinho was attempting to use him as the sole creative force in the squad at times. Mkhi is very much a team player that thrives around players that are on the same kind of wavelength. United pretty much just rely on wingers or straight up power from midfield.

Sanchez is definitely more suited to United and Mkhitaryan is most definitely more suited to Arsenal so win win; especially now we've got PEA too.
 

Tir Na Nog

Changes Opinion Every 5 Minutes

Country: Ireland
We've definitely come out of January with an improved attack, things look so much better and much more to the liking of Wenger I feel in terms of how he wants us to play. Playmakers coming in from wide positions, plenty of movement and quick passing.
 
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