What’s more important: attack or defence?

[ChefMan21]

Stopping is as important as scoring - what can he do for that? Sometimes we just need to grind out 1-0 to the Arsenal.

 

[Rasmi]

Stopping is as important as scoring - what can he do for that? Sometimes we just need to grind out 1-0 to the Arsenal.

Stopping is not as important as scoring. It’s easier to stop than score hence the best attacker in the world will always be more valued than the best defender.

 

[Trilly]

Stopping is not as important as scoring. It’s easier to stop than score hence the best attacker in the world will always be more valued than the best defender.

You can't win a match if you don't score.

Some outrageous takes on here man.

 

[ChefMan21]

Stopping is not as important as scoring. It’s easier to stop than score hence the best attacker in the world will always be more valued than the best defender.

When we've been successful it's been built on great defence. You should go tell Campbell, Adams, Seaman and co they contributed nothing...

We're on course to win the title this season in large part because we've conceded jackshit. You're of course welcome to go back and look at league tables for the last ten years or so and work out whether the winner conceded lots and scored lots...

 

[Rasmi]

When we've been successful it's been built on great defence. You should go tell Campbell, Adams, Seaman and co they contributed nothing...

We're on course to win the title this season in large part because we've conceded jackshit. You're of course welcome to go back and look at league tables for the last ten years or so and work out whether the winner conceded lots and scored lots...

Was any of them as important to the team as Henry? Elite attacker is always more important than elite defender. This is the case every time

Hence Henry is far more valued than Adams and Campbell in premier league history

I have the league table. We are where we are because we scored second most in the league and has far more than any other team except city

Our defence is equal second. Conceded 8 more than Newcastle. But we 22 points ahead cause they can’t score

We also conceded just 8 more than West Ham and they fighting relegation. I doubt the 8 goals conceded is between fighting for the league and relegation after 26 games

 

[14Henry]

Was any of them as important to the team as Henry? Elite attacker is always more important than elite defender. This is the case every time

Hence Henry is far more valued than Adams and Campbell in premier league history

I don't disagree with your ideas. A 10/10 striker will always cost more than a 10/10 defender.

But in my opinion, the defence needs to work as a unit. Not individual brilliance. You could have prime Adams alongside Mustafi and Adams would probably look above average.

However a prime attacker can always score and make things happen himself. Henry literally picked balls up 40 yards out and scored relying on nobody. Obviously you need some service but that service doesn't have to be excellent to score. The defence, however needs to work as one not to concede.

And obviously scoring goals is more eye catching than defending. Strikers are also more marketable so they will fetch more.

A good example for you though to show importance is PSG. Elite front line. Suspect defence as we have seen over the years in the CL. There is literally no point being able to score 4 or 5 against Barcelona, if your defence and defensive midfielders concede 6.

 

[Rasmi]

I don't disagree with your ideas. A 10/10 striker will always cost more than a 10/10 defender.

But in my opinion, the defence needs to work as a unit. Not individual brilliance. You could have prime Adams alongside Mustafi and Adams would probably look above average.

However a prime attacker can always score and make things happen himself. Henry literally picked balls up 40 yards out and scored relying on nobody. Obviously you need some service but that service doesn't have to be excellent to score. The defence, however needs to work as one not to concede.

And obviously scoring goals is more eye catching than defending. Strikers are also more marketable so they will fetch more.

A good example for you though to show importance is PSG. Elite front line. Suspect defence as we have seen over the years in the CL. There is literally no point being able to score 4 or 5 against Barcelona, if your defence and defensive midfielders concede 6.

Psg lack balance and have 3 attackers who is not helping one bit in defence. Their defence and midfield is very good. Who knows what would happen if they scored that huge chance in the first half.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

None of this makes any sense anyway. A DM is just as important as a striker or CB.

Players don't score goals or stop the opposition from scoring in a vacuum by themselves. A DM plays his part in the build up to both. A DM is probably the most important and active player on the pitch. He just happens to go under the radar because he doesn't have a good Youtube highlight reel or get the headliners.

There's a reason why the last time Arsenal were legit great we had a WC DM like Gilberto in the side and when we stopped having a WC one we stopped being a top, top side. Take him out of that side for Flamini or Song and we aren't Invincible, maybe not even title winners. He didn't get the headlines or praise but he was as pivotal as Henry or Vieira or Campbell in that side.

It's weird to say a role isn't that important because they don't score or whatever when they contribute massively to the performance of the whole side in a defensive and offensive sense.

For what it's worth I see Rice in the 8 role long term.

 

[Trilly]

A DM is just as important as a striker

No!!!!

If you have a guarantee you'll score more than your opponents but will never keep a clean sheet you'll still win every single game

If you have a guarantee you'll always keep a clean sheet but might not score than your opponents you'll still be very good but you probably won't win every game.

Obviously it's a team game but let's not overthink this, please A-M.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

No!!!!

Weird isn't it, we've had legit WC strikers in Auba, RVP etc but haven't been great since we had a WC DM in Gilberto and we're on the up now with Partey being excellent in that position, without a WC striker.

 

[Trilly]

Weird isn't it, we've had legit WC strikers in Auba, RVP etc but haven't been great since we had a WC DM in Gilberto.

Nowhere near as simple as that though is it?

If we had our back 4 but a Maupay-Gray-Wissa front line would we be great?

 

[Rasmi]

A DM most important as others lool. Only fullback is less important

I give you two options.
A: The greatest DM ever an a solid striker
B: The greatest striker ever and a solid DM

Which option do you take for a season?

 

[Riou]

Not sure it matters which player is most important,but you certainly need top footballers in each role or you aren't achieving as much as you can.

Take our last 3 seasons at Highbury, Thierry scored around the same amount in each of those seasons.

2004, no significant injuries really... Invincible league title.

2005, Gilberto and Campbell pretty much miss the second half of the season...win the cup, but only 2nd.

2006, Campbell returns not the same player and Vieira is sold... barely get Top Four.

Scoring is the hardest thing to do, but it's not that far ahead of winning midfield battles or defending.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

Nowhere near as simple as that though is it?

If we had our back 4 but a Maupay-Gray-Wissa front line would we be great?

My general point is DM's are massively under appreciated generally. It's weird because as Arsenal fans we've been crying out for a top class one for 15 years. Now we have one they're not massively important or equal to other positions. Partey being out would be a bigger miss to us than Jesus for example.

Don't get me wrong, scoring goals is how you win games so of course strikers are very important. They don't score goals in a vacuum though. The team needs to feed them the ball in dangerous areas generally. They're probably the least active player on the pitch in terms of touches and the most reliant on their teammates for their own performance level.

A top DM is often the one who nicks the ball from the opposition through great positioning / reading of the game to kick off a counter attack or receives the ball from the GK to start of an offensive movement. They are a pivotal factor in the offensive game even if they're not the ones getting the assist or pre assist.

A top DM also shields and protects the CB's, spotting pockets of dangerous space or reading danger where they need to drop in to the CB position. A good DM lessens the amount of danger the CB has to deal with and so cuts out goal scoring chances. He makes CB's look better, makes their life easier and ultimately reduces the amount of goals conceded.

So to me the DM is probably the most important player on the pitch and the fulcrum of the side because of how much influence he has on both the offensive and defensive facets of the game.

 

[14Henry]

A DM most important as others lool. Only fullback is less important

I give you two options.
A: The greatest DM ever an a solid striker
B: The greatest striker ever and a solid DM

Which option do you take for a season?

Fullbacks are less important? I take it you didn't see Liverpools pair when they won the league. They were vital.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

A DM most important as others lool. Only fullback is less important

I give you two options.
A: The greatest DM ever an a solid striker
B: The greatest striker ever and a solid DM

Which option do you take for a season?

Framing the question like that, i.e. 1 individual player then it is B pretty clearly to me. But if you ask if defence more important than offence in football I would probably lean towards defence. Football is a defensive game and difficult to score as it is. I think you will collect more points over a season with a good defence and an average attack then the other way around.

Note though that watching it as a neutral of course attacking football is much more attractive. My favourite team will always be the 1982 Brazilian national team! They did not go far in the tournament but what a team and what goals!

 

[Riou]

Amy Lawrence... "How did if feel playing in the same team as Thierry Henry?"

Sol Campbell... "Ask Thierry what it was like playing in the same team as me!"

...nuff said

 

[Rasmi]

Fullbacks are less important? I take it you didn't see Liverpools pair when they won the league. They were vital.

I have. The had great fullbacks. Their fullbacks were better than their midfield hence they outshone them. I’m talking about elite every position. No one is taking the best fullback or center back over the best striker or winger if you are given the choice

It’s easier to create great defence with good players than great attack with good players.

 

[ChefMan21]

Harry Kane, brilliant striker, but Tottenham doesn't win titles because their defence has been pretty well **** for years for a club of that stature. The best season they've had in years was when they came second and conceded less goals than they have done in the season before and any season since.

What was it that SAF said? Something about attack winning games, defence winning titles?

Defence underpins a great attack because it gives your attackers freedom to be expressive and be great.

 

[GoonerJeeves]

What is most important? The left leg or the right leg?