Country: USA
Player:Saliba
Irrespective of current form and results, do you feel that we are in a position whereby we have too many play-makers to fit effectively within Arsène's much tried and tested 4-4-2 system? I don't think it's fair to say that Arsène is tactically inept, but I think that you would have to acknowledge that his in-game tactics are much less of a forte than his ability to assemble a group of fantastically talented football players with phenomenal potential.
Le Boss has always been much more of a philosophical character than a pragmatist, and if you follow the pattern of his behaviour in areas such as the transfer market you'll find that there are more than obvious signs of a man who remains rigidly faithful to principles that have served him well in the past, in spite of what other conditions may now be different.
This has worked to a degree, but a major condition is now different: we are an extremely young side, and are not as agressive or imposing as the 2004 unbeaten side. I don't know whether I'm the only one who feels this way, but with each game that passes in the Premiership I feel less convinced that we will ever see the very best of Cesc Fabregas in a 2-man midfield partnership. The box-to-box workload required is simply not commensurate with Cesc's strengths and weaknesses. If this is the player that the 'new Arsenal' will be built around - then surely we must do what it takes to accomodate the most poignant of his qualities. That is his brilliance in the final third.
The team has undergone something of a physical transition. We have sacrificed a lot of strength and height (Campbell - 6ft1, Vieira -6ft3, Edu-6ft1, Pires-6ft, Bergkamp-6ft) for more youth and pace (Hleb, Rosicky, Fabregas, Walcott, Reyes) within the last two years, and yet our tactical system has remained the same. I've always felt that with a 4-4-2 week in week out in the Premiership, youthfulness and speed can only be successful if matched with strength, height and physical aggression. I don't want to dig up something that has been raised a million times but these are currently not our strong points and that has been evident for almost 2 seasons, so just as much as our team needs to shoot outside the box, is it time for Wenger to think outside it too?
For example, can we play successfully with a front three? Forgive me for using a few hypothetical names that we've been linked to here, this is for the purposes of showing how it might look - if Reo-Coker and Gallas were added to the squad, reflecting our added strength in depth;
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Lehmann/Almunia:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Eboue/Lauren:::::::Toure/Djourou::::::::::::::::Gallas?/Senderos::::::::::Cole?/Clichy
:::::::::::::Hleb/Fabregas::::::::::::Gilberto/Diaby:::::::::Reo-Coker/Rosicky:::::::::::::
::::Ljungberg/v.Persie::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Walcott/Reyes?:::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Henry/Adebayor::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This provides us with extra midfield strength and presence in the middle and gives a greater license for Cesc to break forward and make runs into the box. We'll also have the additional width in the final third to stretch defences.
I must stress that this is only a possible alternative rather than an entire new system of play. The real question is whether you really do think that our current group of players can fulfil their potential (in the long run) based on the same 4-4-2 system that we've employed in the past?
Le Boss has always been much more of a philosophical character than a pragmatist, and if you follow the pattern of his behaviour in areas such as the transfer market you'll find that there are more than obvious signs of a man who remains rigidly faithful to principles that have served him well in the past, in spite of what other conditions may now be different.
This has worked to a degree, but a major condition is now different: we are an extremely young side, and are not as agressive or imposing as the 2004 unbeaten side. I don't know whether I'm the only one who feels this way, but with each game that passes in the Premiership I feel less convinced that we will ever see the very best of Cesc Fabregas in a 2-man midfield partnership. The box-to-box workload required is simply not commensurate with Cesc's strengths and weaknesses. If this is the player that the 'new Arsenal' will be built around - then surely we must do what it takes to accomodate the most poignant of his qualities. That is his brilliance in the final third.
The team has undergone something of a physical transition. We have sacrificed a lot of strength and height (Campbell - 6ft1, Vieira -6ft3, Edu-6ft1, Pires-6ft, Bergkamp-6ft) for more youth and pace (Hleb, Rosicky, Fabregas, Walcott, Reyes) within the last two years, and yet our tactical system has remained the same. I've always felt that with a 4-4-2 week in week out in the Premiership, youthfulness and speed can only be successful if matched with strength, height and physical aggression. I don't want to dig up something that has been raised a million times but these are currently not our strong points and that has been evident for almost 2 seasons, so just as much as our team needs to shoot outside the box, is it time for Wenger to think outside it too?
For example, can we play successfully with a front three? Forgive me for using a few hypothetical names that we've been linked to here, this is for the purposes of showing how it might look - if Reo-Coker and Gallas were added to the squad, reflecting our added strength in depth;
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Lehmann/Almunia:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Eboue/Lauren:::::::Toure/Djourou::::::::::::::::Gallas?/Senderos::::::::::Cole?/Clichy
:::::::::::::Hleb/Fabregas::::::::::::Gilberto/Diaby:::::::::Reo-Coker/Rosicky:::::::::::::
::::Ljungberg/v.Persie::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Walcott/Reyes?:::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Henry/Adebayor::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This provides us with extra midfield strength and presence in the middle and gives a greater license for Cesc to break forward and make runs into the box. We'll also have the additional width in the final third to stretch defences.
I must stress that this is only a possible alternative rather than an entire new system of play. The real question is whether you really do think that our current group of players can fulfil their potential (in the long run) based on the same 4-4-2 system that we've employed in the past?