Roberto Martinez uses his full backs as a major attacking point as
the wide players in front of them usually drift inside.
Not exact matches
He is not a
player we really needed, because he is not a true DM and we are more
in need
of a regular goal scorer, either from the
wide position or up
front.
Ramsey is a central midfield
player that rarely offers an above average performance and yet we choose to play him out on the wing ahead
of the
in - form Ox or letting Sanchez slot back out
wide to let Giroud up
front.
Up
front we have a few world - class
players surrounded by some serious pretenders... Sanchez is by far the most accomplished
player in our attack but the controversy surrounding his contractual mishandling could see him go before the window closes or most definitely by season's end... obviously a mistake by both parties involved, as Sanchez's exploits have never been more on display than
in North London, but the club's irresponsible wage structure and lack
of real intent have been the real undoing
in this mess... Lacazette, who I think has some world - class skills as a
front man, will only be as good as the
players and system around him, which is troubling due to our current roster and Wenger's love
of sideways passing... Walcott should have been sold years ago, enough said, and Welbeck should never have been brought
in from the get - go... both
of these
players have suffered numerous injuries over their respective careers and neither are good enough to overcome such difficulties: not to mention, they both are below average first - touch
players, which should be the baseline test for any
player coming to a Wenger - led Arsenal team... Perez should have been played
wide left or never purchased at all; what a huge waste
of time and money, which is ridiculous considering our penny pinching ways and the fact that fans had been clamoring for a real striker for years... finally Giroud, the fact that he stills wears the jersey is a direct indictment
of this club's failure to get things right... this isn't necessarily an attack on Giroud because I think he has some highly valued skills, but not for a team that has struggled to take their sideways soccer to the next level, as his presence slows their game even more, combined with our average, at best, finishing skills... far too often those
in charge have either settled or chosen half - measures and ultimately it is us that suffer because no matter what happens Wenger, Gazidis and Kroenke will always make more money whereas we will always be the ones paying for their mistakes... so every time someone suggests we should just shut - up and support the team just think
of all the sacrifices you've made along the way and simply reply... f *** off
Muller is renown for his versatility
in attack — able to play as a leading striker, as well as a No. 10 and a
wide player — yet with Robert Lewandowski likely to remain as Guardiola's first - choice up
front, the lure
of perhaps spearheading the Red Devils attack could prove key
in helping decide his future.
Still, with the Red Devils signing Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal this January, there may no longer be as much need for Griezmann
in their attack, though both
players can play a variety
of roles either out
wide or up
front.
This is an incredibly difficult question to answer for a variety
of reasons, most importantly because over the years our once vaunted «beautiful» style
of play has become a shadow
of it's former self, only to be replaced by a less than stellar «plug and play» mentality where
players play out
of position and adjustments / substitutions are rarely forthcoming before the 75th minute... if you look at our current
players, very few would make sense
in the traditional Wengerian system... at present, we don't have the personnel to move the ball quickly from deep - lying position, efficient one touch midfielders that can make the necessary through balls or the disciplined and pacey forwards to stretch defences into
wide positions, without the aid
of the backs coming up into the final 3rd, so that we can attack the defensive lanes
in the same clinical fashion we did years ago... on this current squad, we have only 1 central defender on staf, Mustafi, who seems to have any prowess
in the offensive zone or who can even pass two zones through so that we can advance play quickly out
of our own end (I have seen some inklings that suggest Holding might have some offensive qualities but too early to tell)... unfortunately Mustafi has a tendency to get himself
in trouble when he gets overly aggressive on the ball... from our backs out
wide, we've seen pace from the likes
of Bellerin and Gibbs and the spirited albeit offensively stunted play
of Monreal, but none
of these
players possess the skill - set required
in the offensive zone for the new Wenger scheme which requires deft touches, timely runs to the baseline and consistent crossing, especially when Giroud was playing and his ratio
of scored goals per clear chances was relatively low (better last year though)... obviously I like Bellerin's future prospects, as you can't teach pace, but I do worry that he regressed last season, which was obvious to Wenger because there was no way he would have used Ox as the right side wing - back so often knowing that Barcelona could come calling
in the off - season, if he thought otherwise... as for our midfielders, not a single one, minus the more confident Xhaka I watched played for the Swiss national team a couple years ago, who truly makes sense under the traditional Wenger model... Ramsey holds onto the ball too long, gives the ball away cheaply far too often and abandons his defensive responsibilities on a regular basis (doesn't score enough recently to justify): that being said, I've always thought he does possess a little something special, unfortunately he thinks so too... Xhaka is a little too slow to ever boss the midfield and he tends to telegraph his one true strength, his long ball play: although I must admit he did get a bit better during some points
in the latter part
of last season... it always made me wonder why whenever he played with Coq Wenger always seemed to play Francis
in a more advanced role on the pitch... as for Coq, he is way too reckless at the wrong times and has exhibited little offensive prowess yet finds himself
in and around the box far too often... let's face it Wenger was ready to throw him
in the trash heap when injuries forced him to use Francis and then he had the nerve to act like this was all part
of a bigger Wenger constructed plan... he like Ramsey, Xhaka and Elneny don't offer the skills necessary to satisfy the quick transitory nature
of our old offensive scheme or the stout defensive mindset needed to protect the defensive zone so that our offensive
players can remain aggressive
in the final third... on the
front end, we have Ozil, a
player of immense skill but stunted by his physical demeanor that tends to offend, the fact that he's been played out
of position far too many times since arriving and that the
players in front of him, minus Sanchez, make little to no sense considering what he has to offer (especially Giroud); just think about the quick counter-attack offence
in Real or the space and protection he receives
in the German National team's midfield, where teams couldn't afford to focus too heavily on one individual... this
player was a passing «specialist» long before he arrived
in North London, so only an arrogant or ignorant individual would try to reinvent the wheel and / or not surround such a talent with the necessary components...
in regards to Ox, Walcott and Welbeck, although they all possess serious talents I see them
in large part as headless chickens who are on the injury table too much, lack the necessary first - touch and / or lack the finishing flair to warrant their inclusion
in a regular starting eleven; I would say that,
of the 3, Ox showed the most upside once we went to a back 3, but even he became a bit too consumed by his pending contract talks before the season ended and that concerned me a bit... if I had to choose one
of those 3
players to stay on it would be Ox due to his potential as a plausible alternative to Bellerin
in that wing - back position should we continue to use that formation...
in Sanchez, we get one
of the most committed skill
players we've seen on this squad for some years but that could all change soon, if it hasn't already
of course... strangely enough, even he doesn't make sense given the constructs
of the original Wenger offensive model because he holds onto the ball too long and he will give the ball up a little too often
in the offensive zone... a fact that is largely forgotten due to his infectious energy and the fact that the numbers he has achieved seem to justify the means... finally, and
in many ways most crucially, Giroud, there is nothing about this team or the offensive system that Wenger has traditionally employed that would even suggest such a
player would make sense as a starter... too slow, too inefficient and way too easily dispossessed... once again, I think he has some special skills and, at times, has showed some world - class qualities but he's lack
of mobility is an albatross around the necks
of our offence... so when you ask who would be our best starting 11, I don't have a clue because
of the 5 or 6
players that truly deserve a place
in this side, 1 just arrived, 3 aren't under contract beyond 2018 and the other was just sold to Juve... man, this is theraputic because following this team is like an addiction to heroin without the benefits
I think I saw that un Premiership level
player find a
wide open
player in front of the keeper who came out and could not recover and AR stuffed it home giving us 3 points.
Firmino can play
in a number
of roles from out
wide in a central midfield role as well as up
front and the Figueirense
player may feel a high profile move to Liverpool could aid his push for a first Brazilian national team cap.
players like Ozil always present the fans with a bit
of a conundrum, especially when times are tough... if you look around the sporting world every once
in awhile there emerges a
player with incredible skill, like Ozil, Matt Sundin or even Jay Cutler, who have a different way about themselves... their movement seemed almost too lackadaisical, so much so that it seemed to suggest indifference or even disinterest on the part
of the
player... their posture always appears somewhat mopey and they generally have an unflattering «sour puss» expression on their face... for some their above average skills are enough to keep them squarely
in the mix, as their respective teams try desperately to find a way to get the best out
of them visa vie
player acquisitions or the reworking
of tactics... when things go according to planned the fans usually find a way to accept their unique disposition, whereas when things go awry they become easy targets for fans and pundits alike...
in the case
of Ozil and Sundin, their successes on the international stage and / or with their former teams led many to conclude that if we surrounded such talented individuals with
players that have those skills that would most likely bring the best
of these
players success would surely follow... unfortunately both the Maple Leafs and our club chose to adopt half - measures, as each were being run by corporations who valued profitability over providing the best possible product on the field... for them, they cared more about shirt sales and season tickets than doing whatever was necessary... this isn't, by any stretch, an attempt to absolve Ozil
of any responsibility for his failures on the pitch... there is no doubt oftentimes his efforts were underwhelming, to say the least, but this club has been inept when it comes to providing this prolific passer with the kind
of players necessary for him to flourish... with our poor man's version
of Benzema up
front, the headless chickens
in Walcott, the younger Ox and Welbeck occupying
wide positions far too often and the fact that Carzola, who provided Ozil with great service and more freedom to roam, was never truly replaced, the only real skilled outlet on the pitch was Sanchez... remember to be considered a world - class set - up man goals need to be scored and for much
of his time here he has been surrounded by some incredibly inept finishers...
in the end, I'm not sure how long he will be
in North London, recent sentiments and his present contract situation seem to suggest that he will depart at season's end, but how tragic would it be if once again we didn't put our best foot forward and failed to make those moves that could have brought championship football back to our once beloved club... so when you think about this uniquely skilled
player don't be so quick to shift all the blame on his shoulders because he will not be the first or the last highly skilled
player to find disappointment at the Emirates if we don't rid the club
of those individuals that are truly to blame for our current woes
licence coach but you don't need that to see what wrong, we have arguably the strongest midfield
In the country and a decent back 4 but the way we play doesn't get the best out
of our
players, I would play a
front 3
of Sanchez welbeck and either chaimbo / Campbell Ozil / corzola / Ramsey just behind then Arteta and chambers as DM but when you play ozil or corzola
wide we lose pace and cover for the fullback we have to many
players who play No 10
A style made famous
in Holland and subsequently Spain, the
wide front three would take advantage
of Rooney's link - up play as well as the agile creative
players that United possess out
wide.
Wide player Bennetts, who scored a brilliant solo goal against Borussia Dortmund Under - 19s
in the UEFA Youth League last week, stepped off the bench to repeat the feat after big Swans
front man Ollie McBurnie had got his reward for making a nuisance
of himself among our defensive ranks for much
of the game.
We are looking at Coutinho, Firmino, Sturridge and Benteke though; and so at first this formation may seem odd, with only one
player — Benteke — playing
in his preferred position, whilst Firmino and Sturridge are out
wide, and Coutinho is played
in a left centre - mid position, however, one
of the best aspects
of the 4 -3-3 is the ability to have a fluid
front line, with Benteke, Sturridge & Firmino all able to interchange and move into the position that the game situation requires.
From here,
players are free to explore the
wide range
in front of them, either on foot or on Monstie.