What Formation Should Arsene Wenger Employ? - Part 2
Article Continued from Part 1
This is due to the fact, that in all respect Van Persie is not an all-out striker. He likes to drops deeper into the field to orchestrate play and can be seen on the left wing or down in the attacking mid-field position. This is good if you are using the
false nine tactical system, but creates deficiencies because when Walcott hits in a cross, there is no one in the penalty box to charge to ball down and flick it into the net.
However, the main debate is not on who should play where but on the fact that should Wenger persist with the 4-5-1 formation or should he change things a bit and employs the 4-4-2 formation?
Which is better for the team in the long run and which will be of greater help in the quest for silverware?
These are the questions we have set out to answer.
The Arsenal squad relays heavy emphasis on small one touch movement of the ball with occasional long grounded passes and little or no long balls. Arsenal loves to slowly build up the game with intricate passing and quick transitional play. Be it Manchester
United, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wolves-c40952 and Sunderland, Arsenal tends to dominate the possession and the statistics are in their favour.
Arsenal player rarely apply laces or take long strikes on goal. They, as the commentators put it, “would love to pass the ball into the net.” More often than not, it becomes one pass too many and the end result is that they lose possession and the defence
has time to clear the ball to safety. This results in an overwhelming amount of possession but no goals to show for it.
Many a times we are greeted with a similar scenario; the ball is played into the box but there is no red shirt on the receiving end. There is hardly someone on the near post to flick it over the keeper into the goal. Arsenal lacks bodies in the penalty box
and this has been the main reason for their inability to score goals.
In the current 4-5-1 formation, the Dutchman Van Persie is the only striker and he often drops deep to orchestrate the play rather than be at the end of the crosses. He is what you call a support striker. Unwillingly, it becomes a false nine formation. The
striker draws out the Centre Backs out of formation by dropping deep and the mid-fielders then charge at the retreating CB’s with acres of space at their disposal. This works only when you have quick players like http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lionel-Messi-c22296 to run down at the Centre Backs.
But sadly, for http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Arsenal-c38429 this is not working.
A false nine would work wonderfully if Arsenal has someone inside the box when Van Persie drops deep but in Arsenal’s case, when Van Persie drops into the flanks to orchestrate play, there is no one inside the box to receive the ball and give the Centre
Backs a run for their money. This is where Arsenal has truly failed in their tactical battle.
Article Continued in Part 3 of What Formation Should Arsene Wenger Employ?
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