What Formation Should Arsene Wenger Employ? - Part 3
Article Continued from Part 2
When Arsenal signed http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Arsenal-c38429
stuck with the same 4-5-1 formation with the Dutchman as the lone striking option.
The defeat to Stoke last weekend shed special light on this issue because Arsenal were dominant throughout the game and had a host of chances and quite clearly enjoyed the majority of the possession but due to lack of physical presence in the goal, Stoke
City defenders were easily able to snuff out the attack. With crosses coming into the box, there was no one to get on the end of it and this clearly showed a lack of goal instinct for the Gunners which only an out-and-out striker can bring.
With defensive minded teams who have a highly structured back-line, this lone striker formation does not work. Because when Arsenal goes one the attack, Van Persie drifts to the left flank and there is no target man to aim the ball for and no one who can
give the defenders a real physical workout by trying to get at the end of things. Walcott, Nasri and Ramsey had to run into the box to get on the end of crosses but they all offer very little in the air and lack the physical presence that a striker inherits.
But when Chamakh and Bendtner were substituted at the start of the second half, the Gunners had more physical dominance in the Stoke City penalty box and that’s where the defenders got unsettled a bit and this allowed Van Persie to pull one back for the
Gunners. With the added strikers, Arsenal had started to create goal scoring opportunities and was giving the defenders a real headache. This unpredictability to the Arsenal attack is what is needed by the manager. The same of tactics seem to be well rehearsed
by the opposition as well who now view the Arsenal attack as predictable.
According to the fresh transfer rumours, Arsenal is looking to sign http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Karim-Benzema-c20350 from Real Madrid to add some quality in their attack and get themselves an out-and-out striker. This will help to the Gunners tremendously as they will then be able to employ
the 4-4-2 formation to good effect. Van Persie can be allowed to enjoy a free role behind the attacker and when balls do flow into the box, we will have Benzema at the end of it.
The likes of Nasri and Fabregas will have a natural striker in front of goal at all times to finish off their killer passes.
If such a formation is used by the Arsenal manager, then Wilshere and Song will be able to play as a deep lying playmaker and a defensive mid-fielder respectively while Fabregas and Nasri will fill up the space as the attacking mid-fielders and Van Persie
can be given a free role just behind the striker, whoever it turns out to be.
Article Continued in Part 4 of What Formation Should Arsene Wenger Employ?
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