The Arsenal players should take full responsibility…. and a tactical question

Is 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 The problem? Should we change to 4-1-4-1 in all our big games? By Galen Sona

Rafa Benitez is one of the best teachers of the 4-2-3-1 formation. His Liverpool midfield with ‘Gerrard – Alonso – Macherano’ was one of the best teams in Europe playing the 4-2-3-1 formation. Years later at Real Madrid, he said the formation lacked balance because James Rodriguez didn’t offer much when the team was not in possession.

What Benitez did was to bring in Casemiro and set Madrid in a 4-1-4-1 formation of 4-3-3. But James found himself on the bench. Benitez was accused of winning ugly and playing negative, But when Zidane became manager he told the press he was sticking with Casemiro playing behind Kross and Modric.

Jose Mourinho once said: “A number 10 for me is an eight-and-a-half when the team loses the ball, and the number 10 is a nine-and-a-half when the team has the ball. That is why Deco and Wesley Sneijder were the best number 10’s I ever had.”

Can Ozil be an 8.5 when the team lacks the ball? Like James Rodriguez we need to make this decision especially in the bigger games.

Look at PSG. Javier Pastore is one of the best number 10’s in the world, but Emery realised that if he plays Veratti, Rabiot, and Matuidi they will be physically stronger and better as a result.

What about the rest of the Arsenal players? I am tired of Wenger taking all the criticism, but these players were a disgrace to the shirt and yet nobody is talking about them. At least show some fight, show some desire, show some passion, and show some pride. They are so comfortable, they are not even hungry. Loads of them need to go.

Mustafi, Xhaka, Coquelin, Gibbs, Iwobi, Ozil, Gabriel. That is 7 players who were completely off key. I can’t believe we spent £70 million on Xhaka and Mustafi. What a joke really? To think these guys get paid every week is just laughable. Coquelin and Mustafi must be laughing all the way to the bank.

I sang so much about Wanyama, but I was laughed at. He was aavailable for £10 million and he is the same age as Xhaka. We needed a strong and dominant midfielder and not some guy who is yet to master the act of tackling. .

Should we switch to a 4-1-4-1 formation in all our big games?

———————– Ospina————————

Bellerin———Mustafi——-Boss———-Gibbs

————————–Xhaka———————–

Theo————-Ox—————Coq———Welbeck

————————-Sanchez—————————

The next big team we face is Liverpool away. I have watched Ozil many times at Anfield and I still remember when they gave us 6. All I want is some pride. Am just tired of getting beat up.

Finally, i just want to remind everyone that Cazorla is the best midfielder we have at the club. I always get thumbs down for saying it. How I wish Cazorla was 28 years old again! Still, look at Xabi Alonso at 36 bossing the entire Arsenal FC. I just hope that Cazorla’s injury problems can get better.

Should we change to 4-1-4-1 in all our big games? What to do with Ozil?

Galen

16 Comments

      1. @ leo
        I think that System is perfect with cazorla and to an extend Wilshere. Cazorla is out Injured for God knows how long. jack is on Loan.
        Coquelin is not a great player and against team like Bayern, most premier league clubs would be found wanting. But while we play premier league clubs he is on a competitive level.

        Thiago vidal and Alonso are oerating on a completely differnt planet. They are all better than our midfielders and would all start for Arsenal.

        That said we need a serious upgrade next season. No more fans saying we have quality midfielders. We don’t need Vidal, We don’t need wanyama. We Arsenal fans are Loca loca Loca. We need a complete midfield overhall. thats for sure.

        Just look at Xhaka, for all his passing, he can’t tackle.
        Coqueling, for all his tackling he can’t pass a ball properly. He has grown weaker as well.
        ramsey lacks positional decipline.
        Elneny is just bang average.
        Ozil is terrible in big games.
        jack is injury prone.
        cazorla is injury prone.
        Iwobi is still too inexperience.

        We need a Complete midfield overhaul.

        1. @galen,

          Not necessarily.

          Xhaka is on his first season, every players should be given at least 2 seasons to prove himself. He can come good during the summer training. He wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire on his first season with M’gladbach.

          And let’s not forget some players might thrive under different management. Look at Pedro for Chelsea. Horrible last season with Mourinho and makeshift Hiddink. Completely different player this season with Conte. There are numerous examples of this happening.

          If someone else would be discipling ie. Ramsey, he might be a decent midfielder for us. But Wenger clearly doesn’t instruct him at all. Ramsey himself doesn’t know his position and Wenger has probably given him freedom to roam wherever he wants.

          Elneny is an okay squad player, should be nowhere near starting XI though.

          Özil can be sold to China, don’t care. Cazorla as well (pains me to say it but he’s 32 and been injured most of the time in the past 2 seasons).

    1. He was also doing the work that Ozil didn’t do
      Him in xhaka weere at a disadvantage the whole game
      3 v2 cause Ozil did nothing defensively
      But Coq at the CDM role with xhaka and oX next to him is worth a go or el neney
      It would provide more stability

    2. Coq strength was sitting deep , tacling and giving short passes. now we have Xhaka sitting deep and Coq trying to play box to box. Xhaka can’t tackle and coq can’t pass a ball. EWhat do we do now?
      If we swap them Xhaka has no engine to play box to box. he is just too slow and immobile to play that role.

      God when is cazorla back from injury? I don’t trust any of our midfielders including Ozil.

      Any news on Cazorla?

  1. Coquelin is a result of no real competition and Wenger’s lack of respect for the DM position

    Wenger seems to forget the importance of Vieira over a decade ago.

    LW has lots of competition with Iwobi, Lucas and Welbeck by comparison

    We need to strengthen :
    DM
    RB
    LB
    RW

    Actually also CF and cam if Alexis and Ozil leave. If they do this could be a rebuilding summer

    1. Ozil can go if he wants to. I have seen enough in 4 years to know i won’t miss him. As for sanchez take ozil wages and give it to him. £250,000 a week and sign p[layers, he would stay.

      And please lets stop that stupid Ozil Song. I don’t think just think you understand? Yes i don’t understand anything. better than Zidane? you are having a laugh.

  2. I am not a Wenger in nor a Wenger out. I am a fan who simply wants to see the team he so cherished succeed. I’ll also be honest in saying I wanted nothing more than for Wenger to prove anyone wrong before the season started and lift one of the major trophies that as eluded him for so many years and go on the high note.

    1) That being said Wenger should share half of the blame from the continuous collapse mid season and the inability to compete against top teams. He build that team, decided who should be promoted from the youth rank and who should we buy. In that regard he has failed clearly as we have a collection of nice, technical players but no certain world beater except for 1 or 2. He missed targets by fighting for fees (Suarez is the one that comes most to mind). Some of the players that fail to progress are still allowed to be here. And you don’t need to be confrontational to have a team perform and be mentality strong but you need to be able to make strong decisions like benching Özil or playing Welbeck and selling players that do not deserve more chances and are tarnishing your legacy. The same system, the subs at the same time unless injuries. He is the common factor in all of this.

    2) On the other side, maybe the players are not able to progress because Wenger hasn’t been able to be the same guy that showed Henry, Vieira and others to the world. Also the players should share the blame. How can they surrender a lead against Everton and Man City (I don’t Wenger is responsible for that)? Can’t you tell how vital that is for the club season, for your coach and the fan? How can one player go out injure and the team collapses like that? Can’t nobody talk or hold players next to them accountable? At 1-1 against one of Europe giant going into halftime spirit should be high and motivation on another level to create an upset. The trend is always the same.

    We will see what happens but if ever he stays they should bring a DF and change some useless member of the board with new individual with fresh ideas. If he goes the same should happen with a new manager!

  3. players has lost believe in Wenger, its just that simple. Change d coach n watch how things will change,. My opinion tho

    1. @Dubeeytino

      I think is the other way round. many of our players won’t start for Westham everton or southampton. Wenger is the one that makes them look good. Just look at the players we have been selling? how many of them have gone on to become top class players?

      I don’t think changing the coach would improve Monreal, Gibbs, Coquelin, Ozil, Theo, Giroud , Xhaka etc. Xhaka am scared will broke all yellow and red cards record. he can’t tackle and loses his mind like a spoiled kid. Wasn’t Mustafi at the smae valencia team that was rubbish?

      OUR PLAYERS SHOULD TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY CAUSE THEY ARE LETTING THE FANS AND THE MANAGER DOWN.

      1. On the contrary galen.
        Monreal was already a full spanish international before coming to arsenal.
        Ozil was already like a 3 time germany player of the year before coming here.
        Xhaxa was a midfield general in the bundesliga
        Giroud assisted monteplier to win the league and had already scored an international goal against spain before he arrived and ramsey is worldclass for wales

  4. I am not sure if at this stage the formation makes difference and I am also not sure if Wenger is likely to change his philosophy at this stage of his career.

    I agree the players should be ashamed of their efforts. Too many games this season they did not turn up for more than 45 minutes. But let’s be pragmatic, can the fans or the media motivate the players by calling them out? Or is it the manager’s job to make sure that at a minimum his players give 100% effort?

    The pattern is always the same, once the players stop responding to the manager it’s game over, even when you are Jose Mourinho. He was sacked at Real and Chelsea.

    If the manager can not get his team to play for him there is only one option, try to find a manager who can.

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