Should Arsenal switch to 4-4-2 against Bayern? by Twig
Injuries to key players in midfield has stifled Arsenal’s good run this season. Ever since the loss of Cazorla, we’ve lacked control and craft in our midfield. Against Hull and at the Emirates, Arsenal surprisingly lost the possession battle. Add to that, Ozil’s loss of form, and it’s easy to say we have a midfield crisis.
Against Bayern on Wednesday we’ll welcome Xhaka back into the team who has been serving a 4 match ban following a red card earned against Swansea. However, I doubt Wenger will be keen to throw him into such a critical game so soon.
Meanwhile, we have an abundance of striking talent that would put any EPL side to shame. Against Hull, Giroud didn’t even get to play, while Perez and Welbeck (who impressed in his comeback against Southampton) would still be fresh after playing for only a few minutes.
A lot has been said about Ozil’s poor form in recent games. In fact, a report carried by the Telegraph suggested Arsene might be tempted to drop him on Wednesday. That will certainly not delight Ozil but it might just be what the team needs. Against Bayern we must ensure all the firepower at our disposal is not wasted. Since we play the second leg at home, a goal at the Allianz Arena will be hugely vital. My team for the game on Wednesday will be…..
_________Welbeck Sanchez
____Perez Ox Coquelin Walcott
Monreal Koscielny Mustafi Bellerin
______________Ospina
What do you think?
Twig
ospina
bellerin koscienly mustafi monreal
coquelin
elneny xhaxa
perez sanchez welbeck
Yeah, I was thinking between two teams, the one you chose and the one I chose. We need to shackle these, our problem is ..Arsene thinks we are as good a footballing side as any of the big boys. Even the best sides know that away from home sometimes you’re tactics need to change on occasion. At home, us at our most fluid quickest, we could look better than them. But if that’s after losing the first leg by three, well then what good is it.
Ospina
Bellerin, Kos, Mustafi, Monreal
Xhaka Coquelin
Ozil
Welbeck Sanchez Perez .
Ozil and Coquelin needs to bring their A game in this game. Xhaka shouldn’t be reckless as well. Maybe Wenger will go for Coquelin and Ox in the middle of the park since they have been starting recent games.
Iwobi for Ozil if he is having a bad game.
I just wanna see a front three of Wedlock Sanchez and Perez. Doubt my wish will come through.
Welbeck*
I think Coquelin is a bit tired to be honest. This is a game where you must play outstanding without the ball and he will wear out faster. Get Xhaka in, he played in Germany and knows them well. Same goes with Elneny but Elneny is not a tackler so I’d rather have Ox, I am pretty impressed with his defensive display lately.
Sit tight and see how it goes on counter. God forbid Douglas Costa starts the game because if Nacho is going to be chosen in front of Gibbs then we are proper fscked. He is that slow. Personally, I would flood the middle and play this 3-4-3 waiting game :
–Mustafi-Kos-Monreal–
Bellerin-Ox-Xhaka-Gibbs
Wellbeck-Lucas-Sanchez
Put Sanchez on the left, Lahm is not a spring chicken anymore, there’s at least half lunch there for Sanchez. Front three is incredibly mobile with all three forwards used to play through wings and middle.
It does not matter though, Wenger will play again 4231 with Ozil behind the CF and Monreal at LB. Probably Coquelin will come in before Ox as well. This is how we will get skinned.
I agree with Charlie.
………………Ospina
Bellerin..Mustafi..Koscielny..Monreal
…….Elneny..Xhaka..Coquelin
..Perez…….Alexis…….Oxlade
Second half move Ox central, after we’ve tried taming Bayern a little, and Walcott Ozil Iwobi Welbeck gives us fresh legs to choose from. The away match and esp the first half hour should be about stopping Bayern. We go out a similar way way too much, maybe 1-0 wouldn’t be the worst result, certainly no point shooting ourselves in the foot by pouring forward for equaliser.
does not matter which players you put out on the pitch if they dont believe 100% in the manager and his lame tactics. hopefully we will get the miracle that we deserve in the champions league and sneak some kind of a win .however, i will be positive for this game, munchen might just under rate us , who knows.
I like Twig’s roster, but I would like to see 4-4-1-1 instead of 4-4-2. I think Sanchez would be a good playmaker in that game.
I remember that once Arsenal trashed AC Milan in San Siro, March 4th, 2008, with 4-4-1-1. Hleb, our central attacking midfielder at that time, showed incredible skills, vision and ball control to provide assists for Adebayor, our main striker at that game. I think Sanchez and Welbeck are better than Hleb and Adebayor in those positions.
Hence I would like to see:
_________Welbeck
_________Sanchez
____Perez Ox Coquelin Walcott
Monreal Koscielny Mustafi Bellerin
__________Ospina
Going forward it looks good, but I see Bellerin and Monreal having to fight too many fires.
Our weakness is giving away too many goals to almost any team, who dare attack us. That is the undeniable truth.
We actually have a strong back four + a good goalkeeper, but our midfield is so bad in protecting and winning the ball back it is a joke. Ramsey, OX, Iwobi, Walcott, Reine Adelaide apparently have never been taught how to be disciplined and organized in defence or how to press and win the ball. If you then add Ozil,, who doesn’t defend at all, then you have a perfect recipe for disaster against Bayern, the more of those player you put on the field. There is a really clear pattern here. Apart from Ozil, those players have all been constantly with Wenger from a young age, and he just doesn’t know how to make a team defend as a unit.
If we are to have any chance at all, we must have Coq, Elneny and Xhaka in midfield together to protect the back four, and we must have Sanchec, Perez and Wellbeck up front as they both provide speed on the counterattack and also contribute with defensive work. Then our only worry may be, we are a little bit light/short in height and vulnerable for crosses/corners/freekicks.
This makes sense
Aren’t we most fluid with a 4 3 3 formation?
GK:Ospina
DEFENSE: Gibbs Kos Mustafi Bellerin
MIDFIELD: Xhaka Ozil Ox
ATTACK: Welbz Sanchez Perez/Walcott
after an hour
Giroud for Welbz
Walcott for Perez
Giroud goes striker, Sanchez and Walcott support him on the flanks.
Elneny shouldn’t start because he passes backward way too often n that can commit our backk men into error like it did vs Southampton in EFL cup n almost did vs Hull city in EPL.
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Monreal shouldn’t start because once he gets beat, he has poor recovery and also he has a very annoying way of shadowmarking that gets him beat easily or in some cases the attacker won’t need to dribble him anymore but just take the shot like Sterling did.,Barrow,Mane,Sane,Valencia,Mahrez all this season.
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Coquelin hasn’t been in his best form probably cos he was rushed back so soon but it’s a risk we ll just have to takw considering we dnt have options in CM/DM.
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Ozil shouldn’t start because he is in terrible form, n when in poor form he does everything poorly. We can’t afford defensive or offensive errors against Bayern away.
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I also feel playing two CMs against Bayern is dangerous n we could get dominated totally if we do so.
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Hence my preferred XI.
4-3-3
_______Ospina
Bellerin,Mustafi,Koscielny,Gibbs
___Oxlade,Xhaka,Coquelin
(Lucas)Walcott,Alexis,Welbeck
.
or 4-4-2
Ospina
Bellerin,Mustafi,Koscielny,Gibbs
Ox,Xhaka,Coquelin,Iwobi
Alexis, Welbeck (Lucas)
Didn’t see Lucas training for Bayern. Anyone know why?
I think he did his ankle in training. Not 100% but I’m sure I read it somewhere yesterday. I don’t think it’s major.