Freddie Ljungberg needs to get the defence right to avoid a defeat to West Ham
I am not sure many will argue that Arsenal has one of the worse defences in the Premier League. It is truly shambolic.
But there is room for improvement if Freddie Ljungberg is prepared to go with his strongest back four and I think he will.
He has potentially a great left-back in Kieran Tierney, why he persists with Sead Kolasinac I do not know. I really do feel that he will start the young Scot against the Hammers on Monday evening.
The same applies on the right side, he has to go with Hector Bellerin who clearly needed more time but should be up to speed now. It would help if there is a good right-sided midfielder/ attacker to help out the Spaniard.
Now, to the central pairing, the biggest issue at Arsenal and sadly I do not think Freddie will be brave here. He has to drop David Luiz but he will not I fear.
So, Luiz will most likely start and I think there is a good chance the Swede will select Calum Chambers in his correct position this time as the Brazilians partner.
This is the back four I predict will start in front of Bernd Leno tomorrow night.
Kieran Tierney
David Luiz
Calum Chambers
Hector Bellerin
On paper, that does give us a chance to keep the goals down providing Luiz plays a good game.
Let me know in the comments what defence you think Freddie will select.
Why would you even consider putting Chambers in there
Well we are looking at smalling at the moment so does that answer your question
Looking being the operative word 😄
Tierney
Donkey
Donkey
Bellerin
I want to see Tierney play too, especially after people have said he’s even better than Robertson.. but Kolasinac hasn’t been that bad in the last couple of games.. so if he’s fit (looked like he picked up a knock when he came off) then it wouldn’t surprise me if he starts….
I would keep Kolasinac and try Holding with Luiz in the middle. I would select chambers instead of Bellerin. Belerin is still unfit.
I don’t like Chambers as RB
Agree
He has the pace of a donkey and gets beat too easily.
I want an all British back four who can hack and whack.
🤣 does it really matter who plays in defence? Do you see us conceeding any less than 2 goals?
Absolutely not, QD… we’ll call for Holding and Chambers and then when they make mistakes, then what?? Our defence really isn’t very good. But right now I’d take Holding and Chambers 🤣🤣🤣 and have to live with the consequences!!
You just have to look at the hammers side, to see who hasn’t scored in 3 years, or who hasn’t scored for them at all and that will end tomorrow night!
Clean sheet? I doubt we’ll ever have one again!!!!
Haha! Like Pukki?! To be honest I don’t think it makes a damned difference who plays where. We have seen every possible defender in action in our last 5 games and we have managed to conceed 2 goals in every game. Holding was in defence when we lost to Leicester 2-0 and he was also there when we drew 5-5 with Liverpool.
Haha just like Pukki!! 😩
I totally agree, QD.. I think Holding/Chambers are the best of a very, very bad bunch!!
No one will come in and be our saviour, all of them seem to have a blunder in them.. I bet Saliba’s wishing he hadn’t signed the damn thing 🤣
@Sue
I remember that Holding-Chambers combo conceeded 4 versus Liverpool when they beat us at the Emirates 3-4. We can give them a chance again but I don’t expect anything will be different.
We’re doomed!!
Holding + Chambers = agree on that 👍🎅🏻
🙂
I don’t see anything because it is not ordained by a deity that we shall always concede more than two goals
Why would you even consider putting Chambers in there. We don’t have a proper defense line for a while now, no matter how much we spend every season we haven’t been able to sort out our defensive issues. Arsenal’s defense has always been the worst in recent years just that it just got worse this year.
Lemme remind you again, our defense ain’t the problem but its our midfield, when they will learn to keep the ball for more than 1minute thats when our defense will not be in trouble…. Our midfielders are the biggest defense problem period
I agree with you. If our midfield learn to hold their positions and be mindful of protecting the defenders we would not be conceding stupid goals. What happened to Rob Holding and Mavropanos? For Monday let Ljunberg go with Holding and Chambers as CBs and Guendouzi, Xhaka and Torriera as midfielders. Have Lacazette, Auba and Pepe on the forward line.
Hector-chambers-tierney-saed… Kolasinac deserves to keep his place based on our last 2games
👍 I agree about Kolasinac
If Holding is fit play him with Chambers.If not play Chambers with Tierney who has played really well for Scotland in a left CB position on a number of occassions. One thing for sure, they could not possibly be worse than our regular hapless trio..I understand Mavroponas has been doing well for the under 23’s.Is it time for him to step up?.
Its time we played Niles at mid
We have played chambers at right back he should have been playing centre backs for years, he would have already made mistakes and be awesome now and he’s English.win win
why not bring in mavropanos and pair him with chambers or holdings.We need vibrant and fast CBs.Luiz and socratis have the experience but are slow to compete with the attackers in EPL teams.Hector or Niles can cover RB while Tierney plays LB due to his dangerous crosses,speed and passes.
Luiz and Sokratis are also useless…. I’m looking for players that are prepared to put their bodies on the line, not watch while the opposition scores.
Chambers and Holding will do well, if given the chance. 1 game together is not an indication.
Bellerin Holding Chambers Tierny
Luiz
This CB pair is our best but as any pairi11qp1, not enough…We need Luiz or Chambers infront of CB pair.
Or we have midfield all defending instead of playing forward. Wenger started playing 5 in the back for that reason. Trying to patch that top CB we need at least in a pair.
Emery finally had it right oon last game for 12 minutes in a 4-1 formation with Luiz infront of CBs. The rest of the team was able to play forward.
We were all over opponent side’s of the pitch, waves of attack, they couldn’t brieve; until Luiz injury! We were playing so we’ll, fast, passes, controlling all end of the park.
Anyway, this is our beat back4 but not good enough in center; have Luiz sit there and we be fine. Make sure to have at least 1 CBs on bench in case of Luiz injury. Allows to move Chambers at Luiz position and player to take his CB spot. That where Emery messed up,he did not have Bellerin to play RB nor a CB to allow Chambers to move in 4-1 instead of Luiz!
Until we get a Koulibaly, we must play 4-1.
Unreal for Eddie to not have noticed this 4-1 effect of 10 firat minutes, before Luiz injury! So obvious, we never looked so Arsenal and strong for ages!
Why ta hell are you picking Luis for? He has been the cause of so many goals against us. He is pure dung. Why do you think Chelsea got rid?
I WOULD Have liked to See luiz as the Holding midfield along side torrdia and guendouzi chambers bellerin tierney and Holding in the back and martinelli ambanyang and lacazzete up frount
Didn’t Graham say “if you don’t have 2 good CB’s, then play 3.”
Unless Freddie PARKS a DM in front of the CB’s whichever CB’s he picks will fail.
Xhaka too slow to play anchoring DM as we’ve know for 3 years now. I’d play Chambers as that anchoring DM, why not?
Nothing else has worked, desperate times call for desperate measures.
I’d also try front 3 like this
LW Martinelli. Auba. RW Pepe
Martinelli works his socks off, can dribble and finish.
Auba best as a striker; either rotate Laca or put Laca on left wing.
Losing Kos and Nacho has cost Arsenal lots including a coach who clearly needed time.
You can only shuffle the available players in the deck so many ways.