Three CB Defensive Pattern for New Season by Nicholas Oyoo
Arsenal have now adopted something that we discussed in this column way back in 2015. The three-man defense as per the article below. With all these advantages now being taken up to rescue our fortunes, lets speak about a three CB setup for next year. I would replace Ozil with Calhanoglu. This system gives Sanchez freedom to roam and engineer attacks. Giroud will go and in coming will be Lacazette. We have Holding and Gabriel just in case someone loses form in the 3 CBs we pick. Pattern 3.5.1.1. (Variation of 3.5.2). My argument has always been we have not really been set up to get the scores both in terms of personel and formation
Cech
Bellerin – Koscielny – Mustafi
Ox———-Xhaka——Kolasinac
Ramsey———Sanchez
Calhanoglu
Lacazette
Can a New Pattern Reestablish Arsenal’s Threat (First posted October 2015)
Arsenal is facing a crisis of thinness upfront. We seem not to have enough players to rely on to get the goals. We have two players who can put in the shift upfront but currently they are shooting without producing enough goals, although there is reason to believe Walcott will surpass his goals tally this season if he continues improving. Arsenal as a team has created the most chances this season but they seem to go unconverted. On the other side our defenses are being breached far too easily. So far we have kept only 3 clean sheets. One of those three was a nil-nil to Liverpool. But this is the season Arsenal are succumbing to shock defeats. Of the defeats Arsenal have so far succumbed to, 2 were in the Champions league, to sides that Arsenal would easily beat in previous engagements. Of course the other was West Ham and Chelsea. Arguably the Chelsea of this season is a very beatable Chelsea that everyone else seems to find ways to beat and Arsenal are just the only other side this Chelsea has won over.
Can Wenger revive Arsenal’s chances by adopting a new pattern this season? Playing with three defenders and packing the rest of the pitch with players who can hurt teams. We have not been feared for a long time and it’s getting scary. I’m suggesting a new pattern of 3.3.3.1.
There is an argument that three centre backs at the back are more responsible. They become more solid because they work their hearts out and become leaders in their own right. If well executed, a three man defense can prove a great asset. Plus we have arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the division who shall provide leadership to Marshall the defense. If we were to pick three players today I would go with Monreal, Konsienly and Bellerin. Gabriel can play for injured Konsienly. Then two-tier midfield will start with Coquelin, Carzola and Ramsey as the defending tier. (Perhaps Ox can play here). Ramsey would be the extra man in the side that brings all the difference. He will be in his favoured box to box role. Here he becomes the extra defender when we are under attack, he becomes the extra midfielder when we need to subdue a team that puts in a fight and he becomes the extra man running in to flick the ball past the goalkeeper when we are attacking. The second tier of midfield is attacking tier will have two wingers and an attacking midfielder. Here Ox will have his chance to shine but tactically we could have Ramsey on the right wing and OX goes Box to Box. Left wing will have Sanchez and Ozil in The centre. The striker inevitably is Walcott going by form at the moment.
The side here..
Cech
Bellerin – Koscielny – Monreal
—Ramsey – Coquelin – Cazorla–
Ox—————Ozil————Sanchez
Walcott
Advantages of the system
1) The ever present Extra Man could help tip the balance Arsenals way. The ‘extra man’ would force errors when we are attacking by the opposing team’s confusion over who to mark, he would close down the enemy in the midfield and he would help steal the initiative off the opponent attackers by his mobility to position himself at the less served areas.
2) The utilization of the pitch would be the most effectively deployed yet. In cases the opposing side has closed down some sections in the pitch Arsenal could quickly relocate to other sections where the opposition is less organized. If the opposition dares to match us in deployment, they would quickly tire themselves out and expose themselves to breakaway attacks from our players.
3) Arguably best usage of the strength that our squad boasts – midfield. With six midfielders who can transition to either becoming attackers or becoming defenders where and when the occasion demands, the side will be playing at its best possible advantage.
4) Wing support – Arsenal has traditionally been the wing masters and we have in the past terrified teams with our wing capabilities. This system would enable wings to be fully utilized for deployment of deadly attacks and repulse deadly raids on our side as there will be a two tier deployment awaiting the opposition’s moves.
5) Functional Potency – This system is a bit of in between of many systems that Arsenal can deploy. By removing the ‘Extra Man’ one can introduce a defender and the system will immediately revert to 4.2.3.1. By removing the extra man and introducing an attacker it would go into 3.2.3.2. With a second substitution you can move to 4.1.3.2. it a flexible system.
Is the 3.3.3.1 system the best possible pattern to bring Arsenal to full alertness and sharpness through this season?
Nicholas
excellent another fan who is much better in tactics, players and strategy than our outgoing manager..
The fans know best!!
We must have the club to be under the direct payroll of our 3 billionaire owners
this way we can spend and strengthen
Time to protest correctly!!!
3-5-2 formation could work well.
1. Kante/Matic vs Ramsey/Coq: Kante and Matic doesnt infuluence build up process that much, their roles focus more on making sure to fix up mistakes and redistribute plays quickly to creative players.
2. Koscielny vs Luiz: Luiz is gifted with the abilty of long range passes, he reads the game well and is able to distribute balls up high. Koscielny in the other hand lacks suck skills.
3. 3-5-2 will give Giroud/Welbeck better support from wingers and AMC, since they were much more isolated this season ever since Cazorla creativity were missed.
We need more backup for the wing-back positions. Theyre new for the club really. Some experience would be valuable.
New goalkeeper.new central defender.new left back.new striker.new midfielder …let go monreal.mustafi.jenkinson.dephucey.cocherlan.wiltshire.giroud…..get rid of the dead wood reducing our wage bill and buy quality…
@Nicholas Oyoo : Bellerin is not good at marking the opponents. He is very quick and has attacking tendency, hence he would be great as a wingback, not as a central defender.
For the three central defenders, I prefer :
– Someone tall and big like Pique, so Arsenal can deal with tall target men like Morata, Carroll, Benteke, Ibrahimovic. We have Holding that also possesses good technique.
– Someone that has good anticipation, passing skill and the ability to read the game from the back. Mascherano fills this position in Barcelona. I feel Mustafi or Koscielny can do this in Arsenal. I prefer Koscielny, because he is getting slower but has more experience than the other defenders.
– Another Macherano. It is difficult to find a central defender like him. Good marking, anticipation and passing skills, combined with a good vision at the back. That’s why he is essential in Barcelona’s system. He is their first attacker in the back. A defender like this is very crucial for any three central defender formations.
For the formation, the 3-4-2-1 is okay for the current players that we have, considering their quality. In the future, when Arsenal has more players with better quality, they can try Barcelona’s 3-3-1-3.
Mascharano is 33 yo…..hes not ageing and slow like Kos who is 32yo
Mascherano is old and getting slower, but he still has the skills I mentioned. Koscielny can be tried to fill the same role in Arsenal, or we can search for a younger defender that can be our first attacker in the back. I feel that Mustafi can do it as well.
we have Kos Mustafic and holding as 3rd choice
Chambers 4th and Gabriel 5th
Bielik, I like his height and strength, I reckon he and Holding are the future.
I like the system we’re using now. I think one of the reasons is because usually out wide we can be a bit all over the place at times. Sometimes all four wide-men got forward then not spotting danger and not getting back in time, sometimes they positioned badly and didn’t know who to pick up, well this season was like that for sure.
Now though, because we have only one starting wid-man on each side, they know the importance of being the fifth defender back there, they also know that they have to choose better when to go forward as they have responsibility of being the width of our side. Oxlade is a smarter footballer than people gave him credit for. It would not be easy to switch formation after all these years and take to it as Oxlade has, I hope I’m not speaking to soon here, but we are finally getting glimpses of a player making big strides.
It’d be great if Oxlade could reproduce that on the left wing, I’d like to see what Bellerin and Oxlade would be like with this formation. Monreal can be a great defender from time, but I think in the long run, the wing back is a young mans game.