Wenger to build two different Arsenals by Sam P
One of the biggest things achieved by Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in recent years is the formation of a plan B, something that many football observers were beginning to believe was a foreign idea to the prof. It is still true that the boss wants his team to play in a certain style that is fluent, exciting and easy on the eye but he also wants to win and that need has forced him into a change of tactics.
That change, as well as an improved injury list and some top additions through the transfer market, has given Arsenal fans a real belief that we could finally regain the status of the champions of England. But while the second half of the season saw the Gunners win away against Man City and Manchester United, it also saw us struggle to beat lesser teams like Newcastle, QPR and Burnley.
That is why I think the boss will tweak his tactics again next season and have two different Arsenal’s ready to play depending on the situation. Against the big clubs, especially away from home, the Gunners will be compact and defensively strong with the pace up front to utilise the counter attack. The starting XI could look like this:
Ospina
Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal
Coquelin, Ramsey
Alexis, Ozil, Welbeck
Walcott
Bags of pace there and the added bonus of work rate and defending from the front with our wide men and with Ozil and Ramsey able to turn defence into attack in an instant. Against teams that we expect to defend deep and frustrate us I think we will use the pacier full backs and more creativity, like this:
Ospina
Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Gibbs
Arteta, Cazorla
Wilshere, Ozil, Alexis
Giroud
Obviously and additionsd in the summer transfer window could change things, like Schneiderlin for Arteta or Cech for Ospina but in principle, what do you think of the two Arsenal teams?