Surprised Arsenal don’t use this in-game tactic like before.
It’s been an open secret that the Gunners have been struggling in the attack in recent weeks, this has been due to a combination of a couple of factors that were in and out of our control.
Injuries haven’t been kind to us this season, suspension too have caused us all sorts of problems and Arteta’s management of the situation should be called into question as well, given how he could have handled things better (in my opinion anyway).
What makes an attack very effective sometimes is the amount of controlled chaos and unpredictability a team can exhibit in the attacking thirds, take Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid side from last season for example, the amount of freedom he gave and still gives to the likes of Bellingham, Vinicius and Rodrygo to express themselves made them a very good attacking unit even though they lacked a proper number 9. Now I’m not comparing this team to them in anyway, the embarrassment of riches possessed by Real Madrid is incomparable to us, but we aren’t small either.
A tactic commonly used by that Madrid team and most top clubs in Europe is the in-game rotation of wingers. This is done for many reasons to benefit a team’s attack; its unpredictability makes it a nightmare for opposition fullbacks who might have understandably prepared exclusively for their opposition winger before the game. Switching also gives a team variation in attack; more options will boost a team’s chances of scoring (in theory). Furthermore, having your wingers switching from time-to-time mid game will give them the opportunity of coming up against a weaker fullback, different players have different styles and profiles so you can understand a particular style might be harder for a fullback to defend than another.
We used to do this to great effect in 2022/23 where we had Saka and Martinelli occasionally switching flanks to take advantage of the chaos. In recent seasons however we have seemed to ditch that entirely and I’m a little bit surprised by that. It could be a fantastic asset especially for a team like us who struggle without the creativity of Ødegaard in the right half space.
I am no Mikel Arteta, I mean there’s a reason why he gets paid a lot of money to coach us, it means he’s good at his job! And what does a man who’s never managed a Sunday League game in his life have to say to a UEFA Pro License holder?
Furthermore, to execute that tactic effectively will need a lot of confidence from the team anyways which we’re currently lacking at the moment.
But with that said however, it will still be a great tactic for Arteta to employ as the season goes on.
These are my thoughts. Would this in-game tactic help our attack in any way?
BENJAMIN KENNETH
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Because MA doesn’t seem to like the rotation style!
Our opponents seem to know that we always pass the ball to Marti or Saka, who prefer to play close to the line rather than trying to bring the ball in the middle and attack towards the center. Yet, we don’t see any interference from MA. On top of that, he seems to give up on Jesus and always prefers to play Havertz, for whom we don’t create any chances to score!
Honestly, I feel it’s time to go to MA. Look at Slot and how he understood his team, implemented his tactics, and changed the image of Liverpool. You will know why I believe that MA is not adding much to this team.
I see. Counting the HITS while ignoring the flaring MISSES. 👍
It’s still to early to jump on the Slot (Liverpool) bandwagon. We have been there before nearly every season. There is always the flavour of the month manager from the other clubs that many of our fans will latch onto as the example that exposes how poor Arteta is. Then by the end of the season they all go quiet about that particular manager due to him having tanked or having gotten sacked by their club. Then they will latch on to the next shiny new manager having a surprise purple patch. And the cycle continues…..
Can’t even lists all the names of flavour of the moment managers that have been put forward in the last 4 years as the templates that exposed how poor Arteta is supposed to be. But where are most of these managers today?
The sensationalism needs to stop.
😊🤞🙏
Maybe tinkering around the edges will work, maybe not. What is for certain is we have become predictable, and it’s time to mix things up a bit.
Keep Havertz centrally not filling in all over the pitch maybe. Wingers interchanging as suggested, have fullbacks overlap more often and invert less.
Tactics have become predictable, but we can improve, but have to do so quickly.
Arteta swapped our inverted wingers to play conventionally when we couldn’t score
The crosses from the conventional wingers are mostly long, so we need a tall CF to convert them into goals with his head
This is why we need Vlahovic, Zirkzee or Sesko
When did Arteta swap our wingers, and ,in Havertz, do we not have a tall central striker? Clarification please?
Arteta did it in a couple of games before Havertz joined us
To the best of my knowledge, Arteta has never started Saka on the left and Martinelli on the right and the fact that we have a tall centre forward should encourage him to do so as our wingers simply cannot cross accurately with their weaker foot in their present inverted winger roles.
Yes, Arteta has never started them as conventional wingers
That’s why I said Arteta swapped our inverted wingers to play conventionally when we couldn’t score in the second half of some games
@Gai, a coach should be regimented in his tactics if he must win tophies. Yes we need a tall CF that can dominate but that isn’t an excuse for failure. RMadrid won UCL last term without a. Benzema muold of striker, City won Epl severally with dimutive Aguero. Aston Villa had tall Watkins last season yet finished behind Arsenal.
Arteta simply need to be genius and creative with his tactics around the box for our forwards to score goals.
Any good Epl coach can nullify a tall CF threat in the box with a defensive tactics. Halaand has been prevented from scoring aerialy many times in the box yet City still wins the game.
The truth is Arteta’s lack of previous managerial experience often shows in some games and even UCl.
Arsenal board would judge Arteta at the end of the season not based on having a tall CF or not but on results after 5 seasons at the helm of the team.. The board business owners with expectations.
Unfortunately, Arteta isn’t as good as Guardiola yet, so he’d likely need a physically-dominant CF like the prime Giroud
The strong CF doesn’t have to be very tall, because Arteta rarely uses conventional wingers and attacking fullbacks to whip long crosses from the bylines
But the CF must be able to hold off the likes of Konate/ Van Dijk, make creative flicks and lead our high-press for at least seventy minutes
It could work I guess, but you’ve got to have the players who can make it work of course. Will Arteta try it? Only he knows that.
Personally, I’d like to see him start earning the huge salary that the article’s author mentions. Pure coincidence obviously, but it hasn’t gone well since Arteta signed his new mega-contract, has it.
Come on Bertie, don’t fan any flames with the gaffer salary
There’s that, but what’s also lacking is clinical finishing. It’s great switching around and creating chances, but if we need 20 before somebody scores then it’s no good.
This is also one of the few serious criticisms I have with Arteta. The lack of rotation. The sometime overly cautious style. And the lack of player fluidity. Arteta’s rigidity sometimes does him no good. He seems to be more tuned to not lose other than tuned to take risk / a chance to win a game.
I have felt for the last 2 seasons we could have done a bit better by Arteta being more braver instead of overly cautious / rigid.
And I also wish he can vary our play, switch players up. Can’t keep playing the likes of Saka / Martinelli, Trossard etc on their favourite same sides game after game. It becomes a bit predictable. Switch them up once in awhile.
👍🙏🤞
I feel the reluctance by MA is to switch from inverted to orthodox wingers. It should be an option from time to time to rotate during a game. Saka wasn’t getting much joy on Sunday because they knew exactly how to double tag him. Having a more traditional striker and a box to box midfielder making the timed runs is where you can capitalize on the crosses etc.
Imagine a front 3 of Kudus-Gyokores-Saka being supplied assists by Odegaard.
That’s what we need but unfortunately now it will be either Kudus or Gyokeres and not both due to their prices.
Plus Arteta somehow fancies Sesko more.