The Analysis: A tactical look at Arsenal’s season so far

February 15, 2009 at 3:16 pm | In Arsenal | 3 Comments
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With Arsenal failing to mount a serious title challenge this season, Arsenal Column analyse what exactly has gone wrong, what has improved and why we should look optimistically to the future.
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Last season, after a quite blistering start, Arsenal’s title challenge ground to an anti-climatic halt after a series of draws and injuries took it’s toll on the squad. This season the same two points apply however there was no blistering start; if defeat to Fulham in the second game was a sign of things to come, no-one would have expected five before December. However the Gunners are now unbeaten in eleven games in the league since the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.

What’s different between the Arsenal of now and the Arsenal that started the season and how much have things actually improved?

Balance is key

‘Balance is number one’ claims World Cup winning manager Marcello Lippi therefore it seems Arsenal had shot themselves in the foot by making attack their main priority. With Denilson taking over Flamini in central midfield that balance was likely to take time though the Milan midfielder himself fit into the system with ease.

The myth at the start of the season was that Denilson was playing in the same areas as Cesc Fabregas therefore forcing the Spaniard to play lower down the pitch. In truth this was half correct; Denilson was attacking slightly more than Flamini did but Fabregas himself never played any deeper than he had before. In fact the stats seem to show he was passing the ball higher up the pitch which for the inexperienced Denilson, was giving him too much defensive work to do in terms of pressuring and tracking back opponents.

Balance seemed better restored but this was after five defeats. Song had come in to the centre with Denilson moving to the right as Arsenal reacted to back to back defeats to Villa and Man City by beating Chelsea. Injury to Fabregas  has seen the midfield partnership rotated but the balance has still been there if not the creativity. Diaby’s ability to win the ball back being crucial, the Frenchman making 45 successful tackles in just five matches (starting from Portsmouth and ending with West Ham). Denilson on the other hand has been steadily improving and while he is yet to fully win over the fans, less has he become the target of their displeasure. It seems the stint out wide had improved the Brazilian’s tactical awareness and positioning, especially when tracking his runner.

As Man Utd have shown defending is a team collective therefore Van Persie’s role must not be underestimated. By dropping back when Arsenal are defending to make a 4-4-1-1 the Dutchman denies the ball from being played out from the back. The trend in football is to defend as a ‘compact defensive block’ and then to aggressively press the ball.

Newly found defensive stability

In the 14 starts Mikael Silvestre has made in all competitions this season, Arsenal have let in 22 goals but rather than pin the blame on the Frenchman, there has been a number of reasons for the improvement in defense.

Johan Djourou has been brought in to add speed and height at the back, creating a complementary partnership with whoever he plays with. However recent games at West Ham and Tottenham have seen Wenger revert to the shorter pairing of Toure and Gallas, where together they have kept two clean sheets. Height is still an issue if the two play but denying crosses and being first to knock downs minimizes the exploitation area of weakness.

The high line required great mobility from the defenders and while that was  there, there was simply too much work to do.

“At one stage we had conceded too many goals, so we encouraged our defenders to be a bit more cautious,” says Arsene Wenger. The full back area, when they push forward exposes the channel for counter attacks. With teams sitting deep this was especially a problem in the early part of the season. Against Tottenham the full backs denied the wingers the opportunity to attack down the flanks as Arsenal played a 4-3-2 and although the lack of adventure was forced nevertheless shows their quality. “Transitions have become crucial,” says Jose Mourinho who tries to keep a minimum of five behind the ball. “When the opponent is organised defensively, it is very difficult to score. The moment the opponent loses the ball can be the time to exploit the opportunity of someone being out of position.”

Missing Fabregas

The clearest signs coming from Arsenal’s first defeat to Fulham was how the Gunners would cope without Fabregas. At the time the performance was merely seen as one-off as it was still early in the season therefore improvements will be made. However while there have been improvements, the eleven game unbeaten run has included only five wins while in eight of those games Arsenal have scored once. One can put it down to the defense minded nature of the opposition as United have also found it difficult, winning 1-0 eight times in their last eleven games nevertheless the evidence is there that greater creativity is required to break them down.

Fabregas’s influence is massive. He has created 50 chances this season, the most of the Arsenal side while behind him Van Persie has been involved in all goals this year either scoring or assisting them directly. Below shows why the Spaniard has been missed; playing at West Ham earlier this season he made more passes in the final third and generally took more risks. Compare with Denilson and Diaby against the Hammers at the Emirates, where their passes inside and around the box is almost non-existent.

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Fabregas also contributed with ten goals lasts season by arriving late in the box whereas his replacements decide to stay back. Maybe there is an opportunity for Nasri to play in the centre after being utilised in the centre against Tottenham. If there was doubts about his work rate and positional play they will surely have been eased by his performance. The return from injury of key players may yet see a surplus of creative talent but at the moment there is no real back up to Fabregas thought there are great talents in Ramsey and Merida coming through.

Retaining possession

According to former Holland coach (Total Football) Rinus Michels top teams can be distinguished in the way they ‘circulate’ the ball. “To carry the play on the opponents half of the field places high demands of the build-up. There is not much time and space to work in and you have to deal with high defensive pressure. Fast combinations and excellent positional play are a must.”

While this could easily have been attributed to last season’s Arsenal side the same cannot be said about this season. In Flamini, his tireless nature ensured he could deal with the high demand in positional play while in attack the combinations and fluidity was better. Denilson has the attributes to be a similar success and with the trend moving towards deploying deep-lying playmakers all he needs is more confidence.

Matches against Aston Villa and Everton this season have seen the Gunners not retain possession as well as they have done in the past as such opposition take the game to the Arsenal midfield.

And confidence seems missing from the whole team. Diaby and Song, although not known as creative players are capable of passing the ball but it is up those in front to ensure that it is used more effectively in providing support and movement. Adebayor’s impact seems lessened this season as he roams around looking for the ball while Eboue, the brunt of fans frustrations has been seen coming inside to provide support but the link up play has been lacking. Getting a highly mobile and interchangeable system will take time especially with the integral cog in Hleb having departed in the summer but with the signing of Arshavin and Rosicky to return, the dynamism and fluidity may return too.

One can argue perhaps it is natural that Arsenal have concentrated more on their defence because of the lessening of creativity and attacking play.

Reason to look forward?

There is no doubt that this has been a disappointing season so far but  the Gunners can realistically still get second place. Arsene Wenger has spent over £20million on transfers yet has been criticised for not spending more. With the debts the club has, Champions League football is the bear minimum required each year and while Wenger has provided that thus far, he also needs to add trophies. The Frenchman is trying to address that but any team will feel the effects of injuries to key players; take out Gerrard from Liverpool just like Fabregas from Arsenal and they will struggle. When everyone is fit, the Gunners actually have a very good squad of quality players.

But Arsenal’s model of sustainability will surely mean the Gunners will still be competing for years to come will others are in a cloud of financial insecurity. The youngsters displayed possibly the best performance by a Premier League side this season in their quite breathtaking demolition of Wigan in the Carling Cup and it seems the senior team is not very far off.

Things can only get better but it is disheartening to hear the same words, bar last season, being said for the last four or five years. But this time, with Champions League qualification ensured the fundamentals may yet be greater.

“In the modern game, the only formation is 9-1″

February 11, 2009 at 5:00 pm | In Arsenal | 1 Comment
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When asked after the game against Belarus whether England were playing a 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1, manager Fabio Capello bluntly dismissed such notions. “These figures are stupid,” he said. “In the modern game, the only formation is 9-1.”
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Actually Fabio Capello isn’t rejecting the idea of formations completely; just arguing that there are greater subtleties beneath giving a title to the physical arrangement of players. Regarding his England side, one can see the 9-1 in action. When playing with a full strength side they have Heskey as the focal point ably supported by nine outfield players with the responsibility to defend and attack. Heskey’s contribution is crucial as he plays across the line, linking up play with his back to goal and creating space for others with his presence.

But not all teams play with one up front. Spain won Euro 2008 with Torres and Villa while Luciano Spalletti’s Roma side played with none (though recently they have moved to a diamond formation). However by concentrating on the striker it means one is ignoring the subtleties.

Croatia manager Slaven Bilic feels similarly about formations and can give a greater insight into what the England coach really means. “Systems are dying. Like 4-5-1, what does it mean? It’s only for journalists or at the beginning of each half. When defending, great teams want many behind the ball. When attacking, players from all sides. We have to be compact, narrow to each other.

“Italy won the 2006 World Cup with nothing like the [defensive] Italy you usually think of. They finished the semi-final against Germany with Del Piero, Gilardino, Iaquinta and Totti — four strikers. And two full-backs bombing up. It’s about the movement of 10 players now.”

Now it is much easier to understand. By playing one striker, a coach can accommodate a number of creators, allowing greater fluidity and flexibility. Spain played with a fluid system where Torres was the front runner while Villa played off him but around them were plenty of attacking midfielders and the full backs pushed forward too. Roma’s 4-6-0 uses Totti as the focal point though with great movement and use of space from midfielders he doesn’t need to play as high. One reason why Ronaldo scored so many goals last season as opposed to this, is because there was greater interchangeability across the line of attack, leaving no points of reference for defenders.

The role of the striker has evolved and they are now expected to do more; scoring goals need not be a centre-forward’s principal purpose. They must be able to use their intelligence to drop off into space and play in team mates while also being able to make runs to stretch opposition. An increased mobility and interchangeability in strikers has lessened the need for the traditional ‘goal-poachers’ while there are greater expectations on midfielders to contribute goalscoring-wise. “For me, a striker is not just a striker,” says Jose Mourinho. “He’s somebody who has to move, who has to cross, and who has to do this in a 4-4-2 or in a 4-3-3 or in a 3-5-2.”

Fabio Capello has tried to instill the same ideas in his England side. Gerrard plays as an unorthodox left midfielder and is detailed to come inside when attacking, Rooney is allowed to drift and the midfielders must be able to support. But the main point which is stressed is movement: “I think they know me now – my style, the movement around the pitch that I want. They know and it is better now.” Capello also talks of the importance of the whole collective’s responsibility in scoring goals.

“Only [Spain's Fernando] Torres is a big striker in this moment in the world. [As for] the others, Italy [are] so-so, Germany [are] so-so, Portugal [have nothing]. Also the French, you didn’t see anything. It’s a big problem now because the teams defend very well. It’s a problem everywhere. You have to play in a different style – the other players they have to score more goals.”

Even so, playing with great movement is a highly specialised skill and not easy to implment for many clubs. But if one succeeds the result can be explosive. Like the ‘Total Football’ sides of Holland in 1974 and Dynamo Kyiv to the more recent examples in Man United and Barcelona, such sides have shown this explosiveness. Arsenal’s youngsters displayed one of the best examples this season as they comprehensively beat a full-strength Wigan side in the Carling Cup with Jack Wilshere, Vela, Ramsey, Gibbs and Merida creating havoc. And with Jay Simpson leading the line it was a perfect example of the 9-1. One must not forget the importance of the central defenders also; their mobility and ability to initiate attacks as well as their defensive nous being the backbone of the side.

Modern football sees clubs looking to deny opponents any space. It is about controlling space and reducing space for opponents when attacking and defending. By playing a 9-1 where the whole team has the responsibility to attack and defend, Capello believes it is not about the individual’s effectiveness rather the effectiveness of the individuals within the system. If the players adapt it means they have created a system of flexibility and fluidity which becomes less predictable for opponents and therefore harder to disrupt. Not many teams can do it but when they do, it can be destructive.

Premiership signings signal a change in forward thinking

February 3, 2009 at 2:35 pm | In Arsenal | Leave a Comment
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The Premier League transfer window has seen some curious signings, no less than at Tottenham but the window has also signaled an evolution of the striker and one where a greater requirement is expected of them.
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In the January transfer window Aston Villa had signed Emile Heskey from Wigan for £3.5m. This was a player who had scored 109 goals in 409 league appearances at a ratio of 0.27 goals a game and had been flogged by his previous teams for ultimately not scoring enough goals.

He had produced a promising partnership for both England and Liverpool with Micheal Owen but in the case his partnered didn’t score the pressure was on the bulky target man to deliver. A couple of mainly goal-shy seasons later and accusations of falling over more than scoring, he joined Birmingham. However he didn’t do enough to dispel such an image and was later resigned by Steve Bruce, now at Wigan. Here the striker had reinvented himself as a team player; linking up play and making space for others with his strength. His unselfish performances leading the line under Fabio Capello’s ‘fluid’ England side finally brought appreciation at the age of 30.

Strikers have evolved and are now expected to do more; to use their intelligence to drop off into space and play in team mates while also being able to make runs to stretch opposition. An increased mobility and interchangeability in strikers has lessened the need for the traditional ‘goal-poachers ‘ while there is a greater expectation on midfielders to contribute goalscoring-wise.

The Premiership is still a curious anomaly. European clubs usually play with one central striker similar to someone like Torres (can run, link up, pace, movement) and a creative striker/playmaker behind. However in the Premier League, clubs still mainly play a traditional 4-4-2 but whereas before they wanted a little-and-large partnership the transfer window has seen the trend shift to two tall, highly mobile strikers. Wigan had signed Rodallega and Mido, Hull Manucho and even Middlesbrough you can argue with Marlon King.

Micheal Owen is one the only few old style goal poachers around but even he has had to evolve, playing as a link striker last season under Keegan. Tactically the game has changed with greater cautiousness especially of transitions in play. Defensively teams are stronger and the game could now be argued as one of many little battles where a goal poacher won’t have enough in his armoury to win and will require more work from team-mates. Ruud Van Nistelrooy brings more than just goals with his hold up play while Inzaghi has great movement to go with his limited ability. “For me, a striker is not just a striker,” says Jose Mourinho. “He’s somebody who has to move, who has to cross, and who has to do this in a 4-4-2 or in a 4-3-3 or in a 3-5-2.”

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Didier Drogba (against Fulham) and Emile Heskey (against Man United) pass map

Of course the Premiership is a different league, less technical and more cautious but the evolution of strikers had been evident at the top clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester United even before this window. Berbatov, Drogba and Adebayor offer more than a traditional target man or striker would have previously offered. Which makes it even more baffling the signings of Tottenham Hotspur who have now got three strikers in a more traditional ‘goal-poacher’ role (Bent, Defoe and Keane) and one all round player in Pavlyuchenko.

The fitness of players have increased ten-fold and the demands greater on defenders, to win the battle centre forwards have had to evolve and offer more.

The 3-5-2 enjoying final lease of life before it’s impending doom

January 19, 2009 at 4:26 pm | In Arsenal | 5 Comments
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After Argentina had won the World Cup 1986 with the 3-5-2, who would have thought the formation would be all but dead and buried as its use declined. However, it has made a so far successful reappearance by Napoli and Sampdoria though this reemergence looks short lived in the context of the modern game.
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The slow death of the 3-5-2 may have coincided with the death of the libero or sweeper. Of course there had been many variants of a back three formation but not with the sweeper.

The role of the sweeper came to more prominence in the 1960’s in the Catenaccio (“door-bolt”) formation used by the coach Helenio Herrera of Inter Milan. At first it was a defensive position but had evolved to the focal point of the team, bringing the ball out of defence and begin counter-attacks while being the man to read the danger and also double mark the attacker.

“The original libero stayed back and didn’t touch the ball for more than two minutes a game. Then they started to participate more and more and balance the midfield,” says Renato Zaccarelli, a former libero himself for Torino.

Argentina won the World Cup in 1986 with the 3-5-2 but what was the systems finest moment never really took off till then.

Arrigo Sacchi, the former Milan coach and possibly the greatest tactical innovator of modern football may have been the reason for the downfall of the sweeper. His influence can be seen across Europe and England from Benitez, to Hodgson, Capello and in Serie A coaches in particular.

Sacchi’s all conquering AC Milan side heralded a change in direction of formations, especially in Italian football. The sweeper was moved to the central defence as a back four in the form of Franco Baresi as the pure essence of the sweeper, man marking was replaced by zonal marking and the aggressive carrying out of Sacchi’s tactic and pressuring.

“The player needs to express himself within the parameters laid out by the manager…Then the player makes decisions based on that…it’s about being a player. Not just being skillful or being athletic. I didn’t want robots or individualists. I wanted people with the intelligence to understand me, and the spirit to put that intelligence to the service of the team. In short, I wanted people who knew how to play football.”

“Pressing is…about controlling space. I wanted my players to feel strong and the opponents to feel weak. If we let [them] play in a way they were accustomed to, they would grow in confidence. But if we stopped them, it would hurt their confidence. That was the key: our pressing was psychological as much as physical. Our pressing was always collective.”

When attacking it was all about dictating play and when defending it was controlling space. Deviating from the plan as the sweeper would do had no place for Sacchi when defending.

Still the traces of the libero is still alive today but in midfield. The deep lying playmaker can do a similar job, dictating and creating play but at the same time cover for the defence and read danger. The increasing deployment of players like De Rossi and Pirlo (and why Arsenal are using Denilson) part of the tactical trend of the modern game; the between the line players. Less are there of box to box type players and more who are part of steps (i.e. 4-1-1-1-3-0 of Roma) and hence Chelsea’s problems in midfield where there are too similar styled players playing.

If this is the case then shouldn’t the 3-5-2 still be able to exist even without the sweeper? The answer seems unfortunately no, as in the changing face of the game falls second best at nearly every hurdle and ultimately too complicated a system.

Firstly the wing backs, lambasted by Cruyff as not being skillful players but more as athletes. They need to be quicker and fitter, to cover more ground and reorganise themselves, and especially in the Premiership with it’s speed hard to implement. Serie A is slower and more tactical but with the teams trying harder to compete with top European clubs we may see a slight change of emphasis.

Secondly it requires, all over the pitch and especially the defence, high levels of organisation. Thirdly and most crucially, it uses more men to compete against the opposing teams less numbers (think 3-5-2 v 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 situations) while the advantage of having three central midfielders is lessened. Overall it is an overly hard formation to play but why then are teams like Napoli being successful? The recent game against Chievo they lost 2-1 but the most notable play about them was how deep they were.

With essentially two libero in front of the defense in Hamsik and Blasi, the former’s weak defensive skills compensated by the three man defense, they let the opposition take the game to them and look to counter through Lavezzi. This kind of tactic won’t be music in the ears for bigger clubs but it suits Napoli and can be typified by one man; Ezequiel Lavezzi.

“El Pocho is a phenomenon. He has the three fundamental ingredients needed to be a great player – physical, tactical and technical. He’s top of the tree in all three,” said Ramon Diaz, who sold the Argentine when coach of San Lorenzo.

In the face of the changing game it seems time has run out for the 3-5-2 but as it’s final swan song Napoli and Sampdoria will try and do the system some justice but at the same time seriously expose it flaws.

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