So after watching the dismantling we took against Dortmund on Tuesday I
thought I'd share my thoughts as to what's been going wrong with the team since
the start of the season. With the summer signings (particularly Alexis Sanchez)
there was a much greater sense of optimism buzzing around the club. This
however was tinged with a sense of concern about recruitment in a number of key
positions. I think just about every man and his dog was saying that Arsenal
needed to bolster their defensive midfield options and central defensive
options. As we all know, this was not done adequately with only 6 senior players
in the squad to cover 4 positions.
There is no doubt this contributed to the result against a rampant and
energetic Dortmund side on Tuesday, however I don't think this tells the full
story. Taking the game in isolation it is clear that Arsenal had a bad day at
the office and Dortmund was set up extremely well tactically. They pressed the
ball extremely well with first and second waves of pressing via their midfield
and attack which lead to Arsenal being rushed in possession. This tactic had a
profound effect on the composure of the Arsenal team with pass completion
falling well below the required standard by a number of our players, with
Arteta being particularly culpable at the base of the midfield.
In the press conference after the game Wenger more or less admitted that
his team were poor. However the reality is that the team haven't
looked right since the beginning of the season. After labouring to a win at
home to Crystal Palace on opening day we have won only 1 out of 6 matches since
(a narrow win against Beksistas to qualify for the Champions League group
phase). The best performance of the season so far has been our 2-2 draw with
Manchester City, which in of itself was disappointing in the way the team
surrendered the lead to a set piece after going 2-1 up in the second half.
To my eye the team looks somewhat disjointed and imbalanced. The new
4-1-4-1 formation doesn't seem to have bedded in as quickly as everyone would
like. It’s obvious that Wenger wants a system that accommodates to the
attacking talents of Alexis, Ramsey, Wilshere and Ozil simultaneously. However
there have been some curious choices such as selecting an out of form Ozil on
the left side of the team when his work rate and tracking back isn’t his strong
suite. This has left his fullback exposed at times. The team seems to be adapting
slowly to the new system and while the likes of Wilshere has been given a
platform to shine (such as his barnstorming performance against City) others
such as Arteta, Ozil and to a lesser extent Ramsey seem to have suffered as a
result of it.
In the first half particularly, our midfield was totally overwhelmed by
the energy and hunger of our opponents. It felt as it there were more Dortmund
players on the pitch than Arsenal players such was the dominance of the home
side. In truth the score could have been a lot worse but for their woeful
finishing (with the exception of the two they scored of course). Henrik
Mkhitaryan was most culpable in this regard missing two easy chances during the
match.
The issue of finishing (or lack thereof) was something that Arsenal fans
are no strangers to. The familiar sight of Giroud habitually starring into the
heavens after a bad miss have been replaced by Yaya Sanogo and new recruit
Danny Welbeck doing the exact same thing (not the starring bit but the missing
badly bit). In Welbeck's first two games with the club his wastefulness has
been costly; occurring at crucial times in games as both opponents scored
within minutes of his agonising misses. These are decisive moments in matches
but I believe with time Welbeck will improve given time to familiarise himself
with his team-mates and improve his confidence in front of goal. It has only
been 2 games and a hand full of training sessions with his new team-mates so
Welbeck will be given the benefit of the doubt though I am sure he will be
spending a little extra time after training to do shooting and finishing
drills.
I think Wenger is in a difficult position in that he has to make
decisions to improve the team. Should he switch back to the 4-2-3-1 system used
last season or should he persist with the current system? Does he keep Ozil out
on the wing or put him more centrally or even drop him all together? The Ozil
conundrum is interesting. The fact of the matter is Ozil's starting position in
this new system is based more on defensive positioning rather than offensive
ones. Ozil isn't restricted to the wing and often drifts across the pitch but
his lack of grit at times leaves the fullback he is designated to protect quite
exposed and our defensive midfield options don't seem to be able to cover those
gaps very effectively. (I have spoken in more detail about Arsenal's chronic
issues at the DCM position here).
In all likelihood, Wenger will persist with this system and with his
personnel choices such as using Ozil on the flanks. I think the only way that
is going to change is if injuries force his hand. Wenger as a coach has always
been about creating a football eco-system that his players can exist in rather
than worrying too much about the tactical flexibility of his team. He often
gives his players the freedom within a structure to express themselves. But at
the moment there are a number of players that aren't anywhere near the top of
their games and crucially in defence he doesn't have anything in the way of
alternatives for the faltering Mertesacker or Koscielny.
The news that our new right back Mat Debuchy has a long terms injury
puts further pressure on the team. Hector Bellerin seems a good prospect but his
inclusion in the team speaks more to the lack of options than it does to his
quality. We all know this isn't the kind of game he should be making his début
in, but needs-must at the moment. To be fair to the boy he did a reasonable job
and wasn't at fault for the goals the team did concede but the reality is our
senior players at centre back are struggling and so adding the job of guiding a
raw, inexperienced youngster through the rigours of a Champions League match
isn't ideal.
It’s important not to overreact after a bad defeat, and I don't think
the problems we have are insurmountable. However things do need to improve
quickly starting with a must win game against Aston Villa at the weekend. I
call it a must win game because, after drawing three games in a row in the
league, and losing in mid-week Arsenal need to win to get back to winning ways
and keep pace in the league. Any more dropped points will start to seriously
sap confidence. Here’s to hoping this weekend represents a turning point for our
team, where they show their full potential and start building momentum and
confidence.
Fingers crossed!
You can follow me on twitter:
@kwamberto
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