Re: Man CIty 5-1 Arsenal - An off-form Koscielny is the problem
21 April, 2017 01:31
Can 3-4-3 work against Man City speedy flankers like Sane and Sterling, plus their dominating middle in De Bruyne, Silva and Fernardinho?
It can, if Walcott turns up like he did in August/September 2016, back-tracking and harassing wingers down right flank.
With Bellerin still out of sorts and recovering from his ankle injury, Wenger may not risk him again ... to be destroyed by Sane.
I will spring a surprise to Guardiola like:
.....................................Cech
...Gabriel...................Koscielny................Holding
...OX.................Ramsey .... Xhaka................Monreal
...Walcott.......................Ozil.....................Alexis
All three forwards are given a free-role to inter-change and cut into centre.
A disciplined side with Gabriel-OX-Walcott protecting right flank and Holding-MOnreal-Alexis protecting left flank.
Ramsey-Ozil-Xhaka will need to battle it out in the centre, with Ozil defending high-up the pitch and not depending him to track-back as often, but with an eye to nullify Silva.
Ozil best attributes are his precise short-passes and play-making ability to trakc the runs of Walcott and Alexis, with both Ramsey and Xhaka picking up loose balls outside the box.
This is the game that we need OX to play like a world-class wing-back, with an ability to protect the flank, as well as cut into centre to break up plays like a CM. Let's hope OX keeps improving as he is the key man in winning this game, defending, breaking up plays, beating defenders and setting up accurate crosses.
When all defenders are concentrating on Walcott and OX, Ozil will have that little bit of space and time to set-up plays and a half-of-yard of space to shoot accurately as he can.
3-4-3 is a fluid total football formation with players inter-changing and have more than pne role to play. But it is rigid as ultimately, the roles of every players are well-defined and they seldom strayed from their organizational plays. It is to command space and to squeeze space to prevent your opponents time and space to set up attacks.
If this team can do it, they can win.