Arsenal
Xhaka is Arteta’s Man But Can He Grab Games By The Throat
By Merlion
August 11 2021
Will Xhaka deliver this season for Arteta? After all Mikel Arteta was a relieved man when the deal with Roma for Xhaka fell through and he quickly offered a contract extension to the keystone of his rebuilt Arsenal FC which will need another two more years to complete the rebuilding process.
Like how Jordan Henderson is to Klopp’s Liverpool FC, Xhaka will play the similar leadership role to lead and drive Arsenal FC to success with his control and command in the middle. Some fans declared Xhaka as a limited player like Jordan Henderson; but Xhaka epitomizes as one who makes the most of what he’s got, maximizes his ability into everything he believes to be a successful footballer.
To examine this view let’s divide the game into “three thirds”.
In the defensive third, keep the ball.
Isn’t something being not right with the Defence with Xhaka as the “last man” sweeping in the box?
Ben White solves the current defensive vulnerability of Xhaka functioning as the “sweeper” in a disorganized Back-4. The primary attributes of Ben White are his organizational ability, superb reading of the game and his tactical awareness to provide a solid defensive shield behind Xhaka and the Midfield-Trio. Ben White is the “Last Man” to defence against any opponents that bypasses Xhaka (provided he doesn’t drag him down, bodycheck and ankle tapping, hopefully he can get away with it). Ben White will solve all those unnecessary yellow cards accumulated by Xhaka to prevent opponents running clear through a missing Back-4 with him as the “last man”.
Xhaka is a disciplined player and will carry out the instructions from Mikel Arteta to play in a rigid structure in the Defensive Third, to defend deep with the Defensive Unit continually in disarray, and it is still coming to grip with Arteta’s tactics.
Ben White takes over the sweeping duty inside the box without Xhaka being a liability, giving away unnecessary penalties with his panicky tackling and bodychecking.
Problem solved (We hope. Ed)
In the middle third, use your judgement as to whether to keep the ball, pass or do something different.
There is no one in the current team who has such a huge influence as Xhaka in dictating the tempo of a game, the vision to spray accurate passes down the flanks, and the physicality.
And why should Arteta be “wasting” £70million to buy Maddison or Odegaard or another “no. 10” which may or may not work out; and hinder the development of ESR, Saka, Azeez, Patino, et al, those youths that will break into senior team within 2 years, or be loaned out or sold?
Ben White is the last piece of Arteta’s rebuilding and desire to play 4-3-3.
Ben White frees up Xhaka to play higher up the pitch as the “No. 10”, with Tomas Partey covering up Xhaka as “Double Pivot”, in support of each other movement up and down the pitch and to provide a defensive shield in front of Back-4. The success of 4-3-3 hinges on the communication developed into like those of Vieira-Petit Double Pivot.
And when Ben White moves into midfield, he too has the ability to spray passes as accurate as Xhaka.
Aubameyang is criminally under-utilized and last season, may have received less than 5 through balls and oneor two goal-scoring chances into the box per game.
In the final third, just play what you see
With Xhaka dominating the middle and spraying the passes, then the Forward-3 is just one pass away to create a goal-scoring chance.
Gegenpressing is also the ability to press opponent the instant the ball is lost in their third, recover the ball and instantly created a goal-scoring chance. And we need the likes of ESR, Pepe, Saka and Aubameyang to press the goalie and defenders instantly to attempt to win back the ball, and has the tactical awareness in a well-drilled unit to know instantly where their team-mates are expected to be, and quickly slip a through-ball or pass-and-move in a one-two to bypass defenders; and quick ball to the flank with charging player cutting into the box.
We had seen too many times our attacks broke down simply by passing backwards and to the flanks due to the players being slow of thought and most likely being drilled too much into a fixed pattern of plays such that there are just robots on the pitch with a fixed selection of menu of plays only.
We need more spontaneity, more peripheral vision and Mikel Arteta must be mindful that a player see thing quicker than the coach on the pitch and he must not inhibit a talented player into a rigid structure but allows their talent to flourish.
You know why Arsenal Football is so stale, so sterile with no breathe-taking one-pass one-touch football with a shot at goal after five passes?
Just look at Mikel Arteta gesticulating on the pitch continuously throughout the game, moving players rigidly on the pitch like on a chessboard.
If only Mikel Arteta trusted his players to “just play what they see on the pitch real-time at the final third”.
Just allow Pepe, Saka, ESR and Aubameyang to flourish with their spontaneity and flair on the ball wihtout being inhibited into a fixed pattern of plays.
This could be make or break for Arteta and his preferred players
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StumbleuponXhaka is Arteta’s Man But Can He Grab Games By The Throat
Discussion started by Arsenal Times , 11/08/2021 16:57
Arsenal Times
11/08/2021 16:57
11/08/2021 16:57
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:18:07:38:12 by Padre Pio.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:18:07:38:12 by Padre Pio.
I swear i read Grab as "Crab" and expected the article to be about xhaka being the king Crab in Arteta's Crab football.
Not sure about the game but he can definitely grab the opponent by the neck as he has done before.
He can grab a game by the throat, as he proved at the euros, but he won’t do it much for us, because he’s not quick enough for the epl.
I can honestly see him being a star in Italy or France, but not inEngland.
I hope I’m wrong.
Since the end of WW1, 1919, when the FA restarted its 4 tier football league, with Arsenal fc in the 1st div, there’s only ever been one club to have never been relegated from Div 1/ EPL.
Arsenal fc
Let’s keep making history
I can honestly see him being a star in Italy or France, but not inEngland.
I hope I’m wrong.
Since the end of WW1, 1919, when the FA restarted its 4 tier football league, with Arsenal fc in the 1st div, there’s only ever been one club to have never been relegated from Div 1/ EPL.
Arsenal fc
Let’s keep making history
I think pace is over-rated now with EPL teams moving towards more European-style of passing game and no more of those "up and away" balls with forward charging towards goal.
As they said, let the ball does the running and not you running with the ball.
Arteta is playing a high-line basing on the philosophy of squeezing plays within a 30-year space in the middle with quick passing movements. This is the fundamental Dutch Total Football principle brought to Barcelona, starting with Rinus Michel to Johan Cryuff to Guardiola's Barcelona.
We have plenty of pace in our forward-line and down the flanks.
Let them do the running.
Arteta did it successfully down left-side flank which won us the FA Cup in his very 1st season with us.
And why wasn't it fully utilize by Arteta in his 2nd season with us?
Two more days to go.
We will then know whether it is the same-old same-old?
Or Arteta had learned his 2020/21 lesson and his 2021/22 Arsenal Team will improve to another level, .i.e. better team communication with players knew how to run into space with quicker passing.
As they said, let the ball does the running and not you running with the ball.
Arteta is playing a high-line basing on the philosophy of squeezing plays within a 30-year space in the middle with quick passing movements. This is the fundamental Dutch Total Football principle brought to Barcelona, starting with Rinus Michel to Johan Cryuff to Guardiola's Barcelona.
We have plenty of pace in our forward-line and down the flanks.
Let them do the running.
Arteta did it successfully down left-side flank which won us the FA Cup in his very 1st season with us.
And why wasn't it fully utilize by Arteta in his 2nd season with us?
Two more days to go.
We will then know whether it is the same-old same-old?
Or Arteta had learned his 2020/21 lesson and his 2021/22 Arsenal Team will improve to another level, .i.e. better team communication with players knew how to run into space with quicker passing.
Pace is not overrated.
"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."
"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."
A big reason we look one dimensional is because our players constantly working over time due to them being slower than his opposite number offensively or defensively. You always a step behind, especially against top 10 teams.
That's why we look for against championship sidesas or players are able to go past their players easily.
Wenger built a team of midgets, but even his first requirement for a full back was pace. Be it clichy, gibbs, sagna, Bellerin etc. They may lack other things, but they needed to have bare min pace if not exceptionally quick line Bellerin and Clichy were.
Even Tierney s recovery without the ball compared to his opponent is nothing when you compare Clichy, Gibbs and Sagna at their peak against their opponents.
We are going to get @#$%& on our right hand side no matter what we do in the Striker and AM positions before the transfer window closes.
That's why we look for against championship sidesas or players are able to go past their players easily.
Wenger built a team of midgets, but even his first requirement for a full back was pace. Be it clichy, gibbs, sagna, Bellerin etc. They may lack other things, but they needed to have bare min pace if not exceptionally quick line Bellerin and Clichy were.
Even Tierney s recovery without the ball compared to his opponent is nothing when you compare Clichy, Gibbs and Sagna at their peak against their opponents.
We are going to get @#$%& on our right hand side no matter what we do in the Striker and AM positions before the transfer window closes.
If he cant grab game by throat at Brentford where excatly will he
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:Merlion96
I think pace is over-rated now with EPL teams moving towards more European-style of passing game and no more of those "up and away" balls with forward charging towards goal.
As they said, let the ball does the running and not you running with the ball.
Arteta is playing a high-line basing on the philosophy of squeezing plays within a 30-year space in the middle with quick passing movements. This is the fundamental Dutch Total Football principle brought to Barcelona, starting with Rinus Michel to Johan Cryuff to Guardiola's Barcelona.
We have plenty of pace in our forward-line and down the flanks.
Let them do the running.
Arteta did it successfully down left-side flank which won us the FA Cup in his very 1st season with us.
And why wasn't it fully utilize by Arteta in his 2nd season with us?
Two more days to go.
We will then know whether it is the same-old same-old?
Or Arteta had learned his 2020/21 lesson and his 2021/22 Arsenal Team will improve to another level, .i.e. better team communication with players knew how to run into space with quicker passing.
I disagree Merl.
The physicality of the epl demands pace mate.
And Im not talking about pace, running with the ball.
Xhaha’s presence in our midfield de-accelerates our transition.
He doesn’t have the skills to do anything different.
I believe he was never going to Roma and it’s just trash-talk from Mo exalting Xhaka’s abilitys.
Since the end of WW1, 1919, when the FA restarted its 4 tier football league, with Arsenal fc in the 1st div, there’s only ever been one club to have never been relegated from Div 1/ EPL.
Arsenal fc
Let’s keep making history
Quote:Padre Pio
If he cant grab game by throat at Brentford where excatly will he
You saw anybody able to spray those long passes like Xhaka?
And how is transition slows where those passes were delivered to flank players in the clear for those skilled players to beat their man and transit quickly and pass into a packed box?
Frank read Arteta liked a book and always doubled team Pepe whenever he received the ball.
Plus, ESR was unable to create anything without losing the ball after 3 short passes.
Ho is it that it is Xhaka fault when he sprayed those passes from 2nd third of the pitch to players cleared at the flank, and Tierney, Martinelli, ESR, Pepe and Chambers have no communication on the movement into the box, losing h ball to Brentford double-team and no incisive through balls to allow Arsenal players to run into passing channel?
Xhaka's fault when a woeful Balogun, Martinelli and Pepe have no understanding amongst them, and clueless where to position themselves in the final third?
No knee jerk reaction please.
Panic after 6 league games are played, and still bottom of the Table.
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas
ary Neville and Jamie Carragher agreed that opposition teams will likely target Ben White in the air after his less-than-convincing debut performance in Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Brentford.
White arrived at Arsenal with huge expectations on his shoulders after joining from Brighton for a £50million fee this summer, but it was a night to forget for the 23-year-old England international as the north London outfit got their campaign off to the worst possible start.
Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard scored in either half to seal a convincing victory the Premier League new boys in front of a rapturous 17,000-strong home crowd, while Arteta’s men will have to quickly find their cutting edge before their next clash with fierce rivals Chelsea.
The Gunners’ marquee summer signing, renowned for his ball-playing prowess, showed glimpses of his undoubted ability when bringing it out from the back at the Brentford Community Stadium on Friday evening.
Brentford v Arsenal - Premier League
The England defender joined Arsenal for a fee of £50m this summer (Picture: Getty)
But former Manchester United right-back Gary Neville expects Ivan Toney’s dominant display against White – both aerially and in one-vs-one tussles on the ground – to be used as a blueprint by Arsenal’s upcoming opponents.
‘That will encourage teams that are playing against Arsenal to play two up top because I think if you played one up, [Pablo] Mari might go and take them and then Ben White could obviously sweep and play as a spare player,’ Neville said on Sky Sports shortly after the final whistle.
‘I said before the game that nobody is going to remember at the end of the season how many good passes Ben White has made.
‘And you know when we say he’s good on the ball, that was something we used to say 15 years ago when a centre-back was good on the ball.
‘I actually think most centre-backs now, in top six clubs, are competent on the ball. They get it out their feet, play good passes, they can play diagonal switches. Harry Maguire is good on the ball, John Stones is good on the ball, Virgil van Dijk is good on the ball. They’re all good on the ball. Thiago Silva at Chelsea is good on the ball.
‘So we’ve got to stop saying he’s good on the ball because every centre-back in the top-six is. The difference will be whether he defend his goal. Can he make a difference to this Arsenal team?
‘And it’s too early. We’re talking about tonight but lets be clear, those Ivan Toney clips, those five or six clips where he’s got nudged around, that’s going to be the pre-match analysis of everyone who is going to play Arsenal. If you’re playing Arsenal next week, you’ll be thinking, “We’ll stick it on him, we’ll put it up against him, we’ll put our big man on him on set-pieces”, and he will be a target.
‘He’s got a £50m price tag and he’ll have to come through those early months of pressure and expectation and people like us talking about him. That’s what happens. This is not an attack on Ben White, it’s just a reality club that he’s at a club where he’s going to be judged differently than he was last season at Brighton.’
Carragher revealed that he had doubts about White when he was linked to Liverpool and urged the young centre-half to get ‘cleverer’ with his body movements to prevent opposition players having as much joy as Brentford’s attacking players did in their win.
‘I spoke to Ben White before the game and I mentioned about how many opportunities he’ll get to step in with the ball,’ the former Liverpool defender said.
‘Ben White isn’t going to get as many opportunities to step in with the ball, to actually show the quality that we all associate with him.
‘You want to see him do well, it’s a big price tag, but I must say that as soon as Arsenal bought him – and he was linked with Liverpool for 12-18 months – my fear was I wouldn’t want him to come to Liverpool because he’s not tall enough, not good enough in the air.
‘When he played in a back three at Brighton, the two next to him were giants. So you can step in with the ball, it’s not so much of a problem at set-pieces or long throws. But your two centre-backs in a back four have got to be good in the air.
That’s coming from me, I’m possibly the same size as Ben White. I couldn’t dominate anyone in the air – that was Sami Hyypia’s job – and I’d hopefully win 60-70 per cent of headers.
‘I said it in commentary, it’s about being clever, using your body as the ball comes in, easing someone out the way, using your experience.
‘He is a young player but he’s not going to get any taller so he’s going to have this problem.
‘People are going to watch tonight and think: just play long balls on Ben White’s head and you’re going to get joy. So he’s got to get someone in front of him or he’s got to get a lot stronger, cleverer in his body movements.’
[metro.co.uk]
Good read.
And Carragher correctly identified what went wrong with our 1st Third without a correctly structured Defensive Unit.
Brighton's Potter is a vastly superior coach than Arteta in buying the correct players on a budget and developed players like Ben White.
And after flopping with 4-3-3 at 2020/21 season start, and then revert to successful 3-5-2 to salvage last season, why is he so egoistic that he still believed that he has the players to play his 4-3-3, and to start with three rookies in Balogun, Martinelli and ESR playing together for the first time with Gabi just returned recently from Tokyo Olympics, ended on 8 Aug 2021?
Even man and his dog, plus GS1, keep on harping that Ben White is physically weak and poor man-marker, easily turned by quick and burly forward like Toney.
Why then played a slow and poor reader of a game of a Mari as his partner which did not complement his weakness - lack of height and easily rubbed off the ball when challenging high balls?
Graham Potter knew it and "protect" Ben White with two giants of a CB in a Back-3.
To compound the problem, what was Chambers ding?
Not as usual charging self along the bye-line in 3-5-2 but static and clueless in 4-3-3, causing the entire Defensive Unit in disarray whenever Brentford counter-attacked?
Why was the entire team crowded in our third with no pressing in midfield to challenge for the ball? And why we are losing virtually all 2nd ball when booted out of our box - simply all midfielders in the box and a large vacuum in the 2nd third with Brentford picking up all the loose balls out of our box.
Arteta does not have the players nor those intensive pre-season training to transform last season 3-5-2 to what he always wanted to play 4-3-3.
Then, against Man City and Chelski, (both teams vastly superior to Arsenal in coaching and with better quality players than us), Arteta needed to fix the Defensive Unit quickly not to lose those games.
Hopefully, Holding will recover in time for next week game.
Then, Holding-White-Mari should be the Back-3 with Ben as the organizer and sweeping ahead and behind for any opponent gone behind our FB.
Holding-Mari will be the muscle to challenge for high balls and Ben is the sweeper to clean up behind them.
Chambers?
It will free up Chambers to drive along the bye-line to support the attacks instead of spending all his time in our half defending against Brentford free players which our Midfield did not pick up.
What was missing during Brentford game was overlapping FB to help out our winger to drag Brentford defenders from double-team Martinelli, ESR and Pepe whenever they received the ball.
Frank cleverly overloaded the areas of play whenever Arsenal players received the ball - by double-teaming Pepe, and by 3 vs 2 and even 4 vs 3 when Arsenal attempted to play the triangle.
Frank effectively nullified out flank triangular play to stop our wingback running down the flank and turning the corner. There is simply no space nor time given to Arsenal player for a quick one-two.
In summary, fixed our Defensive Unit first with 3-5-2 now.
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas
White arrived at Arsenal with huge expectations on his shoulders after joining from Brighton for a £50million fee this summer, but it was a night to forget for the 23-year-old England international as the north London outfit got their campaign off to the worst possible start.
Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard scored in either half to seal a convincing victory the Premier League new boys in front of a rapturous 17,000-strong home crowd, while Arteta’s men will have to quickly find their cutting edge before their next clash with fierce rivals Chelsea.
The Gunners’ marquee summer signing, renowned for his ball-playing prowess, showed glimpses of his undoubted ability when bringing it out from the back at the Brentford Community Stadium on Friday evening.
Brentford v Arsenal - Premier League
The England defender joined Arsenal for a fee of £50m this summer (Picture: Getty)
But former Manchester United right-back Gary Neville expects Ivan Toney’s dominant display against White – both aerially and in one-vs-one tussles on the ground – to be used as a blueprint by Arsenal’s upcoming opponents.
‘That will encourage teams that are playing against Arsenal to play two up top because I think if you played one up, [Pablo] Mari might go and take them and then Ben White could obviously sweep and play as a spare player,’ Neville said on Sky Sports shortly after the final whistle.
‘I said before the game that nobody is going to remember at the end of the season how many good passes Ben White has made.
‘And you know when we say he’s good on the ball, that was something we used to say 15 years ago when a centre-back was good on the ball.
‘I actually think most centre-backs now, in top six clubs, are competent on the ball. They get it out their feet, play good passes, they can play diagonal switches. Harry Maguire is good on the ball, John Stones is good on the ball, Virgil van Dijk is good on the ball. They’re all good on the ball. Thiago Silva at Chelsea is good on the ball.
‘So we’ve got to stop saying he’s good on the ball because every centre-back in the top-six is. The difference will be whether he defend his goal. Can he make a difference to this Arsenal team?
‘And it’s too early. We’re talking about tonight but lets be clear, those Ivan Toney clips, those five or six clips where he’s got nudged around, that’s going to be the pre-match analysis of everyone who is going to play Arsenal. If you’re playing Arsenal next week, you’ll be thinking, “We’ll stick it on him, we’ll put it up against him, we’ll put our big man on him on set-pieces”, and he will be a target.
‘He’s got a £50m price tag and he’ll have to come through those early months of pressure and expectation and people like us talking about him. That’s what happens. This is not an attack on Ben White, it’s just a reality club that he’s at a club where he’s going to be judged differently than he was last season at Brighton.’
Carragher revealed that he had doubts about White when he was linked to Liverpool and urged the young centre-half to get ‘cleverer’ with his body movements to prevent opposition players having as much joy as Brentford’s attacking players did in their win.
‘I spoke to Ben White before the game and I mentioned about how many opportunities he’ll get to step in with the ball,’ the former Liverpool defender said.
‘Ben White isn’t going to get as many opportunities to step in with the ball, to actually show the quality that we all associate with him.
‘You want to see him do well, it’s a big price tag, but I must say that as soon as Arsenal bought him – and he was linked with Liverpool for 12-18 months – my fear was I wouldn’t want him to come to Liverpool because he’s not tall enough, not good enough in the air.
‘When he played in a back three at Brighton, the two next to him were giants. So you can step in with the ball, it’s not so much of a problem at set-pieces or long throws. But your two centre-backs in a back four have got to be good in the air.
That’s coming from me, I’m possibly the same size as Ben White. I couldn’t dominate anyone in the air – that was Sami Hyypia’s job – and I’d hopefully win 60-70 per cent of headers.
‘I said it in commentary, it’s about being clever, using your body as the ball comes in, easing someone out the way, using your experience.
‘He is a young player but he’s not going to get any taller so he’s going to have this problem.
‘People are going to watch tonight and think: just play long balls on Ben White’s head and you’re going to get joy. So he’s got to get someone in front of him or he’s got to get a lot stronger, cleverer in his body movements.’
[metro.co.uk]
Good read.
And Carragher correctly identified what went wrong with our 1st Third without a correctly structured Defensive Unit.
Brighton's Potter is a vastly superior coach than Arteta in buying the correct players on a budget and developed players like Ben White.
And after flopping with 4-3-3 at 2020/21 season start, and then revert to successful 3-5-2 to salvage last season, why is he so egoistic that he still believed that he has the players to play his 4-3-3, and to start with three rookies in Balogun, Martinelli and ESR playing together for the first time with Gabi just returned recently from Tokyo Olympics, ended on 8 Aug 2021?
Even man and his dog, plus GS1, keep on harping that Ben White is physically weak and poor man-marker, easily turned by quick and burly forward like Toney.
Why then played a slow and poor reader of a game of a Mari as his partner which did not complement his weakness - lack of height and easily rubbed off the ball when challenging high balls?
Graham Potter knew it and "protect" Ben White with two giants of a CB in a Back-3.
To compound the problem, what was Chambers ding?
Not as usual charging self along the bye-line in 3-5-2 but static and clueless in 4-3-3, causing the entire Defensive Unit in disarray whenever Brentford counter-attacked?
Why was the entire team crowded in our third with no pressing in midfield to challenge for the ball? And why we are losing virtually all 2nd ball when booted out of our box - simply all midfielders in the box and a large vacuum in the 2nd third with Brentford picking up all the loose balls out of our box.
Arteta does not have the players nor those intensive pre-season training to transform last season 3-5-2 to what he always wanted to play 4-3-3.
Then, against Man City and Chelski, (both teams vastly superior to Arsenal in coaching and with better quality players than us), Arteta needed to fix the Defensive Unit quickly not to lose those games.
Hopefully, Holding will recover in time for next week game.
Then, Holding-White-Mari should be the Back-3 with Ben as the organizer and sweeping ahead and behind for any opponent gone behind our FB.
Holding-Mari will be the muscle to challenge for high balls and Ben is the sweeper to clean up behind them.
Chambers?
It will free up Chambers to drive along the bye-line to support the attacks instead of spending all his time in our half defending against Brentford free players which our Midfield did not pick up.
What was missing during Brentford game was overlapping FB to help out our winger to drag Brentford defenders from double-team Martinelli, ESR and Pepe whenever they received the ball.
Frank cleverly overloaded the areas of play whenever Arsenal players received the ball - by double-teaming Pepe, and by 3 vs 2 and even 4 vs 3 when Arsenal attempted to play the triangle.
Frank effectively nullified out flank triangular play to stop our wingback running down the flank and turning the corner. There is simply no space nor time given to Arsenal player for a quick one-two.
In summary, fixed our Defensive Unit first with 3-5-2 now.
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas
Somebody asked what did Xhaka contributed?
We will know what is missing from this team for the next 3 months.
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas
We will know what is missing from this team for the next 3 months.
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas
Mikel Arteta is now going to have two weeks with plenty of thinking time and one of the things he can ponder is how Arsenal move forward without Granit Xhaka for the next three months.
This first match without the Switzerland international, who is injured for three months due to a knee issue, was not the greatest start as the Gunners were held to a 0-0 draw by Brighton.
It was played out in biblically wet conditions, which no doubt contributed towards the style of the game, but you couldn’t overlook the feeling Arsenal were lacking some control in midfield.
Xhaka, as we know, is a divisive figure among fans but you cannot ignore what he brings to this side.
We saw it last week against Tottenham, and when he has pace and dynamism around him, his game can flourish.
Arsenal could have done with his stability here at the Amex and, while it is of course early days, there is plenty for Arteta to think about over the upcoming international break as he tries to work out how his side should setup without the Swiss.
Mikel Arteta needs new leaders to step up and fill Granit Xhaka void as Arsenal look to kick on
The plan for this clash was simply to bring Albert Sambi Lokonga straight in and he was tasked with doing exactly what Xhaka does. When Arsenal had the ball, he dropped into the left-back role so Kieran Tierney could bomb on, and without possession he played centrally.
Lokonga did fine, he was neat and tidy, but wasn’t quite a Xhaka replicate and there was an element of control missing form Arsenal’s game.
We, of course, need to give Arsenal and Lokonga time. The sample size is currently small and there are plenty more matches to come.
Anyone, however, who thought Arsenal wouldn’t miss Xhaka is sorely mistaken - as this draw with Brighton showed.
[www.standard.co.uk]
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas
This first match without the Switzerland international, who is injured for three months due to a knee issue, was not the greatest start as the Gunners were held to a 0-0 draw by Brighton.
It was played out in biblically wet conditions, which no doubt contributed towards the style of the game, but you couldn’t overlook the feeling Arsenal were lacking some control in midfield.
Xhaka, as we know, is a divisive figure among fans but you cannot ignore what he brings to this side.
We saw it last week against Tottenham, and when he has pace and dynamism around him, his game can flourish.
Arsenal could have done with his stability here at the Amex and, while it is of course early days, there is plenty for Arteta to think about over the upcoming international break as he tries to work out how his side should setup without the Swiss.
Mikel Arteta needs new leaders to step up and fill Granit Xhaka void as Arsenal look to kick on
The plan for this clash was simply to bring Albert Sambi Lokonga straight in and he was tasked with doing exactly what Xhaka does. When Arsenal had the ball, he dropped into the left-back role so Kieran Tierney could bomb on, and without possession he played centrally.
Lokonga did fine, he was neat and tidy, but wasn’t quite a Xhaka replicate and there was an element of control missing form Arsenal’s game.
We, of course, need to give Arsenal and Lokonga time. The sample size is currently small and there are plenty more matches to come.
Anyone, however, who thought Arsenal wouldn’t miss Xhaka is sorely mistaken - as this draw with Brighton showed.
[www.standard.co.uk]
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas
If Partey would step up perhaps he wouldnt be so vital
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:Padre Pio
If Partey would step up perhaps he wouldnt be so vital
True, but alas, Partey is another sick-note like Van Persie.
Mikel Arteta is really dependent on Xhaka to deliver now.
Scoring that vital goal against ManU goes a long way to make peace with Arsenal fans.
I see Xhaka now as the most important player now, perhaps guiding and leading those youngsters like "Eric Cantona's role guiding Fergie Fledgings"
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas
Well he did something I never expected today, what a goal. Maybe he can
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:weedzQuote:Merlion96
I think pace is over-rated now with EPL teams moving towards more European-style of passing game and no more of those "up and away" balls with forward charging towards goal.
As they said, let the ball does the running and not you running with the ball.
Arteta is playing a high-line basing on the philosophy of squeezing plays within a 30-year space in the middle with quick passing movements. This is the fundamental Dutch Total Football principle brought to Barcelona, starting with Rinus Michel to Johan Cryuff to Guardiola's Barcelona.
We have plenty of pace in our forward-line and down the flanks.
Let them do the running.
Arteta did it successfully down left-side flank which won us the FA Cup in his very 1st season with us.
And why wasn't it fully utilize by Arteta in his 2nd season with us?
Two more days to go.
We will then know whether it is the same-old same-old?
Or Arteta had learned his 2020/21 lesson and his 2021/22 Arsenal Team will improve to another level, .i.e. better team communication with players knew how to run into space with quicker passing.
I disagree Merl.
The physicality of the epl demands pace mate.
And Im not talking about pace, running with the ball.
Xhaha’s presence in our midfield de-accelerates our transition.
He doesn’t have the skills to do anything different.
I believe he was never going to Roma and it’s just trash-talk from Mo exalting Xhaka’s abilitys.
Why is it that it took Arteta 2 seasons to realize that Xhaka is not a "6" but an "8"?
HIs presence high up the pitch with his quick passing actually speed up the game in transition.
Guess that a solid Back-4 with a quick and dominating Saliba and Partey in front of them allows Xhaka to play as a no. 10 as well, like with Mbach where he was then rated as the most intelligent player in Bundesliga.
And that was what attracted Wenger to buy Xhaka.
Unfortunately, that trend started by Wenger who played Xhaka as a DCM since 2017 and continues to 2021/22 season.
It is only this season that Arteta is able to play Xhaka as an attacking midfielder in 4-3-3.
And this came about with the purchase of Jesus and Zinchenko, plus Saliba slotted into Back-4 so smoothly.
Not forgetting the contributions of previous purchase in Partey, Odegaard, Ben White, Ramsdale and Tomiyasu.
This team comprises players bought by previous managers:
Wenger - Xhaka, Elneny, Holding
Emery - Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney, Martinelli
Academy - Nelson, Saka, ESR
Arteta - Partey, Odegaard, White, Ramsdale, Tavares, Jesus, Zinchenko, Vieira, Marquinhos,
Like "Bad Boy" Eric Cantona is the catalyst for Fergie Fledglings, I believe that "Bad Boy" Xhaka is that catalyst, that keystone, that well set this young team, Arteta Wunderkind, on the Glory Road.
I hope that this season, Granit Xhaka is that Arsene Wenger's last legacy on what went right for Arsenal FC.
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas
Quote:mapleleafgooner
So no more dumbfcuk of a manager pls................
Oh yes, he is still a dumbfcuk like panicking at OT by throwing 3 substitutions that so derail team-play.
Whereas who knows, we may manage to snatch a point by astute substitutions instead of having a dumbfcuk moment.
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas
Merl, I know your post was re prior managers, but your Arteta list is incomplete:
Sambi, Tomiyasu, Turner
Add Eddie fromthe Academy.
Sadly, SOMEBODY has to take the blame for Cedric.
Sambi, Tomiyasu, Turner
Add Eddie fromthe Academy.
Sadly, SOMEBODY has to take the blame for Cedric.
Quote:tigerline
Merl, I know your post was re prior managers, but your Arteta list is incomplete:
Sambi, Tomiyasu, Turner
Add Eddie fromthe Academy.
Sadly, SOMEBODY has to take the blame for Cedric.
This team comprises players bought by previous managers:
Wenger - Xhaka, Elneny, Holding
Emery - Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney, Martinelli
Academy - Nelson, Saka, ESR, Nketiah
Arteta - Cedric, Partey, Lokonga, Odegaard, White, Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, Tavares, Jesus, Zinchenko, Vieira, Marquinhos, Turner
In summary, it is all Arteta Team now, with all unwanted players sold or out on-loan.
Arteta extended the contracts for Xhaka and Elneny.
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