A new battleplan for a new season

[spartandre217]

:shock: Gervinho's pace isn't overrated at all. If anything it's underrated.


I really hope Cesc stays though.

 

[TheLoneFalcon]

He'll get beaten by the others on the list. Not by much though.

 

[SA Gunner]

Assuming the following happen.

We keep Cesc, Nasri.
Sign Cahill, Campbell.
We keep a fairly high level of fitness to our key players.
Diaby somehow reclaims that months form from early 2010.

I think we could have a situation where our December-February form of last season could be extended. If we able to show that kind of form for an extra 2 months this year as well as learn from the Newcastle, Newcastle, Bolton, Sp**s, Sp**s, West Brom, Sunderland, Villa debacles we should be able to finish third.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

My main concern with improved and direct wing play is that I don't foresee anyone but RVP in the box.

Even if our AM/CM's Ramsey/Fabregas/Wilshere gets in to the box they're all so short and aerially challenged that our crossing will be wasted.

Ramsey is 5'11, he's certainly not short.

 

[a_fourteen]

never seen ramsey do anything in the air. so his height is a moot point.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

never seen ramsey do anything in the air. so his height is a moot point.

Well no, it's not. If we started throwing midfielders in the box and move to a more crossing game then his height would be very relevant. He's taller than Essien and only marginally shorter than Lampard and Fletcher.

He's certainly not short.

 

[outlaw_member]

My main concern with improved and direct wing play is that I don't foresee anyone but RVP in the box.

Even if our AM/CM's Ramsey/Fabregas/Wilshere gets in to the box they're all so short and aerially challenged that our crossing will be wasted.

Which is why the crosses need to be low. The Invincible's score hundreds of goals from crosses. Hundreds!

 

[qs]

We're gonna run rings around the opposition rather than bore them into submission with our possession football. With Wilshere and Ramsey providing the ammo they'll have plenty of options with their creative play.

We'll still bore them we'll just get into their final 3rd quicker before we start passing around the box.

 

[outlaw_member]

They'll all need to be effective, as well. There's no point adding all that pace and penetration, if it doesn't offer the desired result.

 

[spartandre217]

We're gonna run rings around the opposition rather than bore them into submission with our possession football. With Wilshere and Ramsey providing the ammo they'll have plenty of options with their creative play.

We'll still bore them we'll just get into their final 3rd quicker before we start passing around the box.

All the evidence so ar has indicated the opposite qs

 

[albakos]

More home wins, conceding less from set pieces, more points than last year, less injuries, bring home a cup, qualify for CL.

On a related note, I don't think we will be able to replicate last seasons excellent away form. It was one of the best in a very long time.

The 4 disappointing home losses and few draws were our enemy last season.

I am hoping that with Gerv, Ox, Ryo, fully fit Walcott/RvP and possibly Mata we will switch to a more ruthless style with direct play and using the flanks better.

 

[Goalkeeper]

The key is to have Vermaelen, Koscielny, and Squillaci get their **** together. If any 2 of them start defending as a unit, we can go far.

 

[redanddread]

Looking at Barcelona (those ****s) play the thing, that jumps out at me when comparing our two styles of possession play is that they seem to create more chances. Their forwards, midfielders and full backs make penetrating runs behind the defenders that cause mayhem in the oppo's penalty area. I think we tended to knock the ball around and try one-two's in and around the box but didn't have that searing penetration that Barca (those ****s) have. Hopefully with the addition of Gervinhio, Ryo & AOC we will see better runs off the ball thus leading to a more dynamic and penetrating forward play. With more pace up front and both wide men ready to get in behind defences I would hope we will be able to penetrate those 10 man walls a little easier this season. The big drawback is that if we lose Cesc, we lose the man most able to spot and pass to those runners.

On the defensive side of our play, I hope that our midfield provides more protection for the back four and that obviously we tighten up our defense at set plays. There has been mention that we have gone to a "zonal" system to combat our weakness in this area. With Vermaelen back and Koscielny partnering him I envisage a more aggressive defensive unit this year.

 

[fabo]

Essentially Barca have less idiots to break down their attacking moves, hence they can push 2 midfielders, 3 forwards and 2 full-backs forward in nearly every attack. Less turnovers of possession - less chances for the opposition to counter, when they do get chances to counter, the opposition are pressed relentlessly and forced into errors. How often do you see their moves breaking down due to idiotic decision-making/bad passing etc? It happens on occasion alright but in our case, it seems like every second move fails because of this. We don't reap the benefits of our attacking approach to the extent we should, but I don't know how you significantly improve this beyond buying real quality personnel(I'm talking an extra 10-15 goals in the PL). Selling Cesc won't help us in this regard anyway.

The issue of pressing the opposition as a unit is also a huge one but I hold no hope for us doing it on a consistent basis.

 

[redanddread]

Essentially Barca have less idiots to break down their attacking moves, hence they can push 2 midfielders, 3 forwards and 2 full-backs forward in nearly every attack. Less turnovers of possession - less chances for the opposition to counter, when they do get chances to counter, the opposition are pressed relentlessly and forced into errors. How often do you see their moves breaking down due to idiotic decision-making/bad passing etc? It happens on occasion alright but in our case, it seems like every second move fails because of this. We don't reap the benefits of our attacking approach to the extent we should, but I don't know how you significantly improve this beyond buying real quality personnel(I'm talking an extra 10-15 goals in the PL). Selling Cesc won't help us in this regard anyway.

The issue of pressing the opposition as a unit is also a huge one but I hold no hope for us doing it on a consistent basis.

Arshavin, Nasri, RVP, Chamkah, Theo, Cesc, Jack, Song, Sagna, Tomas-just wanting to know which of these are the idiots that you are referring to?

 

[mistaT]

Arshavin, Nasri, RVP, Chamkah, Theo, Cesc, Jack, Song, Sagna, Tomas-just wanting to know which of these are the idiots that you are referring to?

All known to give the ball away at inopportune times.

 

[redanddread]

Arshavin, Nasri, RVP, Chamkah, Theo, Cesc, Jack, Song, Sagna, Tomas-just wanting to know which of these are the idiots that you are referring to?

All known to give the ball away at inopportune times.

All players give the ball away from time to time. I just wanted to know who Fabo was relating to when he referred to the "idiots"?

 

[AFC-Phil]

Arshavin, Nasri, RVP, Chamkah, Theo, Cesc, Jack, Song, Sagna, Tomas-just wanting to know which of these are the idiots that you are referring to?

All known to give the ball away at inopportune times.

Chamakh and Sagna do.

 

[Smudeagle]

From a tactical point of view its going to be interesting to see if we start to look to shift to a more orthodox or 'Dutch style' 433, rather than the double pivot 4231 we've been using.

From my point of view Wenger looks to have accepted that Nasri and Cesc are off (this window or next?) and a midfield of Ramsey, Wilshere and Song need greater width to create chances? Particularly as all three seem to start from deeper and aren't the 'eye of a needle' passers Like Nasri and Cesc.

I predict a deeper midfield three, more goals from the range of wide forwards, better covering and tracking from midfield, but ultimately 4th place by some distance - new centre back or not.

 

[KY]

How about a reversion to a 442 of old with Ramsey and Wilshere in midfield? Been playing with the thought and not sure if that could work out. On the one hand both are dynamic box to box midfielders and both are neither extremely offensive or defensive and could easily switch defense to offense as well as get back to defend. But their lack of physical prowess might cause us to lose out in the midfield battle....

We can then deploy Gervinho and Walcott as out wide players and use Arshavin and Van Persie up front with Chamakh as the target man when necessary.