Arsenal v Bolton Wanderers, 11/09/10, ATVO, 3PM GMT

[AnthonyG]

We might aswell liberate both Diaby and Song, seeing the offensive verve they both tend to display. Is it so much to ask for a midfielder who actually wants to defend and isn't doing so, simply because he's been asked to?

I'm sorry, this means what exactly?

 

[patrick42uk]

Coyle has been unbelievably classy on Goals on Sunday as he's forced to commentate his defeat against us.

Did he say anything about the robinson tackle? did they even show it?

 

[outlaw_member]

Song and Diaby strike me as players who'd much rather be the AM, but have been asked, seemingly against their nature, to undertake a more defensive role. Luckily, I didn't watch the match live, but I might have had a stroke upon witnessing Song's many forward runs.

 

[TheEconomist]

to be honest, i think pretty much all of our midfielders want to be an AM

 

[patrick42uk]

Well we have 3 bodies in the central area so there will always be cover. Its great that any of those 3 is capable of going forward as that makes it difficult for the opposition.

I dont think what Song was doing yesterday suggests he wants to be a am. A CM is supposed to make forward runs. Even more so when there's only 1 striker.

 

[AnthonyG]

Well we have 3 bodies in the central area so there will always be cover. Its great that any of those 3 is capable of going forward as that makes it difficult for the opposition.

That's the problem though and has been for a long while: there rarely is any willing cover. WHen Cesc is picking players at the top of the box I don't want to see Song bursting through and, on one occasion, getting beaten by the offside trap.

 

[Kain]

Song and Diaby strike me as players who'd much rather be the AM, but have been asked, seemingly against their nature, to undertake a more defensive role. Luckily, I didn't watch the match live, but I might have had a stroke upon witnessing Song's many forward runs.

Don't understand this view on Song, why would he need to sit back at Home to Bolton while they are down to ten men? We need to clock up goals incase anyones happened to miss Chelsea racking up rugby scores for fun. Diabys always been an attacking-mid, it seems something of a moot point as far as Abou's concerned?

 

[patrick42uk]

Feel we'v been fine through the center this season so far to be honest. Most times theres 2 people covering

 

[CandysRoom]

I think it should come down to intelligence on the part of midfield. If Diaby/Cesc see Song surging forward, Bergkampesque, then they should drop back to offer defensive support. We shouldn't need all three CM's offering attacking support at any one time.

 

[-vapour-]

Song and Diaby strike me as players who'd much rather be the AM, but have been asked, seemingly against their nature, to undertake a more defensive role. Luckily, I didn't watch the match live, but I might have had a stroke upon witnessing Song's many forward runs.

Don't understand this view on Song, why would he need to sit back at Home to Bolton while they are down to ten men? We need to clock up goals incase anyones happened to miss Chelsea racking up rugby scores for fun. Diabys always been an attacking-mid, it seems something of a moot point as far as Abou's concerned?

Yeah I'm not really sure what's with this opinion. Diaby has never been a defensive minded player, but Song is a centre back/defensive midfielder. As with most of our players he makes forward runs, but he actually enjoys taking a defensive role. If you watch him closely he always fills in the gaps in our backline should a centre back start pushing forward. When the opposition is down to 10 men, naturally we will be pushing further and further up the pitch but this is our mentality, nothing wrong with it as long as their is decent enough cover. There has only been a couple of occasions I have been annoyed at Song rampaging forward to score a goal, and that is when we have had a narrow lead, and we don't need to be taking these risks. This part will come with experience from games, but in the main Song is fine.

 

[otfgoon]

I'm delighted we're no longer playing with a holding midfielder. It's a terrible concept, and I'm willing to bet playing with two centre mids like we are now will not only improve our game going forward but will make us more stable defensively too.

 

[AnthonyG]

Well, if Song's frequent excursions meet with so much approval, then it's almost vital we get Denilson and his higher level of discipline into the side as soon as possible.

 

[TheEconomist]

We want our team to be fluid, some people get the idea that song is some sort of makelele

If we are on a counter attack or something and song is one of our furthest foward players, you obviously want him to carry on getting forward and not just sit back and slow down the attack. Our players should be able to interchange efficiently, we dont need to have a dedicated DM, these guys should be able to work out what to do between themselves

 

[patrick42uk]

I think it should come down to intelligence on the part of midfield. If Diaby/Cesc see Song surging forward, Bergkampesque, then they should drop back to offer defensive support. We shouldn't need all three CM's offering attacking support at any one time.

More Flamini-esque i'd say - he was brilliant at making forward runs, exploiting gaps in the opposition back line. Very underrated part of his game. As I say, its always been the remit of the cm to do that because half the time the run isnt being tracked by the opposition and it leads to opportunities

 

[patrick42uk]

Well, if Song's frequent excursions meet with so much approval, then it's almost vital we get Denilson and his higher level of discipline into the side as soon as possible.

Well, as we are no longer playing with a DM, I expect Denilson will get forward too should the need arise.

 

[raidersoftheark]

Song and Diaby strike me as players who'd much rather be the AM, but have been asked, seemingly against their nature, to undertake a more defensive role. Luckily, I didn't watch the match live, but I might have had a stroke upon witnessing Song's many forward runs.

Are you saying that you're not a fan of a midfield three of Cesc Fabregas, Zinedine Song and Juan Roman Diaby with Cruijffboue at RB?

 

[AnthonyG]

Who said we are playing with an out-and-out DM? :|

Ah well, I for one have not forgotten how much of a problem our midfield's discipline was last year.

 

[ricky1985]

I'm delighted we're no longer playing with a holding midfielder. It's a terrible concept, and I'm willing to bet playing with two centre mids like we are now will not only improve our game going forward but will make us more stable defensively too.

Yeah, if Arsène wants to talk the talk about "Total football" he's got to walk the walk, and that means trusting the players to make good, responsible decisions on the pitch - instead of just lumping one poor sod with all the defensive responsibility, and granting carte blanche for everyone else to do as they please.

One thing I have noticed this season, when re-watching the games, is that we really seem to be maintaining a consistent shape right the way through games - the only thing that changes is the players who occupy each position.

It's always 2 deeper midfielders, 1 slightly further ahead, a central striker flanked by a forward either side. Rarely have we lost that shape. The roattion of who's filling what position is what's killing opponents though. It's great to watch.

I'm surprised Anzac hasn't picked up on it, in particular. it's a clear change and has changed the way the midfield works completely. Asking Song to sit or criticising him when he doesn't - is not fair. it's not his job any more, it was last year, but the team and system has evolved.

It has real potential. Wenger might have just pulled off another master-stroke, but we'll see when we face the big boys.

 

[Captain]

I think it should come down to intelligence on the part of midfield. If Diaby/Cesc see Song surging forward, Bergkampesque, then they should drop back to offer defensive support. We shouldn't need all three CM's offering attacking support at any one time.

More Flamini-esque i'd say - he was brilliant at making forward runs, exploiting gaps in the opposition back line. Very underrated part of his game. As I say, its always been the remit of the cm to do that because half the time the run isnt being tracked by the opposition and it leads to opportunities

Flamini doing that too regularly in the second half of his final season was one of the main reasons for our derailed premiership challenge.

 

[ricky1985]

The video at the bottom of the page in this link shows the clear structure I'm talking about. It's showing how we pressed the ball against Liverpool, and you can clearly see the consistent shape and discipline with which we go about closing them down.

There's also this link which has a video which shows how the constant rotation of each player in each position, within that set structure, pulls our opponents (in this case Blackburn) all over the place. (It's the first video on the page. The second video shows how we dealt with Blackburn's aerial bombardment and is also well worth watching).

This analysis focuses on the Blackpool game, and again it clearly shows that even against a lesser team, we maintained the same structure and formation, and the video shows specifically how staying in shape enabled us to win the ball back consistently.

I have to say we must have done a hell of a lot of hard-work during the summer, because we've really got to grips with this system quickly. It just seems to fit well with what we're trying to do. We don't seem anywhere near as vulnerable through our spine, and that's without inhibiting the forward movement of the players - it just seems that forward movement is now done with more cohesion and intelligence, and crucially within a framework that doesn't leave us painfully exposed whenever we lose the ball.

Although I admit it is still yet to be fully tested, but the early signs are very good.