Formation 20/21 Season

[Football Manager]

Defensively, we are having 5 at the back. To match with opponent’s attacking numbers.

But in the build up phase, we build with a back 4. AMN pushing high or shifting inwards to join the other midfielders. Tierney would stay out wide as a left back, with Luiz and Holding as CB, and bellerin as RB. And this forms a back 4.

Some other teams are a back 4 on paper but would have a CM dropped deep to CB position in build up. Wouldn’t that be considered as a back 5?

 

[field442]

Even if we sign Partey I think we could still see this 5 at the back formation. It’s basically 4-3-3 in possession so there’s a number of ways he could go with it. If AMN stays they can do what they did yesterday with Tierney becoming the fullback when we have the ball and AMN pushing into midfield. Alternatively if Partey signs they could have Xhaka at LCB when we defend and have him push into midfield when we have the ball so then you’ve got a midfield 3 of Xhaka, Partey and Ceballos (hopefully).

 

[Gegen Pressing]

One formation that I personally want see in attack
Auba-Martinelli-Saka


And in defense
Gabriel-Luiz-Saliba

Midfield is probably not bothering Arteta because he's the world's foremost expert in the field so he can make do with anything. why not instead of splashing the cash trust our academy and our own and go for

TK-GX-AMN-HB
or
TK- GX-ElN-AMN

But I think he'll get at least 1 new CM

TK-GX-Partey-AMN

 

[HairSprayGooners]

The good thing about Saka and AMN is they can both play at LWB and push into midfield in a 433 going forward.

 

[Leo_ense_]

Think we will alternate between 433/343 depending on the opponent, and that suits me perfectly fine, gives us variation. The preference for the majority of games will likely be the 433.

Looking at the composition of the squad, I feel it is severely underrated and this is largely due to that bum Emery. There is a good profile to the squad especially in terms of age.

Leno
Martinez
Bellerin
AMN
Saliba
Gabriel
Luiz
Mari
Tierney
Saka
Xhaka
Pepe
Lacazette
Aubameyang
Willian
Martinelli

Is a fantastic core of players to choose from, and the majority of them are young with massive room for growth. This doesn’t even factor in the peripheral players like Nelson, Nketiah, Willock, Cedric, Kolasinac etc who will also add something to the squad and contribute.

It’s clear we need to get in two central midfielders (one if Ceballos returns) and I’m sure the club are looking at options.

But all in all, I feel this squad will surprise people in a major way this season under Arteta.

 

[OnlyOne]

Think we will alternate between 433/343 depending on the opponent, and that suits me perfectly fine, gives us variation. The preference for the majority of games will likely be the 433.

Looking at the composition of the squad, I feel it is severely underrated and this is largely due to that bum Emery. There is a good profile to the squad especially in terms of age.

Leno
Martinez
Bellerin
AMN
Saliba
Gabriel
Luiz
Mari
Tierney
Saka
Xhaka
Pepe
Lacazette
Aubameyang
Willian
Martinelli

Is a fantastic core of players to choose from, and the majority of them are young with massive room for growth. This doesn’t even factor in the peripheral players like Nelson, Nketiah, Willock, Cedric, Kolasinac etc who will also add something to the squad and contribute.

It’s clear we need to get in two central midfielders (one if Ceballos returns) and I’m sure the club are looking at options.

But all in all, I feel this squad will surprise people in a major way this season under Arteta.

Top quality posting yet again. I expect nothing less though.

 

[Leo_ense_]

Top quality posting yet again. I expect nothing less though.

Real recognise real

 

[Divided_Pie]

The squad is very solid, if we assume Saliba and Gabriel can adapt quickly to the league, and we sign midfielders. Those are two big "if's" though.

In order to get to the point where we can dominate possession the way Arteta wants to, we have to a) have defenders who are comfortable on the ball (aka NOT Sokratis) and b) have press-resistant midfielders. We are getting there with a) but still a long way off with b).

Partey and a technical DLP and I think Arsenal can get back to CL, if not this year then the next. The trend is very positive.

 

[Mo Britain]

3-2-2-1-2

Messi behind a front two of Auba and Martinelli

 

[HairSprayGooners]

I'd go as far as saying we should be playing all home games bar City and Liverpool in a 433. Big away games 343 is spot on.

But with that you can't just plan for this season, Arteta has a 3 year plan. Luiz, Mustafi, Sokratis, Özil, Kolasinac, Torreira, Guendouzi, Elneny and even Lacazette/Bellerin don't seem to be part of that plan and luckily even if some aren't sold this summer everyone except Bellerin has max two years left on their current deals.

Year 1 (This season) the goal is to get into the CL. Either by league position or Europa league, which I think could be more doable than any other year.

Year 2 and 3 the likelihood all players I mentioned above are gone is very high.

Basically Arteta will already know what he wants his team to look like in year 2/3. Those are the years he supposedly wants to win a champions league. For me that won't be in a 343.

 

[AmsterdamGunner]

I would like us to play 4-1-4-1 like Bielsa is playing with Leeds, with high energy levels, lots of running, creative but also structured so it is easy to rotate players because everyone knows their job. I think this could be really close to what Arteta wants and close to some things he is already doing in 3-4-3.

Also play with our creative players in attacking midfield/attack. And get Saka in centre midfield because we aren’t going to sign enough good midfielders and he could a worldclass central midfielder in the future i think.

Goalkeeper:
Martinez

Defenders:
AMN - Saliba - Gabriel - Tierney

Defensive midfielder:
Partey

Attacking midfielders:
Willian - Aouar - Saka - Auba

Central attacker:
Pepe

We would have good backup in:
Leno
Cedric
Luiz
Mari
Xhaka
Martinelli
Elneny
ESR
Willock
Nelson
Nketiah

With some young kids like:
Olayinko
Hillson
Smith
Azeez
Cottrell
Bolagun
McGuinness

That would make a great team for top 4 I think, some good players for the future and we only need to bring in Gabriel, Aouar and Partey.

That has to be possible if we sell Bellerin, Kola, Sokratis, Holding, Laca, Mustafi, Guendouzi, Torreira and Chambers. Maybe even sell Leno.

 

[DanDare]

As we've seen, the back five shift along depending on attack/defense and switches of play. Tierney becomes the left back in offense and Saka can overlap or go into CM. Likewise with Saliba, he looks able to pass down the line or through lines well.

Hopefully we can get Partey in there. The front three who knows. Maybe Laca will go and we'll sign someone. Or he'll play up top/Nketiah

 

[AD1998]

As we've seen, the back five shift along depending on attack/defense and switches of play. Tierney becomes the left back in offense and Saka can overlap or go into CM. Likewise with Saliba, he looks able to pass down the line or through lines well.

Hopefully we can get Partey in there. The front three who knows. Maybe Laca will go and we'll sign someone. Or he'll play up top/Nketiah

It was super interesting to see how this shape worked in the community shield. The ability of Tierney to play as a lwb in attack, but to slot in as the left center back in defense, and of AMN to invert as a CM in possession, and a lwb in defense, was quite fluid. And worked very well. This is what makes AMN so useful - his versatility. I hope he stays!

With the signing of Gabriel, though, that will likely change. He obviously does not have the ability to play that Tierney role.

I think we will continue with three at the back, at least to start, as I do not believe that Saliba and Gabriel will be ready as a back two at the beginning of the season. I think the arrival of Willian will help a bit to break down deep blocks against smaller teams. I think he will slot in more centrally in the 2-3-5 shape Arteta favors in possession. But we will see!

 

[DanDare]

It was super interesting to see how this shape worked in the community shield. The ability of Tierney to play as a lwb in attack, but to slot in as the left center back in defense, and of AMN to invert as a CM in possession, and a lwb in defense, was quite fluid. And worked very well. This is what makes AMN so useful - his versatility. I hope he stays!

With the signing of Gabriel, though, that will likely change. He obviously does not have the ability to play that Tierney role.

I think we will continue with three at the back, at least to start, as I do not believe that Saliba and Gabriel will be ready as a back two at the beginning of the season. I think the arrival of Willian will help a bit to break down deep blocks against smaller teams. I think he will slot in more centrally in the 2-3-5 shape Arteta favors in possession. But we will see!

Not sure who you drop is the thing. Saka's form means I don't see how you can drop him. Does Pepe ride the bench for a bit? Doubt William came to sit on the bench if his other linked clubs are to be believed.

If Partey is brought in, do you drop Xhaka? Ceballos? I know you rotate but a core 11 start most games

 

[AD1998]

Not sure who you drop is the thing. Saka's form means I don't see how you can drop him. Does Pepe ride the bench for a bit? Doubt William came to sit on the bench if his other linked clubs are to be believed.

If Partey is brought in, do you drop Xhaka? Ceballos? I know you rotate but a core 11 start most games

It’s a good question. I don’t think Saka will start as many matches as folks think. He’s young, and arsenal are — rightfully— worried about breaking him a la Wilshere and others by playing him too much.

That leaves several interesting decisions. The first possibility is dropping Pepe. I’m not so sure that will happen, and I’m not sure it should. I think Pepe will have a very strong campaign, and people underrating him a bit bc of his slow start.

I think, though, that we will start with a front three of auba, Pepe, Willian, in a really fluid front three, and drop Laca. I could see Willian basically slotting in as a false 9, and basically being a Ten behind Pepe and Auba, which is how Laca was played in the 3-4-3.


In other words, we would look like this.

Willian

Pepe Auba


With Bellerin and Tierney providing width and overlapping runs.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

I love how we played against Liverpool tactically. But to really control and dominate games we will need players like Partey and Aouar.

I don't want to be having to play that way against all of the top teams.

We need a core group of players who will start, the fact that we can't pinpoint names shows there isn't enough quality in the side just yet.

I think Gabriel will start most games next to Luiz. Saliba is very young and will come in properly towards the end of the season I think. So you're left with 3 more spots to fill. Like @DanDare said Willian won't be riding the bench. He'll start most games.

You have to remember we've got Thursday nights to contend with and a compressed PL schedule, fitting everything in up until May.

At the moment we've got four senior attackers in Auba, Lacazette, Willian and Pepe who will all push each other to start. You then have Saka, Nelson, Nketiah and Martinelli pushing them, specifically Saka. I'd much rather give Saka a set position. Because in two years time its likely he'll be our starting LW or RCM/LCM.

In midfield IF the mentioned players are signed I expect ESR to go on loan first and foremost. After that the options for the 3 roles are Xhaka, Ceballos, Willock, Aouar, Partey and then Saka and AMN if need be.

If you look at any top team in Europe, specifically Liverpool they have 5 or 6 first team ready midfielders. With Partey and Aouar we'd have four and youngsters, so I personally think its needed to balance the squad out.

Xhaka/Ceballos the deeper players. Partey/Willock the powerful players. Aouar/Saka the more creative players.

Right now we have Xhaka/Ceballos/Torreira/Guendouzi/Elneny who are all deeper midfielders. And then Özil who is the only real attacking mid in the squad.

Just my take on it, think its very important to get two more midfielders of quality in.

 

[DanDare]

Just my take on it, think its very important to get two more midfielders of quality in.

Seems like that's the plan. Although there was a lot of talk of a midfielder and 'forward'

Don't know of that means winger or striker

Aouar you wouldn't describe as a forward so I'm not convinced about us going for him. But then again we aren't linked with anyone else. I reckon a surprise link is going to pop up

The way we're changing the squad I expect us to start with 3 ATB but we're developing a squad for 433/4231 long term

 

[nick gould]

I know that people are very excited about our new young defenders. But these boys are young and are playing in a new league. If we throw them in deep end too soon they may never recover. Not everyone is like Mustafi - the guy can have a total stinker but he would forget about it after a good night sleep. Mustafi is the punching bag of fans but he is used to it. To a certain extend Luiz can recover from a total disaster of a game. So in the case of our young central defenders, we have to bed them in gently. So it will be David Luiz in the centre of a back 3. Flanked by Gabriel and another seasoned prem player on the right. As time goes on they will bring Saliba in.

Central mid is an issue. If by the grace of the lord we manage to sign all our mid targets, how are we going to field Xhaka, Partey, Ceballos, and Aouar?

 

[UnitedBeard]

@Monstar-Gunn4r @Macho @HairSprayGooners Both Arteta and me have the same idea about Willian. Not in midfield 3.

 

[Macho]

@Monstar-Gunn4r @Macho @HairSprayGooners Both Arteta and me have the same idea about Willian. Not in midfield 3.

?

Ive only ever said he can play as AM - didn’t even say it I showed you quotes from the man himself.