Squad Analysis

[lagos]

Who and what players we need will be determined ultimately by what system Wenger (or whoever) intends to play

I think we need as a minimum:

Proven CM (box to box or DM)
Proven RW (Having a fully fit Rosicky would eliminate the need to spend here but it's a gamble)
Proven CB

anybody who has to go to enable this is a sad casualty of war!

 

[Anzac]

IMO we've played 4231 since AA has been here. I think he's ok with playing on the flanks in that role but not from a flat midfield in the 442/4411/451.

 

[Glovegun]

Bottom line is we wont win anything with the defence we have. Until that dominating centre-half is signed, along with midfield protection in front of him, we wont win a thing.

 

[graham_ka]

Your avatar glovegun is exactly what our club lacks at the moment.

 

[tactica442]

An established DM/CM (Song is progressing well but Denilson is still far off) and a quality CB (Gallas leaving). Needless to say, the best XVI must be kept (barring Eboue, no one can't be sure if he will have few more ridiculous displays and attract absuses from the fans).

Fill these two positions in the summer and gel them into the team in the preseason. The team will at least finish finish as runne-rup in the league next season.

 

[L'Arse04]

Imagine this team:

--------Almunia
---Sagna-Toure-Gallas-Clichy
----Nasri---Cesc---Rosicky
------RVP/Theo--Arsha/Vela
---------Dudu/nik/ade

4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation or basically a 4-3-3 pointing upwards for the main striker.

People might think Nasri-Cesc-Rosicky is too attackminded, but they are well capable of defending as a unit. Sort of like Carrick-Anderson-Fletcher. But considering Nasri, Cesc and Rozza are brilliant attacking, Wenger might be reluctant to play them all together, and would rotate two from Nasri, Rozza, Arshavin, and Theo. Wenger thinks 4-4-2 is outdated to succeed in Premier league as well as Champions league, and that's why he asks RVP to play LM in big games. Which is a bad move, RVP is better at right.

 

[L'Arse04]

I don't think Wenger wants to play a DM. This is a bad move unless his CM pair or trio are able to defend as a unit. Like Petit and Vieira, or Flamini and Cesc (Flamini doing a two man's job). Currently we can opt for three - Cesc, Nasri and Rosicky doing a shift in midfield. A 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1 becomes 4-5-1 when we defend, and it's a fantastic formation. A 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1 is better suited for this team than 4-2-3-1 as this leaves it wide open for the opposition to use the width. A triad midfield could do a better job.

 

[Viking]

Fletcher and Anderson are much, much, more physical players than Cesc, Nasri and Rosicky, which makes it a 'safer' midfield to play. We'd get run over against a lot of teams.

Take Barcelona as an example - they have Iniesta and Xavi to run their midfield, and Touré to make sure they still have the needed physique and power.