http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/sep/14/arsenal-defence-steve-bould
Reading this article six months on, I can't help but laugh
Only because I actually believed that we've turned a corner
I firmly believe that it's not the players which are mediocre but the system with which they play in. I mean playing Mertesacker in a high line against Tottenham who have two of the quickest attackers in the league ... you wouldn't see any other manager making those kind of calls.
I want wenger to ditch the 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 and adopt a completely new style.
------------------------------------------Szcesny-----------------------------
-------Jenkinson---------Mertesacker -------- Koscielny ------ Monreal
---------------------Diaby ----Wilshere-----Cazorla-------------------
-------Walcott----------------------------------------- -----Gibbs/Oxlade
---------------------------------Giroud------------------------------------
Direct, fast paced on the counter. eff the "1000 passes for the perfect goal" approach. Sit back, stay compact, Gibbs/Walcott will double back to harass the opposition forwards/widemen - or drop back to pack the midfield. And when we win the ball back, get it as fast as you can to Giroud via flanks. The objective is clear and simple. No confusion.
In midfield we have a combative player in Wilshere, when we have the ball Cazorla can push up to support Giroud. But most of our play will go down the flanks. Spray the ball out wide and cross into the box. Giroud thrived with this kind of play back in France. He's deadly in the box, that's why we brought him in so lets play to his strengths.
I have full confidence in that back four. Koscielny is a god in defence. Give him a 7 year contract before Barca come sniffing like the dirty mongrels they are. Mertesacker is towering giant, but please don't push him to the halfway line, it hurts seeing him get skinned time and time again.
Jenkinson. Best RB in the league in my humble opinion, an Arsenal man through and through. Proud to have this guy in the team.
No chance of this ever happening but .. meh
Defence and how it could be improved
posted on 21/3/13
My god, some of our fans. You're either deluded or clueless if you believe Jenkinson is the best RB in the league. He's done alright but calm down for fack sake. He's got a hell of a lot to prove. Embarrassing.
posted on 21/3/13
My god, some of our fans. You're either deluded or clueless if you believe Jenkinson is the best RB in the league. He's done alright but calm down for fack sake. He's got a hell of a lot to prove. Embarrassing.
---
On form he is the best, considering jenkinson's age and his experience he has done extremely well, improving game by game.
posted on 22/3/13
Moronic thread as usual. It will take more than months for Boulds influence to fully impact and tv fact we have one of the lowest goals conceeded stats in the leagues compleltu dismisses this article as the dross it is
posted on 22/3/13
Wow people are so dumb. These comments make my brain hurt from the stupidity. The kitten is just confused and hasn't seen its mom in a few minutes so it gets scared. The mom comes picks it up and it isn't angry.
posted on 22/3/13
Comment Deleted by Article Creator
posted on 22/3/13
Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 4 hours, 4 minutes ago
My god, some of our fans. You're either deluded or clueless if you believe Jenkinson is the best RB in the league. He's done alright but calm down for fack sake. He's got a hell of a lot to prove. Embarrassing.
_______________________________________
Jenkinson is at this very moment the best right back in the league. Stop hatin', it doesn't suit you
posted on 22/3/13
y oOg(O_o)nzOo²©®™ (U1023)
posted 4 hours, 20 minutes ago
Lol where did it all go wrong? Has Wenger read this article?
__________________________________________________
He hasn't. But he should!
posted on 22/3/13
RVPM and Sheriff
Now Jenko is a good talent, and a completely different player from the one last season. Yet he still has a long way to go to better the likes of Rafael/ Zabaleta/ Reither etc.
Cant you guys be happy with having a a talented young player for a change, instead of automatically assume he will be the next big thing.
posted on 22/3/13
The biggest thing to that 'would be' line-up is the lack of a ball inner in the midfield. Someone who instinctively looks to help out the back-4 and sit back, mop up loose balls and distribute the ball quickly. It's a real achilles heel of Arsenal.
I appreciate the OP was/is probably getting at a formation with the current playing staff, which is fair enough. Whilst that midfield trio as a unit is by no means poor, for me it lacks a lot of balance.
posted on 22/3/13
"Promising player but no better than Kelly or Walker."
He's most certainly better than Kelly. I wouldn't swap him for Walker either who's defensively below par.
"Rafael and Zabaleta are miles ahead of the rest though."
Zabaleta is better. Rafael is probably the most overrated player out there. Good, yes. Nowhere near as good as people make him out to be. Certainly not the best in the Prem. Not having that.