Cesc Ultimatum

I'm yet to be pursuaded that Arshavin behind RVP, with Walcott/Gervinho on the flanks wouldn't work.

Kindly educate me.

Arshavin plays behind the striker for Russia and is bloody good at it!!!

I'm yet to be pursuaded that Arshavin behind RVP, with Walcott/Gervinho on the flanks wouldn't work.

Kindly educate me.

------

It COULD work. But not with the current offensive dynamic!

Arsenal play with a central striker, who will drift occasionally and 2 other strikers/wingers (not wingers in the traditional sense) who will get wide when needed, but also make runs into the box.

To play Arshavin (or whoever) in the behind the striker, realistically you are looking at reverting to a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1. That would mean Arsenal would need NATURAL wingers! And I don't think Arsenal have 1 "natural" winger on their books, certainly not at first-team squad level...

Shezney

Sagna
Kos
Djou
Vermaelen

Jack
Song
Walcott
Gervinho

Arshavin (Behind the striker)
Van Persie

comment by Moistthighs (U3249)

Yep, I can see how it would require some changes, but Arsenal under Wenger have never really been 'standard' or 'traditional' in the use of forward players.

I can see some issues - no point getting standard crosses in for a head with RVP loitering on the 18 yard line for example. But then, could Walcott and Gervhino supply these balls consistently? I doubt it.

But I'd be interested to see Gervhino and Walcott either side of RVP - I think they could give many teams a major fright.

I've just never rated Nasri's creativity behind the striker, and I can't remember when he's played there for Arsenal and actually been impressive.

If Arshavin isn't capable (and I'd argue the thing about 'can't play passes longer than 5 yards' of that role, it leaves the team a bit short in my opinion - which agrees with your point about the team being moulded too much round Fabregas in recent years.

Moistthighs (U3249)

Isn't Walcott a natural winger. He is a very good winger and he is very fast!!!

Sagna
Kos
Djou
Vermaelen

========

That's not a good back four in my humble opinion.

Vermaelen can play leftback, but then Sagna can play as a centreback if needed. Arsenal are a top club, not a school team. You need top players playing in their NATURAL positions to compete.

Koscielny is decent, Djourou is a squadplayer in my books.

Isn't Walcott a natural winger. He is a very good winger and he is very fast!!!

========

No, he's not. He's a striker, turned winger/right-sided forward.

Personally if you are talking about being a "good winger" as in a traditional winger, like he played for Arsenal one season and like he is played for England, I'd disagree. I think he's not a great winger.

Sure he's fast and that's what allows him to play in that position, but his distribution once beating his man on the touchline is usually poor/average. Hence why he has found his best form, scored & assisted more, when playing on the right hand side of a front 3.

The defence is a bit of a worry, but I'm more concerned with the team's lack of attacking penetration, shown all too often last season, and the season before.

I can accept a few dodgy goals, but another season of dilly-dally in the final third will see me on oxygen.

And I still think (yes I'm stubborn, but not Wenger) Arshavin could do a job in a Bergkamp role. At least for a year or two.

The defence gets all the media attention, but who cares if you leak a few if you're scoring rather than bogging down in attack? Too often it was not being able to break down defences that cost points last season, rather than an open goal.

Got to say I reckon Wenger has taken this route rather than wholesale replacements in defence. There's still time, so I could be wrong, but it seems he's taken steps to sort out the weaknesses in attack first, rather than spending money on his 'second subject' of defence.

Look on my article called what are arsenal going to do and there are all your answers