Teams off the Ball

Open admission here guys- I did not watch the match yesterday. I finished work yesterday at 4, and I usually have a rule that I can't tune into an Arsenal match in concern of jinxing the side. This rule is often broken, but when we are winning, it's a no go. So I spent the 2 hours on the Sky Sports Score centre and on Whatsapp to my Spur-supporting mate. It was tense. But I refused to budge. Never mind intervention from Steve Bould- I am the reason why we held out for a win yesterday.

Anyway, I wanted to make a few observations about how Arsenal are when they are successful off the ball. In matches like yesterday, and almost the entire of 2013, Arsenal thrived on sitting off and closing off the spaces. This involved sitting generally in the traditional 'banks of four'- the only real departure the performance from yesterday had, my FM nerd friend assures me, is that it was a clear 1 in behind the midfield bank of four.

But the continuity in style was that we tried to contain the space, and therefore contain the opposition's attacking players. Now, this greatly compares with how many of Europe's recent top sides have managed to be successful. Only real, I can suggest, have based their game on soaking up pressure from deep then bursting at blistering pace- there is no surprise in that with Ronaldo and Bale in your side.

Other recent great sides, such as Barca and Bayern, have pressed teams higher up the field and overwhelmed them with both their passing and their off the ball intensity.

Similarly, Atletico and Dortmund have also tried had the capability of pressing opponents higher up the pitch, although they also mix that with the ability to sit in with defensive lines as well.

Liverpool last season were extremely successful in playing a different counter attacking football by pressing opponents from the very front, which almost (ALMOST) offset their defensive deficiencies.

And Chelsea were glorious in the first half at Anfield this season at pressing Liverpool's deeper players on the ball and fashioning chances that way. And this is a Chelsea team led by Jose, who is more than capable too of going the other way in his approach.

Arsenal have not shown this capability often. Yes, Sanchez on his own does look to press the opposition. Giroud often is a willing closer-downer of goalkeepers and centre halves, as was Chamakh at the beginning, but few of our players look to do this. I find it interesting that Arsenal's 'Grahamesque', traditionalist success of being able to just sit off and contain teams goes against the current trend set by the better teams. Man City too I'd suggest are much stronger off the ball when they too look to play 'compact'.

Does anyone think that this shows limitations in the personnel of the Arsenal team? Or just that Wenger and Bould, and possibly even Pellegrini, have a more 'traditional' emphasis on how their teams play out of possession?