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How do we deal with the high ball?

With Sanchez playing up front and Mustafi in defense, we have managed to play a much more higher line and the transition between defence and attack is a lot faster.

However, even with the recent victories, we do look more and more suspect against the ball over the top. Yesterday was a classic example. Also, we provide no threat at corners or sets plays at the other end with Sanchez up front.

Yes we look more fluid in attack with pace but without Giroud and Per in the set up we do leave ourselves exposed when facing set pieces, corners or generally any high ball lumped into the box.

It's a tricky one and I guess we just have to hope the current set up can defend better against the high balls but I still think Giroud and Per have a massive part to play this season.

P.S: On a seperate note, I would like to see Gibbs replace Nacho



posted on 16/10/16

yeah its a trade off for having a more mobile team with better ground speed.A lot is being made of it but most of those headers also came when we were down to 10 with Xhaka off.

I think Wenger has looked at the number of teams that really make use of the aerial ball and there arent many.Same thing with strikers adebt to playing the high ball, arent many.Its not like Carrol and Crouch are always starting games.

Yesterday was less about height and more about concentration and application.

posted on 16/10/16

Also, we provide no threat at corners or sets plays at the other end with Sanchez up front.
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Second goal was from a corner. And we also hit the bar from an earlier corner.

posted on 16/10/16

Really simple.

Offside trap drills for both Attack and Defense.

Our back 4 needs to be highly disciplined when it comes to playing an offside trap and we need to target which teams/players to employ such tactics.

But just as importantly, Theo, Alexis and Mesut need to improve at NOT being caught offside constantly when we are counter-attacking. We could have had 5 1on1s yesterday if they had just held their runs for half a second (two of the occasions they were actually onside but it was a tight call for the lino).

I'm really excited about how the Kostafi partnership and the Sanchez/Theo/Iwobi front 3 is making us play a faster paced game higher up the pitch, but it does mean that we are going to have to be practising the above offside trap setting/breaking in order to really dominate teams.

posted on 16/10/16

I'm sure I saw a statistic before the game yesterday where like half of our goals this season were from set pieces. Even without Giroud in the team we have looked a lot more threatening from set pieces than we used to be.

Btw where the fack is Giroud?

posted on 16/10/16

What did Burnley play against us? We coped pretty well so I don't understand the point of the thread.

We never looked more secure at set pieces with 'Giroud and Mert'. Look at what Chelsea used to do to us at set pieces or Man Utd. Or Stoke for that matter or any Pulis or Alyrdce managed team. So the entire notion is based on a faulty premise.

posted on 16/10/16

Do you watch games castor?

posted on 16/10/16

comment by Santi Cazorla (U18355)
posted 1 hour, 5 minutes ago
I'm sure I saw a statistic before the game yesterday where like half of our goals this season were from set pieces. Even without Giroud in the team we have looked a lot more threatening from set pieces than we used to be.

Btw where the fack is Giroud?
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Kidnapped by Gunth

posted on 17/10/16

comment by MeSuitIsTailorMadeForTheLeague #VCC (U9687)
posted 10 hours, 39 minutes ago
Really simple.

Offside trap drills for both Attack and Defense.
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This would make our susceptibility to a ball over the top even worse and would be absolute murder with our high line. With the pace Kos and Mustafi have there is absolutely no need for us to nullify that by trying to play an offside trap.

Our defence is looking pretty solid. The two goals were naive mistakes and should not be consistent. My only worry is Monreal, he's look hopeless against pace this season - I've been a massive fan but I'm starting to see LB as a rising weakness in our team.

Completely agree with the OPs point about corners and aerial balls, but its a sacrifice most of us are willing to make.

posted on 17/10/16

Mert isn't particularly good in the air though, in fact I'd say Kos is the more likely of the two to win an aerial battle in most situations.

I haven't seen enough of Mustafi to judge him properly yet though.

Giroud is fairly decent at defending corners but that's barely even worth mentioning when he has such a negative impact at the other end of the field... the one he's supposed to be most useful at.

posted on 18/10/16

"We coped pretty well so I don't understand the point of the thread."

I think the point of the thread is that Swansea had far too many heading chances from crosses thrown into our box - they really should have taken at least one of them.

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