Mr_arsenal_blog's - "Tactics Weekly" (discussing tactics and standout performances for Arsenal each week.......)

4th September 2012. 

Welcome to my brand new feature, "tactics weekly". I will be outlining the key tactical observations of The Arsenal's games each week, including: the two key tactical decisions/ adaptations and implementations, and also discussing which players stood out the most and why. I will also name the Mr_arsenal_blog's "player of the week" in each feature, each week! ..... I hope you enjoy!

For me this week, there is only one place we can start. And that is talking about the defensive effort of the team in our recent matches, and the evident work of big Steve Bould and rightly so! The main, and of course most pleasing statistic that I can mention is simply: 3 matches and 3 clean sheets. This is absolutely fantastic and I am absolutely delighted by that, as I am sure you all are as well. We have taken a lot of stick for our defensive "weakness', and it seems ("touch wood"), that this is now in the past! But focusing on this week, why were we solid? As many are aware our formation is very fluid, but it is essentially a 4-2-3-1 shape, which can very easily become 4-4-1-1. And this is exactly what we did defensively in this game this week. When we lost the ball, our wingers tracked back to form a 2 "banks of four", which was very effective. Why was this effective? Well, firstly the discipline of the players was fantastic. They kept this shape and that meant that it was very difficult for the likes of Gerrard, Allen and Co to break us down in the midfield and at the back, and to be honest they rarely threatened us. This discipline must stay, because at the top level when you are playing against top top players if one or two players step out of line, out of this shape, then straight away you are going to be in trouble, and at risk of conceding. In this match, and in the first two matches, the team has been very disciplined and have kept a good shape, this is excellent. 

Who is to credit for this? Well, firstly you have to credit the whole team because they are the ones clearly working hard on the training ground and taking their practice on to the pitch! They have done great on this front so far. But for me it is no coincidence that Steve Bould has come back into the first team set up at London Colney, and the defence is a "mean machine", as Jamie Redknapp wrote in the Daily Mail. Put simply this guy is one of the greatest centre backs in Arsenal's history, and as I am sure you are all aware was part of the great "Bank of England". When the legendary Arsene Wenger, our leader, first arrived at the club he famously said: "When I first came to Arsenal, I realised the back four were all university graduates in the art of defending". A great quote, but Steve Bould was of course a big player in this defensive unit, so he sure knows "the art of defending", and this it seems he is getting across to the players. It is clear that he is really working on the teams shape off the ball, and also how they keep this shape, sticking together. This takes work, and it is clear that this is exactly what has been put it, with the help of Mr Bould. 

Furthermore much has been made of the decision or perhaps lack of decision, to directly replace Alex Song in the transfer market before last Fridays 11pm deadline. However on Sunday afternoon at Anfield I would suggest that many of those fears were, for now at least anyway, left behind. I have in recent weeks "championing" the idea of having no, as I have been putting it, "specialist" defensive midfielder in the side. As Roy Hodgson said before the Euros he doesn't believe that you always need someone who's job is to literally sit there, and cover, whilst others go forward. For me I believe that the way we have it now, is good. We have two players playing in a more deeper role (so far Arteta and Diaby), and one (Cazorla) slightly further forward. This allows us lots of free movement and interchanging positions. This really suits our style of play. When we have the ball one player sits and covers, and one player goes forward and supports the attack, and the player further forward (Cazorla) plays just off the centre forward (Giroud or Podolski). It is kind of like the roles of central midfield in a 4-4-2 where one goes one sits, one goes one sits e.t.c. e.t.c. I think this works well and on sunday against Liverpool this in my opinion, was great. Arteta and Diaby worked very well together and clearly comunicated well with one another and were in good posistions both forward and in cover for the majority of the time, this also contributed to Liverpool's lack of threat, because one was always back covering Vermalean and Mertesacker. Against Liverpool on Sunday it was always going to be key to be disciplined in midfield when they had the ball, because we knew that Rodgers' teams like to hold on to the ball and pass it in midfield, and therefore we had to be very disciplined in that area, and this we were. I believe that the midfield was an enourmously key factor as to why we came out victorious at Anfield! 

Part of the reason for this, was down to this weeks Mr_arsenal_blog's player of the week, Abou Diaby. The lad was absolutely outstanding against Liverpool. He ran the show, his passing was immense, his dribbling was unstoppable at times, he was composed, he was strong, he was disciplined, he was just put simply BRILLIANT!!! Now I know that many many fans, myself included, have been extremely frustrated by Abou in the last few years, because I think most fans acknowledge that the lad has talent, of that (to me) there is absolutely no question, but his injury record has been absolutely torrid it really has. The situation was very much like that of Robin Van Purse from a few years back, where we all knew what he was capable of, but his injury record meant that many were questioning whether we should hold on to him. And it seems that in both cases we were right, although of course we have now lost Robin, as both players came back to fitness and form (just a shame one of them also came to be a judas as well as fit!) But back to Diaby, everything he did on Sunday was exceptional. I know it is a very very very commonly used comparison, but he really did remind me of a young Pat Pat Viera, he was strong, disciplined and technically superb! All qualities that Viera had for us, although I would say that Abou is quicker and probably more capable of those great dribbles we saw on Sunday. The moment of the match for Abou was without a doubt that brilliant 75 yard dash which set up that chance (which absolutely should have been finished) for Giroud. He spun past Gerrard charged at the liverpool players, and they quite frankly had no answer to his pace, strength and dribbling skills. It was without a doubt his best performance for us, and it is this reason why he is my Mr_arsenal_blog's player of the week! LONG may it continue, just hope he stays fit on international duty! (fingers crossed).

Finally my man of the month for August is Santi Cazorla, our new Spanish maestro was absolutely brilliant in our two games last month, absolutely ran the show. His composure on the ball, and technical quality is going to proove absolutely key to our season. I believe he has the ability to be the most feared attacking midfielder in the league. He is a top player, and it is no wonder people in Spain reffered to him as the "best player outside of Barca and Real"!!  

That's it for this week, hope you liked it! All in all Sunday was a very good day for Arsenal fans. We beat Liverpool convincingly Podolski and Cazorla scored their first goals, and were fantastic. But this is just the start, we must not get complacent! To be honest Liverpool were very ordinary and therefore we must continue to improve. I have faith we will. I just really hope that Giroud his the net soon, that is the only thing that was missing from our game on Sunday. However we must remember we have only had three games, so shouldn't worry too much!! 

leave me your comments @ #MrArsenalBlogTacticsWeekly on twitter! And lastly UP THE ARSENAL!!!! 

P.S. I have just come across this great Arsene Wenger quotes, here is the link, so check them out. The man really is a legend isn't he, and has come out with some great stuff!! .........

http://www.football365.com/news/8750/5643990