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Stuttering Arsenal need to pull a flanker

Adopting a 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2 formation would help Arsene Wenger to resolve a crisis.

by Vikas V on 05 February 2007

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Theo Walcott: he's a centre-forward (gettyimages.com)

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As Arsenal again went a goal down but somehow managed to salvage a draw at Middlesbrough, there were many things that demanded attention.

I really hope the club does not get distracted by Philippe Senderos's sending-off and the subsequent penalty. It would be easy to shift the blame onto the referee and say the foul took place outside the box and so on - but that would just cast a veil on our own poor performance.

And I really hope we do not go down the road talking about a tough fixture list or a huge injury one. If as a club Arsenal dream of winning doubles and trebles, a congested fixture list would follow naturally. We would have injuries over the season - so let's just get on with it.

Recent matches have shown that we are short of wingers. And when we are short of width, we should not forcibly try to play two wingers with a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 formation. I honestly believe Arsenal should go for a 4-3-3 or a 4-3-1-2 set-up. Why? For one, I think we have never had more central midfielders in the squad who can command a starting place with ease.

I guess the line-up in midfield should be Gilberto, Cesc Fabregas, Abou Diaby/Denilson and Tomas Rosicky playing just off the strikers. If need be, this team can fall back temporarily to 4-4-2 with Denilson on the right wing. Also, our central small-pass play would improve with such a formation.

Before you all pan me about who would be the third striker, I am willing to stick my neck out. I think Theo Walcott will find has form when he plays as a centre-forward. His game is about running at defenders and not into spaces. Hence he would do well as a striker and put his bad form behind him.

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Comments (5)

by AusGunner on February 05, 2007

Without a loss in 2007? Boy that is some crisis! We weren't that bad against Boro, just tired, we did well to get a result but obviously it was dissappointing not to get a win. While i would be interested to see us play in a 4-3-3 this is really not the time for any drastic formation changes.

by TOPCAT on February 05, 2007

Interesting article... but wrong in so many places... re the senderous incident... 1) it was ouside the box 2) Yakubu has admitted there was no contact. So to blame the ref is perfectly justifiable in this case. To have a man sent off and concede the penalty is a double blow and had boro been playing most other teams, the game would have finished 1-0 to boro. We have played a game every 3-4 days for the last 2 months...so naturally the lads are tired... how tired the players are only adds to the resolve we showed to get the draw... Recent matches have shown that we are short of wingers? Ljungberg, Walcott, Hleb, Rosicky, Denilson and VanPersie can all play on the wing.... and in eboue and clichy we have 2 wing backs. But from tha lot 3 are out injured and Theo is still growing... The problem IS injurys... Chelsea won the title 2 years running... which of their star players were out injured? Man Utd look to win it this year... and what major injuries have they had this year? None.

by TOPCAT on February 05, 2007

The above is only half of the comment I posted.... the other half seems to have been "cut off"...

by Ric on February 09, 2007

your totally right. When a team plays a regulary 11 starters every game, you get consistency, but when you rotate a team every week, then youll get inconsistency. Look at all of those guys, injuried from top to toes. Hopelly well get them back and hopelly we are the one that can play the players we want and for manu.....yeah, rooney with a broken foot, ferdinand with a brist, ronaldo with a broken finger, and relegation. Good luck

by Jay on February 14, 2007

"If as a club Arsenal dream of winning doubles" hmmmmm. I understand dreaming to imply wishful thinking for something never before and highly unlikely to be attained. Which team last won the double ie PL and FA cup? Thought so! Come on lets write a bit more inteligently than that.