Originally Posted by
Power_n_Glory
That doesn't surprise me. Whenever Wenger does a press conference and talks about our performance as a team he always talks about our mental state or fitness. I get the impression he thinks our problems always boil down to these two things. If we miss chances or concede goals it's always a mental or fitness issue, never technical. If it's neither of those, we were unlucky or the decisions went against us. It makes me wonder.
Just finished watching City play and the way Mancini has set up his team...why can't Wenger try that formation? RVP playing behind Theo, or Arshavin playing behind RVP like how Augero and Tevez/Dzeko play? Nasri has already beaten his assist record for last season and Clichy is actually getting across the line and putting in decent crosses for a change. A month with a different coach and they're looking better already. They've got a solid midfield and great attacking midfield players and you can see Nasri, Silva and Aguero linking up to create a move from the centre and just in the final third. We don't have that any more. I can't remember the last time we've hit a team with a 3 touch pass move or seen a great flurry of play from 3-4 individuals playing on the same wavelength. It's all individual solo efforts or one great pass that puts a man through. That telekinetic passing and movement is gone.
I've lost a lot of respect for Wenger. He's becoming some sort of New Age, Feng Shui motivational speaking Guru of some sorts. All this focus on mental preparation. Creating the right sort of environment for the players by building corner-less dressing rooms, allowing them to dress how they want during games, hiring psychologists to test players on their mental strength....I mean what the heck? I wouldn't be surprised if after a loss he's got them taking herbal baths, burning incense and chanting 'woosah' mantras like a synchronised choir (see Bad Boys 2).
Jokes aside, he has to change this up. We'd get a lot more out of Arshavin if he played behind the striker and in the hole. We'd get a lot more from Theo if he played as a striker or on the left where he's cutting in to take shots on goal. RVP would play a lot better with a strike partner...even Chamakh would benefit from playing with a strike partner. There was no need to play that formation against Swansea. He needs to start reacting to the situation on the pitch and look for weaknesses but that's like asking a leopard to change his spots. We need our best 3-4 players to start linking up and understanding each others runs and movement.
Yesterday, we had RVP running around like a headless chicken trying to hang on the shoulders of defenders, but he doesn't have the patience for that sort of play so when he doesn't get the pass, he's sprinting towards the other end of the pitch with arms wailing and shouting for the ball, or dropping deep looking for a ball to feet. He can't play like that when he's the lone striker. It causes confusion and he's not getting the ball because nobody is able to read his movements because it's so erratic and random.
Theo was bloody awful. His dribbling is terrible and Wenger has to get him off the right wing before he breaks something. I watched the idiot charge straight into a defender with the ball on countless occasions. He can't beat his man or take them down the line. When he does, the cross is either awful or nobody is in there because we've got RVP doing his buzzy bee impression and bouncing all over the pitch. Sagna put in a good cross for RVP that should have been a goal but the idiot checked his run instead of doing what a striker is supposed to do and make a run for the back post! Idiot. Anyway, back to Theo....put him on the left or get him up front. He's useless on the right wing and when he gets into the box from the right and he's bending shots wide or being forced to hit them with his left foot. On the left, he wouldn't have that problem. His dribbling style would be more effective because he's taking wing backs on to their weaker foot where they are uncomfortable and he'd probably get a lot more goals.
Arshavin....looked decent and back to his old self. But this guy should be playing in a more central role. He hasn't got the legs for the wings, one touch passing doesn't work that well on the flanks and he needs passing options. If he's in the centre for us, I imagine him operating a bit more like David Silva. He'd be able to pick out a pass for RVP, Theo or whoever with ease. He has the vision and guts to try that killer pass. Ramsey doesn't have it. Arteta looks like the man that can add some passing flair to our game, but until Wilshere gets back, take Ramsey out of the team and let Arteta and Arshavin work together in the middle. the little fat Russian put his fair share of tackles in yesterday. He doesn't have to do all the tracking back but let him play behind the striker with more freedom. I can see him that Wenger has given Theo, RVP and Arshavin freedom to roam but all three of them are confused at the moment and it's a mess. They need direction from Wenger. He can't sit there and try to let them work things out for themselves. They all look very frustrated at the moment and they're not enjoying their football.
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- Particularly the highlighted text. I can see why AW opted for a 'safety first' approach with the tried and tested set up on Saturday - but it was Swansea, and it nearly backfired. I want to see our players helped to be as good as they can be; to do what they are best at, and to be helped to deal with the opposition by being shown their strengths and weaknesses, and being given the tactical tools to make it work. I'm not surprised that our players aren't playing with any bounce, when there is so little movement - so little going on when we go forward. Makes me wonder how much the Invincibles did for themselves...
