Quote Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn View Post
People are talking as if there's any positional discipline in our team at all. As far as I can see, Coquelin is the only player than bothers with the concept and that's probably only because Wenger doesn't trust him and so doesn't give him that freedom (a euphemism for the absence of discipline) he allows others.

CM, DM, on the left, on the right, what difference does it make in a Wenger team? Our players are all over the place and if the manager cared about that he'd do something about it. On the contrary, it must be him who permits the chaos. It descends into pure farce on occasion. Against Southampton there was the Kos miss. Shame he missed, but what the hell was he even doing there? Campbell has taken to wandering too of late and it has already started to hurt his game. Does this mean Wenger has warmed to him?
Wenger giving players freedom and a player having positional awareness and discipline is a separate subject. Cazorla and Rosicky are prime examples. They never played as CM before and only due to injuries have they gotten a chance their but they understood what the team needed and we're they fit in. I accept that we haven't got a coach that's big on dishing out instructions but I don't get how some players can be so brainless when it comes to discipline. This is what I'd call a footballing brain issue. How can you see how we're struggling to move the ball forward, being forced wide with our wingers and wingbacks being forced down narrow channels and not offer support? Not offer a passing outlet instead of just rushing forward into the box? It's the same problem I have with Walcott just focusing on making runs when playing as a right winger on Tuesday. Can't they see the ball needs to be worked and we're struggling from deep areas? That's the difference difference between awareness and execution.

Take Arteta as an example. Was bought as a CM but saw we lacked discipline with no true DM and he made himself available for that role. That's the job he felt needed doing for the team and Wenger went with it. He doesn't go looking for glory, he understand what's need and just sits. Plays the anchor role and provides defensive cover. He has the awareness, discipline and intelligence for the role. I'm sure if he felt like going for glory and roaming further forward Wenger would let him but he doesn't do that. Most players in the team have a license to do what they want but that doesn't mean you do so when it's detrimental to the team. See Flamini.

I can understand a player not having the chops for a role. Not having the ability to execute what's required. Example, too slow, poor stamina, poor first touch, too weak, can't tackle...etc. But Ramsey is a player that has the ability to execute most of what's required to play as CM except the brain and awareness. That's his downfall. I'm not sure if that's something that can be learned or if we have to restrict his role to something more simple but I'm not focusing too much on Wenger because we already know he's not going to do anything. It's purely down to the players to learn quickly and do what's required of them.