Backup Strikers

[Nayan]

I think that would leave us badly exposed and I think Giroud and Theo would struggle from a lack of service. We'd need a man to play in the hole and between the lines. I don't think we'd get the best of Nasri, Hleb and Rosicky out wide and the started to play a 4-5-1 for a reason. When teams started to field the extra man and sit deep, we struggled to cope. We need to evolve. Looking at old blueprints won't help because teams were very different when we played a 4-4-2.

Do you think our fullbacks will be able to get forward when they're up against Chelsea's 4-3-3 with wingers like Hazard? They'll get pinned back. They'd also be able to stick a DM on Wilshere to stop him from playing all game, we'd really need Wilshere playing up close with Giroud and Theo because both like to run on to passes. Flamini on his own leaves us with a 2vs 1 situation but throwing JW further back means we lose some creativity in the final third. Ozil and Cazorla would have to play a lot more in the middle for it to work. I just can't see Wenger allowing that. Would have to be more like Brazil's old formation.

what 4-2-4?

[Syn]

You can play two strikers but everyone has to put in a massive shift - even if you're Van Persie. Before it used to be something that endeared you to the fans but now its a minimum requirement. That much has changed a little.

And to this day I still believe Wenger went to 4-5-1 because Cesc couldn't put in a solid defensive performance. Not through a lack of trying but because he was slow. Ramsey and Flamini definitely could last 95 mins at full pelt. Well, remains to be seen if Flamini can but he looked nippy enough against Tottenham considering he hasn't played a game for 4 months and hasn't had a preseason.

[Power n Glory]

More like a 4-2-2-2 but we'd really talented attacking wing backs with loads of pace for that. We just don't have it. That's what the formation would turn into if we have Ozil and Cazorla pushing in from wide.

[Penguin]

Our most successful 4-4-2 was with Bergkamp playing in the number 10 role behind Henry (and Wright before him). I could argue that's not much different to the role Cazorla has been playing for us, or what Ozil will do now.

I don't think anyone plays successfully with two out and out strikers in a 4-4-2 now.

[Power n Glory]

You can play two strikers but everyone has to put in a massive shift - even if you're Van Persie. Before it used to be something that endeared you to the fans but now its a minimum requirement. That much has changed a little.

And to this day I still believe Wenger went to 4-5-1 because Cesc couldn't put in a solid defensive performance. Not through a lack of trying but because he was slow. Ramsey and Flamini definitely could last 95 mins at full pelt. Well, remains to be seen if Flamini can but he looked nippy enough against Tottenham considering he hasn't played a game for 4 months and hasn't had a preseason.

But we won't get the creativity from Ramsey and Flamini. We'd have to play someone like Ozil or Cazorla in the hole. It made sense for Wenger to switch to 4-5-1 with a player like Cesc in the team.

[Özim]

What about JET, he's a beast?

[Dennis Bendtner]

Surely Bendtner has to actually try to do something good on a football pitch this year. The braindead idiot's done nothing but turn down good moves for about three years. Now there's no chance he's getting another deal here and he won't even get half of what he gets now from some other lunatic club if he doesn't actually score a few goals. Don't think World Cup selection's much of a factor as Denmark probably won't qualify. But given the guy is still around you can't completely rule out using him. He's better than a lot of the available rubbish we might have been looking at on deadline day. Chamberlain and Podolski are out until the window opens again so we're light and would find it hard to move Theo into the middle. Sanogo is raw. Akpom...do not forget as well you know we have Akpom. But yeah, admittedly it's not a brilliant plan and relies on Bendtner using common sense.

[Syn]

when he gets it right sagna crosses very well. He's not consistent though its true

But we won't get the creativity from Ramsey and Flamini. We'd have to play someone like Ozil or Cazorla in the hole. It made sense for Wenger to switch to 4-5-1 with a player like Cesc in the team.

I think we'll get plenty of creativity from Ramsey and he's starting to show that now. But even if we don't, Man Utd keep winning the league with no playmakers in the centre. Playing the star players out wide doesn't mean they'll be less influential. If we've got an energetic midfield trying to move the ball quickly, Ozil and Cazorla out wide is like the Pires-Ljungberg.

But anyway, I don't think Wenger will (or had to) change things. I have little idea what to expect now so let's see what sort of football we play with our 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1.

[Niall_Quinn]

Don't care as long as the final ball into the box improves (by around 100%)

[Dein-machine]

Irrelevant. It all depends who you put on the pitch and what works best for them. There's absolutely nothing wrong with 4-4-2 if you have the midfield players that can make it happen.

Absolutely true - When we were "Invincible" we had the footballing brain of Bergy with the pace & quality of Henry. Pires & Freddy weren't fast wingers, they linked up & did most damage from a central position. Ozil can give us the cleverness of Bergy but we will have to play differently as Giroud is no Henry!!!! - Theo gives us pace but he's too lazy & doesn't use it enough ( didn't take on Risse once against Fulham & he's shit ) & his crossing along with ALL of our full backs is worse than my lads sunday league U14 team. We need to use Giroud as the fulcrum & have the likes of Santi, Theo going beyond him & Ozil & Wheelchair finding them with accurate through balls. Theo should have got at least 3 against the Spuds on Sunday if we had better quality through balls.
When we're attacking it doesn't matter if were 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1-, the movement will mean this is irrelevant. Same principal they teach at La Masia ( I spent 6 months with Barca coaches doing my Futsal diploma ) - the only reason we should take notice of formations is to keep shape & to make sure we are in a position to defend should a move brake down. This is something we are very poor at - how many times do you see crap teams like Villa attack us & have men over. We have to make sure at least one of our midfielders is way behind the ball which for us & the players we have would lend itself to 4-5-1.