Goodplaya on Friday: Does 433 work? Alex Songunism, United losing and scarves
Welcome to Goodplaya on Friday, the Arsenal week reviewed and previewed.
Enough opportunities in a threesome?
Give Arshavin and the others time to get used to the system.
So a week in, how is 4-3-3 doing?
The answer is so far, so good. What we have seen so far suggests that away to tough, northerly opposition it is robust enough to prevent an early onslaught. Neither Everton or Celtic enjoyed a chance of genuine note before we took the lead against them.
In part credit goes to the addition of Vermaelen but also the greater solidity that three in the middle offers.
The excellent Alex Song sat furthest back, but Denilson and Cesc were both frequently on hand to ensure the defence had a proper shield. Once we did, space opened up in both games.
The critics point to none of Van Persie, Bendtner or Arshavin scoring thus far and to a lack of clear cut chances for them. But those critics forget that it is in home games where the onus is on Arsenal to force the play. Away from the Emirates it is all about keeping it tight, getting the first goal and then being more expansive.
By this time next week we will have likely seen 4-3-3 employed in two home games and we’ll have a far greater idea of how it may or may not work.
I’m currently reading Arsenal: The Making of a Modern Super-Club by Kevin Whicher and Alex Fynn. It’s a fascinating read and it pulls no punches detailing the gulf that has emerged between players and fans. With the player question and answers at the start of the season and the Arsenalisation of the Emirates, I wonder whether the point is being taken. Now is your last chance to win one of three copies of the book. Simply tell me what Thomas Vermaelen and David Platt have in common.
Pity the scarf sellers who try to make a living outside the stadium. Every fan at tomorrow’s game will be given a free one, which sounds like a sure fire way to drive any peddlers of unofficial ones out of business.
Can someone please explain to me how suspending referee Rob Shoebridge and his assistants for their blunder in the Britstol City v Palace game will achieve anything? The incident was an incredibly rare fluke and frankly it’s not as if any of the officials can sit at home and practice to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It’s equally preposterous to believe suspending them will act as a deterrent to other officials or restore the confidence of fans that it won’t happen again. The only issues that should be addressed are the sportsmanship of the Bristol City players and whether replays would have helped.
It should be added too that this is a new system and the players would be the first to admit it takes some getting used to. So I think the front three, whoever they are, should be cut some slack in the meantime.
One interesting consequence of the 4-3-3 is that on Wedesday night we were far more attacking than would be normal in a European away game. In last season’s knockout rounds we typically played with Nasri and Walcott in the wide berths – arguably both are more defensive than Arhsavin and Bendtner.
That latter pair coupled with RVP on Wednesday were probably as attacking a front three ever seen since the 4-5-1 was first seen in Madrid on 21 February 2006.
How we adapt if we face more fancied opposition will be interesting to see.
Songunism takes hold
Oh, that would be me.
And if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m loathe to get too personal in my criticism of any player, particularly a young one, I would have said a lot worse.
And had you said a year ago that the google search “if Song gets injured” would yield 74 results, people would have laughed out loud.
But the reality is that without back-up (for Song? Can I really be writing this?) we’ll look very short come January when he heads off to the African Nations Cup.
So does this prove Arsene Wenger right and me wrong? Well I’ll accept I was wrong to an extent.
But I still can’t and won’t accept the pain and general hopelessness of last season was necessary for this. An older head in there would have helped a lot… and probably not least for the then out of his depth Song.
United’s loss
The heart says the former. But the head says United coasted to the title last season – despite a dismal record against the big four – because were imperious against the lesser lights. That’s why defeat at Turf Moor is to be particularly welcomed.
Goodplaya responds
Davi says:
Goodplaya says
Agreed. It’s notable how Adebayor responded to the booing by trying less and Bendtner by trying more. And look who is still at the club.
Booland says:
Goodplaya says
True. And nobody acknowledges how ever since 2004 we’ve faced the perfect storm a galvanised and monied United, Chelsea’s billions and the most serious Liverpool outfit for 20 years. The competition was probably never so fierce.
Arshavin photo credit:
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