Formations, Tactics, Analysis, and Statistics

[DiamondGooner]

Saw it as well but won't be surprised to see 4-2-3-1 vs Norwich.

Neither will I and that's why I can't support Arteta.

We've seen two long periods of use of two formations in specific ........ 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3.

The record speaks for itself, 3-4-3, best defense in the league, an FA Cup with some great performances and a great record against the top 4.

Then we switch to a 4-2-3-1, beaten by Villarreal in the Europa Semi-Final, struggle in Europe and Prem against Minnow teams and languish at 15th before pushing up to 8th.

I don't care which system we use, all I care is that we use one that helps us win games, 4-2-3-1 has not been doing that and there's no specific benefit to using it apart from possession, but we don't have the right players to make use of long spells of possession because we can't unlock teams who are sitting back .......... and all teams are sitting back by the time it takes us 3mins to do all our passing back and sideways to then go forward.

[swipe right]

We will struggle without a deep lying creative midfielder. We need a Cesc or Santi type of player and don’t have one. We are unable to switch defense to attack quickly giving the opposition time to regroup and easily defend against our attacks. We depend on carrying the ball through midfield and aren’t even good at that.

[theHotHead]

I agree but I don't think you are painting an accurate picture, most of our footie after the blitzkrieg years of counter attacking football was slow pass to death footie, and we had Fabregas and we had Santi during those times. It all began after the CL final loss in 2006, Wenger swapped fast and powerful for small and technical, we went from counter attack to tiki taka, Cesc was there then, Santi was there later.

The DLP gives an option of more direct attacks but we mostly ended up passing teams to death.

[jayramfootball]

We will struggle without a deep lying creative midfielder. We need a Cesc or Santi type of player and don’t have one. We are unable to switch defense to attack quickly giving the opposition time to regroup and easily defend against our attacks. We depend on carrying the ball through midfield and aren’t even good at that.

Our issue is currently nothing to do with creativity.
It's finishing our chances.

Here are the shots / goals stats in the PL this year:


(teams in bold have played 3 games, everyone else 4)

Yes, that is right ... we have the 6th most chances created in the league and the second-worst conversion rate.
We have converted 1.7% of our shots into goals.
That is appalling.

Note, the potential hidden thing here is the quality of the chances, but when you did deeper you find that we are only 4 shots less inside the penalty area than Manchester Utd, who have scored 10 goals from inside the box to our 1.

Finishing. We're shit at it and need to improve.
We have plenty of creativity with Saka, ESR, Odeegard, Partey, Tierney.

Yesterday we should have scored at LEAST 3, probably more, but we simply missed ALL our good chances bar 1 on the goal line.

[Ach]

We will struggle without a deep lying creative midfielder. We need a Cesc or Santi type of player and don’t have one. We are unable to switch defense to attack quickly giving the opposition time to regroup and easily defend against our attacks. We depend on carrying the ball through midfield and aren’t even good at that.

If only we had a summer and money to solve our creativity issues

Instead of buying a can't head a ball CB for 50m

Welcome to artetas arsenal

[Salibatelli]

That’s a load of nonsense, everyone with eyes could see we lacked creativity, it was obvious, once again stats don’t paint the full picture.

Moreover no one takes all the it chances, so to say we should have had etc etc is wrong, like other teams we miss chances, that’s very normal.

It’s a constant stream of excuses from some Arsenal fan, if this if that, if Norwich had Ronaldo they’d score more goals, these things are part and parcel of football, stop using them as excuses again it’s that victim mentality, something winners and champions don’t have!

[Salibatelli]

We will struggle without a deep lying creative midfielder. We need a Cesc or Santi type of player and don’t have one. We are unable to switch defense to attack quickly giving the opposition time to regroup and easily defend against our attacks. We depend on carrying the ball through midfield and aren’t even good at that.

If only we had a summer and money to solve our creativity issues

Instead of buying a can't head a ball CB for 50m

Welcome to artetas arsenal

Exactly and yet we failed to address our biggest problem and area of weakness, no excuses for that.

[jayramfootball]

That’s a load of nonsense, everyone with eyes could see we lacked creativity, it was obvious, once again stats don’t paint the full picture.

They are facts.
We have created the 6th most chances in the league this year and have been terrible finishing them off, the second-worst.

Let me post the chances created and goals for you again.

[Hypergooner]

That’s a load of nonsense, everyone with eyes could see we lacked creativity, it was obvious, once again stats don’t paint the full picture.

They are facts.
We have created the 6th most chances in the league this year and have been terrible finishing them off, the second-worst.

Let me post the chances created and goals for you again.

This is the problem with the world today and seems to be the issue with Arsenal. People are relying too much on stats. They definitely help but don't paint the full picture. It very easy to make stats suit a narrative.

For example, we are 6th in chances created.
It doesn't show the quality of the chances created.
It doesn't show the quality of player the chances fell to. Ie. Are we getting the finishers in the correct positions.

I could have Xhaka pass me 30 sideways balls at 40 yards out and shoot each time. By stats alone it would show we created 30 chances and had 30 shots on goal in 1 game.
Of course none would go in or trouble a goalkeeper

[Ach]

Only game I've missed this season is the Chelsea game

Barely created anything v Brentford, Man City or Norwich

So must've had shit load of chances v Chelsea

[jayramfootball]

That’s a load of nonsense, everyone with eyes could see we lacked creativity, it was obvious, once again stats don’t paint the full picture.

They are facts.
We have created the 6th most chances in the league this year and have been terrible finishing them off, the second-worst.

Let me post the chances created and goals for you again.

This is the problem with the world today and seems to be the issue with Arsenal. People are relying too much on stats. They definitely help but don't paint the full picture. It very easy to make stats suit a narrative.

For example, we are 6th in chances created.
It doesn't show the quality of the chances created.
It doesn't show the quality of player the chances fell to. Ie. Are we getting the finishers in the correct positions.

I could have Xhaka pass me 30 sideways balls at 40 yards out and shoot each time. By stats alone it would show we created 30 chances and had 30 shots on goal in 1 game.
Of course none would go in or trouble a goalkeeper

Addressed here:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=108251

[jayramfootball]

Only game I've missed this season is the Chelsea game

Barely created anything v Brentford, Man City or Norwich

So must've had shit load of chances v Chelsea

You were not at the game yesterday like you said you were if you think we did not create a lot of chances against Norwich.

vs Norwich : 30 shots with 2.72 xG
vs Man City : 1 shot with 0.12 xG
vs Chelsea : 6 shots with 0.63 xG
vs Brentford : 22 shots with 1.02 xG

[Ach]

I guess we're including the long range shots which go nowhere near the goal, blocked shots etc

Dear God

You clearly have no idea what creativity is if you count them as creative.

Another thing we can add to the list about things you don't understand about football

[jayramfootball]

I guess we're including the long range shots which go nowhere near the goal, blocked shots etc

Dear God

You clearly have no idea what creativity is if you count them as creative.

Another thing we can add to the list about things you don't understand about football

Obviously you were not at the game.
Figured as much.

[jayramfootball]

What were shots on target numbers? Krul made some really good saves yesterday to prevent it from being 3-0.

Indeed he did.
Excellent save from ESR and also 2 from Auba that were good chances.