2018-19 Squad Analysis and Tactics

[Zenith]

4-3-1-2 base shape
3-1-3-1-2 with the ball
4-5-1 without the ball

✓ In order to provide width, full backs have license to press, albeit never simultaneously (view gif)
✓ The 3-men midfield allows for 1 spare man to cover for the attacking full back
✓ Aubameyang, Lacazette and Özil will have to track back on occasion to deal with potentially overlapping opposing full backs (shared workload of 2 per situation with 1 outlet remaining advanced)
✓ In possession Özil has a true free role and against most oppositions will get to spend most of his energy creating
✓ Tailor made for absorbing pressure and initiating a counter attack
✓ Plenty of bodies in midfield for gegenpressing (if desired)
✓ Outlets/triangles galore
✓ Torreira has years of experience playing in this formation and role


*ignore kit numbers

[Zedie]

4-3-1-2 base shape
3-1-3-1-2 with the ball
4-5-1 without the ball

✓ In order to provide width, full backs have license to press, albeit never simultaneously (view gif)
✓ The 3-men midfield allows for 1 spare man to cover for the attacking full back
✓ Aubameyang, Lacazette and Özil will have to track back on occasion to deal with potentially overlapping opposing full backs (shared workload of 2 per situation with 1 outlet remaining advanced)
✓ In possession Özil has a true free role and against most oppositions will get to spend most of his energy creating
✓ Tailor made for absorbing pressure and initiating a counter attack
✓ Plenty of bodies in midfield for gegenpressing (if desired)
✓ Outlets/triangles galore
✓ Torreira has years of experience playing in this formation and role


*ignore kit numbers

Wish I had a crown emoji for this

[Luzh 22]

4-3-1-2 base shape
3-1-3-1-2 with the ball
4-5-1 without the ball

✓ In order to provide width, full backs have license to press, albeit never simultaneously (view gif)
✓ The 3-men midfield allows for 1 spare man to cover for the attacking full back
✓ Aubameyang, Lacazette and Özil will have to track back on occasion to deal with potentially overlapping opposing full backs (shared workload of 2 per situation with 1 outlet remaining advanced)
✓ In possession Özil has a true free role and against most oppositions will get to spend most of his energy creating
✓ Tailor made for absorbing pressure and initiating a counter attack
✓ Plenty of bodies in midfield for gegenpressing (if desired)
✓ Outlets/triangles galore
✓ Torreira has years of experience playing in this formation and role


*ignore kit numbers

Emery did something similar to this in the pre-season games. He had the wingers drop into midfield instead of falling back to cover the wing, and the cm on the respective side the ball was on moved wide to cover the full back. I don't know why he moved away from it? Maybe he was unhappy that Ramsay and Xhaka can't tackle.

[Angelito]

4-3-1-2 base shape
3-1-3-1-2 with the ball
4-5-1 without the ball

✓ In order to provide width, full backs have license to press, albeit never simultaneously (view gif)
✓ The 3-men midfield allows for 1 spare man to cover for the attacking full back
✓ Aubameyang, Lacazette and Özil will have to track back on occasion to deal with potentially overlapping opposing full backs (shared workload of 2 per situation with 1 outlet remaining advanced)
✓ In possession Özil has a true free role and against most oppositions will get to spend most of his energy creating
✓ Tailor made for absorbing pressure and initiating a counter attack
✓ Plenty of bodies in midfield for gegenpressing (if desired)
✓ Outlets/triangles galore
✓ Torreira has years of experience playing in this formation and role


*ignore kit numbers

Can someone email this to Emery, please?

Much appreciated.

[Arsene Nose]

Yeah good luck getting Ramsey to drop back.

[SuperJackyWilshere]

Yeah good luck getting Ramsey to drop back.

Lol glad someone else saw that.

Other than that, that's spot on Zenith

[thebigbangtheo]

To me, this game against Newcastle United could prove one of the most important of our season. A win is obviously significant but in terms of how our season is likely to pan out, how we win is probably more important along with who plays and is effective in achieving the win. Equally, losing the game could result in a water shed moment similar to that under taken by Chelsea after we beat them 3-0. I don't mean that we will also go on to have a run that will win us the league, but result in a change of personnel.

The torrito - douzi axis at the base of our midfield that every gooner bar those with Xhaka on their shirts want to see, is yet to start a game together.

The same applies to Ozil - Mhkitaryan (did anyone else notice how keen he was to get on against Cardiff, like he could see our forward line was having fun and he really wanted to join in) both of whom might feel they have something to prove and to me at least seem to enjoy playing together.

Aubameyang - Laccazette, even Stevie Wonder can see the bromance going on there, the side affects also seeming to bond the rest of the team.

That strike force and midfield takes care of itself to me so only the goalie and defenders left to sort out.

[Pudpop]

In the back 3/back 5 we've shown we don't actually know how to utilize it's strengths defensively tonight. There has been zero understanding between the wingbacks and their CB partner. The worst offense has been allowing the wingers and fullback to run at them because neither knows whose responsibility it is to close down the runners. Since it also means we're down a man in the midfield we're completely out of shape while they're running at us.

Secondly we haven't used it as a means to prevent crosses. The whole point behind an extra man in the back line is that your wingbacks can move out wide without leaving too much space behind them, but we've still allowed qarabag space in the wings to cross (although they haven't used it that much)

[coolaa]

Aubameyang
Lacazette Mkhitaryan Iwobi
AMN Guendouzi
Monreal Sokratis Holding Bellerin
Leno

Aubameyang - one of the greatest proven striker in Europe, must build a tactics to utilize this weapon
Lacazette - this guy can score and cross with both feet, long or short. Basically can play CF,LW, RW.
Mkhitaryan - great partnership with Aubameyang at Dortmund, why don't continue, and not as lazy as Ozil.
Iwobi - our only dribbler that can play on the wing I think, and he does work hard like Welbeck.
Guendouzi - even though he loses balls in danger area sometimes, but that awareness can be improved, and he doesn't lose his ball under pressure like Xhaka. Mostly loses balls due to over trying something instead of incapability. MOST importantly he is perhaps the only one that can bring the ball up field like Carzola does.
AMN - simply prefer him over Torreira due do his athleticism, not experienced as the Torreira. However AMN's strength, pace and stamina in overall can provide more to our team. And if we have Guendouzi partnering AMN, I don't think Torreira's ball holding skills are needed. And AMN can just provide the same defensive discipline that Torreira has.
Monreal - most consistent player down the years.
Sokratis - Doesn't make unnecessary mistakes, that's what you need for a CB
Holding - still green, but he is our only CB that can deal with long ball with 100% certainty. You know with Mustafi, Kos(maybe Sokratis), they will be bullied by strong CF in the air.
Bellerin - defensive duty improved under Emery, great pace going forward.
Cech - still think Leno timing on catch and posistioning not as exprienced as Leno

[Santi]

In the back 3/back 5 we've shown we don't actually know how to utilize it's strengths defensively tonight. There has been zero understanding between the wingbacks and their CB partner. The worst offense has been allowing the wingers and fullback to run at them because neither knows whose responsibility it is to close down the runners. Since it also means we're down a man in the midfield we're completely out of shape while they're running at us.

Secondly we haven't used it as a means to prevent crosses. The whole point behind an extra man in the back line is that your wingbacks can move out wide without leaving too much space behind them, but we've still allowed qarabag space in the wings to cross (although they haven't used it that much)

Would've thought the point is less to prevent crosses than to have more men in the middle to deal with them? Guess you could do it either way but if the lcb or rcb push out to stop the cross you've got the risk at the back post if the other wingback isn't tucking in.

[Pudpop]

In the back 3/back 5 we've shown we don't actually know how to utilize it's strengths defensively tonight. There has been zero understanding between the wingbacks and their CB partner. The worst offense has been allowing the wingers and fullback to run at them because neither knows whose responsibility it is to close down the runners. Since it also means we're down a man in the midfield we're completely out of shape while they're running at us.

Secondly we haven't used it as a means to prevent crosses. The whole point behind an extra man in the back line is that your wingbacks can move out wide without leaving too much space behind them, but we've still allowed qarabag space in the wings to cross (although they haven't used it that much)

Would've thought the point is less to prevent crosses than to have more men in the middle to deal with them? Guess you could do it either way but if the lcb or rcb push out to stop the cross you've got the risk at the back post if the other wingback isn't tucking in.

You can still congest the box in other formations though. Just drop your midfielders. The 5 at the back means you can always commit to the winger without fear of space opening up behind you. In a back four you can only do this when the wingers get back to help, which gives them too much defensive responsibility.

[Zenith]

Far more insightful than what you get from the average Sky Sports/BT 'analyst'.

[thebigbangtheo]

I'm inclined to think that a 3-5-2 formation for this game against Liverpool might provide us with the best approach to nullify their attacking threat whilst giving us scope to win by having their defense deal with Laccazette and Aubamayang in tandem.

[DiamondGooner]

After looking at the Liverpool game and when Emery switched to 3-4-2 I actually can see that, that formation might be the elusive "what formation fits everyone in their best spots" question.

For e.g ...........

3 at the back - Sokratis / Holding / Mustafi

5 in midfield with the two WB's - Bellerin / Torriea / Ozil (central) / Xhaka / Iwobi

2 - Auba & Laca

So the only person playing slightly out is Iwobi but he's hard working and would have Sokratis to back him up, we also if needed can go more defensive by playing either Monreal or Kolasinac.

We could do 4-4-2 but I think that up roots Ozil and also means we're playing end to end and inviting pressure rather than the 3-5-2 which would still allow us to flood midfield and play our possession game.

We went from going head to head with Liverpool to actually turning them over once we made this change, I'm wondering if its worth looking at or as Emery has been doing just switching formations when he sees the need which is something he's been excellent at.

I just though looking at that formation everyone is in the right place bar one, I think we should lean to get more from Auba so having up front would be great.

[coolaa]

Need to play Mavropanos more this season in cup games, start him with Sokratis more so he can learn more from Sokratis since they r both Greek.

A pairing CB with holding and Mavropanos will dominate everything in the air. And shielded by Torreira or AMN, you know the CB are well protected and won't be exposed by lack of pace, indeed these 2 big defenders are not slow, but just not agile as koscielny, but a koscielny cannot even defend a size from Fernando Torres, so there are always pros and cons of whether you want pace or height in the defence.