Do you think RvP should be the spearhead?

[gzagee]

Cos I don't. Wenger's been playing him there for a while now. I know he had no other option whilst Ade and Dudu were injured and Bendy wasn't up to the task. But, now we've got Dudu back and Bendy's got a bit more experience surely Robin's best positions are second striker or left in a front 3?
Looking at the preseason games to this point it seems as though AW will persist with Robin as the front man.

Can anyone convince me he's a line leader?

[Fabrestuta]

I would agree. RvP can play as part of a 2 man front or behind the main striker, but he's just not the type of player to be the focal point of an attack. He's not a fox in the box, he's not a hold the ball up kind of forward, neither is he fast enough to outrun a defence. He has lots of talent (maybe more natural talent than anyone in our squad) but that doesn't mean he can play up front on his own.

[Fabby]

It has to f***ing be Eduardo. If it isn't Eduardo, what was the point in us signing him?

RVP can't play up there, and your exactly right the left of a front three is his position, like the Holland team.

[InTheNorthBank]

I think a lot of people are confusing 4-3-3 for 4-5-1. But I would still rather see Eddie play in the middle as Fabby said. Or Bendtner - bigger and stronger.

But I don't necessarily subscribe to this notion that you need a fox in the box/natural goalscorer to be the spearhead. Hence why I think people are confusing 4-5-1 with 4-3-3.

[gzagee]

And that's why I don't understand why AW persists with it? He'd rather play Dudu or Bendy on the left.
The only reasons I can think of are cos Bendy's still learning the game and Dudu is only just coming back, and he played quite alot at LW before his injury.

[gzagee]

I think a lot of people are confusing 4-3-3 for 4-5-1. But I would still rather see Eddie play in the middle as Fabby said. Or Bendtner - bigger and stronger.

But I don't necessarily subscribe to this notion that you need a fox in the box/natural goalscorer to be the spearhead. Hence why I think people are confusing 4-5-1 with 4-3-3.

Surely it doesn't matter which formation, you need a spearhead. And looking at it RvP is always the one up top.

[Fabrestuta]

I think a lot of people are confusing 4-3-3 for 4-5-1. But I would still rather see Eddie play in the middle as Fabby said. Or Bendtner - bigger and stronger.

But I don't necessarily subscribe to this notion that you need a fox in the box/natural goalscorer to be the spearhead. Hence why I think people are confusing 4-5-1 with 4-3-3.

No one is confusing anything, well maybe you are. The question was can RvP play in the centre of attack, whether its 4-5-1 or 4-3-3, and the answer is no he can't. He is played on the left of a 4-3-3 with Holland and he looks much more in his element.

[Fabby]

I dont not understand the formation lol.

Dudu at the head of the traingle, down to the left RVP, down to the right Arshavin.

How hard is it?

[InTheNorthBank]

And that's why I don't understand why AW persists with it? He'd rather play Dudu or Bendy on the left.
The only reasons I can think of are cos Bendy's still learning the game and Dudu is only just coming back, and he played quite alot at LW before his injury.

Think you hit the nail on the head there mate. Wenger loves to break his strikers in by playing on the wing first so that they can understand what position a striker needs to get in to receive good service.

[InTheNorthBank]

I dont not understand the formation lol.

Dudu at the head of the traingle, down to the left RVP, down to the right Arshavin.

How hard is it?

Well seeing as Arshavin has already expressed himself suprised that Wenger is playing him out wide rather than through the middle...maybe not as easy as you think.

There seems to be a lot of obsession with rigid positions - ie I'm playing through the middle, you're playing down the left etc. But look at Utd in the last 2 seasons, where has their spearhead been? You might say Ronaldo, but he spent as much time on the wings as he did through the middle, you might say Rooney, but more often than not, he played down the left. They have been playing a fluid 4-3-3 system which is totally different to 4-5-1. They inter change and don't stand still, hence why I'm saying it doesn't really matter if u have a spearhead or not, because they will probably all be on walkabout anyway dragging defenders left right and centre.

[gzagee]

The only thing I'd say about Ronaldine is that he was a freak. The man could head the ball better than seasoned strikers, not to talk of RvP. He's a big, strong guy as well. Don't be fooled by the diving antics. He has the ability to play up front cos he has everything a modern striker needs.

[Briggsy]

Wenger plays all the position mentioned on this thread in one game! Top managers can change there formation without making a sub. He'll start out with a 4-5-1 with a midfield of Song, Fabregas, Denilson in the centre with Arshavin and Walcott on either wing them push Walcott up in attack if we need to attack more really and truly I could go on all day working out all different formations for the same starting xi but I won't

[Fabrestuta]

Where did the comparison to united come from? You brought up the 4-5-1 as opposed to 4-3-3. Gza asked if Rvp can be the focal point of an attack, any attack, we say no but you are bringing in things that have no bearing.

[Igmalian]

Basically, no I don't! We have plenty of support strikers (RVP, Bendy, Arsh, Vela, Theo) but Eduardo is the only 'natural' striker we have, Theo might end up there eventually! (hopefully!!!), Simpson is not ready and Freeman and Afobe are years away, which is why I keep saying that we need at least another one! (Huntelaar!)

It's all well and good Arsene saying we have players who 'can' play there but why put someone in who's not 100% natural in that position? square pegs an' all that!

Personally I prefer RVP cutting in from the right, onto to his lethal left peg!

[InTheNorthBank]

Where did the comparison to united come from? You brought up the 4-5-1 as opposed to 4-3-3. Gza asked if Rvp can be the focal point of an attack, any attack, we say no but you are bringing in things that have no bearing.

Clearly you have totally missed the point. Gza asked if RvP can 'spearhead' the attack - which the common consensus appears to be 'no' because he's a 'support striker' - but support strikers are in many ways exclusive to a 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 formation.

So the reason I brought up the Utd comparison is because they have played 4-3-3 for 2 years and won a truck load of silverware along the way. They don't have a 'spearhead' , they simply have 3 attacking players who relentlesly pounce on the opposition defence. It's beside the point, but for the record, I think they will revert back to 4-4-2 this season as Ronaldo has gone and they have a genuine winger in the form of Valencia - so expect to see Berbatov scoring more goals.

Anyway, back to the point, what I'm saying is, despite it looking on paper that van Persie is leading the attack, imo, this season will see Arsenal playing slightly differently, with the attacking trio playing along the same lines Utd did for the last 2 seasons - so I'm saying we shouldn't worry about set, rigid formations or who will be 'spearheading' as I don't think it's relevant. As Smooth said, Wenger will change the formation during a match without even making subs.

This is just my opinion of course