Arsenal’s defensive system
You must admit that Arsenal have, arguably, one of the worst defensive systems in the English Premier League. As much as Arsenal fans like to think we may be close to solving the problem that we have had for so many years, we are clearly still far off. With 49 League goals conceded last season, it’s clear to many that something surely isn’t right. But what is the problem? Is it tactics, formation, training or the defenders themselves? Or is it the fact that our best four defenders (for each position), only play, on average 12 games together in a season that holds on average 50+ games.
I am of course talking about our best back four of Sagna – Koscielny – Vermaelen – Gibbs. In my opinion that back four looks pretty solid apart from Gibbs, who is definitely on his way to being a top defender, IF he can stay match fit. The problem is that, apart from Koscielny, those players spent a large amount of time on the treatment table last season.
Our defence is currently Sagna and Jenkinson as Right Backs, Gibbs and Santos as Left Backs and then we have Vermaelen, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Djourou, Squillaci (soon to be sold) Miquel and Bartley. Now honestly with those players, only four of them are starting quality ( Sagna, Vermaelen, Koscielny and Mertesacker.) Again only Koscielny made it through the entire season.
What does that tell you? For me that says that our defence isn’t good enough and conceding 49 league goals just goes to prove it. I’m not saying the players are bad, sure we could do better with backup defenders, but the starting defenders are actually pretty good players. The problem is, is that they can’t stay fit to play most of the season together.
Now, there’s not much you can do if your players just don’t stay fully fit for the most of the season. All you can do is prepare for them to get injured and what I mean by that is, buy good back up defenders who can be of equal or slightly less quality of those starters. I personally think we should sign ONE versatile defender so we don’t have to buy lots of good defenders, for all of them just to sit on the bench or reserves. It’s also equally important that we don’t sell any more defenders after Squillaci (if we sell him at all), otherwise the defensive strain will become even harder.
I will follow this post with some ideas about which defenders could be useful acquisitions for Arsenal.
Good analysis. We used to have a defence that could keep out a division of tanks, now we have one you can drive a bus through. I think we need two more quality back-up defenders and a quality back up keeper. You cannot win trophies without a solid consistant back line.
A better analysis would emphasize that AW inherited the old back 4 / 5 … who already knew how to defend individually AND as a unit. [And they were protected by Vieira and Petit]. George Graham used to spend as much time (not more time) on defending as attacking.
The 2nd great Wenger team had the last knockings of the old back 4 plus …. Lehmann, Keown, Campbell. Again they already knew how to defend.
For the last 7 or 8 years however…. not only have we failed to develop our own top defenders but nobody has been able (or allowed) to drill them as a tight defensive unit. Nor have they been adequately protected by the players in front of them. We have improved our defence against set pieces but we still make it easy for teams to play against us and we are WIDE OPEN to counter attack.
Pls dat old man shuld go is jst nt good 4 anytin
I really don’t believe that our current defenders are any worse (or better) than those of the past. The problem can be best identified as the lack of a system into which all of the permutations can work effectively. Even relatively poor players can punch above their weight if drilled in a system such as was marshalled under Tony Adams. Hopefully, Steve Bould will be able to work the defensive players into a flexible but reliable unit which can be marshalled into a solid defence by Koscielny of Vermaelen, whichever carries the greater authority
Agreed. This has been one of the great failings of Wenger’s last 7 or 8 years.
Oh no, you’ve done it again! A heading suggestive of a perceptive analysis – and a series of articles about who you would buy if you had limitless resources.
I should also disagree about the notion of “starting quality” – what does it mean? Should Arsenal ALWAYS field their best XI, even when playing Dagenham & Redbridge? It’s the easiest way to get your best players injured. In a normal situation, our best back 4 should be able to play all at the same time for about 20-25 matches a season. This is also normal for most of the other teams. Not even Man City always played the same guys at the back.
If you were to analyze WHY our defence was so frail last season, you’d have to look at when we dropped goals, how and why. Then your heading would fit, you would look smart, and everyone would be happy.
Just think about it – doesn’t it sound great?
Doesn’t it?
I think it is tactical.Whenever Arsenal attacks, there is a huge gap between the attackers and defenders which is always exposed and allows the opposition to run at us and this leaves us vulnerable, closing the gap could solve the problem that would give opposition less room to move.
Exactly right.
Problem is beyond the defenders alone.its a team responsibilty and arsenal are let down by poor pressing by the foward players leaving the defence exposed.this and the fact that arsenal lack a defender that dominates aerially consistently.best period arsenal had defensively n recents year was when djuorou was on form 2010/11 season. Between dec and early march.
The team was defending well collectively . Arshavin was dropped for this reason.
Poor pressing is right … by both forwards and midfield.
Solutions would be
1 improve defensive shape of team especially in transitions when counterattacks are on and pressing from the front
2 injuries should be managed better
3 signings get someones that dominates aerially to pair koscielny if djourou returns to form ok,but arsenal can’t wait for that.
Dispose of carl and per. Not good enough vermaleen is a hero but frankly should fight for his shirt with kos.
There are two major things wrong with Arsenal defense. The first is the tactical approach to games where the defenders join in attack and do not recover fast enough when the ball is lost to the opponent and there is a counter attack. The second is that we do’t have quality back up for effective rotation meaning the defenders virtually play all the league games. The solution is to buy one or two more defenders and change our tactical approach to games.
And get rid of those squad players who are weak defenders.
The boss doesn’t like rotating players. He keeps playing the same squad until they are burnt out or get injured. That in itself is a major problem because the so-called average players never get enough game time from which to improve that natural talent that led the boss to sign them in the first place. And there is nothing that does greater damage to a player than lack of game time. Practice sessions are never the same as the real thing with the a huge crowd roaring ceaselessly from the very first minute.
While it is true that buying new good players creates depth in a squad, it must be noted that giving so-called ‘average players’ some game time also improves squad depth ultimately.