A return to a winning formula with our current crop

It was only last weekend that I updated my first ever blog for Gunnersphere.com, from June 2011. It advocated a return to the formation which won us so many trophies under Arsene Wenger’s early reign. This was ahead of the depressing events of last Sunday which to me only highlighted the issues with our current formation, which I reiterate was designed for Cesc Fabregas. I have maintained my contention that a return to 4-4-2 or in reality 4-4-1-1 would suit our players better because without a player of the quality and creativity of Fabregas playing in the middle of the three, in our 4-2-3-1 system, we have become predictable and pedestrian.

We are all quick to blame Andrey Arshavin for not defending well enough and Theo Walcott for his negligible contribution as of late BUT both are playing out of their preferred positions.

Andrey arrived a season after starring for Russia in Euro 2008, playing with a free role in the hole just off the main striker. We should not forget how he held our challenge together playing up front on his own in 2009/10 when our other strikers were all injured. He is not a winger and he is certainly never going to be a winger with defensive duties. I should add that the fact that he’s being asked to play in an unfamiliar role does not excuse his lack of effort. However, I do not see him in our longer-term future plans.

Similarly Theo spent his entire youth career as a striker playing off the last man to use his pace and that is the only place he has ever wanted to play. Critics say he cannot finish like a true striker, but before his first injury setback last season in October he was averaging a goal every 48 minutes and finished with 13 in 48 (33 starts) appearances.

To make my point further and hopefully bring it to life for you, I’m going to compare and give marks of out 10 for two starting 11’s in style of FA Cup final morning tabloids. The two teams I will be comparing will be the ‘Invincibles’ of 2003/4 with how I would line up my own first 11 from today’s squad, assuming full fitness. My scoring is based on the players as they were in 2004, not necessarily as they were at their peak.

GK	Lehmann	Quality shot-stopper. Commands area but temperament suspect.	8/10	Szczesny	Mature beyond his years. Supremely confident, but prone to occasional howlers.	8/10
RB	Lauren	Converted midfielder. Superb going forward but defensive frailties	8/10	Sagna	No real weakness. Arguably in top three right-backs in world football.	9/10
LB	Cole	Improved so much defensively, but lost none of his attacking prowess	9/10	Santos	Converted winger like Cole. Superb attacking overlap, but prone to defensive lapses.	7/10
CB	Campbell	Dominant traditional rock of an English centre-half. Worthy successor to Adams	9/10	Vermaelen	Adapted to Premier League in no time. Campbell with goals. Sturdy blocker with good passing range.	9/10
CB	Toure	Converted to centre-back this season from midfield roles to fill Keown’s boots. Steady but not top class.	8/10	Koscielny	Most improved defender in squad. Reads game so well and intercepts often as a result.	9/10
RM	Ljungberg	Not a traditional wide player. Joins attack so well and times runs to perfection.	8.5/10	Oxlade-Chamberlain	Raw talent, pace, skill and aggression. Mature beyond age. Huge future.	7.5/10
CM	Gilberto	Sits superbly in front of back four and keeps ball moving. Rarely caught in possession.	8/10	Arteta	Sits back more now at Arsenal and keeps ball moving. Best pass completion in Premier League. Quality.	8.5/10
CM	Vieira	Not quite the player of 2002 but still a mighty leader. Carries the team with him. All time great.	9/10	Wilshere	Has shown v Barcelona that he is one of the greatest midfielders in the business. Living with Xavi and Iniesta. Sky is the limit.	9/10
LM	Pires	Best attacking wide midfield player in world. More assists & goals than any midfielder in the Premier League in recent years.	9.5/10	Gervinho	Still to see best of the Ivorian, but his record in France suggests so much more to come. Pires took a season to adapt and he has similar physique.	7/10
CF	Bergkamp	One of the all time greats with vision beyond compare. Legs not quite what they were at his peak.	9/10	Van Persie	Has everything to emulate his illustrious countryman in this new role, but will score more.	9.5/10
CF	Henry	The greatest striker in club history and still scoring at phenomenal rate. Best defenders can’t live with him.	10/10	Walcott	Needs to be given his chance to play upfront and on the shoulder of last defender to use his pace. Still to learn timing of runs but anything possible.	8/10
Total/110			96.0			91.5

Obviously this is only my opinion, but I hope it might demonstrate even with no new signings if Wenger would only revert to his old formation this current team might really achieve something at the business end of the season. This formation with the pace of Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, combined with the passing range of Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere, I could see breaking at speed in the way our great team did between 2001 and 2004. The current system stifles the pace of our attacking fluidity and has lead to our build up play becoming slow and far too patient and predictable. Without the vision and passing range of Cesc to open defences and spot the openings, most of our opponents have marked our cards and all now know how to defend against us. Wilshere may bring the incisive pass back, but there has been too much pressure placed on Aaron Ramsey. Without the quality of Cesc we are playing a formation that is too easy to defend against and I truly believe that a reversion to type will bring its rewards. As in 2004 we will also have Alex Song and Ramsey where we had Edu and Parlour, Per Mertesacker where we had Keown and all things being equal Arshavin where we had Reyes etc.

I know many think this formation has had its day but a 4-4-1-1 with speedy, hardworking wide players and a good central combination works. As much as I HATE to say it, Manchester United and Spurs are demonstrating this to us right now. Make it so ARSENE!

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