Former Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson believes Arsene Wenger doesn’t need to splash the cash on big name players to mount a serious title challenge next season. Instead the club need to work harder on the training ground and change their playing style.
Despite a poor start and shipping in 49 goals in 38 Premier League games this season – the worst ratio of goals conceded by the club in 28 years – Arsene Wenger’s side managed to finish third, thus automatically qualifying to the group stages of the Champions League next season.
And Robson thinks it’s the way we play defensively that needs to be worked on in order to acquire success:
‘It is not about buying new players. Look, it’s always nice to get new faces in – and we have done already with the signing of Lukas Podolski from Cologne – but this is more about working with the players we have got and making some big changes to how we play.
‘If we are to challenge, if we are to improve, then it is all about Arsene Wenger needing to get a clear, coherent, defensive strategy drilled into the squad.’
Robson went on to say that the appointment of Steve Bould, a defensive Arsenal legend, as Wenger’s no.2 could play a vital role in this:
‘Steve Bould was a great defender and can bring much to the role on the defensive side. But we do not know what influence he will have as Arsene Wenger’s right hand man.
‘If he is given scope to make these changes he could really make a difference.
‘What is clear is that they simply have to get that defensive game right. We have the players there to improve and make an impact next season – but the style has to change. Until that happens they will only be a good team, not a great team.
‘This team needs to start consistently defending well, getting in the habit of keeping clean sheets. There is no point in full-backs bombing forward if there is no strategy when we lose the ball.
‘Steve Bould may have ideas and Arsene Wenger will do. If Steve has some influence they have to work together to marry their two philosophies and make them compatible.
‘The fact remains that even if Arsenal went out right now and bought the four best defenders in the world. If they keep their current style they will not make any real difference.’
He finished off by saying:
‘We need to defend more from the front, we need to be disciplined and to make sure the defence always has cover in front of it. These are the fundamentals that title-winning sides have. You don’t see poor defences win leagues. We have the players to do it.’
I for one agree with Robson to a degree.
We only have one style of play, which is to attack. We don’t really know how to grind out results and park the bus, though we have done it at times this season. Our defensive strategies could be a hell of a lot better, and I think Bould will work on this during the pre-season. As Robson said ‘You don’t see poor defences win leagues’ which is very true.
However, new additions this summer are vital if we want to be challenging for the title next season.
We have a good set of players, but we are still missing maybe 2-3 quality players from becoming a force once again.
Hopefully we see some new faces come in and we work hard on improving our flaws this summer.
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It makes me laugh to hear so called expert Stewart robson giving his view of where Arsenal are going wrong.He was a one seaon wonder in the eighties in a piss poor Arsenal side.After spendng weeks on the sick list he pissed off to West ham,who he said was his big love in his life.He mudt think Arsenal supporters were all born in 1990
Come on now, be fair, Robson was reserve team coach at Southend and Technical director at Rushden and Diamonds. Those lofty positions surely qualify him to lecture Arsene Wenger on his tactics and style of play don’t they!!!!
The comments by Robson and many others on the imbalance in Arsenal’s approach are exactly right. Adams, Keown, Petit, Vieria, Dixon, Parlour. Unfortunately it may take another 7 years for some fans to realise.
Since Wenger re started team building with a blank sheet of paper and his own footballing ambition .. nothing, zilch and xxxx all.
What year are you born in then? I think he add more salt then you do.
I think that this is true, but this is just a change, not a revolution.
For stretches even in this season that was bad defensively we were very good. A lot of the goals given up were defensive errors or poor turnovers by the midfielders.
The very poor unsettled preseason was not the easiest environment in which to develop our defensive strategy, so I hope that we will do a better job this year.
There need to be changes, but even subtle ones may yield huge benefits. The margin between winning and losing in the premiership is very small.
I agree with the basic message behind Robson’s comments though. The players we have are good enough.
Talking rubbish as usual. If you do not have quality defenders or players how do you expect to play or defend well? We need qualitative quantity and then we can push on. Away with Wenger; he has tried and consistently failed to deliver; let him now make room for a better manager!!
utter shite even though we should improve defensively we really need to sign star players
Totally agree this total football has not worked need to make it harder for teams to score aganist us and that means being organised and discipline in defense.
Looking at Chelsea the other night yes Munich had chances but no one can say Chelsea didnt defend the box very well and made it very difficult to get clear chances.
Get bodies back and if everyone knows were they should be its not that hard. Teams like West Brom and Newcastle are harder to break down that us and they have defenders of lesser ability???
Spot on. By the time Wenger’s men have attacked up field like some kind of cavalry charge … we have no shape left at all. That is one of the reasons Arteta was so important and one of the reasons we won only one match (care of the WBA goalie) without Arteta.
We had so many disruptions through injuries to defenders last season that it was always going to be difficult defensively. If you look at all the most efficient defensive back fours they are nearly all cohesive settled units that have been together for a period of time. You need a settled back four, that way they develop an almost telepathic understanding, when to step up when to cover each other etc etc. Until we have the same four playing together week in and week out we will struggle I am afraid. Hopefully next season we will not suffer so many injuries and we can play a settled back four.
Same old shite…different year.
A major re-jig needed at Arsenal. Bringing in Bould was a step in the right direction.
Next step would be to castrate the Board and relieve Wenger. A breath of fresh air badly required.
It cannot go on like this….where third/fourth has started to epitomize the club’s success.
Times have changed. Everyone needs to realize that.
What pisses me off most about Wenger is that he jumps at the chance of covering our deficiencies with some temporary plaster. He will never ever admit flaws…and would rather try to cover them up.
That’s why every time this shitty squad won…he would go on about Togetherness and Spirit and Mentality. F*CK THAT.
CAN’T STAND THAT CRAP NO MORE.
Sorry but if what you’re implying means negative football then no thanks. Waiting for counter attacks is not a style I want to see. I love teams that try to attack. How can teams on a professional level think that parking the bus is what fans want to see. I love that Arsenal never play this style(up differential against Barca notwithstanding). Chelsea resorted to negative football to win. Not a win in my book. Slug it out and then when you create chance after chance and get the win Big Props!