It has been spoken about throughout the summer, how would Wenger fit in his creative talents and get the best out of what we currently have. Barca’s 4-3-3 has been a fans favourite
Firstly I will get the less important news out of the way. Adebayor has left the building and is now sporting a new sky blue shirt. I have defending him while he was contracted to Arsenal football club now I slide him across into the Hleb, Flamini, Sidwell, Bentley, Kaba Diawara section in my brain. Nothing more than a former player so I do not care if he wanted to leave, if Wenger wanted the money, or if he wanted out last season.
What I do care about is what Wenger will do from now, will he use the money in other areas of the squad or will he bring in another center forward. Those are the questions that I am happy to engage with. In terms of striking numbers we have more than enough to cope but do we have or need the type of striker that our former striker gave us, that is the question and the man who gives the answers knows a darn sight more than I do.
Much more interesting topic of conversation was the return of Arsenal yesterday in the pre season friendly against Barnet. There are usually many questions before the season and the Barnet game could have given us a few hints about what Wenger thinks about our squad.
Formation
It has been spoken about throughout the summer, how would Wenger fit in his creative talents and get the best out of what we currently have. Barca’s 4-3-3 has been a fans favourite in the last few months and was a possibility given our attacking central players. The 4-2-3-1 was a formation that Arsene used towards the end of last season when he tried to get the balance right in the team and this was on display yesterday.
Mark Randall and Emmanuel Frimpong sat in front of the back four while Jack Wilshere, Andrey Arshavin and Tomas Rosicky chopped and changed behind the striker.
It is a formation that allows better protection to the defence without 3 attacking players being pushed high up the pitch and leaving big spaces in midfield. Instead the 3 creative midfielder have the role of both supporting the lone forward as well as dropping back to assist the two deeper central midfielders.
Andrey Arshavin started in his preferred role of behind Sanchez Watt with both Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky swapping positions in wider positions behind Watt.
Reserve Forwards
Arsene Wenger had no first team strikers to choose from as they were still not quite ready for pre season football, so Wenger had to choose from his pool of reserve and youth team strikers. I was very interested and surprised that Sanchez Watt was the preferred spearhead in the first team that took to the field. The likes of Gilles Sunu, Nacer Barazite and Jay Simpson.
Watt did provide an assist for Andrey Arshavin who scored a typical center forwards goal. The finish itself was pretty standard stuff but the movement beforehand was Ian Wright in his prime. Darting into the box at the near post pulling out and moving across to the far post to tap in past the keeper.
Barazite scored his usual Barnet goal, a quality whipped effort into the far post. A player who looks capable of the top level but I assume that his lack of chances means his future could well be elsewhere in the longer term.
I was very impressed with Tomas Rosicky’s comeback. Still some way from his best football (expectedly) but showed no signs of physical problems with two crunching tackles which he won. The idea of three creative talents behind a center forward could be interesting. Lets see if that continues over the pre season.
All in all it was a typical run out, not the greatest result but the result is not important at this stage. Combinations and fitness is key at this stage. I shall be keeping an eye out for anymore possible hints and experiments for the new season.
Next up is the Austrian tour.
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