I agree with Buta. Lack of Plan B is exposing us as amateurs at European level.
Arsenal's domestic game is all about overwhelming the opposition with neat and rapid attacking play. This is backed up by solidity from our backline when things break down. Campbell and Kolo are the walls who win the ball back for Ralf and Ashley Cole (essentially midfield players rather than out and out defenders) who then distribute to the front line. In other words, we rely on the performance of our back 4 to get our game going.
This is fine against Norwich City or Crystal Palace, who are ill equipped defensively to deal with Henry/Pires/Ljungberg/Bergy etc, and usually lack the penetration to get past Campbell and Toure. But leaving the defending to just 4 people wont cut it in the latter stages of the Champions League. Arsenal dont know how to defend AS A TEAM and this is what I believe undoes us each year.
Look at the 1st team line up. There is a definite horizontal divide across the middle of the park. Pires, Ljungberg, Henry and Bergy are out and out attacking players with no real defensive sensibilities. Our supposed DMF is Vieria, but as the last couple of years has gone by he has drifted further and further forward and now fancies himself as more of a playmaker/OMF. Fabregas is a outstanding talent, especially when you consider his age, but he is not a hard tackler or a loose ball winner (he reminds me so much of Xavi from Barca). The bottom line is that this season we havent had an out and out defensive midfielder.
Gilberto's absence and subsequent return to the team speaks volumes. Arsenal fans have pined and eulogized a man who is essentially quite an average player technically, but his attitude and application is exactly what Arsenal need. Gilberto rarely ventures forward, he holds the midfield anchor and crucially allows the rest of the midfield/team to foray up the pitch, in other words play like Arsenal.
But even Gilberto's return wont be enough in my book. I dont really think its responsible to play both Ljungberg AND Pires in a CL tie. We need some more battling midfield players who arent afraid to run back, get stuck in and defend when necessary. Also the bog standard 4-4-2 needs to be more flexible. Opponents always know exactly whats coming because we play the same game every week. Liverpool last night were able to adapt their shape and accommodate Rise as a LMF. Some times you see Man Utd swap C Ronaldo and Giggs on the wings in open play to confuse the oppposition. Arsenal would never do something like this to really mix things up to gain an advantage.
Overall when Plan A works we are an excellent side. BUT to win in Europe Arsenal MUST be more flexible and be able to defend collectively.
Rant over.
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