Are arsenal just bad defensively or..

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Gatid

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Ok, as the title says are Arsenal actually bad at defending or its to do with the style of play arsenal like to play committing players foward leaving a counter attack knocking on the doorstep? As most football fans know arsenal do concede a heck alot goals but are the defenders to blame? Because ive always thought we just sucked *** at defending but if you think about it over the years arsenal have replaced the dominant/hard tacklers players such as vieira, gilberto silva, flamini and a few more and replaced them with the likes rosicky, nasri, arshavin, fabregas and etc basically arsenal have just taken a big u-turn in the center of midfield.

I want quite alot of arsenal fans to comment but i want some neutrals opinions aswell just dont go off topic and start bragging on about how good the other top four teams are at defending only bring in other teams if it's something to do with the point of the thread.

opinions?
 
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Its because Arsenal play a flat back 4 but like their full backs to bomb forward,this often leaves the 2 centre backs very exposed im afraid.
 
Though it is clear that the current Arsenal team does not have the tackling players of old, I do think the amount of goals they conceed is mainly due to the style of play.

They have quick, skillful players who press forward, and therefore are prime candidates for the counter.

On the other than they also have a small defence (height-wise) which doesnt help, and they dont have someone to win the ball back, so when they are all pushed forward there is no one to snuff out counters.

So a bit of both.

Hmmm perhaps they play like that because they dont have the players to play a more solid game?
 
Arsenal are dying for a big strong defender or midfielder. I still believe that Vermaelen doesn't quite cut it for a top prem centre back, although i am impressed by his goalscoring ability. I think that he isn't big enough for the prem (Nzonzi's goal for Blackburn showed that he isn't dominant in the air.) Personally, Gallas has past it and try and name a defensive minded midfileder in Arsenal's senior squad. Too much emphasis on beatiful football and not enough on getting the job done defensively. Just my opinion.
 
I fink its the style of play you commit everyone too push up then get counter attacked
 
JP Woody said:
Its because Arsenal play a flat back 4 but like their full backs to bomb forward,this often leaves the 2 centre backs very exposed im afraid.
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Yeh, but just look as the likes of man utd, liverpool, chelsea their full backs get foward all the time if not further up than clichy and sagna but i think its to do with ballack, mikel covering for them as soon as cole and bosingwa pick up the ball so if they lose the ball they would have two central midfielder covering their position but heck arsenal's midfielder are so one minded they dont see the danger in the space where our full backs leaves to move foward.

or am i missing something?

---------- Post added at 07:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:49 PM ----------

Interesting read Karnage, Raffazza.
 
Karnage said:
Arsenal are dying for a big strong defender or midfielder. I still believe that Vermaelen doesn't quite cut it for a top prem centre back, although i am impressed by his goalscoring ability. I think that he isn't big enough for the prem (Nzonzi's goal for Blackburn showed that he isn't dominant in the air.) Personally, Gallas has past it and try and name a defensive minded midfileder in Arsenal's senior squad. Too much emphasis on beatiful football and not enough on getting the job done defensively. Just my opinion.
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Alex Song?
But he isnt really 'The Best'
 
Alex song is good but hes very clumsy and he lacks intelligence on the pitch and he doesnt know how to position himself in the right place in specific situations but i guess hes still young and has a lot to learn he was a originally a center back at the start of his career also dont know why wenger would convert him to a defensive mid tho pretty much stupid.
 
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Gatid said:
Alex song is good but hes very clumsy and he lacks intelligence on the pitch and he doesnt know how to position himself in the right place in specific situations but i guess hes still yong and has a lot to learn he was a originally a center back at the start of his career also dont know why wenger would convert him to a defensive mid tho pretty much stupid.
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Agreed, in my opinion a top notch defensive midfielder needs to be intelligent as they need to know what sort of positioning they need at any moment in the game, they need to notice runs from the oppositions midfield, they need to see runs from their own team forward and cover them, they need a fast thinking brain. Sadly, all these seem to not be with Song.
 
Gatid said:
Yeh, but just look as the likes of man utd, liverpool, chelsea their full backs get foward all the time if not further up than clichy and sagna but i think its to do with ballack, mikel covering for them as soon as cole and bosingwa pick up the ball so if they lose the ball they would have two central midfielder covering their position but heck arsenal's midfielder are so one minded they dont see the danger in the space where our full backs leaves to move foward.
.
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Thinks thats pretty accurate. The chelseas and utds of this world have full backs that operate on a system similar to that used by Brazil, they push forward, and at least one MC will always be moving to cover the space behind them. This relies on a ballwinning midfielder however (often at the expense of passing ability).
 
Selling Gilberto Silva has been the downfall of Arsenal. The last tough tackler that Arsenal really had. Song doesn't cut it personally and although he is young, I don't see star quality coming out of him.
 
I think Diaby has potential in my opinion, but he is quite attacking, but with his physical ability he could turn more of a defensive player.

---------- Post added at 08:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:05 PM ----------

Josh999 said:
Arsenal Are just rubbish full stop
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Did you not read the first post? It's a thread about their defence, not their whole team.
 
i know but there defence is rubbbish and there best defender is that vermalon guy
 
Yeah, i agree, we need a holding midfielder i think, hopefully wenger will get one with all the money he's meant to have in january.
 
Jeffers said:
Yeah, i agree, we need a holding midfielder i think, hopefully wenger will get one with all the money he's meant to have in january.
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Doubt it, he had money earlier.

I also think there is a shortage of good holding midfielders out there, several teams could do with one, yet it is not clear who you would get
 
Arsenal are bad defensively BECAUSE of their attacking philosophy. You seemed to suggest in the first post that they are seperate reasons when they are one in the same.
 
If Wenger would try and bring a few more experienced faces in then it wouldn't be so bad. The average age of the squad is what, 20, 21?? In the modern game, you can't win anything with kids. You need experience, especially in defence
 
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