Arsenal 4-2-3-1 Experiment/Help

[Mertespacker]

After 5 years of plug and play tactics I recently decided I'd start to (try) and make my own.

I started with an Arsenal 4-2-3-1 for my long term save I'd been planning.

At the minute I've got a base shape with team/player instructions and having used it on the old patch with varied success I'm going to give it a while and tinker.

I was hoping people with abit more tactic prowess could help me out abit (where I'm going wrong and why) and point me in the right direction.

GK - Wojciech Szczesny (GK // Defend)
LB - Kieran Gibbs (WB // Attack)
LCB - Laurent Koscielny (CD // Cover)
RCB - Per Mertesacker (CD // Stopper)
RB - Bacary Sagna (FB // Support)
LCM - Mikel Arteta (DLP // Defend)
RCM - Jack Wilshere (BBM // Support)
LW - Santi Cazorla (IF // Support)
CAM - Mesut Ozil (AP // Support)
RW - Theo Walcott (W // Attack)
ST - Olivier Giroud (AF // Attack)

Why did I choose this shape/these roles? Mainly because I'd read little articles on how to build a successful tactic. I looked at the full backs and decided Gibbs had the better attributes to be my more advanced of the 2. Pairing him with Santi Cazorla and a deep lying playmaker with a defend duty should provide enough width for the left back when overlapping and enough cover for him with the left centre midfielder dropping in. The 2 centre backs roles are purely on what I've read on forums and that it is a good fix for those through balls. Koscielny the quicker and more alert of the 2 so on a cover duty. Santi Cazorla on the left has the player instruction 'Sit Narrower'. This is to cater for his strengths as well as Gibbs' too. Ozil is the main man in the team and I thought the advanced playmaker with the 'Roam from Position' shout was perfect for him. Walcott offers the width and a different dimension with the winger attack role. Giroud as the advanced forward as was decided through a trial and error judgement. I wanted him to have an attack duty otherwise he would take Ozil's space and we would have only Walcott running beyond the defenders.

The shouts I chose were;

Shorter Passing
Drop Deeper
Lower Tempo
Look for Overlap
Work ball into box
Pass into space
Roam from positions
Play out of defence.

*Sorry - forgot to add the GK had the shorter passing and the distribute to defenders shout*

I also play a balanced - attacking set up.

Let me know what you think - whether it's incredibly bad and will get me no where or any improvements etc.

Cheers lads

 

[AriCr7]

for me giroud plays better as a TM-Support and i rather use ramsey as the b2b

 

[Mertespacker]

for me giroud plays better as a TM-Support and i rather use ramsey as the b2b

Might give it a go pal. Don't want Giroud dropping into Ozil's roaming space mind - also, need a player running behind.

Ramsey/Wilshere rotate

 

[Hector89]

Did you test it yet, mate? I would push higher up and use a offside trap btw. A team like Arsenal can easily do this with the German orchestrator in defense.

 

[Mertespacker]

Did you test it yet, mate? I would push higher up and use a offside trap btw. A team like Arsenal can easily do this with the German orchestrator in defense.

I used it on the old patch mate, yeah. Finished 2nd and won FA Cup.

I'll give it a go aswell.. All this tactic is off is reading forums and help guides. Heard that if you push up with a stopper/cover combo then it ruins the offside trap as your covering defender will always be yards behind your other defenders?

 

[Hector89]

I used it on the old patch mate, yeah. Finished 2nd and won FA Cup.

I'll give it a go aswell.. All this tactic is off is reading forums and help guides. Heard that if you push up with a stopper/cover combo then it ruins the offside trap as your covering defender will always be yards behind your other defenders?

Ah, I forgot to look at the roles of the defenders, mate. For an effective offside trap both the defenders must have the same roles. That is important. The trap will fail in this case. Can you post the results? I want to see if a 4-2-3-1 with two CMs give good results.

 

[Mertespacker]

Just starting my new Arsenal save with this tactic (ish) - added player instructions, set piece set ups etc.

Will keep people updated.

 

[HalaMadrid09]

Could you link me to where you saw ideas / roles ect. I could do with having a look at some to make my tactic better. Thanks.

 

[midhaven]

Giroud should not be an AF thats for sure, TM or CF imo. He is a scoring machine if you can get the ball to hit him when hes in the box also a good teamplayer so works well on support. ?zil is fantastic to use as 2nd attacker, perhaps as a trequarista. But you need to give those two space as ?zil roams and Giroud moves in channels. Pull all the others back as far as possible and have them arrive late. Like put cazorla and walcott in midfield not on attack. Arteta could go as far back as DM pos. You could push higher up but I would stick with deeper, stretch the pitch as much as possible for those long passes.

So dump the shorter passing and retain posession, most players in Arsenal are capable passers. Just put some restraint on wingers and defenders. If you notice a good passing percentage, just up the tempo for even better chances.

Tho its nice to have a possession tactic to fall back on when they play poorly. For that, push them all higher up.

 

[minergy]

Giroud as poacher is sick, he got 27 goals in 36 prem starts.


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[AriCr7]

will be nice to see your results with arsenal, im having a ok season, so this thread could also help me improve my arsenal tactic