"Heads Up! We can have a brilliant 2011/12 season"
By Merlion
July 29 2011
The main reason why Arsenal imploded after that shameful collapse in BRUM on February 2007 can be summed in this phrase: “STRIVING FOR UNITY and TEAM SPIRIT!” And why from the ashes of 2010/11 season, Arsenal FC can rise like a phoenix; and as Arshavin has said, “We will be stronger”. Yes, we are going through a trophyless period – 2006 to 2011 – which is nothing compared to the Dutch National team with their last trophy in 1998; and the Brazilian World Cup Team’s lean period from 1971 to 1993; until Parreira won it in 1994 with a blend of individualism and team discipline.
I will start with a brief introduction of strength and weakness of Dutch Football and Parreira’s WC1994 Team which mirror Arsenal’s defence frailties; and why Arsene Wenger will get it right as his rebuilding of this existing team started in 2008/09 like Parreira rebuilding the Brazilian national team two years before WC1994. Before giving my own thoughts it is worth reading some notes from Rinus Michels “Team Building – The Road to Success” .
“Dutch Football does not possess a strong culture in which excellent man-to-man defenders are developed. In the Dutch youth education, the emphasis lays on defenders who can defend an area and can help in the build-up. At the real top-level the lack of excellent man-to-man defenders is a danger to the result of the match. This is the reason that most countries play in a 3:5:2 or a 4:4:2 organization with “real” man-to-man coverage.
Parreira chose 4-4-2 as in 4-2-4 or 4-3-3, as there is a lack of excellent
man-to-man defenders, plus an excellent sweeper who can play defensively behind
the Back-4 and offensively in front of the Back-4.
From the start he linked a few essential team tactical basic rules to it. He
demanded that the entire team had to defend while the other team had possession
of the ball.
Another one of Parreira’s guidelines was:
To turn the ball over as few times as possible during the build-up.
There was no room for individual actions, which were not team efficient. This
was in the beginning especially tough on the playmaker in the midfield. He was
just a little too artistic and hung on to the ball too long.
This Playmaker did not simply
play simple and efficient enough in relation to the interests of the team, and
the result. For the real fans of the game the specific football qualities of
such players give the game an extra dimension. These players are indispensable,
for both team-mates and coaches, if they efficiently put the extra quality they
possess to use by the team. If this is not the case, the opponent will exploit
the mistakes of these players.
Both of these team tactical guidelines demand a perfect team spirit. The “star”
forwards and the playmaker are vulnerable in the strive to comply with these
guidelines. Parreira needed 2 years of intense preparations to overcome this
vulnerability!
The 4-4-2 system of Brazil differs a lot from most other 4-4-2. The backs play
an important role during build-up. A central defender will cover the position
of the back who got involved.
The centre of the defence is amongst others covered by the central midfield
player. His task is to be a kind of sweeper in the midfield and he plays a key
role in distributing short and long passes. He is the first playmaker.
Midfield players who are focused on the attack and players who have a more
controlling task behind the attackers characterize the midfield line of the
Brazilians.
The team tactical guidelines Parreira gave to his attackers, when the team had
possession of the ball, entailed a lot of movement and going deep. They were
especially not allowed to play too close together in the centre of attack and
they had to be able to receive the ball in the space on the flanks.
During the team building process it is all about using the available group of
players to develop as optimally as possible the three team functions. Due to
the transitions between possession and possession by the opponent it is obvious
that finding the balance between these three functions is difficult to
establish. They can vary from game to game.
This balance asks for fine-tuning. By varying the line-up the Brazilian players
became familiar with this phenomenon over a 2 year period.
In 1994, Parreira succeeded in convincing his team of the necessity of a good
balance between the 3 functions. Perreira received a lot of criticisms about
his striving to have his star players play as team efficiently as possible
during home games.
STRIVING FOR UNITY and TEAM SPIRIT!
This is not a goal in itself, but it forms the psychological foundation for the team tactical development.
In 1994, a sophisticated team building process won the World Cup.
In 1998 with similar team building process? The most important reason for the 1998 failure: they lacked confidence in each other and therefore in the team! Without Ronaldo, they also lacked that little bit extra.”
Rinus Michels “Team Building –
The Road to Success”
*********************************************************
Season Preview 2011-12
The above extract may explain why we flopped so miserably last season as
the following cardinal errors were committed:
When Song joined in the attack and Arsenal were defending a high-line, there was no cover for the Back-4 and it was easily exploited by quick counter-attacks. And it was also no help when our flanks were vulnerable to pacy attacks. There was no unity in defensive duties with Walcott-Sagna at right flank, and Arshavin-Clichy at left flank.
“A central defender will cover the position of the back who got involved.”
That is, the TEAM has yet to gel such as the Koscielny-Clichy-Arshavin “Triangle” will perform defensive duties at the left flank. Djourou-Sagna-Walcott “Triangle” will protect the right flank.
No doubt, Song is our DCM, acting as the “Invisible Wall” sitting in front of the Back-4; and was also given free rein to drive forward as our “First Playmaker”. But with Song and Wilshere both forward, we are left vulnerable to quick counter-attack and acres of space between Song and Back-4 to run into Arsenal box.
In conclusion, the failure of 2010/11 season is simply we don’t have a team, a team that was virtually changed every match due to injuries or off-form players and there was no chance for players to settle down and develop an understanding. If it took Parriera two years with world-class players, similarly, it will take Arsene Wenger two years to gel this TEAM together.
We saw Chamakh and Nasri as a “1st Half Wonders” and then Nasri stopped playing when he returned from injuries in the 2nd half of the season.
We saw Bendtner, Arshavin, Rosicky, Walcott and Fabregas struggling for form, inconsistent and “stop-start” season due to injuries. The key player missing was Vermaelen in defence; as well as a Fabregas carrying injuries from World Cup 2010 and he was never the same player as 2009/10 season.
It is a miracle that we managed to finish 4th with such a horrendous injury list and three key players – Van Persie, Fabregas, Vermaelen – out for a major part of the season.
Even without Clichy, Nasri and Fabregas, the “core” of our 2011/12 TEAM is for all of us to see, and we should not be afraid that it cannot be improved with a few astute buys to strengthen the squad. But with a fully fit squad, and I believe a resurrected Rosicky will recover his form, then we have a strong squad on August 13 which can beat Newcastle, and could beat any team in the CL Cup qualifiers:
………………………………Fabianski
…Sagna………Djourou………..Vermaelen……………Gibbs
……………………Song………………..Wilshere
………………………………Rosicky
Walcott…………………Van Persie………………….Gervinho
[With Arshavin as our supersub).
And if Walcott is injured, and Nasri stays for one more season.........]
That is, assuming Fabregas is allowed to leave and Wenger will wait till August 31 to buy his replacement.
But Wenger can afford to select Song, Wilshere, Rosicky, Diaby, Ramsey, Gervinho to fill the MIDFIELD-3 position and yet has a squad that is gelling from last season. That is the key in blooding those youngsters last season to enable them to develop an understanding within the squad.
And when we needed to win games in the 2nd half, Wenger can always revert to 4-2-4 or 3-4-3 to attack a defensive team with 10 players sitting in their box:
………………………………Fabianski
…Sagna………………….Djourou………….Vermaelen
……………………Song………………..Wilshere
Walcott……………………………………………………Rosicky
…………Van Persie…………………Gervinho
That is, the TEAM must defend as a UNIT, attack as UNIT as this famous comment at Bernabeau Stadium illustrates:
We defend as a UNIT,
We attack as a UNIT,
We are always talking to each other.
Senderos, February 21, 2006
Heads up! We should fear no one when season starts on August 13, 2011.
And perhaps Arsene Wenger is being truthful for once and will buy 2 or 3 more players; unlike previous seasons with his spin-doctoring of "I prefer not to buy as it will inhibit the development of my young players....or I can't find quality players at a reasonable price that will improve the quality of the squad."
If you would like to give your preview of the season then please email your article in Word, to arsenaltimes@blueyonder.co.uk
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:08:01:16:27:16 by Padre Pio.
There's been some bloke using your name to post a lot of negative stuff these past few months.
Back on track. Good lad.
They are Wenger's pampered pets
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Hope we do have a brill season.
But I honestly think we are in for a rough ride this season. (without 3 or 4 top signings)
We have more or less the same players. And to be honest most of them couldn't give a @#$%&.
"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."
One more year of experience for 'em, and deserve the benefit of reasonable doubt for this season.
Quote:Simon68
Welcome back Merl.
There's been some bloke using your name to post a lot of negative stuff these past few months.
Back on track. Good lad.
Simon, I am always positive for Arsenal FC, regardfless who is the manager, even it is a hypocritical snake-oil salesman..
But still, this season is his "Last Chance Saloon" to fulfil his Dream of creating his 3rd and greatest team.
5 years of nurturing, experimentation and "grwoing up" as a team is over. Time to deliver.
Quote:Padre Pio
Thats why I dont care for this team, they dont work hard enough to win respect, and they will never work hard enough to win anything. They think spirit is that green stuff on the top shelf in Parisian Cafes
They are Wenger's pampered pets
Arsene Wenger tells Cesc Fabregas to sort his head out
By PAUL JIGGINS
ARSENE WENGER has opened the door to Cesc Fabregas' Barcelona move - by questioning his skipper's commitment.
Fab, who has been out with a 'hamstring injury', will not play for Arsenal in this weekend's Emirates Cup.
Boss Wenger said: "He won't be involved as he's not settled with us at the moment and is coming back from an injury.
"All the speculation around his position must be sorted out soon.
"But there is only one deadline, on August 31. The other deadline is for us to get everybody focused, the players who are really committed to the club.
"I cannot help the other situation because it does not only depend on me, it depends on the players and on the other clubs."
Fabregas, 24, has made no secret of his desire to return to his boyhood club.
Wenger added: "He is our captain and we have to make sure he is really focused on being with us."
Barca had a £33million offer for Fab turned down last year, then infuriated Wenger by offering £27m this summer.
Wenger also took another swipe at megabucks Manchester City, who are trying to sign Gunners ace Samir Nasri.
He said: "There are two categories of club - those who travel with sweat and those who travel with petrol. We are those who travel with sweat."
www.thesun.co.uk
________________________________________________________
Padre, this is what ails the team due to Wenger's mismanagement in forcing a reluctant Barca puta to play for Artsenal FC and worse, appointed him as Captain!
What does this does to morale of the team?
You can see that the team did survive without him last season; plus a weak-kneed Wenegr fielding him simply that he declared himself fit to play at Nou Camp and to pampered to his desire to play at Nou Camp?
Again, how morale seeping is that to the rest of his team-mates?
One rotten apple cna spoil a barrelful of apples.
ANd that was what happened last season when those players simply stopped playing for Arsenal FC. That is, Wenger lost the players who no longer willing to listen to him.
Nasri is a "win-win" solution.
Economically, we lost 17-mil + 25-mil = 42-mil, i.e. his transfer fee and his potential sale price next month.
But he will certianly play for Arsenal FC simply due to his own selfish reason to impress his future employer for a lucrative contract plus of course, a place in Euro2012 team..if France qualifies.
Perhaps there is some true in that rumor that he wanted Cesc' spot in the middle...and Wenger intended to deploy him centrally.
This means that with Nasri, we now have pace in the middle and a much needed goal scorer coming in deep in Nasri.
Of course, by not selling Nasri, it will not strengthen CITEH or ManU.
A worthwhile gamble in Nasri to give us a maximum chance to win the title and not allowing our rivals TO STRENGTHEN WITH Nasri.
Yes, We cna see Wenger had started to cull the squad and even to tehe xtend of selling contract rebel like Lansbury who refused to sign a contract extension...and JET who is perceived as not putting effort and swollen-headed a la Bentley..
Mainly, I see Wenger realising that he needed "Special Togetherness" in the squad and will nto allow any individual to dsirupt this 2011/12 squad, and wil now select players who are willing to play for Arsenal FC.
Puta like Cesc can rot away in the Reserves till they all recovered from their "hamstring injury".
Wenger says deadline is 31 August - I saw him say it.
Whats wrong with that? Well season kicks off on 14 August I would hope all heads straight by then.
This like vieira alll over again - its another win nothing season coming up
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
I would love to think we could challenge for the trophies that matter,the EPL and CL,alas I feel that little has changed despite the very convincing case the die hard Wengerites put up.
At the end of last season Wenger was very contrite and actually seemed to have seen where the problems lie,and its not just the defensive players but the fact that the players in front constantly leave them exposed.
Also goals dried up and seemed to coincide with Cescs loss of form/injury,I feel that RVP and he have a very good understanding and no one else, Nasri and Jack apart, seem to be able to at least in some part replicate this.
I know we have until August 31st but hey has anyone seen our start,its going to be tough and very important in shaping our season,and frankly we do not look any different from last season,if things are to change and new faces come in it needs doing as soon as.
Quote:Bergmars
You have been saying this as long as I have been on here Merl,the team building is now in its seventh year,problem being a few players have chosen not to wait for its completion and it seems a few more have chosen the get out option again.
I would love to think we could challenge for the trophies that matter,the EPL and CL,alas I feel that little has changed despite the very convincing case the die hard Wengerites put up.
At the end of last season Wenger was very contrite and actually seemed to have seen where the problems lie,and its not just the defensive players but the fact that the players in front constantly leave them exposed.
Also goals dried up and seemed to coincide with Cescs loss of form/injury,I feel that RVP and he have a very good understanding and no one else, Nasri and Jack apart, seem to be able to at least in some part replicate this.
I know we have until August 31st but hey has anyone seen our start,its going to be tough and very important in shaping our season,and frankly we do not look any different from last season,if things are to change and new faces come in it needs doing as soon as.
Bergsmar, Sir RObert Bruce never gave up after being trounced by the ENglish umpteen times and he finally beat the English in his 7th attempt.
SImilarly, I expect players and manager to get their acts together for this season.
You will never know as Fabregas was a bit player last season....and even if we won 3 games out of 15 in his absence, you can said it was during that February Collapse where the players stopped playing colectively..with or without Fabregas. Therefore, the statistic is biased and non-representative of what if "Van Persie, Walcott, Vermaelen and Fabregas were fit season long or majority of season".
I like to say that you and Padre are basing this season performance on classical Newtonian Mechanics where everything is predictable and followed a logical and linear trend. That is, the logical conclusion, and based on past 6 seasons trend, without buying experienced players, Arsenal is doomed to struggle to maintain Top-4 status.
Isn't it like 2007/08 season where the TEAM was condemned as "loser" even before the season start?
Whereas I would like to based the future on quantum mechanics as a discrete event with no relaitonship to the past and an entire independent event based on what occur in the future, never what occurrd in the past, unpredictable, undecided like light can be descibed in wave forms or "corpuscles" like photons. So will be our 2011/12 season..utterly unpredictable till it happens and comes to a conclusion in May 2012.
That is,
However it can give some sort of guide to the future, and needs to be learnt from if old mistakes are to be avoided.
Now friendlies dont mean a lot, but it would seem that this team still does not know how to defend, and has not learnt from past errors
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
AFC
RULE!
Quote:Padre Pio
yes the past is a nightmare on the minds of the living Merl, and as you say the past does not just mechanically repeat itself.
However it can give some sort of guide to the future, and needs to be learnt from if old mistakes are to be avoided.
Now friendlies dont mean a lot, but it would seem that this team still does not know how to defend, and has not learnt from past errors
Yes, EMirates CUp just exposed that lack of coherence and linkage betwen Back-4 and MIDFIELD-2.
There is no understanding between the CBs.
..Jenkinson....Squillaci.....Djourou.....Traore
..............Frimpong.......Ramsey
...Vela............Nasri..............Arshavin
...................Chamakh
It only proved that this is not the TEAM, but just a run-out to find the permutations and weakness of our 2011/12 team.
Creativity and playmaking came from Ramsey, Vela and Arshavin, with Nasri more or less an deep-lying striker with lack of understanding between midfielders and lone striker.
Remembr Brazilian 4-4-2?
You need a strong deep midfielder to provide Back-4; and the other to support the attack as playmaker?
We really missed that 2007/08 Brazilian "4-4-2" combination of:
....Hleb.......Fabregas....FLamini.....Rosicky.
Perhaps Rosicky will be given a run-out with Rosicky-SOng combinaiton in the middle against Red Bull?
Quote:celine dion
wenger builds from the bottom, but bits of the top keep dropping off. so its like a tower that never gets any higher.
It is like Effiel Tower:
You need a broad base, a firm foundation and a steel core.
WHat Wenger is trying to do is to build a Sydney Opera House, an ambitious project ahead of its time, structural engineer has no clue how to build that "concrete shell" till they find that innovative solution in "pre-stressed concrete"....
That is, Wenger's Ciruclaiton FOotball is ahead of its time and he needs "a broad base", "firm foundation" and a "steel core" for his "project" to take off.
If the "tops keep topping off" then it is akin to that famous Cathedral in SPain - in Barcelona" that toook centuries to buid, and perhaps even incomplete today.
Is Wenger's "3rd & Greatest" team will be a completed "Effiel Tower" in 2011/12 season, a 'SYdney Opera House" with a break-through in innovative tactics or simply that incomplete SPanish Cathedral that take forever to build the "tops"??
recently it caught fire so the project has been set back again. A bit like Fabregas leaving
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Instead, Song and Wilshere drove forward with ball at their feet; and once ball is lost, everybody, including struggled to get back to defence against quick counter-attack.
Similarly, that NY Red Bull goal is a result of Henry's quick football brain, plus a deep running FB at pace which none of our MIDFIELDER picked him up...ball watching.
Therefore, this TEAM is exhibiting the weakness of beautiful Dutch FOotball and has yet to learn the discipline of "defending as a team, attacking as a team" Parriera's 1994 Brazilian Team which lacked excellent man-marker but efficient as a TEAM, defending and attacking.
Wenger has 13 days to iron out this weakness with a settled MIDFIELD that will link-up with Back-4 as an integral defensive unit.
Denmark won Euro1992 with a blend of individualism with 2 excellent strikers in Brian Lundrup and another Dane, inviting teams to attack 'em, and quick counter-attacks. A blend of individualism and free attacking football.
Greece won Euro2004 with defensive and negative football.
Oue defence is comparable with premeirship teams and the real problem lies with Song-WIlshere partnership in not providing protection for Back-4, plus unable to set-up swift counter-attacks like Denmark 1992.
The fault lies in not anyone of the 3 lines - Defence, Midfield, Attack - but really lies in not forging the entire team into an efficient unit like Parrriera's 1994 Brazil team.
I can recalled only ROmario and Bebeto, but can anyone recalled the names of their midfielders and Back-4?
Was WC1994 Brazil Defence in the Back-4 and goalie "world-class"????
Again, Wenger just got 13 days to fix this problem of producing an "efficient team" that can play swift counter-attacks; and not suicidal football once the attack broke down and vulnerbale to swift counter-attack with Song, Sagna and Gibbs struggling to run faster than an accurate lobbed "ROute 101 Hoof-ball".
And virtually the whole of 2004, a disinterested Vieira gone wanderlust on the pitch, so lightwieght that when tackled, he was dumped on hsi buttends by a player half his size......until he woke up somewhere in Janaury/February 2005 and realised that he got to play for his future and he started to play for Arsenal.
And yes, when Vieira and Gilberto were injured, Wenger just fielded a 17-year odl Cesc in partnership with FLamini; with them battling CHelski to a standstill in a pulsating 2-2 draw. ANybody remember that?
Vieira was slowly gearing up for life without Vieira and bringing hsi replacement - Fabregas - slowly into the team.
And when Vieira finally crawled out of Arsenal in 2005, it was all "doom & gloom" and we were out of Top-4 and how can a "lightwieght" 18-year old Cesc replaced a "legend"???
Well, 2005/06 season surprised us all and it was the first (and only time so far) we reached CL CUp Final..again with disloyal player like Reyes and Cashley Cole on his last contract year (but he did the decent thing and sign-on for one more year so that Arsenal will get a transfer fee..unlike a certain french sewer rat)
2011/12 is "deja vu" 2005/06 isn't it?
A repeat fo that Vieira Saga. Reyes Saga and yes, another LB Saga that ironically Cashley's repalcement again turned whorish to double or treble his salary by moving to our rival.
But the signing of Oxalde-Chamberlain reinforces my view that Arsenal FC is on the verge of somethign great and missing pieces of teh jig-saw puzzle are finally falling into places with more signings on the way....like 1998 and 1999 signings to create that title-winning team fo 2000/01 and 2003/04.
In 18 year old Oxalde-Chamberlain, I see Wenger taking a massive gamble to replace Fabregas with a more pacy and attacking playmaker to compliment WIlshere in the middle; with Ramsey fighting with them for a spot.
Gervinho looks more and more like a Nasri's replacement cum an alternative to Van Persie in the middle. Perhaps, Benik Afobe is an understudy as a centre forward,perhaps Wenger is also on the look-out for another "unknown" striker willing to sit on the bench as an alternative to Van Persie.
Less we forget, Walcott may rotate back as central striker...
It also reinforces my feeling that with Nasri wirtually out of the door by this week, then Fabregas will be forced to stay on for one more season to groove in OXalde-Chamberlain or Ramsey or even Mata if we sign him or even another "new buy"....like what Fabregas gone thru' during 2004/05 season as Vieira's understudy.
Less we forget, Diaby is still with us...
Then if Fabregas is injured, SOng injured, I cna see a repeat fo that 2-2 draw against CHelski; our our 2006 halycon days of reaching CL CUp FInal by beating the likes of Real and Juventus:
......................Szczesney
...Sagna.......Cahill......Mertesacker....Vernaelen
.."Freddy" OXalde....Ramsey..Wilshere..."Pires" Gervinho
........."Bergy's Hole" Van Persie
........................"Henry" Walcott
And with supersub Arshavin, Rosicky, Benik, CHamakh, DIaby,,...
Now with Fabregas forccd to stay, and perhaps Mata joining us......Rypo and Joel Cmapbell got their work permit.....
I can Dream, can't I?
Cheers, no more nightmare for moi tonite..
