I feel as if I m not contributing much to my own website but is the guest writers continue to write better then me I guess no one will be complaining. Today we have a tactical piece, which I usually feel is my strength, but this article is superb. It looks at perhaps the only formation that will allow Wenger to retain his 3 man midfeld, and still have a 2 man strike force.
Yes today we are assessing the possibility of Arsenal using the classic 3-5-2 with a twist. Ironically given that this past week has been Kenya Gooner week ,my guest writer was born in Kenya but has spent most of his life in America. His father was always on business in Italy and England so he was instilled with a passion for Juventus and Arsenal in equal measures but his first trip to London was as a 10 year old in 1997. In reality since then he has been a die hard Gooner. I am delighted to introduce Hamza Mohamed, better known to many for his insightful and invariably positive contributions to the debate on twitter as @BornGunner
This is a long feature but I urge you to enjoy not only the quality of the writing and the conclusions, but equally the research undertaken and the knowledge that shines through…..
Some formations come and go, in and out of fashion, others fade and disappear. There are good reasons for that and yet defying the prevailing wisdom. Today am here to discuss the 3-5-2 system, and how it can help Arsenal overcome their defensive fragility. It’s a system that has been used by great successful sides in the past, many thought the system won’t be put into practice anymore, but thankfully we have seen the resurgence of this formation. It helped Napoli qualify for the Champion’s League a season ago. In the process their attacking play, ball retention, quick and effective counter attacking and collective defending displays earn plaudits from across Europe Furthermore, who can forget one of the biggest achievements last season ; Juventus winning their first Scudetto unbeaten since ‘Calciopoli,’ the match fixing scandal of 2006. It was a brilliant first season for Antonio Conte, as former captain and idol he knew he had a difficult job in hand when he was hired to guide Juventus back to their glory days. He was considered as a disciple of the 4-4-2, the new signing Andrea Pirlo didn’t appear to fit his system, but the mastermind Conte showed his skills as a tactician by ensuring versatility, he found a place for Pirlo by switching to a 4-3-3. However Conte’s attention to tactical detail, meant he was prepared to alter the 4-3-3 to suit the opposition, as a result he used 3-5-2 in key against Napoli and Udinese, teams that also used this formation. The formation was additionally utilized a number of times throughout the season and has had a big hand in the Scudetto triumph. Continue reading →
