₦airaland Forum

Roland17:
We need to start playing Martinelli in the CF position. We have drifted away from playing him in his best/ natural position to now playing him as a winger, consequently, the kid has lost a lot of his confidence.

He is not a CF.

mostob:
He is not a CF.

Msrtinelli is a CF.

That is where he thrives.
Go and look at his goals

daveP:
Exactly! I won't mind a Second Option available for the wings if the first isn't working. Especially as Afcon is nearby and Pepe will be gone. I think it ticks all boxes to me. A lil skeptical, but we may just need him.

Lol... Afcon or no afcon sef, difference no dey concerning Pepe

mostob:
He is not a CF.

Lol... It's just like man u fans saying greenwood is not a Cf

mostob:
If he still has that fiery hunger and passion, I'd take him. Especially considering the poor form of Pepe and the fact that AFCON is around the corner. Apart from his ball playing skills, one thing I admire about him is his transmissible passion bug. But where does this leaves Martinelli?

That's true o!

Nelli that i want to see playing.

I just imagined how that LHS will be easier for Tierney if Alexis comes back. Especially the Counterattacks, a smooth gel with ESR no doubt.

I watched the day we beat Man Utd, 3-0. Alexis(2), Ozil(1)

The NLD goal of Auba was an exact replica. The midfield flick of ESR to set Ozil up....

These guys are recreating too many past buildups.
Can't predict which.


Overall, i won't mind.

Jodera:
Lol... Afcon or no afcon sef, difference no dey concerning Pepe

Lol. I'm not defending pepe here na. Just needing a shoo in when Afcon comes.

Where's xhaka abeg
When we say improve the midfield first e get reason

Analysis on the Brighton Game.....

#Copied

Arteta is a phenomenal tactician but Arsenal having just over 40% of the ball against Brighton is not good enough. Below, I analyse his flawed tactics against 3 at the back teams and why Arsenal cannot keep the ball in those games before ultimately getting dominated. Interestingly, Arsenal had 71% of the ball after the first 10 minutes - they didn't just play out from the back - they partook in a combination of both direct and short play and were successful with both thanks to their good technical quality and Ramsdale's long kicking.

Ramsdale's kicking enabled Arsenal to win second balls in areas deep in Brighton's, which is good. This is a position of control and strength for Arsenal because they're winning the ball back high as opposed to losing it in their own third and being forced to recover. Pressing wise, Arsenal were forcing Brighton to go long and play risky passes because Arsenal were incredibly frantic because the game just started and their energy was high.


However, the overload in Brighton's build-up enabled them to dominate the ball from this point (minute 10) on. Between minute 12 and 22 Brighton had 63% possession, and this marked the swing of the tide in the games dynamics and overall control for each team.

Once Brighton got their foot on the ball, Arsenal never got it back, & that's because Brighton had a spare man in the build-up vs Arsenal's subpar press. Brighton had a constant 5v4 when building play, & that's excluding Sanchez in goal who Brighton successfully used to circulate

2

Not only did Brighton have an overload in the build-up, but the vertical compactness with Arsenal's block wasn't tight enough. Ben White and Gabriel lacked aggression within their positioning so Brighton often had spare men between the lines.

This had a number of implications. Ideally, in a good pressing system, Partey will push on & press the opposition pivot here as he is a clear pressing trigger. However, as seen in the same video, he was conscious of the spare man between the lines behind him so couldn't press high. This is White & Gabriel's fault.

Klopp constantly talks about how the last line must be aggressive within their positioning so the entire block is compact and the space in which the opposition have to play in is reduced. Arsenal weren't vertically compact, so Partey couldn't press high. This means that Brighton can 1) play a simple short pass into the pivot to play out of Arsenal's subpar press or 2) play directly to the spare man between the lines. Either way, Arsenal are getting forced back because their press wasn't good enough.

For me, this is primarily Gabriel's fault. He was signed to be the leader in that backline so controlling where the line operates is one of his primary tasks. Again, this is also imperative for Arteta to drill into him and the defensive line, so both are certainly at fault here. Look at Partey here. His body position is one that is conservative and lacks aggression in the sense that he's more concerned about what's behind him as opposed to pressing what should be his trigger which is the opposition pivot. Again, the defensive line is too deep.

3

So Arsenal's press was outmatched numbers wise and wasn't vertically compact. The reality of the situation is Brighton dominated the ball against Arsenal with the likes of Dan Burn and Shane Duffy in the team. That’s not good enough from Arteta.
The same thing happened against Chelsea and Chelsea dismantled Arteta's Arsenal on the day. There is a clear 5v4 in the build-up here, and this was how Chelsea directly exposed and scored against Arsenal on a number of occasions.

4

However, bizarrely, Arteta matched up against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season & completely stifled their game pressing wise before ultimately beating Chelsea at the Bridge on that day, so for him to make this error twice after beating Chelsea with it is utterly illogical. Crucially, in the below pictures Holding (Arsenal's CB) was right behind Mason Mount ready to press high. Also, Arsenal were not outnumbered numbers wise either. They matched Chelsea up man for man. This was a successful & high quality tactic which should be used vs 3 ATB teams.

5

Arteta has shown before that he can implement a high quality press against a 3 at the back team but he must change or improve upon his current system to revert to those previous successes to make Arsenal less vulnerable in these games. Brighton, on the other hand, showed Arteta who was boss on the day by matching up man-for-man when Arsenal had goal kicks. This structure forced Ramsdale to go long more often than he and Arteta would have liked - Brighton, however, had no problem playing out from the back. As I maintain at the start of the thread, Arteta is a top tactician but has made glaring errors against 3 at the back teams on a number of occasions this season despite implementing a successful approach against Chelsea last ssn. This needs to improve to give Arsenal more control.

Improved technical levels would enable Arteta's men to be more dominant on these games but Arsenal's XI was more than good enough to control the game vs Brighton, yet they didn't, and the team with D. Burn and S. Duffy did with the ball, which is unacceptable.

He must improve.

My take: same as usual

What can he do when he notices he's being outsmarted? That's what makes a great tactician to me. Else, its just crap. I think in this aspect, Emery is by faaaar better than him.

Lacazette Replacement from the EPL. Who do you prefer?

Ollie Watkins or Dominic Calvert-Lewin

daveP:
Lol. I'm not defending pepe here na. Just needing a shoo in when Afcon comes.

Lol... I know.
Na Pepe just dey disappoint me na why I dey vex

daveP:
5




My take: same as usual

What can he do when he notices he's being outsmarted? That's what makes a great tactician to me. Else, its just crap. I think in this aspect, Emery is by faaaar better than him.

Nice Analysis. But I think the two chief problems from that match was not starting Lacazette (for auba) early enough cos he helped to cause overload in the midfield thereby making us have a little more control. I also understand his pepe introduction, cos he felt pepe directness might limit cucurella attack-mindedness a bit alas reverse was the case. Pepe wasn't direct and he wasn't Even helping tomi too.

All in all, it was a nice analysis and Arteta should learn his in-game reading and management better

daveP:
Lacazette Replacement from the EPL. Who do you prefer?

Ollie Watkins or Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Actually we need the two, but Ollie Watkins all day all time.

If we can just get Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney for lacazette and Auba replacement, e go dope.

Both good at pressing, both good goal scorers, both good hold up play and good movement. Just add those two and bring correct wingers then we're good

iamoyindamola:
Where's xhaka abeg
When we say improve the midfield first e get reason

Lol... But even partey I no see am
At least I see matic who I believe played fewer games than partey

daveP:
That's true o!

Nelli that i want to see playing.

I just imagined how that LHS will be easier for Tierney if Alexis comes back. Especially the Counterattacks, a smooth gel with ESR no doubt.

I watched the day we beat Man Utd, 3-0. Alexis(2), Ozil(1)

The NLD goal of Auba was an exact replica. The midfield flick of ESR to set Ozil up....

These guys are recreating too many past buildups.
Can't predict which.


Overall, i won't mind.

Martinelli have good press and he's direct. I still don't understand how he doesn't fit into Arteta setup. It's so sad we're wasting such talent, esp wen he was the one heralded alongside Saka and even before person hear ESR self.

Abeg, no dey remind us the bolded. That's like the few good things on the last years of Wenger I'll always cherish. Cazorla- Sanchez- Ozil. What a combination then.

Such sweet combination naim Wenger go spoil by giving them giroud is one of the few reasons I'll always vex for Wenger

Jodera:
Lol... But even partey I no see am
At least I see matic who I believe played fewer games than partey

Partey was injured last season na
How many matches e play count am
Moreover partey hardly tackles, he read game and intercept

iamoyindamola:
Partey was injured last season na
How many matches e play count am
Moreover partey hardly tackles, he read game and intercept

oh... I thought it was this season. If it's last season then I understand

Jodera:
oh... I thought it was this season. If it's last season then I understand

I doubt it's this season
Lonkonga suppose they sef if na this season
Maybe tier 5 sha

iamoyindamola:
I doubt it's this season
Lonkonga suppose they sef if na this season
Maybe tier 5 sha

Jodera:
Lol... It's just like man u fans saying greenwood is not a Cf

He always look lost anytime he plays as a CF and his linkup play is not that good. I will like him to play as a LW with Auba at the top...

Lush100:
Msrtinelli is a CF.

That is where he thrives.
Go and look at his goals

Check all the matches where he scored and tell me the position he played. His goalscoring run during his first season was as a result of his constantly moving to the box giving Tierney enough space. That's why I said he needs to get inside the box more instead of running to the bye line. He is not a CF bro

Jodera:
Lol... I know.
Na Pepe just dey disappoint me na why I dey vex

I hope it gets better for him. Lol

mostob:
He always look lost anytime he plays as a CF and his linkup play is not that good. I will like him to play as a LW with Auba at the top...

Most times he played 9 in Europa during Emery season he was good. But now, even the wing he was shining is no more as strong as before. This is just Arteta tactics at work here and it might kill his confidence

Jodera:
Martinelli have good press and he's direct. I still don't understand how he doesn't fit into Arteta setup. It's so sad we're wasting such talent, esp wen he was the one heralded alongside Saka and even before person hear ESR self.

Abeg, no dey remind us the bolded. That's like the few good things on the last years of Wenger I'll always cherish. Cazorla- Sanchez- Ozil. What a combination then.

Such sweet combination naim Wenger go spoil by giving them giroud is one of the few reasons I'll always vex for Wenger

I expect the journos to keep asking this Manager about Martinelli always. Its like he's been forgotten in one corner.

Jodera:
Actually we need the two, but Ollie Watkins all day all time.

If we can just get Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney for lacazette and Auba replacement, e go dope.

Both good at pressing, both good goal scorers, both good hold up play and good movement. Just add those two and bring correct wingers then we're good

I'd take DCL. Powerful finisher, creative in tight corners. That's close enough to a Laca. Don't know if he's good at the holdup play though...

daveP:
I expect the journos to keep asking this Manager about Martinelli always. Its like he's been forgotten in one corner.

Lol... Journos can't ask about him. He's not a star boy nor an academy england player like saka. If he was bought with big money then they would, so nothing concern journos concern martinelli

daveP:
I'd take DCL. Powerful finisher, creative in tight corners. That's close enough to a Laca. Don't know if he's good at the holdup play though...

He's also good in the air too, he's good at hold up play but not too great sha. Fair point for DCL tho.

Jodera:
Lol... Journos can't ask about him. He's not a star boy nor an academy england player like saka. If he was bought with big money then they would, so nothing concern journos concern martinelli

One journo suppose ask. Especially as they ask about injured players. But na dem sabi.

Seeing the idea outside that England's future is in Arsenal's hands, especially if DCL comes around to make it 5 key squad players. Any other team got that much, especially in their XI? None!

Jodera:
Most times he played 9 in Europa during Emery season he was good. But now, even the wing he was shining is no more as strong as before. This is just Arteta tactics at work here and it might kill his confidence

i believe he is still a work in progress. Apart from Martinelli, Nelson own pain me too...I heard he is injured currently.