cold henrywas just kidding around with this cool tool. anyone else think vermaelen is less a CB and more a 70's style attack minded sweeper?
21.12.2009
nvrYes, he's attack minded but no, he ain't no sweeper. Sweepers had stoppers in front of them, which Vermaalen doesn't have. They play on the same line with Gallas.
21.12.2009
ZolaWhenever I see a stirkerless formation, something in my head shouts "incompetency".
It was AS Roma who started this 4-6-0 thing and they started it because they had no money to buy a decent striker at the time. Now we see Arsenal play this, because they failed to buy a striker after Adebayor. Either way, managerial inconpetency...
22.12.2009
SpaceGhostI'm curious - how do most people interpret the term "strikerless"?
And in their last game against Hull I felt like Arsenal's shape was rather like France in the '98 World Cup. Granted, Diaby is not Zidane, but they had 3 front players spending more time central than wide, followed by Diaby and then the double pivot of Song and Denilson. Is Arshavin not a striker because he won't stay on the CB's shoulder, or because he just doesn't have the right size uniform?
22.12.2009
RicardoI don't mind this type of play, very hard to defend against as the defenders don't know where the attack's coming from. I think it would work best with an in the box predator, but Arsenal have limited personnel so the above would be good, they've already started Arsharvin as solo striker... Better when RVP is fit though of course
23.12.2009
ZolaThe least I expect from a striker is to make oponent's defense think twice before they commit forward. How do strikers do that? There are 2 ways:
1) The striker out-muscles the defenders. Drogba, Bent and likes fall in this category. If a defender is caught 1 on 1 with this type of strikers, they'd better have cover as they might be beaten by sheer power.
2)The striker is a fox in the box. If he finds space for a split second he'll score. He seems to know where to stay in the box, and his first touch is almost always a shot on goal. Eduardo, Berbatov, Torres and likes fall in this category.
Arshavin neither is physical nor have the instincts to be a fox in the box. Sure he can score when he finds enough time and space, but that's characteristic of second strikers. Proper defensive units rarely give enough time and space, and Hull does not have one.
23.12.2009
