Granit Xhaka signs for Arsenal: Page 13 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Granit Xhaka signs for Arsenal

Gurgen

I wonder if Xkaha will allow us to play Ramsey in the middle again. Unlike Coquelin, Xhaka doesn't move much from his position and can get the ball to Özil quickly, so Ramsey's marauding ways should hurt us less defensively.

Rex

In possession for Switzerland Xhaka often drops deep between the CBs, who in turn move wide, thus creating what resembles a 3 CB formation. Allows them to push their FBs much higher up the pitch during the build up phase. Personally, I hope that particular trait is something we will look to emulate; I don't like our current build up at all where Mertesacker or Kos time and again give the ball early to the FB in a deep position. It means we too often try to advance the ball from the wing rather than from the middle, thus giving ourselves only half the pitch to work with.

Savz

Rex wrote:
In possession for Switzerland Xhaka often drops deep between the CBs, who in turn move wide, thus creating what resembles a 3 CB formation.

Haven't seen him do this once in the three games this Euro's. Where did you see him do this?

Ray

Was playing like a sweeper at times. Covers left back a lot too.

Coombs

Yea I like his willingness to operate from behind the center circle rather than immediately running beyond the ball. A true transition midfielder. To be fair to Cazorla, he was playing much the same role last season, albeit with a different interpretation.

Rex

Savz wrote:
Rex wrote:
In possession for Switzerland Xhaka often drops deep between the CBs, who in turn move wide, thus creating what resembles a 3 CB formation.

Haven't seen him do this once in the three games this Euro's. Where did you see him do this?

In the three games in the Euros so far. Which games exactly are you watching?!

Gazza M

Savz wrote:
Rex wrote:
In possession for Switzerland Xhaka often drops deep between the CBs, who in turn move wide, thus creating what resembles a 3 CB formation.

Haven't seen him do this once in the three games this Euro's. Where did you see him do this?

i've seen him do it in virtually every game he's played tbh

Klaus

We used Arteta the same way an awful lot. It's a tactic that makes little sense to a team that is supposed to control the majority of the games, but Switzerland are definitely better off for it.

Coombs

I think it makes sense for any team. You need someone who operates between the lines on both ends of the pitch. Busquets plays quite close to his CBs as well. We're so slow in transition when Cazorla doesn't play, having someone for the CBs to pass short to at all times, ready before they even receive the ball, not only can speed up our play but stretch the opposition more vertically, rather than running past their midfield and then turning around to stand still and wait for the ball.

Klaus

It doesn't make sense to give away all that space in front of the defence by having your midfielder drop down in defence. Barca's shape is different compared to Arsenal's. Busquets is pretty much all over the field and drops back when they're being pressed. I remember a lot of games in 14/15 specifically where we were just inviting teams to come and play around our box. We struggled to play the ball out from the back as a result because Tet was too deep to be of any use, and when we did it was through one of the unmarked centrebacks who was pushing up. It's a bit of a backwards way to do things since Arteta is twice the midfielder Mertesacker and Koscielny are but not even half as good a defender. Incidentally, that was also the season when we stopped using proper wing play.

Rex

It is an effective way to counter aggressive pressing since few teams are comfortable pushing as many players forward as it takes to effectively press.

---CB----------CM---------CB---

-------------CM
FB-----------------------------FB

When you set up like that when pressed, it makes it very difficult to press successfully, because you have to commit so many players forward in very high positions. Especially so when the CM is as comfortable, and good at, as Xhaka is at hitting the long ball. If opponents still feel like pressing, then it will certainly give the likes of Özil, Alexis and Top Class Striker/Winger plenty of space to counter attack in.
For us, I can see it as a good option to mostly bin the dreaded way of bringing the ball forward when Per passes the ball to Bellerin, who of course immediately is put under pressure, only for us to lose the ball with the next pass. We manage a little better on the left with Monreal, but as a counterweight we then have Alexis there who too often loses the ball when he gets it with his back to goal.

Coombs

I don't expect that he's just going to sit between the CBs when playing for Arsenal, nor is that what I'm talking about. It's about having a player who makes that vertical movement as part of his MO. It can't just be a reaction to pressing, those team mechanics needs to be in motion before they are required rather than after, so that when the ball is turned over you've got your DLP receiving the ball, turning, and either pinging it long or passing between the lines without all the standing and waiting about we usually do.

Rex

Of course this tactic wouldn't be 'the way' we do things. It should rather be one more option in our locker. However, I'd very much like to see a shift away from regularly giving the ball to the FB when in a deep position. We often do this because the CBs are rather narrow, like this:

---------------CB--------------------CB

FB--------------------------------------------------FB

You open up much better angles centrally by dropping a CM deeper, the CBs wider, while also pushing the FBs higher up. I much prefer when we advance the ball through the middle.

Ray

I did think that Xhaka was playing far too deep when watching the games.

Savz

Gazza M wrote:
Savz wrote:
Haven't seen him do this once in the three games this Euro's. Where did you see him do this?

i've seen him do it in virtually every game he's played tbh

Here's his full compilation vs France. Please point out to me where he did this, I must be missing something.

Mirth

😆

est

😆

Savz

Care to explain what's funny?

Claudius

😆

Savz

Dorks.

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