Kel Varnsen wrote:
Why does Arteta refuse to use the central area of the final third of the pitch? It's as if every attack has to go through either the left or the right wing. Is it intentional and fucking stupid, or is he just incompetent and simply incapable of coaching a team?
I think it's about risk. Most of his decision-making is about minimising risks (not that it's going very well) and that area of the pitch makes you vulnerable to counterattacks when you lose the ball. I reckon it's why he loathes playmakers so much; their job is all about high-percentage ball loss as they look for ways to penetrate a low block of four or five defending players.
He constantly lines up with 5 defenders and two defensive midfielders, he pulls out every stop to sign a toerag like Willian because he covers ground well, he uses his centreforwards as midfielders or wingbacks because he feels we lose too much possession when they try to make runs in-behind. He opted to put on a defender when we were a goal and a man down rather than subbing on a striker, because he wanted to keep the goal difference at -1. He spends so much time trying to get us to play out of the back because it's a means to keep possession. He spends virtually no time at all trying to improve our attacking play on offensive half because it's a sure way to lose possession. The ball is allowed to go backwards or sideways, but it can't go forward unless it's through very certain routes where we've got ourselves covered.
I feel like he keeps telling us who he is game after game, and yet there are pundits who just wait for him to turn the corner, to get the ball rolling and suddenly play great football. I just don't think it's going to happen.
