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Pre-season is stepping into full swing and, on steadiness, I feel the vast majority of Arsenal’s incoming switch enterprise is completed for the summer season. As I set out a fortnight ago, I feel there will probably be yet one more senior arrival and will probably be ruled by who does- and doesn’t- go away the membership within the coming weeks. Listed below are some questions I’ve as Arsenal get into the nuts and bolts of pre-season.
What’s Emile Smith Rowe’s position?
Originally of the summer season, when Arsenal made clear that they’d not entertain promoting Emile Smith Rowe, I have to say that I was very surprised (not essentially unpleasantly so). I felt the writing was on the wall for him in letters so massive they had been almost viewable from house. I fee the participant’s expertise an ideal deal so I’m not upset if Arteta has determined he needs to attempt to juice this specific orange slightly longer.
It does beg the query, nevertheless, as to what his position is for 2023-24? As a result of Leandro Trossard seems to be a blocker to minutes for him and the retention of Reiss Nelson on a brand new contract crowds the scene slightly additional. The reporting appears to recommend that Arteta needs to boost some funds for an additional inverted winger for the correct to supply rotation and assist for Bukayo Saka.
It could possibly be that Smith Rowe is being primed for the ‘left eight’ position vacated by Granit Xhaka however Arsenal didn’t simply spend over £60m on Kai Havertz to be something apart from an everyday starter and Fabio Vieira additionally appears to be thought-about for that place. If Arteta does certainly need one other winger, I’m squinting to work out the place Smith Rowe figures within the squad constructing course of.
Let’s be clear that at this stage I’m curious, moderately than annoyed. It’s notable to me that the acquisitions of Trossard, Havertz and Vieira have all occurred within the final 12 months, as has the brand new contract awarded to Reiss Nelson. None of those are legacy selections and I battle to see why all of them would have been made nearly concurrently if the coach had a major quantity of religion within the participant. I’m intrigued to see how ESR’s position within the squad shapes up.
Who drops again into midfield within the 442 press?
As I wrote last week, changing Granit Xhaka with Kai Havertz ought to extend Arsenal’s attacking potential subsequent season. Odegaard and Havertz as twin 8s calls to thoughts Manchester Metropolis’s latest midfields, the place first Fernandinho buttressed David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne and, extra just lately, Rodri has manned the again door, permitting Gundogan and de Bruyne to roam ahead.
Off the ball, Arsenal normally drop right into a 442 block, with Odegaard positioned as a second striker, initiating the press. That additionally appears to be a pure position for Kai Havertz, whose means to press and pinch the ball from opponents excessive up the pitch make him extra suited to the ‘second striker’ place when the Gunners kind their 442 block.
It’s a comparatively minor query on the floor however one in every of Havertz or Odegaard might be going to be requested to fall again right into a midfield pairing with Declan Rice off the ball, which doesn’t seem like the pure instinct for both participant. I believe Havertz will probably be tasked with initiating the press whereas the captain falls again into the pack alongside Rice.
In fact, Arteta may do one thing hitherto untried. He may press in a unique form, or ask one of many centre-halves to push up into midfield, leaving a again three behind. No matter occurs, it’s going to be totally different and I’m curious to see how Arsenal ‘fall out’ behind the ball.
An alternative choice to Zinchenko inverting into midfield
Arsenal’s pre-season primarily began round 4 video games earlier than the top of final season with the title dream having withered away. Oleksandr Zinchenko was injured for the run-in and Arteta took the chance to experiment. He did this primarily within the full-back roles, he performed Jakub Kiwior at left-back forward of Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey performed at right-back with Ben White transferring again right into a extra central place.
For the primary half of final season, Zinchenko wafting in-field from left-back to kind a midfield double pivot with Thomas Partey caught groups off-guard. I feel it’s honest to say that Arsenal stunned groups much less and fewer because the season went on (not simply because that they had labored out that Zinchenko was requested to be a midfielder greater than a full-back).
Arsenal’s crop of defenders are exceptionally versatile and a number of them are very comfy transferring into midfield with the ball. I noticed enjoying Kiwior at left-back (which has continued into pre-season) and Partey at right-back as an try at variance. Partey inverted into midfield in these useless rubber league video games, whereas it was Kiwior who did so in opposition to Nurnberg final week.
Add new defender Jurien Timber into the combination and conceivably, Tomiyasu, Timber, White and Kiwior are all able to enjoying a hybrid defence and midfield position. I really feel sure that Arteta all the time needs at the least one in every of his defenders to step ahead and kind a double pivot alongside Rice, Jorginho or Partey. I don’t assume he’ll need to, once more, be within the scenario that solely one in every of his defenders does this comfortably- particularly given Zinchenko’s damage report.
As a result of let’s face it, when Tierney was requested to invert from left-back, he wasn’t horrible at it, but it surely did give me the impression of somebody attempting their greatest to not grimace whereas gorging down one in every of their nan’s mouldy biscuits. We all know that Arteta trusts Tomiyasu to play as an inverted left-back, albeit in a barely totally different means and we additionally know that he wished to signal Lisandro Martinez final summer season.
Manchester Metropolis altered the pitch of their season when Pep Guardiola began to discipline primarily 4 centre-backs in defence, with John Stones moving into midfield alongside Rodri. It appears as if Arteta needs the choice to ape his mentor once more and construct better flexibility into the build-up and defensive part in order that, if and when Zinchenko will not be accessible, or rotated, another person can choose up that baton.
Observe me on Twitter @Stillmanator
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