Arsenal vs. Manchester United

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How many crosses will we whip in today?

Every 30 should = 1 goal
 
Cina said:
It's amazing that we spend £37m on Mata and are constantly using him on the left in a 4-4-2 system, it's actually something people were taking the piss about before we got him, and now it's actually happening.
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It's like when everyone took the piss that we'd fall apart once Moyes took over and he'd turn us into a midtable team like Everton and their style of football, and that he didn't know how to use talented players like Kagawa. He's just been proving all those people right.
What if he's just on one massive WUM? There's just been so many stupid decisions this season it's hard to believe that somebody, a manager of Manchester United no less, thinks that some of these decisions are good ideas. It's mind boggling.
 
Slevs said:
Chelsea use it currently and they're top of the league. Plus we have players who can play in it (Januzaj, Young, Mata).

You can't actually use the Fulham result as a reason to criticize this formation. That was a freak game, we had 81 crosses, not something that happens every game.
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Chelsea don't use it currently, it was abandoned under Rafa Benitez, and Jose hasn't sought to bring it back. Hazard, Oscar and Willian have very clearly defined roles in this current Chelsea system, rather than the free-flowing freedom Hazard, Oscar and Mata enjoyed under Di Matteo (which left the fullbacks completely exposed).
 
Varun_Utd said:
If we persist with this mind numbing cross at sight system, Fellaini will be a big asset to have out there. Which is in a way very sad because someone like Crouch instead of RVP would have seen us win the game at Fulham which says a lot.
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We'll be 3-0 down before he even gets off his arse to warm up and 4-0 down by the time he's been blown into the Thames.
 
walsh said:
Do you remember SAF trying to play Rooney from the left? Not only was Rooney ineffective but people scoffed at the notion after a while. Moyes genuinely can't win with some of you, you'll always find something to moan about.
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You reckon? I always thought Rooney a rather useful and effective option on the left if the manager is contemplating a 4-3-3/4-5-1. We could have done with using it this season actually.
 
I don't understand why there's still an obsession with Kagawa. If there's one player who should be in the starting XI but isn't, its Januzaj.
 
Infra-red said:
Which of Rooney and RvP would you drop to accommodate him?
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Why do one of them need to be dropped? Mata is our best player as a #10. Hence you play your best player there. Rooney can play on the left, but still go central all the time. He's better at tracking back too, so we'd get the defensive bonus. He might not like it, but he'll have to deal with it. You don't take orders from the players. Anyways, Moyes has no problem dropping him to midfield, and Rooney is better on the wing, and can still hurt the opposition going forward from there.
 
Cina said:
Why not try a 3 man midfield with RvP, Rooney and Januzaj interchanging ahead of Mata? Is that so implausible? Or is it so vital to have Valencia in there to deal with their full back and offer absolutely nothing offensively and leave us with a two man midfield instead?

I thought we bought Mata to at least try to change the way we play, seeing as we spent THIRTY SEVEN MILLION POUNDS on him, instead, we're shafting him to the left and doing exactly what hasn't worked for us all season.
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I've maintained all along that those expecting things to get better simply by signing better players are in for a rude shock. The flaw is in our system. Adding top players will add some individual quality but never make us a top team. For all the cries for a top CM, people will be amazed how average we'l look even with a Kroos in the side if we dont change the basic style with which we play.
 
Varun_Utd said:
I've maintained all along that those expecting things to get better simply by signing better players are in for a rude shock. The flaw is in our system. Adding top players will add some individual quality but never make us a top team. For all the cries for a top CM, people will be amazed how average we'l look even with a Kroos in the side if we dont change the basic style with which we play.
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Yeah, pretty much.
 
It's not really a bad lineup in all honesty.

Moyes isn't going to play Januzaj and Mata on the wings because we would be shite defensively.

I don't blame him. When it's between Valencia and Young, it's not the easiest of choices.
 
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if its 4-4-2 it feels like he squeezing players into a system rather than picking a system with the players in mind

a midfield 3 of Carrick and Cleverley with Mata as a 10 would be great

Rooney left, Valencia Right and RVP through the middle is strong
 
Moyes would have been insane to bench Rooney for this match. I get that he's dropped form a bit but he hasn't turned to shit and you just never know when he's going to show up a spellbinding performance.
 
Maestro14 said:
I don't understand why there's still an obsession with Kagawa. If there's one player who should be in the starting XI but isn't, its Januzaj.
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Definitely. But people are surprised at Kagawa not even making the bench and very rightly so.
 
Ole's_toe_poke said:
It's not really a bad lineup in all honesty.

Moyes isn't going to play Januzaj and Mata on the wings because we would be shite defensively.

I don't blame him. When it's between Valencia and Young, it's not the easiest of choices.
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Or he could change the system. Don't see Arsenal dropping their best players for so called hard workers.
 
Cina said:
It's amazing that we spend £37m on Mata and are constantly using him on the left in a 4-4-2 system, it's actually something people were taking the piss about before we got him, and now it's actually happening.
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He hasn't been playing on the wing though, so that's not really true. Which you can see in all those heat maps people keep posting to complain about him playing on the wing.
 
Cina said:
Why not try a 3 man midfield with RvP, Rooney and Januzaj interchanging ahead of Mata? Is that so implausible? Or is it so vital to have Valencia in there to deal with their full back and offer absolutely nothing offensively and leave us with a two man midfield instead?

I thought we bought Mata to at least try to change the way we play, seeing as we spent THIRTY SEVEN MILLION POUNDS on him, instead, we're shafting him to the left and doing exactly what hasn't worked for us all season.
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I agree, but Moyes hasn't really made an effort to change things all season in the league. The only time when I've seen some imagination, is in Europe, where we've done well.
 
I don't get why Valencia has to play so often but then again he is probably going to have a stormer now.
 
bosnian_red said:
Why do one of them need to be dropped? Mata is our best player as a #10. Hence you play your best player there. Rooney can play on the left, but still go central all the time. He's better at tracking back too, so we'd get the defensive bonus. He might not like it, but he'll have to deal with it. You don't take orders from the players. Anyways, Moyes has no problem dropping him to midfield, and Rooney is better on the wing, and can still hurt the opposition going forward from there.
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Rooney is absolutely awful in wide positions, partially because his defensive work is so unreliable (see Real Madrid away last season). I agree Mata's best position is certainly as a number 10, but unless we drop one of Rooney or Van Persie, he has to take a narrow role on the left or right.
 
39 different teams in 39 matches according to BT, crazy...
 
I'd like to see the team shape become more of a 4-3-3 with Valencia tucking in and Mata joining van Persie and Rooney in a front three.
 
Nothing wrong with the line-up really, Mata was always going to play off the left here but as long as he has the freedom to cut in it's all right.
 
Will have to see how it works but don't like the idea of Valencia and mata playing. That only suits Valencia because if mata tucks in on the left then he's on his weaker foot and if he's not allowed to tuck in then it's a waste.

Still biggest thing as usual is where Rooney plays, we need him deeper, it's not working for any one him and rvp both trying to lead the line.
 
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