re: Arsenal 2013/2014 Season Long Thread

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good read on our tactics

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Not nearly as in depth as I like. Our midfield rotation with the inverted winger has been a virtual constant throughout Wenger's reign. What's interesting is that when we played the 4-3-3, we had a triangle rotation, which often left us out of position if our pattern was figured out.

What I see is a return to the pre-2005 Arsenal, a team that can defend deep at times and press high at times, depending on the situation. Cazorla's movement is akin to a free role, which is much different from our other inverted wingers like Pires and Arshavin. Those two players were rather direct, whereas Cazorla on the left is basically the same as Cazorla in the center, as in Cazorla on the left is a purely defensive move. In comparison, when Podolski is on the left, he plays as a left-sided support striker, and looks to facilitate play with one-twos on the edge of the box, always seeking the ball to his feet.

Our movement with Cazorla is now akin to a box being closed on one end and opened on the other, if that makes any sense. The triangle becomes a square when Cazorla cuts in, at which point a deeper midfielder moves out wide to create another axis point, essentially making two triangles in midfield.