Consider the scene:
Arsenal have possession of the ball. After crossing the halfway line, a sea of red and white surges forward, looking for creases and gaps in order to unlock the opposition defence. To the left the ball goes, than to the right, sometimes working in the dreaded passive “U” shape that Pep Guardiola considers a detriment to possession based football, sometimes more urgent and probing. On the right, Hector Bellerin is looking to combine with the almost equally quick Theo Walcott, while on the left the same is true of Nacho Montreal and whoever is playing on the left flank.
All of a sudden, a brief lapse of concentration, or perhaps an ill-advised final ball attempted in impatience, and the ball is bouncing free. In the blink of an eye, a once promising Gunner attack, committing all but the two centre-backs into its passing combinations, has been thwarted, and the opposition is busting in on the Arsenal goal with numbers and speed.
Unfortunately for the Gunners, this scenario has resulted in goals for the opposition far to regularly this term. The resultant drop in energy and confidence is palpable; from the North Bank to the centre spot, there is a massive sense of deflation. All of that work spent dominating possession of the ball, methodically building up attacks and getting numbers forward undone by a quick and demoralising counter attack. Now we have to break through twice! Against a side all too happy to sit back even further after taking the lead and soak up the pressure.
Also, don’t even get most Gooners started on set piece defence. Seriously.
It is fair to say that despite these defensive lapses being far too frequent, it is only realistic to expect Arsenal to overhaul 1 position in the back 4. With the captain’s armband (with BFG yet to play this season) and his compatriot manager’s trust, Laurent Koscielny isn’t going anywhere. The relatively young age and recent £35m acquisition of Shkodran Mustafi make his place as secure as any in the side, and Hector Bellerin SHOULD be here to stay for a while, given that he is still growing at the club, and it isn’t ten years ago, when his sale may have been all but assured for financial reasons.
Left back is a totally different story, though. Nacho Monreal is on the wrong side of 30 and his pace has declined tremendously over the last couple campaigns. Deputy Kieran Gibbs has given fans little indication of his ambitions for more than a comfortable wage packet at a comfortable club. The fact remains that Arsenal have not had a proper world class left sided fullback since Ashley Cole left for the allure of Chelsea wages and (allegedly) his own cell phone. Gael Clichy was a solid if unspectacular option and Nacho Monreal has been nothing if not consistently ok for the majority of his Arsenal career.
When Arsene Wenger was asked several weeks back about if he would ever consider a back three in defence, his reply was a pretty firm no. He argued that Arsenal’s tactics are too attacking to utilise a back three, which also relies on more negative and defensive tactics from the wide midfield players. For Arsenal, this would mean either sacrificing attacking presence further forward on the flanks, or defensive cover if going with more attacking options out wide.
Wenger has also imparted a desire for symmetry in his formation, especially making note of this as questions regarding playing Aaron Ramsey on the flank have surfaced over the last couple seasons. This is easily spotted on the pitch, as, despite lacking the elite recovery speed of Bellerin on the opposite side, Nacho Monreal continuously overlaps and combines down the left flank with similar regularity. Though perhaps possessing a better final ball than the younger Spaniard, he has only contributed two assists in the Premier League this term.
The biggest problem on the left flank, however, has been the totally inadequate cover that Monreal has received from whoever is playing on his side. Whether it has been Iwobi, the Ox, Welbeck, or even Alexis at times, he has been left exposed repeatedly to defend in even or short numbers. That Wenger continues to give him license to drive forward so often is a bit of a head scratcher, but it also speaks to the importance that going forward has for the club and its fullbacks. It is obvious that the club needs an upgrade on the left side, and they need a different type of player for the role than they currently have.
When watching the teams emerge from the tunnel at the start of matches, it often strikes me how often Arsenal seem dwarfed by their opponent. When playing against bigger sides like Watford and Burnley, the difference is almost staggering. Since Arsenal made the decision to shift its focus towards smaller, quicker, more technical players in the mould of Spanish giant Barcelona, the squad has been stuffed full of diminutive players. Wenger has always preferred defenders who are comfortable with the ball at their feet, and with the exception of Per Mertesacker, do not currently possess a towering physical presence in the back line.
What Arsenal need at left back is a player who can at least provide some aerial cover on balls into the box. Hector Bellerin’s positional awareness on balls in the air has been badly exposed this season and more teams are trying to create confusion in the box and get there as often as possible. Monreal has also been below par himself in the air, only averaging 1.5 wins in his 3.3 duals per appearance in the Premier League.
As tempting as a player with such offensive panache as Jose Gaya would be for the Arsenal faithful, the name that has been thrown around seemingly since journalists were able to find out that one of Granit Xhaka’s best friends on the Swiss National Team plays a position of need for Arsenal, is Ricardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez plays with a physical edge and would provide some of the best service from a fullback in red and white since Bacary Sagna patrolled the right side. Although practically identical in height to Nacho Monreal, his build is more sturdy, like that of a defender. At 24 years old, he is still a young man and growing as a player. Given that his reputation continues to grow across Europe, Arsenal may yet rue not pursuing the Wolfsburg man more intensely in the last summer. The club may find themselves priced out of the competition for his signature, by the time the absurdly inflated transfer prices start flowing during the window.
One hope at Arsenal is that January signing Cohen Bramall may figure into the near future at Left Back With his superior athletic ability, he will probably have little trouble going forward, but it remains to be seen if he will ever be a Premier League calibre defender. Despite the relative excitement of his arrival (in relation to most non-League signings), the fans would probably be outraged if the club coasted through another summer without addressing the Left Back position. Any contribution from Bramall will most likely come later in his career, in lieu of an injury crisis or unexpectedly fast progression.
Regardless of who is written on the team sheet at fullback next season, he needs to be an upgrade over the current options. Neither Monreal or Gibbs are likely to inspire the Gunner faithful anymore. As important as it is having an attacking presence on the flank, Arsenal need to recommit themselves to defensive excellence. I want to see a true two-way player at that position: a player equally as likely to be there to head a cross away as he is to lay one in the box himself. I want to see a no-nonsense, physical presence that tells his opponent that he is going to have to earn every meter he makes with the ball at his feet.
You know Arsene, I’m free most Saturdays…
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