Gervinho comes into form to fit nicely into Arsène Wenger’s grand plan
Arsenal fans have a lot to look forward too if Gervinho’s first man-of-the-match in the 3-1 win over Stoke City is anything to go by. Daniel Jeandupeux, the man responsible for bringing Gervinho to Ligue 1 at Le Mans, tells Sabotage Times that “if he continues to improve, he could become one of the very best players in the world — like Messi.” It’s certainly a bold statement to make but Gervinho has the capability to be explosive. Fans complaining about a lack of high-profile signings in the summer cannot but be moved to stand in anticipation when Gervinho runs with the ball – he’s the type of player who gets bums off seats. His goal and two assists come at the right time; he’s effectively where he should have been three games ago were he not suspended in his first game at the club. But he’s slowly adjusting and his improvement can help take the growing reliance off Robin van Persie.
Ah, yes, Robin van Persie. As if it needed proving Arsenal are reliant on one man, the Dutchman came off the bench to secure three points for The Gunners. His record in 2011 is extraordinary: the two goals he scored in last weekend against Stoke takes his tally to 25 goals in 26 league games in this calender year. However, the most impressive aspect of this virtuoso performance is the way van Persie has consistently delivered the goals even as Arsenal have implemented a series of tactical and strategic changes in their play.
At the start of 2011, Arsenal were at their best: in fact, I’d go as far as to say the best period of form by any side last season. They played a dynamic and integrated brand of football with multiple avenues of creativity - culminating in the 2-1 win over Barcelona - but it was van Persie’s return from injury, giving an overworked Marouane Chamakh a breather, that really made the system click. But defeat in the Carling Cup final in February severely affected Arsenal’s confidence and they started playing football in a risk-averse manner. Their possession average shot up and the team lost it’s fluidity, a problem also attributable in part to the absence of Cesc Fàbregas, whose play was the basis for the formation then employed. Yet even in this time of turmoil and frustration, Robin van Persie refined his game and kept banging in the goals.
This season Arsenal have had to make further adjustments: shorn of any one individual (apart, perhaps, from Alex Song) fully comfortable at playing incisive through-passes, the playmaker role that Fábregas once assumed is now shared. It appears, then, that Arsene Wenger expects dynamism to come from the forward three, who are given more license to move around the pitch. It’s taken a while, however, to get going but Gervinho’s all-round display should just be the start. Against Stoke, he spent a lot of his time taking on defenders as well as trying to get into goalscoring areas and indeed, his average touch position show he played higher than the central striker. Arsène Wenger feels if Gervinho can further develop his understanding with his strike partners it will be a crucial part of Arsenal’s game.
“It is very rare when people have that [ability to beat players in the penalty area] because you need to be quick over a very short distance without losing the ball,” Wenger told the Official Arsenal website. “Gervinho has that capability. He has the capability to score and make assists. I would say as well his mobility [is key] – our game is based on that.
His movement is great – he moves well in the final third – and he can pass people there too. We saw that on both occasions against Stoke for Robin’s goals. Other teams are tempted to put the quickest defender on Theo Walcott but Gervinho is very quick as well. We multiply our options speed-wise with him.”
One of the advantages of this type of wing-play is that they are not engaging in the low-percentage crossing game that other wingers typically involve themselves in. Instead they are choosing to keep the ball on the ground, seeking to dribble past their opponents and penetrate the box, or deciding to re-circulate the ball back to the central midfielders and maintain possession. In this the forwards are emulating Barcelona, the team so many have cited as Arsenal’s role model.
The emphasis on wing play has not been without it’s problems however. While Arsenal have looked as threatening from wide as they have ever been under Arsène Wenger, they haven’t been as fluid as previous incarnations. That assessment is supported by the number of occasions Arsenal players have been dispossessed this season. Before the Stoke encounter, Gunners had suffered this fate 197 times, a figure which tops the Premiership – at least we’re number one in something! Then again perhaps this statistic is to be expected – since Arsenal generally dominate possession, they present their opponents with proportionately more opportunities to win the ball back. But the statistic also serves to highlight the increased emphasis Arsenal have placed on the flanks this season and as a result, perhaps they’ve had to play more orthodoxly than Wenger would have liked.
Certainly, that’s the case with Theo Walcott which only helps fuel the calls to convert him back to a striker (although that’s actually another issue altogether) but he’s best on the right. He’s not playing as a typical winger; the aim is to get him in behind as often as possible therefore his effectiveness – or any one of the front three for that matter – it seems, is correlated to the ability of the midfielders – and van Persie – to find him. Early on in the season, Aaron Ramsey had difficulties being the link-man and indeed, much of the dispossessed figures are under his name. However, in recent games, there has been a marked improvement from Ramsey and his midfield partners and in the win over Stoke, all three midfielders (Alex Song, Mikel Arteta and Ramsey) completed three successful through-balls. Arsenal’s game is based on getting players behind and the three striker ploy could prove to be very deadly with the right supply and movement as Barcelona have shown.
With a four wins on the trot in all competitions since the international break, the improvements to Arsenal’s all-round game comes at a timely moment. The defence looks more secure, Arteta has added stability to the midfield while Ramsey has gone the opposite way, bringing spontaneity and van Persie is still van Persie. Gervinho, on the other hand…well, if he continues at this rate he may even be able to rival Messi for effectiveness.
Charting the rise and fall of Marouane Chamakh
<Figure 1>Chamakh’s pass received chart against Stoke shows how deep he dropped to pick up the ball. In comparison to last season at home to Birmingham – another team which defended very deep – he played higher up and was more involved in all channels of the pitch.
NB: With thanks to Joe Christoff for helping me to piece together and proofread the article although he wasn’t available when the second edit was made and major changes to the piece were made!
Tagged: Analysis, Arsène Wenger, Gervinho, Tactics, Van Persie, Walcott, Wingers
hi
great fan of ur works mate.
As indeed the effectiveness of Gervinho improves with every game my doubt is that we have a player more or less with same qualities on other wing with theo , if gervinho is better than walcott who on my opinion possess oly bit of a yard pace more than him , we could do with gervinho alone and with a nasri type of technical player(without dwelling on the ball much though) on the other side.. which can be useful in ball retention cos both gervinho and walcott are players who take each move to make an impact and thereby resulting in being dispossessed more often.. with current squad i m not sure of our ox s experience,rosicky is capable though but more solid player would be fantastic.
thanks
Like or Dislike:
6 
0
[Reply]
I have been impressed with Gervinho, bearing in mind this is his first season. He is direct and creates things which we seriously lack. We need to get behind him because aside from RVP he is our only player that opposition defenders will fear.
We need to get rid of Wallcot because I is just not good enough, or play him in the centre. It is time to put Alex O C on the right wing and let’s see whether he has it or not. Theo has had is time there. He is not and never will be a winger. Give him a chance through the middle.
Forward line of Gervinho RVP Theo Alex O C is one dangerous forward line, quick, has goals and will stop the opposition from playing too far forward.
The midfield then should be (controversial but there is method in my madness) Song Coqu’ the reason is this notion of a ball playing midfielder has totally unsettled arsenal. We need two industrious ball winning plays (a la Viera and Gilberto) thus creating more attacking opportunity. Currently the ball gets stuck in midfield!
Defense Only Sezza in goal and Sagna and Tommy V would start for me, we need a new left back and two additional central defenders.
All of the other un named playes should make up the squad. The only change would be to probably replace Coq’ in midfiled when Jack W is fit as he can run and tackle as well as pass. Views?
Like or Dislike:
0 
9
[Reply]
Josef Reply:
October 28th, 2011 at 8:15 pm
@Don Cee, Pffft.
Views? You’ve got to be kidding. The game these days is about possession and controlling the midfield. You think Arsenal should switch from a formation where they can dominate midfield to one where they’ll be over-run, and play people who can win the ball to the exclusion of people who can keep it? Beyond that, Arsenal’s problem has not been that the opposition plays too far forward but rather that they pack the defense and Arsenal proves unable to break it down.
Furthermore, I disagree with your assessment of Walcott (if he’s so bad you think Arsenal should get rid of him, how does it make sense that your alternative is to try him out in the middle?), and while A.Ox.C. may indeed become a great player, the nature of your comments suggests to me that you like him because he’s novel and not because of his innate quality. Furthermore, what do you have against Andre Santos?
Like or Dislike:
6 
0
[Reply]
Interesting analysis, as always… another question that lots of have is: why not play Arshavin in the middle? Or at least, why not rotate him with Ramsey?
Arshavin is that more technical winger that Kathir seems to be calling for. Only he has always seemed a bit wasted on the wing, his effectiveness coming when he roams the pitch, linking up — sometimes with the opposite winger– and causing havoc. I noticed that he combines well with Santos, and I think he provided the through ball for Gervinho’s second assist. Where as Cesc’s through balls seemed to come from his ability to create space and look up, Arshivin seems to create an urgency going forward and then spot players on an overlapping run.
Anyhow, my request is a little analysis of why Wenger seems so reluctant to put this genius in the middle of the pitch… do his weaknesses really cancel out those visible strengths?
Like or Dislike:
4 
0
[Reply]
Joseph Reply:
October 28th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
@California Gooner,
I concur w/r/t Arshavin as the CAM. I would like to see him in that position sometimes, and he seemed to do well midweek. I think he, Rosicky, and Ramsey (and Benayoun, of course, but I don’t really like the idea of using a Chelsea loanee) have to be the three who rotate in that position. the latter two can also play as more reserved midfielders and Arshavin can be used on the wing, so there’s versatility. Plus with the number of games Arsenal play there’s got to be rotation, so having several people who can interpret that position is important.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Arsenal Column Reply:
October 29th, 2011 at 11:16 pm
@Joseph,
Unfortunately for fans of Arshavin, his weakneses – or rather, the weaknesses of the system if he plays there – outweigh the strengths. Wenger’s seems to have it in mind to use him more centrally if needed but two in central midfield seems out of the question.
Like or Dislike:
0 
1
[Reply]
Gennie Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 4:01 pm
@Arsenal Column, @Joseph and Califonia Gooner It is really good that you are not Arsene Wenger. Thanks Brain for your reply to these two. Why does Wenger no use Arshavin in he Cesc role? Why do you even ask? Asking the question connotes that you know better than Wenger! Really! Do you know more about the team personnel than Wenger? I will just say, please respect the man. If he is not using him in that position its because he knows his resources better than the keyboard managers. Arshavin can only in the position you are suggesting if you have two defensive midfielders behind him, which Arsenal have not been able to field. The rise of Frimpong and Coquelin in addition to Song could allow Wenger to give you your wishes. But as Brain has pointed out, at present the system used by Wenger, coupled with Arshavin’s weaknesses, makes it impossible to use him in the position he could benefit the team most.
Like or Dislike:
0 
1
[Reply]
Joseph Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 4:42 pm
@Gennie, First, let me point out that I’m a proud member of the “Arsene Knows” brigade and wasted a few afternoons this summer trying to convince supposed Arsenal fans and keyboard managers-extraordinare that (1) Wenger should not be fired, (2) things were not as horrible as pessimists made them out to be, (3) the management should be given the benefit of the doubt w/r/t transfers, and (4) that the team had a chance to do well this year. So I *do* respect Wenger; he’s the reason I started following Arsenal in the first place (as an American, I didn’t have a historical team but came to Arsenal right around when Adebayor joined) and I’m not sure who I’m more loyal to, really.
At the same time, I can’t say that I agree entirely with the sentiment you express here:
“Why does Wenger no use Arshavin in he Cesc role? Why do you even ask? Asking the question connotes that you know better than Wenger! Really! Do you know more about the team personnel than Wenger? I will just say, please respect the man. If he is not using him in that position its because he knows his resources better than the keyboard managers.”
As for the tactics aspect I’ll assert that the CAM in a 4213 formation is not necessarily “the Cesc role” as that position has been differently interpreted at Arsenal and other teams by different people. Nobody is going to fill that position the same way Cesc did, and that’s okay. Arshavin could fill that role a bit more like, say, Sneijder might, with more direct attacking threat.
As for the idea that in order to respect the manager we can never talk about how else we might line up the players: I completely and vehemently disagree. I’m happy to hear practical reasons why anything I suggest might be wrong (such as your assertion that putting Arshavin in as CAM would require both the CMs behind him to be CDMs in mentality, which might have some validity to it) bu to be summarily barred from formation- and selection- based speculation so as to not second-guess the manager is a bridge too far for me.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Also — with Gervinho playing high up the pitch and Walcott making diagonal runs as well — could we almost call this formation a 4-3-1-2 — something akin to what Roma play with Totti (RVP being our Totti)?
Like or Dislike:
2 
0
[Reply]
Joseph Reply:
October 28th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
@California Gooner, When Roma have been successful with Totti as the forward (especially under Spaletti) it’s because Totti drops deep and flummoxes the CBs, and then midfielders run into the space he’s vacated, and in that sense Arsenal are similar, as RVP can and does drop deep, and Gervinho, Arshavin and (especiall) Walcott can and do run past him into that space.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
[Reply]
I have a question about the analysis on Chamakh. You say he is trying to be more like a “target man” but wouldn’t that mean that he’s receiving the ball in more advanced areas by the route of crosses? Your Stoke graph shows him dropping back a lot more in the center of the pitch and not getting in the penalty box enough.
I think his failure this season has more to do with the fact that he’s not varying his positioning enough like he did at Birmingham, which is something you mentioned. He’s not working the channels enough, imo.
And one thing that these graphs can’t show is ‘passes attempted at Chamakh’ that would give us a better idea of his positioning. Instead we could possibly look at ‘passes attempted’ during the portion of the game before he was substituted.
Been a fan of this site for a long time.
I know it’s not a big deal for some people, but I’m loving how much more readable this newest article is. Please keep up the great work Mr. Christoff + Brain! You guys are starting to rival ZM in my book.
Speaking of which, if you could also post more clips and positional maps etc. that would make the articles infinitely better!
Also, please update more often if you can. Every article is a treat. Sadly the clippings section just doesn’t get updated as often as I thought it would. I understand that we all have our obligations – otherwise I would myself be writing about the games as well XD.
Like or Dislike:
2 
0
[Reply]
Joseph Reply:
October 28th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
@John, Thanks for your kind words – my part was minor, but it was a pleasure to collaborate on this, and hopefully there’ll be further collaborative efforts in the future.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Arsenal Column Reply:
October 29th, 2011 at 11:12 pm
Hi John,
I tweeted in pre-season that Chamakh is “primary link-man” which is probably a better term to describe him than a target man. He’s increasingly dropping deeper – which can help if there are runs beyond – but with the wide men playing high up, it’s not complementing them; we have enough players early on the build up. Van Persie says he’s had to adapt his game to be more packet like; Chamakh must re-find that part of his game.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
After the win against Barcelona I was convinced – and remain convinced to this day – that if the team wanted to stay together, we would have become by far the best in the world for the next 5-6 years.
That was how convincing our form was after the Chelsea game.
Like or Dislike:
3 
0
[Reply]
Joseph Reply:
October 28th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
@John, Yeah, it’s hard for me to have a lot of respect for Cesc, Nasri and Clichy after the way they left, when it seemed clear that this team were already good and could only get better.
Like or Dislike:
1 
2
[Reply]
California Gooner Reply:
October 30th, 2011 at 8:41 pm
@Joseph, Joseph, be real! Cesc left to go to his childhood team, which also represents his nation in the eyes of most of the world, play with his closest friends, and win everything, most likely. How hard is that to understand? Nasri, was offered triple his wages to go to a team that is building an unbelievable roster of talent. Neither decision seems strange to me, and we don’t have demonize either man for making the decision. I’m less clear about Clichy; in my mind he just stopped growing as a player a few years ago. So perhaps it was best for all sides that he move on.
Of course it would be nice if we could keep our team together. It’s essential! But either we’d have to re-imagine a world without large, subsidized clubs, or think that Arsenal can start paying superstar wages for superstars.
Like or Dislike:
3 
2
[Reply]
Joseph Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 4:58 pm
@California Gooner, I thought I was being real. I’m not demonizing anyone. My perspective with relation to Cesc Fabregas is that he was under contract for something like 4 or 5 further seasons; if he wanted to go to Barca, I would have offered him several possibilities:
1) he plays out most of his contract at a high standard, Barca offers a decent amount of money for him, and he goes there with a year left on his contract;
2) he plays out his contract, continuing to perform at a high standard, and then goes there for free when out of contract (he would still have been in his 20s, with plenty of time to see out a nice, long career with his childhood team);
3) he malingers or complains or refuses to play, and as a consequence he sits on the bench for the remainder of his contract, sill not getting to Barca a second sooner.
When you sign a contract, it’s binding. If he didn’t want to be tied to Arsenal for so long, he shouldn’t have signed. Once he did, Arsene should not have let him go. He was way more valuable than the 34 million euro fee Barca paid, but because he refused to go elsewhere he made it impossible for Arsenal to realize his full value. Selling him the way Arsenal did was stupid on Arsenal’s part, but how can I respect someone who signs a contract indicating they’ll stick around for several more years and then says, “actually, I changed my mind, sell me now to the team I want to play for or else”?
As for Nasri and Clichy, jeez. Here’s what Clichy said about people going to Man City in July 2009: “I really believe if you are a player who thinks only about money then you could end up at Manchester City. You have to think if you want to play for a big club and have your image or if you want to play for a good club and earn big money. ” So for him, moving there was extra-hypocritical. As for Nasri, I lost respect for him because he went from an improving team where he was basically a guaranteed starter to an galacticos team where he has to sit on the bench half the time. Who would exchange playing time on a team challenging for titles for bench time on a team where you and everyone else is there to get rich?
Like or Dislike:
1 
1
[Reply]
Great article. I love how Gervinho actively strives to draw defenders on to himself before passing the ball. He knows his technique is superior, and he likes to make space for his teammates in this way. Hopefully he’ll start banging in the goals on a regular basis.
Are you going to do a writeup for the Chelsea game?
Like or Dislike:
3 
0
[Reply]
California Gooner Reply:
October 30th, 2011 at 8:42 pm
@Mani, That is true. He kind of reminds me of Alex Hleb with end product (that terrible miss aside).
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Arsenal Column Reply:
November 1st, 2011 at 8:44 pm
@California Gooner, @mani,
Good points. I like the Hleb comparisons although he’s Hleb – but much quicker because he can tend to hold on to the ball for long and complicate things. His dynamism is what makes our game like Hleb’s ball retention did in the 07/08 version.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Oh, and much more readable than last time!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
good article, and something i’ve felt for a while.
Thatwhen gervinho gets up to speed he will be exactly what we need.
He offers us something different to Nasri, which is getting in behind the defence instead of playing infront of it.
So we now have an extra player wanting to get in behind the opposition defence we need the supply to continue.
I see Ramsey/Wilshere as the long term choice in midfield, with Song (or Arteta) behind them.
Which brings me onto my next point, and that is Alex Song and how frustrating i find him. What i really feel is that he doesn’t have the quality on the ball against the best teams, he is out of his depth, because he tries passes that he can’t execute. He would be a much beter player if he didn’t try so many risky passes, because he often loses it. He plays in the position where you need the highest % of passes completed, he basically needs to keep the ball more in my opinion.
Arteta’s pass rate must be very high as he never seems to give it away, and therefore i would like to ask the question, why he can’t fit into the holding role? Song also commits too many fouls per game in my opinion. Also i think Arteta could play there as he breaks up play well, maybe not as well as Song, but his positioning is arguably better.
Like or Dislike:
0 
1
[Reply]
Joseph Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 5:01 pm
@david seago, When you say “I see Ramsey/Wilshere as the long term choice in midfield” you seem to imply a duo when in fact the midfield for Arsenal is a trio – unless you think they should be the two CMs who play behind the CAM.
In any event, I think you’re too hard on Song. He’s quite good, and I’m not convinced that his passing is as poor as you say, but I don’t have the time to pull data and address the core of the matter.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
William Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 9:02 pm
@david seago,
Song has provided a lot of excellent through balls this season, IMO. The ball to Santos against Chelsea was terrific. The problem is that none of the other Arsenal midfielders seem comfortable attempting those long-range passes. I feel like Song’s also out of position a bit more this season because he’s been trying to add drive to the attack that we’re missing without Wilshere. He’s still excellent at breaking up attacks, and I don’t think Arteta has the strength to do so, but he’s looked better offensively this season and the faults that you point out are a consequence of Arsenal needing Song to provide the impetus that the other midfielders won’t/can’t.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
[Reply]
Arsenal Column Reply:
November 1st, 2011 at 8:38 pm
@david seago, I like the idea of Arteta playing deeper but that doesn’t mean Song has to go; he can play a Gatusso/Khedira-type harrying role a bit higher up. He needs to stay in the team, though, because he’s the best defensively in midfield.
Saying that, I like the ambiguity this midfield three has and Arteta and Song alternating is a good ploy. It’s slightly necessary also, because no one is yet comfortable playing through-passes as Song – Ramsey is getting better however – but as @William says, it’s his drive, though, that we require most.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
[Reply]
[...] when in possession while Gervinho and Theo Walcott were the perfect foils for Robin van Persie. Arséne Wenger is willing to keep his three forwards up the pitch in order to make Arsenal more dyna… and while it may leave them defensively exposed at times, it can make them devastating at times. [...]
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[...] Arsenal have changed their style but that has also been the story of Arsenal this year. Each time Wenger has implemented a series of tactical and strategic changes to their play, van Persie has adap…. Borussia Dormund coach, Jurgen Klopp, says he finds it amazing that a player who plays so deep in [...]
Like or Dislike:
0 
0