Making A Case For The Arsenal Defence

Arsenal's defence have been subject to heavy criticism in recent years. But it's never been an area in which I feel that we've had a marquee name or a figurehead in whom we look to for inspiration. Sure, there have been significant departures from the back four, but they aren't ones which make you want break down and cry (Cesc) or ones that leave you chucking your remote at the TV every time they score for a club that you once so closely contested for the championship (RVP).

To name a few that haven't quite had the same sorts effects on us; Gael Clichy, Emmanuel Eboue, William Gallas, Armand Traore. These players have all left in the past three years. And in all honesty it hasn't taken an awful lot to heal the damage these departures caused. Thomas Vermaelen was brought in in the summer of 2009, Laurent Koscielny was brought in the following summer, and Per Mertesacker followed them in the summer of 2011. To me, these three central defenders are very astute and in some areas of their game have superb ability, and three I believe have very good potential to be the core of the Arsenal defence in years to come.

Unfortunately, I can't say my personal opinion on them mirrors their sometimes woeful performances on the field. But why is this? Surely they can't all be that bad when we've sat here time after time and praised them endlessly after tireless defensive performances?

I think there are many reasons as to why our defence can be made to look so comical by the most average of attacking units. One problem I'm beginning to witness furthermore watching us this season is the lack of protection both full-backs get. Bacary Sagna has come under a vast storm of vociferous abuse in the past few months, mainly for a string of lacklustre performances and incompetent errors. It seems that this abuse has only spawned because its so uncharacteristic of Sagna to make such a vast number of errors in such a short space of time. I think he's at fault for a few lapses of concentration throughout the season, and he hasn't seemed his usual self. But, on the flip side I don't think Theo Walcott offers him much, if any, help in covering his full back and doing some of the donkey work that being a conventional Premier Legaue right winger requires. Theo seems to have taken up this new inside forward position, which leads him to drift more into the centre and act more as a foil to Giroud rather than a provider from the wings. Although it has triggered a positive effect on Theo's game, it does leave Sagna somewhat more isolated than ever before.

I don't think it's just Sagna that is isolated either. Lukas Podolski is certainly a 'pick 'n' mix' player when it comes to wanting to do the donkey work on the left. In some games, especially ones at the start of the campaign, it seemed Podolski was almost a second left back. But unfortunately, this work rate he seemed to have in abundance at the beginning of the season has to seemed to have decreased, which poses an indicative problem for who ever is playing left back on the day. It certainly becomes more cogent when Gibbs is playing as he appears to be more propulsive compared to Monreal, who seems more balanced between defence and attack.

But the central point remains that both full-backs don't receive enough protection from the wide-men. Some of it is to do with personnel, some of it is to do with the formation. But I feel it's a very significant problem as to why the full-backs looks so out of their depth at times, and why it could be detrimental to their partnership with the other defenders in the back four.

Another problem seems to be not just the amount of protection the full-backs get, but also the amount, or lack of, protection that the central defenders get as well. The way our midfield works is that we have one designated holder, which means more responsibility is pinned on that one individual to endeavor in many difficult tasks throughout the game. Rather than the responsibility be shared, which I believe it should be, Mikel Arteta is that designated player this season. It appears to many that he is working very hard in that role and showing great discipline in a position that's not natural to him. As much as I love Arteta's commitment to the cause, it seems that this role asks too much of him at times. He constantly finds himself having to cover both full-backs when they attack or overlap the appropriate winger, and he often has to stand off the opponent when we are outnumbered against the other team on the break. This invites more players in the other teams into the game, and invites them into midfield more frequently to influence play as the two other midfielders are missing. Unfortunately, I look at Arteta each week now and it's him that takes responsibility and attempts to conquer what is not conquerable, which can often be three opposition midfielders against himself. This lack of protection leaves the back 4 exposed.

In some teams, this problem doesn't seem to exist. Even teams with a two man midfield finds it in themselves to get up and down the field and combat the opposition midfield, even if they're outnumbered. In some cases, you can't even get near the other teams back 4 due to some teams being so watertight in midfield. Bayern Munich being a prime example of this, mind you they're Bayern Munich, after all. Sometimes it won't even matter who's playing at the back, the same problem leads to them being exposed time after time because the midfield isn't doing their job either. Wilshere is playing a box-to-box role which he is perfecting each week, his quite simply amazing work rate doesn't mirror the gaps that are left in between the lines though. It sometimes feels like Arteta is against the world, then after that, the inevitable panic sets in.

In the early stages of this season, we seemed to have cracked a lucrative formula which involved the team moving up and down the field as one whole unit. When we attacked, we did so in numbers and the midfield would get involved to contribute to almost every attack. The defence would be well positioned (with cover) on the halfway line, ready to combat any source of a counter attack. We were fantastically well-organised and seemed to have the formation locked into place to formulate a number of decent performances. This, unforgettably, faded out over the course of the season.

In my opinion the six in front of the defence have been at fault for making them look out of their depths. I don't think the defence have been out of its depth this season, it seems like there has been a massive improvement and especially from set pieces. Initially bringing Jenkinson in at right-back asked a huge amount for someone of his inexperience, Kieran Gibbs has also come on leaps and bounds since being a permanent fixture in the side, it's just a shame his legs are made of paper.

The main point of writing this was to highlight why the Arsenal defence isn't always at fault for conceding, it feels like I'm missing the point when that's the defence's job, but I feel there are fundamental problems in front of the back four which lead to the back four looking out of their depth, which I don't think they are. I think the crop of defenders we have are enough to progress as a side, although I don't think anyone would object to signing a new right-back as it seems Sagna is on his way out, unless you're the president of the Carl Jenkinson fan club.

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