Will Chamakh’s arrival herald a switch to 4-4-2?
Add comment May 17th, 2010
Apologies for my absence over the past few days. I’ve been kept in bed with a chest infection, which has been about as much fun as catching practise with Lukasz Fabianski and Manuel Almunia. Speaking of our error-prone keepers, David Seaman reckons Arsene will stick with them this summer. There seems to be a growing groundswell of opinion among some pundits that Arsene won’t buy a goalkeeper in this transfer window. I don’t know what to say other than to hope that the pundits, as so often, are wrong.
Something I’ve been pondering from my sick-bed is what the imminent arrival of Marouane Chamakh might do to the shape of the team. Chamakh is a Champions League starter who won’t be content just to sit on the bench, yet the central striking birth seems to belong to Robin van Persie. Arsene has demonstrated an unwillingness to play Robin in either of the wide roles, so one wonders if one some occasions next season Arsene will return to the 4-4-2 formation that dominated his first decade in charge.
4-3-3 has been beneficial in some respects – it has liberated Cesc Fabregas and allowed us to control the central midfield space in a way we have struggled to do since the departure of Patrick Vieira. However, it has left our full-backs exposed and there are questions over the defensive viability of the system. Personally, I am a fan of the formation and would continue with one central striker, but I find it hard to believe that Chamakh is being signed simply to be a substitute.
Perhaps Arsene is simply being pragmatic and recognises that Robin is likely to spend a large amount of time on a sickbed.
A bit like me, really. Better get back to it. Bleurgh.
