Laurent Koscielny says that playing with three centre-halves and two wing backs makes Arsenal a stronger outfit defensively.
Arsene Wenger made the change towards the end of last season, and has stuck with it, although he has switched to a back four during certain games.
It’s often referred to as a ‘three at the back’ system, and while the French international describes it in that way, he also says they’re playing with five defenders, thus making the team more solid from a defensive point of view.
“It’s very different as a new system for us,” he said. “It worked very well during pre-season because we had time to prepare for it, to know what we want to do on the pitch together for the offensive and defensive jobs.
“We know the system well and when we have possession we have a lot of players forward because we are very stretched in the back three and we have a lot of solutions going forward.
“Defensively everyone does their job and we are more aligned with five players. We are stronger.”
Some point to the fact Arsenal have conceded more goals and goal-scoring opportunities with the back three, but Koscielny insists the team as a whole must be more willing to do what it takes to improve that record.
“We conceded some goals in two or three games but it’s not just about the back three,” he continued.
“It was more general in terms of the defensive job of the team. So that’s why when you have your striker who when they lose the ball they do the first run to pressure our opponent, after for the players who are behind it’s much easier to have the ball and to play forward again.”
“After the defeat at Liverpool, we changed a lot of things and we could see that against Bournemouth and at Chelsea, too.
“We need to keep this for the other games we will have because, if we keep the same mentality, we can have some good results.”
Let’s hope it works well tonight against West Brom.
Surprised that we’ve conceded more since switching to back 3.
Feels like we’re much more in control of our games … Maybe that’s just because we don’t have to see Kosh and co. tearing it back towards our own goal anymore.
Iron helps us play
Less talk Kos. We’re already lagging behind city and manure. Anything less than a win will be a massive massive setback for us.
If all Arsenal players have negative mindset right before the game like what u are trying to promote here, I dont know what to say man
I’d prefer if you’d take the advice you urged on kos.
Always dangerous to take one singular (albeit significant) attribute and make it “true for everything”. We’ve conceded more, but also played with different people in different (and sometimes baffling) positions. There’s obviously much more to our defensive record than just what formation we play – which is what I hear Koscielny saying too. It’s always impossible to just say “well, if we had played a 4-4-2” or “if this or that player (Özil) had been playing (against Chelsea) we would have won”. If it was that easy… I think it’s obvious that our midfield has a *lot* to do with… Read more »
Agree. When both WB are attacking at the flank, CM will need to cover the back 3. But if one CM leaving the midfield open,will leave the back 3 exposed. Our capt needs to make sure the positional discipline among the CM & WB. Would like to see more of Kos shouting & yelling captaining the ship..coyg
Let’s get at it right from the start no dinky dinking left to right and back again,got to keep that team attitude from the last game. Coyg
The key is to keep our defensive discipline even against teams outside the top six.
Too many times, we have approached the games with an attitude that we just need to get on the pitch to win but end up dropping points.
Is it me or does Holding look like a young Kos in the photo there?
Well put.
Systems don’t make strong defences; strong, resolute, never-say-die defenders do.
We’ve seen back fours (like Juventus) that are almost impregnable and back threes – Chelsea last season – too.
It is the personnel for me.