My light shines on Arsenal

Chapter 37 Marseille Experiment ([-])

Jurgen Klopp's youthful storm in Dortmund is indeed a new trend in European football.

In this era when the whole of Europe is amazed at Barcelona's tiki-taka style of play under Guardiola, Spanish pass control has become the "version answer" in recent years.

And Klopp, the bearded man who joined Dortmund in 2009, looked like a rude rock star, but led the Dortmund youth army to play passionate football like rock music, which also attracted a new round of attention from the European football community.

France is not far from Germany. As a professional coach of a French team, Didier Deschamps also has a good sense of the new tactics in European football.

No coach will dismiss Klopp's style of play, but Klopp's tactics are by no means as easy to copy as they seem on paper.

According to Deschamps, the Champions League group stage is also a good place to experiment with pressing style.

Regardless of whether Deschamps is good at this strategy or not, the Marseille coach, who is a bit proud in front of the younger generation, waved his hand, making Marseille's players preconditions, and began to oppress Arsenal's frontcourt.

This coincided with Chen Yao's thoughts.

Before the match against Dortmund, he was also eager to test the current Arsenal's ability to deal with pressure.

Of course he can choose to turn the team into a team with big feet, high pressure?I drive the ball straight up the field, what can you press?
But this way of playing the ball like a clearance is tantamount to giving the ball directly to the opponent.

If you want to control the situation on the court and pursue victory, the only way to deal with high-position pressure is to start a contest with the opponent from the backcourt, use well-designed short passes on the ground, and dismantle the opponent's press.

Marseille's formation is 4-3-3, with three forwards Jordan Ayew, Andrew Ayew and Loic Remy forming Marseille's first pressing line.

Arsenal's central defender combination is Vermaelen and Julu. Obviously, the main goal is the Belgian Thomas Vermaelen. His skills are good and he is the starting point for advancement.

Remy ran towards Vermaelen in an arc, covering the line of Vermaelen's pass to Verratti.

The significance of this move is to force Vermaelen to pass the ball to Julu, who does not have the ability to handle the ball in the backcourt.

Jordan Ayew pressed on Julu, the second step in the system of oppression.

Julu is the weakness in the ball-out link. When Jordan Ayew made the grab, Julu lacked a solution and could only pass back to the goalkeeper.

At this time, Jordan Ayew and Loic Remy will pinch the goalkeeper Szczesny like the two sides of a pair of pliers-there is no doubt that the Polish goalkeeper does not have delicate foot skills at present, and in the future There is no sign of the popular goalkeeper who hits the ball...

This is Marseille's primitive high-position press. Since European football has not yet begun to cultivate the technical abilities of the goalkeeper-defender line at this time, it is not difficult to choke the opponent's ball.

Didier Deschamps watched the players' performance with great anticipation.The reason why he, who has always been conservative and prudent, suddenly took such a risk at the Emirates Stadium is not only because he judges that the Champions League group stage is a low-cost tactical test field, but also because he has some confidence in his oppression strategy.

Marseille's players pressed according to his plan.

Remy cut off the line of Vermaelen's forward pass, and Vermaelen paused, without risking a dribble, and crossed Julu.

After taking the ball, Zhulu was in a hurry, facing Jordan Ayew who rushed forward, and quickly returned the ball to Szczesny.

After Szczesny took the ball, he split the side without hesitation-there is Carvajal's position.

And Marseille's No.3 striker, Andrew Ayew, has blocked Carvajal's receiving line.

The stocky Carvajal struggled to get in position and decisively kicked the ball over the touchline.

Deschamps applauded with satisfaction on the sidelines, and he did not hesitate to express his satisfaction to the players.

A textbook-like high-position press directly destroyed Arsenal's offensive launch in the backcourt.

Klopp sincerely does not deceive me.

Chen Yao didn't have any expression fluctuations, he calmly made a few gestures to the players, calm and relaxed.

Marseille's sideline ball did not pose much threat. After Carvajal intercepted the ball and returned it to Vermaelen, it seemed that Arsenal wanted to reorganize the ball.

Marseille still used their usual pressing routine, with three forwards blocking the ball and forcing it into a position that was difficult for Arsenal players to handle.

Loic Remy continued to run towards Vermaelen in an arc. He glanced back from the corner of his eye. Verratti's receiving line was blocked by himself. If Vermaelen gave it to Jorginho, Jorginho would also Will face the pressing of Balbuena, who is raised in the midfield.

But Vermaelen still passed the ball - Remi was stunned, who is this ball for?
He looked back, and it was the left back Kieran Gibbs who caught the ball.

Left back?

Remy looked to the left again, only to see Vermaelen filling the gap to the left without haste.

As for Gibbs' current position, it's astonishingly... a midfielder?
The current Arsenal is equivalent to a position of three midfielders.

The numerical superiority in midfield meant that Marseille's press was likely to fail.

Balbuena immediately gave up Jorginho and went up to grab Gibbs.This is part of the tactics: the logic of the high press is different from that of the zone defense, and it is necessary to always pay attention to the change of the ball holder.

And Gibbs... dribbled the ball past Balbuena, pulled it horizontally, and stuffed the ball to Verratti who was pressing forward.

Chen Yao smiled on the sidelines. Gibbs' skills and passing vision are qualities that a midfielder should show.But I'm afraid not many people know that in the youth team era, Gibbs actually showed the potential of a defensive midfielder...

It can even be said that Gibbs has never found the rhythm to release his talents on the wing.

This also makes him more and more mediocre. He has speed, but almost only speed.

Gibbs has never figured out what his positioning is.

In order to succeed Clichy that year, Gibbs turned to training the wing position, which may be a regret in his career.

But now, Chen Yao's use of Gibbs gave Gibbs, who looked like Chamberlain, a new space.

When I was young, I played as a midfielder, so now I can make a cameo...

Then there was the situation that Marseille encountered: the left back Gibbs emptied the left and received a response from the center, so Arsenal had three receiving points on the midfielder line, which broke Marseille's siege.

After Gibbs got the ball, Verratti started to move, breaking the parallel position and gaining a better angle to receive the ball.

After that, it was their familiar cooperation.

Relying on his advantage of low center of gravity and good technique, Verratti rushed forward. Carvajal on the right also started speeding, and Chamberlain in front was also ready to start...

Arsenal's right wing took off again, and Marseille's center of gravity was still pressing in the frontcourt, and the space in the backcourt was flat.

Deschamps cursed something, he knew that the next scene would not be very good.

(End of this chapter)