North London is RED
I've been 'on holiday' this week, in other words I've not opened my work laptop, which means this is late. But I am offering an absolute corker of a thirst trap so itโll have been worth the wait ๐
The Week In Ball
NORTH LONDON IS RED!
Not only did the men's team beat Tottenham in the league on Sunday but the women's team did the same on Wednesday in the Women's FA Cup.
As an Arsenal fan it was such a glorious day. I spent all week before the NLD (North London Derby) feeling sick as a pig [TM Mark Noble] and yelling 'NO!' at the TV whenever it was trailed, I'm almost never confident, despite many people saying this was the best time to play Tottenham but even with that level of pessimism I'd have still been gutted if we'd lost. That wasn't to be though! It was a barnstorming performance, everyone was together and on form and more importantly wanted it. There are plenty of other resources who'll go into the intracacies of the tactics but for my money the stand-out performers were my amazing Norwegian son Martin Odegaard and (brand) new signing Tomiyasu.
Elsewhere there were a lot of draws, including Brentford really coming at Liverpool. I like Brentford a lot, they have some great players, no fear and Thomas Frank is a lot of fun and has a really great line in fine knit jumpers.
Manchester City found a way to break down and suffocate the Chelsea press and came out 1-0 winners of what was frankly a fairly dull game. Chelsea were missing Mason Mount and it showed and Tuchel was unable to make the kind of changes he did at the break during the Spurs match where they came out a different team.
Finally in the Premier League I think it would be churlish not the mention two Midland milestones. Firstly, Wolves got their first win with an incredible and emotional goal by Raul Jimenez but perhaps more significantly, Aston Villa beat Manchester United after Bruno Fernandes skyed his penalty following some utterly glorious shithousing by Emi Martinez.
Seeing Emi flourish both for Argentina and Villa, having stormed the end of the 19/20 season, finally, for Arsenal, is a truly beautiful thing. Not as beautiful as his twerking though, which I simply cannot get out of my head...
I'm going to leave the European leagues in the main, however it should be mentioned that Sarri came out on top in the Former Chelsea Managers and indeed the actual Rome derby between Lazio and Jose Mourinho's Roma. Sarri held what I can only assume is the team eagle afterwards which should rate among one of the more bizarre sights in football yet somehow doesn't.
Before I go a quick swing around the Champions League. My German boys Dortmund won in Turkey, having lost and had a player sent off on Saturday, so that was good and elsewhere Liverpool thumped Porto, United got a super lucky last minute winner from Him, after a great first goal for the club by the sexy af Alex Telles and Chelsea were outthought, again, after City, by out of form Juventus.
Perhaps the biggest news of the gameweek was sometime draught excluder Lionel Messi getting his first goal for PSG against Manchester City in what can only be described as the Sportswashing Derby.
Kick Off
Having written much about the numbered positions held by footballers itโs time to move on to some of the formations and tactics used in the game.
This is an area I find a mystery. I can watch as many MNF breakdowns on the big iPad by Nev and Carra as you like but I still find seeing a shape and understanding what the advantages and disadvantages to โa threeโ or โno recognised strikerโ are.
That was until I had something of a breakthrough watching Finland during the Euros. Maybe it was the camera angle in the ground or maybe theyโre just extremely well disciplined but Iโd never before notice a team who so rigidly stuck to such an obvious shape before. It was so clear to see and to watch them almost move as one like rows of Fuรball players.
So to begin this part of our journey into understanding (whatever the fuck that means lol) I want to start with one of the most classic, most maligned yet perhaps most successful formations: the 4-4-2.
The 4-4-2 is, these days, seen as old fashioned and basic compared to some of the more complex formations a team could employ, perhaps because itโs seen as so quintessentially British. Weโll get to it later of course but I can remember that when I was a teenager the diamond formation was all the rage, and that was back in the 90s, which goes to show just how long-standing the 4-4-2 is.
What the 4-4-2 can give you is width and the ability to stretch teams playing in a more narrow formation. If you have well disciplined wide players who can put crosses into the attackers you have the chance to press high and score goals.
What it gives however, it also takes away. A narrow team, or one playing three central midfielders, playing a wide team can find space in the centre of the pitch leaving the central midfielders of the 4-4-2 exposed. Itโs important for the wingers to provide decent defence in this set up to avoid defensive frailties. The formation is also extremely rigid and predictable and its length of use means many many ways to get around it have been tried and tested.
Itโs certainly not a system to be ignored and often a team under pressure will revert to the comfort and familiarity of it during a game, but it is also one with limited use in the modern game, especially if you want to be a exciting, creative side.
The Offside Thirst Trap
I accidentally stumbled upon the fact it was this beast of a thirst trap's birthday today (30th) and was amazed to find I hadn't yet included him in this section.
Friends, it is of course Big Sexy* himself, Olivier Giroud, a man to whom no person is immune. You may think eh, sure he's traditionally hot but he's not for me, but I defy you to see him on the touchline, waiting to be subbed on (as is so often the case these days and seemed to be his role during his Chelsea days), smouldering with that beard and those eyes, that tan and those tattoos. And he's French and he sounds like this
He really is the complete package.
*โBig Sexyโ coined by essential Twitter follow Nigerianscamsss
Football 'eritage
I've already spoken at length about the North London Derby, a historic and well loved derby. But as you know there are many many other derbies, Merseyside, Manchester, Revierderby, der Klassiker, El Classico, I could go on.
However there's a pretender to the throne, a new kid on the block, a derby of which many would say in a Janet from the Good Place voice 'not a derby' and that derby is the M23 Derby between Brighton and Crystal Palace.
Of course, egged on by Sky who like to big up even the smallest hint of animosity between teams, the derby has become a sort of 'thing' but it's still a strange one.
The Wikipedia article on it gives a lot of good information, including details of how it originated in the 70s, encouraged by hot weather and alcohol. It seems, essentially, to be an excuse to get shitfaced and have a fight, which of course can be argued about many people attending football matches.
Anyway, accept it as a derby or don't, it remains one of those delicious quirks of football that make it so interesting.
Kit Bag
Not much to report in the world of kits this week so instead, as alluded to earlier, let's celebrate Thomas Frank's fine knit grey scale jumpers. They look so soft and I bet he gives good hugs too so a 10/10 all round for me!
Extra Time
My recommendation for this week is this excoriating attack on referee culture by one of its own, Mark Clattenburg. He has since disgraced himself with his comments on women referees (and he is a former cop) but that aside it's a fun and gossipy read.
For comments, clarifications, questions or corrections drop me a line at thewayutalkaboutball@gmail.com
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