After the dismal beginning to Arsenal’s season, speculation begins to grow as to whether Arsène Wenger’s playing style and tactics are ‘dry’ and ‘stale’. A gigantic uproar awakening all social media users erupted this week as the ‘Wenger Out Brigade, also known as the WOB’ demanded a new boss with a brand new style. It’s unfair to dismiss Arsène, the man who revolutionised the famous Arsenal, but our attention today turns to an energetic, young man who may well be favourite to dispossess the Frenchman. He goes by the name of Jürgen Klopp.
Klopp has certainly found his name at Dortmund within the last few seasons. A new man on the scene in the season of 2008-09 he joined the German side and immediately showed signs of brilliance. He’s a boss who has won titles, giving him the experience at the top level at the age of 47. A young coach in terms of the modern game, he exerts an enthusiastic and eccentric style of play, whilst his passionate performances on the touchline grab the fans’ eye. There’s no denying that he would bring some bite to Arsenal Football Club, something we’ve certainly been missing.
Tactics and Playing Style
His vibrant personality is matched by his erotic playing style, a new tactic he created himself. Gengenpressing is the name that it goes by. To put it simply, Jürgen Klopp instructs his team to play a full pace game for 90 minutes as if they were one goal down in a cup final! Something that would change when being appointed would be this implemented style, a style that Arsenal haven’t deployed since The Invincibles. Arsenal currently look like they play their best football when they’re behind in the last ten minutes, but this new characteristic would soon be introduced under Klopp. We would expect an instruction from the German to the players that when losing the ball, the players must swarm the opponents in two’s and three’s in order to give the other side no time on the ball regardless of the position or location on the pitch. With this daring and high energy game-plan, players like Ramsey and Wilshere would flourish under the boss.
He likes to counter-attack too, demonstrated when destroying Real Madrid in Dortmund’s impressive push to the Champions League final in 2013. Arsenal, known for their tika-taka style, recently labelled as ‘useless’ by inventor Pep Guardiola, would be looking to scrap their famous ways, especially as Jürgen Klopp describes every goal as ‘important’ and when attacking it is ‘needless for a sideways pass’. He would certainly adapt to our opponents and submit an enticing game-plan to each game no matter who we are playing. Arsenal would finally be playing forwards, and with Mesut Özil thriving in the style of transitional play maybe we would finally see the £42.5 million price tag come to light. Mesut certainly reacts best when he has just seconds to think, usually playing a defence-splitting pass in an instant moment of genius, certainly opposed to his lack of ability to open up a structured, sat-back defence.
This style of play is similar to that of the 2003/04 Arsenal side, who went forward with force, drive and pace in order for each player to contribute to their skill-sets. Klopp certainly likes his teams to find space in behind, overwhelm his opponent with bodies and certainly bring out the play-maker’s duties. With Alexis, Theo and Welbeck making the combative three in front of Mesut… well Klopp needn’t say anything to them, goals would not stop coming, and coming and coming…
The player’s insight and potential signings:
As aforementioned, the attacking options we have are perfect for the German’s gengenpressing system, especially the little Chilean who works from by-line to by-line in every minute of the game. But it would be Ramsey and Wilshere to benefit most in this newly introduced structure. They have struggled to play well together but with the traits of pressing, energetic ball-swarming and ability to defend and push-forward it may work wonders. It’s been highlighted through the combination of Bender and Gundogan before in his side, both hard workers who play box-to-box and add dynamism to the team’s performance.
Mesut Özil would certainly appear in every game there is no denying. Klopp is very fond of the play-maker, and his decision to play Kagawa just behind the striker has seemed to surprise many, an idea that may excite Arsenal fans when playing Mesut there. He would be able to influence the game, and not be dismissed for his lack of desire to defend. Bergkamp-esque? Well you never know…
Klopp is almost seen as the ‘cool-dad’ figure to his team, and as a great mentor he also campaigns for youth within his sides. Bellerin and Chambers would be guaranteed game-time in order to become the world-beaters they are meant to be. And as for signings, well we seem to be lacking a defensive presence within our squad and have done ever since Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva departed, really. His passion to gamble on young, high-potential players may see the arrival of power-house William Carvalho, a recent Arsenal target, and his lust for German talent could see him try and snap up Sami Khedira on a free when his contract expires in the summer. Finally, of course all Arsenal fans would be thinking this, but his close relationship to Mats Hummels, Marco Reus and Matthias Ginter is something worth noting… Maybe they could be influenced to join allegiances with Klopp once more.
How we would line-up:
The way I picture Jürgen Klopp’s Arsenal may be different to yours, so please feel free to let us know! The 4-1-4-1 seems to be hopeless this campaign and is certainly beginning to tire the Arsenal faithful. I see the introduction to his famous 4-4-1-1 system most appropriate, a little closer to the 4-2-3-1 that saw us compete last season. This is a system last used by Arsène Wenger when we completed the season without a loss, and this is how it may look:
Goalkeeper: Wojeich Szczesny
Defenders: Mathieu Debuchy, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs
Centre Midfield: Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey (both alternating the defensive duties)
Right Midfield: Theo Walcott – Left Midfield: Alexis Sanchez
Second Striker: Mesut Özil
Striker: Danny Welbeck.
MORE: This is how Pep Guardiola’s Arsenal would look
Combined with pace, power and creativity, this energetic and young squad would be able to complete on all fronts with a few of Jürgen’s magical additions and tactics. A sound replacement he looks to be, so when the time comes, will he be called upon to lead Arsenal to glory once more?