What’s Arsenal Women’s best defence?
Arsenal Women have had a somewhat shaky start to their season, we were very early knocked out of The Champions League by Paris Fc, then beaten on the opening day 1-0 by Liverpool, just managing to pinch a point in the 2-2 draw against Manchester United. The late come-back win against Aston Villa would have brought a huge sense of relief around the Arsenal Women’s squad and hopefully some newfound confidence going forward.
For me personally, our main concern would be our defence, that’s not me saying they aren’t doing a good job, but I think that’s a lot of variables to consider when talking about our defence this season. A lot of new faces have been brought in throughout the squad and it takes time to get to know each other’s movements and patterns and I’m sure the further into the season we go, the better we will become, but for now, conceding early has become a problem and I think that if Jonas Eidevall wants to stop that, there must be some consistency.
The manager can be forgiven at the moment and most Arsenal Women’s fans will understand that he is chopping and changing things, to try figure out his best options and who can understand the system he wants to play. But, when it comes to defence, the best way to go forward would be to stick with the same women to start and get everybody used to each other. Eidevall is known to switch up his formations depending on the opponents and that’s what a good manager does but with so many new faces, there needs to be consistency so that the player’s can predict each other’s next move better.
Personally, I think we look best with a back four, using both the fullbacks in a somewhat inverted role, dropping into the midfield when in attack but dropping back into the back line while trying to defend. Katie McCabe is incredible at this, it almost looks like second nature to her and with the same amount of threat when she’s attacking as well as defending, for me, she is the foundation of the backline. Noelle Martiz is also very good at this role on the right side and with both options to go forward and drop back when needed, it gives us that extra power in attack and defence.
For the centre-back positions you could throw a few names in there, and while Leah Williamson is still absent from the squad due to injury, Amanda Ilestedt and Lotte Wubben-Moy would be my picks from the middle of defence. Wubben-Moy is very experienced and brings a calmness to the back line, whereas Ilestedt vison and movements forward, brings a lot of depth to the squad and both look to be gelling well together already.
We really need to get our defence looking stronger and more together.
What’s your thoughts Gooners?
Daisy Mae
Michelle Maxwell
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Lotte is getting better with every game. Illestedt hasn’t hit anywhere near her best. Laia Codina hasn’t yet bean give a chance.
Beats need to be brought in to do a specific job.
But what the defence, especially the centrebacks, need is a leader. It may not be in Lotte’s nature to do that, but she’s going to have to, especially the because the talented illestedt is often in the wrong place, and needs to be shouted to by a leader when that is the case.
Once illestedt finds her feet, that paring will work -until leah comes back. I want to see Codina given a chance…I’m assuming that’s because she’s not up to arsenal levels of fitness yet.
Codina if fit must start , good enough for World Champions. Amanda also, but must know her job, up for corners but a defender first. Lotte,s fine but needs to take care when playing out from the back.
Depends on who we are playing against 3 or 4.
Is there a world class goalkeeper available in January?
Two defenders on the posts from set pieces, from there they can attack the ball instead of chasing the opposition around the 18yd box
Our team should deffend together to make it easy to the newcomersg. We’ve a good squad though. The coach must see what will make us tight in the first menutes of the matches.