Last season, Arsenal Women faced challenges in fully executing their game due to a series of injuries. Looking ahead, there is optimism that Jonas Eidevall will have a largely fit squad, benefitting from the return of players like Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema from injury.
Additionally, the team has seen valuable summer acquisitions in Alessia Russo, Cloe Lacasse, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Amanda Ilestedt, and Laia Codina, enhancing the squad’s quality and depth.
With the absence of Champions League football, Arsenal Women’s primary focus will be on clinching the WSL title, aiming to succeed after at least four previous failed attempts.
Boasting a high-caliber squad, Eidevall has the flexibility to employ various tactics, fostering unpredictability and extracting the best performances from his players.
If we were to offer advice to the Arsenal boss I would suggest considering the inverted fullback tactic like Arteta employs with the Arsenal men. This strategic approach involves a fullback shifting towards the midfield during possession to create an overload, enabling more attacking-minded players to excel in their strengths in going forward!
Katie McCabe stands out as a strong candidate for this system; her adaptability and technical prowess make her well-suited for the role of an inverted left back. In addition to McCabe, Noelle Maritz could also flourish in this position as an inverted right back. In the World Cup, she demonstrated her proficiency as a left-wing back for Switzerland, suggesting she could comfortably transition to midfield when the team is in possession. As these two players drift towards midfield, new addition Kyra Cooney-Cross could receive support and gradually establish herself in Arsenal’s central midfield, without undue pressure. This could lead to a reduction in the team’s reliance on Kim Little.
Few WSL teams have the luxury of having two fullback options capable of functioning as inverted fullbacks. Eidevall can capitalize on this unique advantage. This could become an iconic aspect of Arsenal’s style, aligning both the men’s and women’s teams in their tactical approach, and will hopefully see them both finally regain their League titles.
Michelle Maxwell
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It’s sad that we aren’t in Champions League but the ladies can concentrate on WSL. Maybe should try Arteta tactics but that’s up to the coach
COYG
What’s this all about?
The trouble with the inverted full back tactic to overload the midfield is that with a quick counter attack by the opposition, we are susceptible to being undermined (or under womaned) on the flanks, as the men have found out.