DaPrince84
24 Oct 2007, 08:53 PM
http://www.insidearsenal.co.uk/?p=986
Having played on the right hand side for the majority of his Arsenal career, linking up with the marauding Eboue (and now Sagna), it is clear that at his most effective Hleb plays best in the half-striker role. During Arsenal’s unbeaten season, Hleb played in the hole for Stuttgart, in a run of games which saw them defeat Manchester United, but as momentum dissipated, he was shunted out to his old role on the left, with Coach Felix Magath in favour of Hakan Yakin, which ironically is where some of his best Arsenal performances have come from. With Wenger experimenting with a more possession based 4-5-1 rather than the 4-5-1, successful in Europe in 2005/6 with runners from midfield supporting Henry, this new style was less direct but more efficient in unlocking defensive teams and in retaining the ball against giants such as Inter. Qualms that remain that in this free roaming role, he may inhibit areas usually covered by Fabregas and now, Flamini.
Having played on the right hand side for the majority of his Arsenal career, linking up with the marauding Eboue (and now Sagna), it is clear that at his most effective Hleb plays best in the half-striker role. During Arsenal’s unbeaten season, Hleb played in the hole for Stuttgart, in a run of games which saw them defeat Manchester United, but as momentum dissipated, he was shunted out to his old role on the left, with Coach Felix Magath in favour of Hakan Yakin, which ironically is where some of his best Arsenal performances have come from. With Wenger experimenting with a more possession based 4-5-1 rather than the 4-5-1, successful in Europe in 2005/6 with runners from midfield supporting Henry, this new style was less direct but more efficient in unlocking defensive teams and in retaining the ball against giants such as Inter. Qualms that remain that in this free roaming role, he may inhibit areas usually covered by Fabregas and now, Flamini.