Buchan, James, Neil & Jack (Chapman's Arsenal)

Cisarro · May 26, 2015

Hi People:

I would like to know something about some players in the Chapman's Arsenal (Charlie Buchan, Andrew Neil, alex James and David Jack). But first at all I would like to quote our friend RoyOfTheRovers:

The appropriately named "deep-lying"- or "roving"-type of I-Fs were true midfield "conductors" who tended to drop back quite deep and really "run the show"for their side: the nearest equivalent today would probably be a creative "box-2-box" central midfielder. The player that made this position famous was Arsenal and Scotland's very own Alex James and it was also filled by both Raich Carter and Johnny Haynes, especially in their younger playing years.

Generally further up the pitch were the "orthodox"-types of inside-forward: they were looked toward being more involved in the direct set-up of goals/scoring chances, had less defensive duties, etc. A more modern positional equivalent might be something like a hybrid between a withdrawn creative forward and an AM. Famous players who often filled this role included Peter Broadbent, Wilf Mannion, etc.
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According that I have read about Chapman's Arsenal, I want to ask...

1) When Charlie Buchan and Andrew Neil played together as inside-forwards Neil was the playmaker as a "roving inside-forward" but... was Buchan more a "orthodox I-F" or a "goal-scoring I-F" (a sort of striker)?

2) When Alex James and David Jack played together... James was a "roving I-F" and Jack was a sort of "orthodox I-F"... Am I wrong?

3) Did James and Buchan wear the number 10 shirt while Neil and Jack used the number 8 shirt?

Thank you in advance

peterhrt · Dec 21, 2021

Cisarro said: ↑

Hi People:

I would like to know something about some players in the Chapman's Arsenal (Charlie Buchan, Andrew Neil, alex James and David Jack). But first at all I would like to quote our friend RoyOfTheRovers:

According that I have read about Chapman's Arsenal, I want to ask...

1) When Charlie Buchan and Andrew Neil played together as inside-forwards Neil was the playmaker as a "roving inside-forward" but... was Buchan more a "orthodox I-F" or a "goal-scoring I-F" (a sort of striker)?

2) When Alex James and David Jack played together... James was a "roving I-F" and Jack was a sort of "orthodox I-F"... Am I wrong?

3) Did James and Buchan wear the number 10 shirt while Neil and Jack used the number 8 shirt?

Thank you in advance
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Statements 1) and 2) are correct.

Neil and Buchan only played together for one season, the first in which Arsenal deployed a third back. The formation was a 3-3-4 with Neil in midfield. Buchan was mainly a goalscorer but could also make chances for others.

Jack replaced Buchan and was a similar type of player. Once James settled in, the system was WM with James a deep-lying playmaker with no defensive responsibilities.

Buchan and Jack both wore Number 8 shirts. James wore Number 10. I don't know about Neil but he probably wore 10 most of the time. Occasionally he lined up as a half-back, in which case he would have been a 4 or 6.