Breath of The Interferer - Chapter 119
Only Noblemtl
#119 – Breath of the Interferer_Key – 1694525
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A different Arsenal this year?
On February 8, Arsenal played in a 4-2-3-1 formation away from home. It is not the formation of the 4-3-3 zero top that they usually use. It is the formation that Tottenham, which has Harry Kane and Eriksen, likes to use. If you look at Arsenal’s player list, you can see why.
With six players out of the roster due to injuries and accumulated cards, Arsenal had no choice but to put Aubameyang as the lone striker. In exchange for minimizing the decline in attack power, they had to sacrifice the variety of attack routes and tactics. It is a formation that relies more on individual player abilities.
Notts County also had Kim Si-woong and Hector out due to accumulated cards. Jeremy and Black were in the central defense, and Benoit and Kasper were in the fullbacks. Cha Bum, Sanches, and Grujic were in the midfield. Renault, Bonavich, and Hunter were in the attack.
Aubameyang was once the fastest footballer in the world. However, injuries and age have made him less agile. Jeremy’s experience and Black’s speed are enough to subdue him. The key to this game is the midfield.
Gray sat on the bench and watched the movements of Sansis and Grujic. The two trusted Cha Beom-su and ran wild. Sansis moved widely left and right, participating in the attack and defense, and Grujic went up freely in the attack.
Gray watched the two’s movements, analyzed them, and made judgments. He felt suffocated by taking in so much information from the outside, but he forced himself to endure it. The doctor also said that Gray’s autism was so mild that he could overcome it with willpower.
Arsenal tried to exploit the space left by Kasper’s attack, but Sanches was already there. Cha Beom-soo filled the space between Sanches and Jeremy, and Grujic, who had been involved in the attack, returned to his defensive position at a reasonable speed.
‘You’re not running fast, you’re running slowly. Why are you doing that?’
Gray only talks a lot with Hunter, Black, and Cha Beom-soo. He still feels uncomfortable talking to other people. He can talk comfortably with Ki-shin, but he can’t ask Ki-shin questions during the game. Feeling suffocated, Gray wanted to turn his eyes away from the stadium. But he held it in.
Gray understands Cha Beom-soo’s movements to some extent, having played soccer together for a long time. However, he knows that he only ‘understands’ and is not at a level that he can follow. Cha Beom-soo observes the situation on the field and identifies his team’s space and weaknesses, and eliminates or hides them. Gray, who feels queasy and stuffy when he receives too much information from the outside, cannot follow.
Notts County took the lead after just 12 minutes. Grujic headed in Kasper’s cross. Standing at 191cm tall, Grujic scored his first Premier League goal in five years since coming to England.
‘I can score with a header too. I’m shorter but I jump higher. But how did I know the ball would come to that spot?’
The team scored first, but it brought more confusion to Gray than joy. Then, Dixon, who had obtained a C-class license and become a full-time coach, answered Gray’s question as if he knew it.
“Kasper’s crosses are fast and powerful, and the trajectory of the ball is flat. There are only three routes to choose from for such a cross: Hunter runs one, Renault runs one, Grujic runs one, and Bonavich is there to watch for the ball coming out.”
Gray turned his head to see Dixon explaining to Juan about the goal he had just scored. Gray was stunned by Dixon’s words, as if he had been hit in the head. There was no way he didn’t know that they were Arsenal defenders. He probably knew about it to some extent and defended.
Gray has been moving only instinctively so far. It is obvious who has the advantage in the competition between the defenders who know the answer and move and Gray who moves without thinking. Gray feels deeply ashamed. He wants to turn away from the game and hide in his coat.
At that moment, someone put an arm around Gray’s shoulder. Gray turned his head and saw Nice smiling brightly, showing off his white teeth. With Cantu’s departure, Nice was forced to sit on the bench. Although he didn’t speak much English, all the players on the team liked Nice, who always trained with a smile on his face.
In contrast to Gray, Nice did everything the coach told him to do. He was the complete opposite of Gray, who disliked the type of training that required him to think a lot and make decisions on his own. Unlike Gray, who refused to do training that he didn’t understand, Nice did whatever he was told to do. And when he had questions, he grabbed anyone and asked them in broken English.
Gray’s frustration was relieved when he saw Nice’s bright smile. The innocence contained in the smile calmed his head and heart, which were confused by complicated situations and thoughts. Gray put his arm around Nice’s shoulder and focused on the game again.
Ospina punched away Sansis’s shot, which had joined the attack. However, unlike the non-spin shots that are popular these days, Sansis’s ball had a strong spin. The ball did not go far because of the spin that exceeded Ospina’s expectations.
Bonavich, the hunting dog in the penalty area, ran with his nose twitching. The Arsenal defenders, who reacted late, also moved slightly, but that small difference made a big result. After scoring the goal, Bonavich ran and hugged Sanches.
Arsenal’s midfielders were completely overwhelmed by Cha Bum-soo, Sanches, Grujic, Bonavich and Renault. Compared to Tottenham, Hunter is Harry Kane’s role and Cha Bum-soo is Eriksen’s role. With the two cores holding strong, Notts County’s 4-5-1 is very effective.
However, Arsenal’s 4-5-1 has no core. Aubameyang is not the type to move as the team’s tactical core. Since the front 1 cannot secure possession of the ball, a counterattack must go through the midfield, and Arsenal, who cannot take the initiative in the midfield, cannot help but be in a passive situation.
‘We tried to recruit Sansis to utilize Cha Beom-su’s attacking talent, but it turned out the opposite.’
One of the reasons for recruiting Sansis was to make Cha Beom-soo participate more in the attack. Cha Beom-soo is good at seeing space, so he sometimes makes sharp penetrating passes. However, he is not able to participate much in the attack, so he is not able to show his talent in attack.
However, the game pattern is that Sansis and Gruic trust Cha Beom-soo and freely participate in the attack. Cha Beom-soo is the most reliable defensively, and the two’s attacking ability is not bad, so it should be seen as the best choice. Kishin glanced at Gray, who was concentrating on the game. Gray should be seen as the player with the defensive ability to free Cha Beom-soo from defense. His simple defensive skills are much better than Cha Beom-soo’s.
Sanches easily snatched the ball from Arsenal midfielder Campbell. Despite his excellent physical ability, Sanches enjoyed technical defense more than physical combat. Sanches passed the ball straight to Kasper and ran forward.
Jeremy and Cha Bum-soo moved to create a passing route for Kasper. Instead of passing steadily to Jeremy and Cha Bum-soo, Kasper crossed from the Notts County half. It was a speed and trajectory that would be more appropriate to call it a cross than a long pass.
There are few defenders faster than Hunter, who has 8 acceleration and 8 speed. Hunter, who was the first to settle in the landing spot, attempted to trap the ball, not caring about the interference of Arsenal defenders. He has recently reduced his shooting training and started basic and trapping training, but has not yet shown any noticeable results.
The ball hit Hunter’s foot and rolled to the side. Under pressure from Bonavich and Renault, the defender passed to the goalkeeper. However, Ospina was pointing to the touchline and instructing him to kick it out. Ospina, who reacted a step late to the defender’s pass, slid, but the ball rolled into the goal.
The defender who made the mistake collapsed and Ospina lay on the ground with a bewildered expression. Soon, other players came and helped them up and consoled them. However, Arsenal’s morale hit rock bottom after conceding a third goal.
Towards the end of the first half, Beno was tackled by an Arsenal player after sending a cross. The referee judged it to be a malicious tackle and showed the Arsenal defender a red card. A free kick opportunity was created that was in a better position than a corner kick. Kasper, Beno, and Cha Bum-soo were left behind, and the remaining players all entered the penalty area.
The ball from Sansis found Jeremy’s head exactly. Jeremy’s header bounced off Ospina’s hand and then back off the post. Coincidentally, the ball landed in front of Jeremy’s feet and he touched it with his toe and it went into the goal.
In the away game, they conceded four goals in the first half alone and had one player sent off. Even Wenger and Arsenal have little chance of turning things around. Notts County and Arsenal are the first games of the 25th round. The other games start in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Arsenal are two points ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea. If either of them wins, they will replace Arsenal at the top of the table.
But it’s not all joy for Notts County. Beno, who underwent a detailed examination during the break, was diagnosed with a possible serious injury if he played any more. It’s an injury that will get better in a couple of days, but it was decided that it would be difficult to play as it is.
The players who can be put forward as left-backs are Juan and Mongello. Mongello is on the bench just in case, but I have no intention of actually putting him in the game. His ability is not even 40 yet. He is at a level where it is difficult to be a regular player even in the Championship. Even if Arsenal plays with 10 men, they can exploit Mongello’s weakness and score a few goals.
Juan is concerned about his teamwork 4. If one player makes a mistake in defense, the entire defensive line can collapse. He has not yet adapted to the team’s defense, so he could be a weak point like Mongello, leaving Notts County in a passive situation throughout the second half.
‘Should I put Bonavich at right back and send Kasper to the left?’
Bonavich is now becoming the core of the attack. Hunter is a key player who protects possession of the ball and brings the right to provide at the front. Bonavich is becoming a core in another sense, connecting Hunter and other players and uniting the midfield and attack. The role that Harry Kane and Eriksen play at Tottenham is being played by Cha Beom-soo, Bonavich, and Hunter at Notts County.
The on-site command also gave Ki-shin numerous choices. With the score at 4:0 and one Arsenal player sent off, there were many choices. Ki-shin looked at them one by one and found one he liked. It was a possible choice because he trusted the player’s mental strength.
As the second half began, Arsenal took out one midfielder and brought in one defender. If there is a weakness in the defense, the opponent will exploit it. Then, the attack will not proceed smoothly. Arsenal’s substitution is within everyone’s expectations.
Notts County also dropped Benoit. Nice played as a central defender and Black moved to his former favourite left-back position. Of course, Black now prefers a central defender. He still has a sense of responsibility as a player, but his heroism has diminished.
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