Its easy to manage Arsenal ... isnt it? Football Manager 2015 July I arrive at London Colney with a spring in my step and nearly 50 million pounds available on the company credit card. This time last year, I won the title with a woefully unbalanced Manchester United team. All I need to do at Arsenal is finish in the top four and maybe win a cup. And look at this squad! You forget sometimes just how much talent there is at this football club. Too much to squeeze into one team if theyre all fit. My first instinct, like any rational human, is to buy Arsenal a world-class defensive midfielder, but theres just no room. I want a midfield triangle of Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil, but to do that I have to leave out club captain Mikel Arteta and ferocious terrier Mathieu Flamini while forcing men like Tomas Rosicky and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out to the flanks to battle with Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez. Its clear where there is a real shortage though, and thats in defence. I quickly snap up Ashley Williams for six million pounds from Swansea, a stopgap rotation option while I scout carefully for a full upgrade later. Its not my money, but I feel as if I should behave as though it is. Hmmm. That philosophy sounds familiar ... Pre-season results are good at first, but then they start to vary wildly. I destroy Borussia Monchengladbach 4-0, but Im annihilated 1-6 by AZ three days later with exactly the same formation. Setting tactics to suit the opposition is clearly going to be a major factor this year. But thats OK. I can do this. August I cant do this. Ive tried 4-3-3 and 3-5-2 and I cant get any consistency out of the team. Manchester City tear us apart in the Community Shield and were lucky to get away with a 1-2 defeat. A spirited Hull City take a point at the Emirates in the opening game of the season and the fans are on my case immediately. Respite arrives in the form of a 3-1 victory over Feyenoord in the Champions League playoff and then leaves immediately, consigning us to three consecutive defeats against Everton, Manchester United and away to the Dutch side. We progress to the group stage, but only just. Whatever I do, I find my team making chances, but not scoring goals. At the other end, we allow the opposition the former, and fail to deny them the latter. Per Mertesacker is a particular problem. He has a nasty habit of standing still and staring at crosses as they rise over his head, like an undiscovered tribesman spotting an airplane for the first time. The only way I can keep anyone at bay is by flooding the midfield and urging my men not to commit themselves, but to hold their lines. It proves an effective strategy in our own half, but Danny Welbeck is later spotted sobbing with loneliness at the other end. Hes not the only one close to tears.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 09:53:05 +0000
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