Barnet 2 - Arsenal 2.

A so/so start from Arsenal, however drawing 2-2 with a low opponent even in a friendly is not as bad as the performance that went with it, especially in the first half. There are still some remnants of the bad points from last season.

1) No cohesion of the primary defensive unit and no organizer. Four central defenders played, Djourou-Gallas-Vermaelen-Silvestre, and none could organize the defensive scheme for set pieces, and the longer this persists, more goals will flow. This is the easiest route to score vs Arsenal. If you do not have a tall defender, then find other solutions to counter this threat, unsettle the opponents so they don't have clean runs to do damage. BIG BIG BIG IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED.

2) No emphasis on reclamation of the ball when it is lost. There is no need for a defensive midfielder if the other members all contribute to stopping the team coming under pressure. This is a serious issue to be addressed, the attackers must also work hard and become defenders as soon as the ball is relinquished. Oneplayer cannot be expected to perform this if the opposition uses 3-4 players to attack.

However as i noted earlier in this blog, Rosicky and Arshavin have already developed a relationship as both speak Russian, and it is a pre-cursor to the 1 playmaker - 1 fast player model that Wenger will look to employ this season on the flanks.