Can American football techniques help reduce defensive errors in the EPL?

Swansea’s Bafetimbi Gomis (c) heads the second goal during the EPL match against Arsenal at Liberty Stadium

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You have all become accustomed to my diatribes about Arsenal’s defensive woes and the last string of matches showed that it is rather more like a dagger than a thorn in my side. Just when I was beginning to dream that the infamous 4-4 loss to Newcastle may be consigned to the locker of bad dreams, we topped it with a 3-3 loss in 30 minutes to lowly Andrelecht – and this one was at the Emirates.

Add to that the familiar refrain of Mathieu Flamini muscled out, Per Mertesacker, Calum Chambers, fill in any Arsenal defender’s name here, beaten to a header on a set piece. If I weren’t bald already, I‘d be tearing my hair out. However, having scratched my Arsenal itch, nay sore, this isn’t just about the Gunners. Defence seems to be a dying art throughout the EPL.

Defensive woes in the Premier League

There have been enough poor defensive moves in the past few weeks to fill out a full length manual on how not to defend. No team seems immune from the disease.

Let us start with the low hanging fruit. Liverpool, who have enough defensive woes of their own, somehow selected Arsenal’s patented zone defence as the remedy for their ills and, predictably, let in a goal on a set piece. (I was gratified to hear the expert commentator repeat exactly what I have said about the zone defence – you allow the ball to be delivered into an empty zone with unfettered access for the attackers, they are going to get to that header way more often than not).

The next category is one of obvious mismatches. If a manager cannot see this and take corrective measures, he shouldn’t be sacked, he should be shot. The Manchester United vs Chelsea matchup saw the five foot nothing Rafael matched up on Didier Drogba on corner kicks; a disaster that inevitably happened, with Drogba flicking in a header.

Not to be outdone in generosity, the last gasp United corner kick found Chelsea playing a very Arsenal-like zone, except it was even worse, with the gap just around the 6-yard box and Marouane Fellaini left completely unguarded. No, Fellaini didn’t score, but he got in the free header which Curtois could only parry onto Van Persie’s grateful feet.

Fast forward to Arsenal vs Swansea. Monteiro is making Chambers look like he is moving at Mertesacker speed. Everyone and his/her grandmother see the problem and the potential solutions – alas, except for Wenger and Steve Bould. Switch Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Chambers; move Chambers central, put Monreal left and bring Gibbs right (or use Bellerin).

Monteiro was going to the outside every time, so get Chambers over and tell him to cheat outside and force Monteiro inside – with the central defender prepared, of course. Instead, it was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. After serving up dozens of tempting crosses, Gomis rises to put one past Szczesny. Line Wenger and Bould up against the nearest wall.

Didier Drogba easily scored against Manchester United when it was Rafael marking him for the corner kick

The other category of defensive errors has been of not knowing one’s left from one’s right, or, more correctly, towards goal versus away from goal. Though he hasn’t done it this season, Szczesny is notorious for going for the ball even when the forward is moving away from the goal to get around him.

For a goalie, this is particularly disastrous, with the likely prospect of a red card added to the PK. I recall him doing this twice for Arsenal and once at his very brief Euro 2012 appearance for Poland. However, I shouldn’t be picking on Szczesny, because the culprit this time was Vargas, lunging into Hazard along the edge of the box. Hazard had nowhere to go and would have had to turn away from the box.

A new approach to coaching defence?

The dreaded international break also allowed me to catch up on some American football. To the uninitiated, American football often seems like two sets of gigantic guys Sumo wrestling with a rugby shaped football floating around somewhere for decorative purposes. In reality, it is more like a chess game, with every “play” resembling a set piece in soccer.

There are formations, planned motions, match-ups, strategic decisions on zone vs. man. When you have watched it for a while, you can spot the mismatches or missed coverages almost as well as any coach. American football players aren’t going to threaten any IQ records. Everything is achieved through watching film and repetition of drills - every week for each opponent.

The mistakes above could easily be avoided with a bit of American knowhow. Harry Redknapp has toyed with the idea of American football style coaching, with specialized coaches for each line, even each position. There are even coaches high up in the stadium, sending back course corrections from an aerial view.

Players watch film on the week’s opponent – does he like to go left or right and practice drills to force him the wrong way. Coaches assemble film on each player’s mistakes and essentially develop “muscle memory” to correct them. For instance, Vargas would run next to an attacker along the edge of the box, repeating the body motions that would keep him out of trouble.

Perhaps the time has arrived for something new and bold. Will “Sir” Harry be the first? Alas, for Wenger and Bould, it may take a Pol Pot strength re-education program to get them to shelve the zone defence.