Why Arteta as DM and 4-5-1 is a good combination.

[Rook]

Good post, makes sense too, Arteta was a holding mid on Barca. He gets more touches and can start the counter attack. Maybe he could play the role that Xabi Alonso ([Poor language removed]'s best player this year) does on the [Poor language removed].

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Having Pienaar on the wing clearly benefits Mikel greatly also.

 

[Axlswhk]

Having Mikel in the middle benefit Fellaini most!
Moyes finally gets the midfield right.

 

[stinger]

One more interesting thing for me - Pienaar and Osman both were working hard on tracking back, and we had a kind of unique system of defending a crosses - usually it's full back and wide midfielder trying to block the cross from the touchline. Many times we did it differently - when Lescott or Neville saw that fullback is back, they pushed back to the box, being much more deep and positioning themselves as similar to first man dureing set pieces. With current squad it actually makes sense - we have players very good in the air, plus goalkeeper with very good reflex. Moyes decided to not risk being out-played around touchline 2 on 2 and allowing opposite's player to cut into the box with the ball and it worked, since with Jagielka, Yobo and rest of the pack (including our full backs) were very solid with clearing the ball.

Also, if this game is any indication, we will be playing 1-4-1-4-1, and not 1-4-4-1-1, Cahill and Fellaini played together in the middle, with one of them joining attacks. It was similar to the situation both had against Boro, but then they didn't have a DM behind them, so they had to play much deeper (at least one of them).

 

[TX Bill]

For me, the formation I think will give the players much needed confidence. That in turn should see an uptick in their form and level of play, regardless of who we're up against.

 

[uknightbreed]

personaly i wouldnt have said arteta played a dm role.

it was more..

osman fellaini arteta pienaar
.............cahill

arteta played more of a playmaker/general role
cahill played more of a lynch pin , linking up play and covering the gaps made by osman pienaar and fellaini when they got forward.

both played completely different roles to what there used too and flourished...... as did the players around them.