Arsenal legend Tony Adams has suggested on Sky Sports that both Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin are struggling to thrive in the positions that Mikel Arteta has asked them to play.
Bellerin has been used as both a right-wing back and a more conventional right-back in a flat-back four this term, but has not always showed his best form.
Arsenal’s £25 million signing Tierney (Goal), meanwhile, has occasionally been deployed as a third centre-back, when Arteta has opted to use a five-man defence.
And Adams feels that Arteta’s tactics may not be getting the very best out of the Arsenal pair.
“It’s a back three, or a four. Arteta’s done well, but he’s won the FA Cup playing that way and I think it’s affected him,” Adams said.
“I wanted him to play a back four at the start of the season. “We have Partey now who is so exciting, I’m delighted to see a bit of a protection in there.
“I just wanted him to put the back four in, like he did against United.
“I think Bellerin is having a tough time in the right-back spot. I think Arteta is trying to be too clever. Tierney for me is in a too narrow position, he’s a left-back for me.”
Arteta has suggested that Arsenal will have a tactical reshuffle after the international break, as things haven’t gone to plan for him this term.
Arsenal are currently stuck in 11th place in the Premier League table, and were beaten 3-0 by Aston Villa in their last outing.
There has been a feeling that Arteta wants to play a 4-3-3 system in the long-term, but he has only really used it on a rotational basis so far.
Arsenal return to action with a game against Leeds United, and it will be intriguing to see what system Arteta opts to use for that fixture.
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