Do Arsenal play "Total Football" ?

"Total Football" is the label for an influential theory of tactical association football in which any player can take over the role of any other player in the team. It was pioneered by Dutch football club Ajax Amsterdam.

In Total Football, a player who moves out of his position is replaced by another from his team, thus retaining the team's intended organizational structure. In this fluid system, no player is fixed in his nominal role; anyone can be successively an attacker, a midfielder and a defender.

Total Football's tactical success depends largely on the adaptability of each footballer within the team, in particular their ability to quickly change positions depending on the situation. The theory requires players to be comfortable in multiple positions, hence it puts high technical and physical demands on them.



Teams to have used the tactic

Netherlands

Ajax

Barcelona

Arsenal



Do you agree?Do Arsenal play "Total Football" ?
use plonkers...



Arsenal have beeen playing total football for the past 11 years
No. Do you see Almunia doing a job upfront?



Edit: Ah, but he's still an Arsenal player. Can he play upfront? Nope, which kinda trips up your theory at the first hurdle ;-)Do Arsenal play "Total Football" ?
They sure as feck weren't playing "total football" when we thrashed them 4-0 last year!
Agree with the first 3 but Arsenal have a ways to go yet but in their defence it is a young side.Do Arsenal play "Total Football" ?
no not arsenal but the other ones listed do.
i fink so! arsenol is da beast!!