ARSENAL SET A TRAP FOR CHELSEA
— Ivan Sharpe | 01/12/1930 —

Arsenal's runaway win over Chelsea in the battle of London at Stamford Bridge was the result of carefully-arranged tactics. Don't scoff. Don't trot out the old story that a pre-arranged plan of campaign is futile in football because "you can't tell what the other fellows will be doing." I have positive proof that it pays.

I have known it for years, because in 1913, when Mr. Herbert Chapman was the secretary-manager of Leeds City, I was a member of the team, took part in the club conferences, and know what course was pursued and what results were produced.

But the proof concerning the scheme that was laid by the Arsenal for this great duel with Chelsea is more definite.

MORNING TALK.

On Saturday morning I went to the Arsenal ground at Highbury to chat with Mr. Chapman on his policy. The point I put to him regarding the tactics of the team was this:

Sharpe: You told me when you left Huddersfield for Arsenal that your aim was to create a Newcastle United in London (meaning a team comparable with Newcastle at their best). You have had all this success — you are now Cup-holders and League leaders.

» But your team's methods, when I have seen them play, have been effective rather than stylish. Are you satisfied? Are you adopting these defensive methods and definite 'W' formation tactics because you find you possess (in forwards like James and Jack and Lambert, and mainly-defensive centre-half like Roberts) players particularly adapted to this style of play?

» I have criticised it because I know your aim is to give London the finest football ever played, and because this system seems to be destructive rather than constructive and spectacularly brilliant. Is this system temporary or permanent, remembering your aims?

Yes, a long speech. I made it in the Highbury House of Lords — a room in keeping with all these ambitions.

AFTERNOON RESULTS.

Mr. Chapman pulled down the typewritten League table (compiled in the office for the club's guests immediately after every League match) and illustrated his beliefs with pencil and paper.

First, he said:

Chapman: Watch how we play at Chelsea this afternoon. They are sure to set Rodger, their centre half-back, to shadow Lambert, knowing that our centre-forward has been scoring freely from through passes made from the rear by James and Jack.

» So we have planned to-day that David Jack is to dart forward with passes and go for the goals. As far as possible passes will be sent down the middle for Lambert so as to cover the real ruse. But Jack's the man to-day.

It worked! Jack (not a goal-getter as a rule) scored three goals — the first and second, and then (after Williams had scored) the fourth, before Lambert for a point at all! The first, and third points came from the type of pass Jack was expecting. While Rodger was shadowing Lambert, Jack called to Williams for the ball and strode through to score first-class goals.

MODERN SCOPE.

Do plans pay? Seventy-four thousand people (representing in revenue a matter of nearly £4,500) watched this match, and for most of them the plot was laid bare when Arsenal got five goals in the second half after being one down (another penalty goal by Law) at half-time. All this patronage, all this scope in football, and people in the fame pooh-pooh team-talks and pre-arranged plans.

I leave them to ponder this latest lesson.

Most of them pooh-pooh the ball-practice device a Sheffield man has offered to the game. Arsenal didn't...

But let the Arsenal secretary state his case for his "W" formation system.

Chapman: We set out to play polished football. At several places we got high praise. 'Grand,' they said, but we got no goals and were beaten.

» So we changed our methods to those adopted now. You can see how they are paying — all along the line.

OTHER ARSENAL MOVES.

Chapman: But a plain W-formation game doesn't explain all.

» Our centre-half may be primarily a defender, but the wing half-backs have a special part to play. Watch John. A method of covering is adopted in defence.

» Our centre-forward, Lambert, is just the man for the through pass and individual raid that this sort of attack must produce, but there is a good deal more in it. Through passes, not to be overdone, must be expertly placed and at the right moment.

» The outside forwards, too, being part of the spear-head, must not run to the goal line and centre in the old way. They cut in towards goal from the penalty line, or centre or pass in from near that position. Too many wing-men merely centre into the goalkeeper's hands.

» In a word, times have changed. The new off-side law called for new tactics. We have found our best method, and, for the present at any rate, we are sticking to it.

» But we don't adhere slavishly to one plan. Different opponents, different methods...

As I have shown, it was all to be proved a paying proposition. Arsenal's clear-cut victory an hour or so later over the club that set out to share the sun with their neighbours was a triumph for tactics — plus the players to exploit them. There are 74,000 people, anyway, who will agree that the proof of the pudding is in the eating.