We fans often talk about “tactics” and seem to disagree about their meaning and usage, so I decided to delve into this subject a little deeper.The official explanation about football is as follows:“The specific actionable plans and procedures a team uses to win a match, aiming to exploit their opponents’ weaknesses, while maximising their own strengths.”Now I read that a couple of times in order to digest and understand it, and the thing that leapt out more than anything was the need to approach each opponent differently.Are we doing that under Mikel Arteta?There are also different set-ups to use, such as 4,4,2, 4,3,3, and 3,5,2 for example, depending on the players we have and the opponents’ strengths and weaknesses. 2. Are we doing that under Mikel Arteta?One of the earliest and best-known systems was that adopted by our revolutionary manager, Herbert Chapman, and was called the W system.One could break down those systems to suit these particular headings:A. Movement and patterns.B. Attacking with the ball.C. Attacking without the ball.D. Defending with the ball.E. Defending without the ball.F. Transition, when either winning or losing the ball.Are we doing any of that with Mikel Arteta?There are also different words used to describe these tactics.Here are the ones I can think of:A. Tika taka.B. Sweeper usage.C. Long ball.D. Counter attack.Are we doing any of that with Mikel Arteta?Finally, there were a couple of quotes from professionals within the game that I think should be remembered when we discuss the way our club plays under Mikel Arteta, along with the tactics he uses.Joe Matip, the Liverpool defender, said the following in 2019:“We have to control the ball. If we have the ball, the other team cannot score.”Vic Buckingham, who managed Ajax and Barcelona, while also playing over 200 games for Tottenham Hotspur, his only club, said the following:“If you’ve got the ball, keep it. The other team can’t score then.”Are we doing any of that with Mikel Arteta?It will be interesting to see other Gooners’ views from questions one to five, and I have not given mine in order that I do not confuse the issues.Ken1945_____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…More Stories / Latest NewsTactics – What are they and does Mikel Arteta use and understand them28 April 2026, 14:00Atletico Madrid v Arsenal match preview and prediction28 April 2026, 13:00Keown says one Arsenal player is loving the run-in28 April 2026, 12:00The post Tactics – What are they and does Mikel Arteta use and understand them appeared first on Just Arsenal News.