Armenia Squad Analysis: Formation Options, the Striker Problem and a Possible Starting XI

Armenia head coach Yeghishe Melikyan has called up 29 players for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches. At the same time, eight players will miss the international camp due to injuries, forcing the coaching staff to look for new solutions in virtually every area of the team.

The squad includes a first senior call-up for 20-year-old striker Artur Garibyan, the return of Davit Terteryan, as well as several interesting choices in midfield. We take a closer look at how Armenia could line up in the upcoming matches and which positions remain the biggest concerns.

The right-back position could influence the choice of formation

One of the most interesting questions concerns the right-back position following the injury to Armenia vice-captain Kamo Hovhannisyan.

Nominally, Davit Terteryan and Artyom Bandikyan can both play there. However, neither is a classic wing-back capable of consistently covering the entire flank in a three-centre-back system.

With four matches to be played within a short period of time, such a role requires an enormous amount of physical work. Even with constant rotation between Terteryan and Bandikyan, getting through the entire international window as wing-backs would be difficult.

With a back four, there are more options. Erik Piloyan and Julio Bueno can also operate on the right if necessary.

For that reason, a 4-2-3-1 formation looks, on paper, like one of the most practical options for the current squad. It allows the workload to be distributed more effectively and does not require the right-back to cover such a large amount of ground up and down the entire flank.

The final decision, of course, will be made by the coaching staff.

Narek Grigoryan's call-up is important for more than just footballing reasons

Narek Grigoryan has been recalled to the national team at a time when he finds himself in a difficult situation at Romanian club Farul.

The player is healthy, but he is not receiving regular first-team playing time and has also been left outside the senior team's training process.

In these circumstances, the decision to call Grigoryan up appears to be an important step from the Armenia coaching staff. The national team gives him an opportunity to train with the group and potentially receive some competitive minutes.

That is particularly important ahead of the winter transfer window for a player who would otherwise risk spending a long period without meaningful match practice.

Grigoryan also remains a versatile player who can operate in several attacking positions if required.

Competition on the left wing is already very high

One player who could have been considered for a call-up is Gevorg Tarakhchyan, who has started the season well with four goals and one assist in seven matches.

However, Armenia currently have several options on the left wing, even though there is no undisputed first-choice player in that position and it remains an area of concern.

The main candidates are Zhirayr Shaghoyan and Narek Hovhannisyan. In addition, Narek Grigoryan and Gor Manvelyan are also capable of playing on the left.

Therefore, calling up another young player for this position was unlikely to be a priority for the coaching staff in the current situation.

Why Muradyan and Aghasaryan were chosen in midfield

With Tigran Avanesyan sidelined through injury, there were other central midfielders who could have been expected to receive a call-up, including Alashkert's Edgar Piloyan, who plays regularly for his club and was one of the leaders of Armenia's youth national team.

However, Melikyan opted for the experienced Karen Muradyan and the more defensively minded Narek Aghasaryan.

The coaching staff can also rely on Ugochukwu Iwu, Karen Nalbandyan, Eduard Spertsyan, Karlen Hovhannisyan and Gor Manvelyan.

In terms of numbers, there should be enough players for constant rotation in a 4-2-3-1 system. Several different central-midfield partnerships can be formed, although they will naturally differ in terms of level and playing characteristics.

Another possible candidate was Aram Khamoyan, who is playing regularly for Noah and is a more traditional defensive midfielder.

Centre-forward remains the biggest problem position

The biggest question surrounding the current Armenia team concerns the centre-forward position.

Due to the injury to Grant-Leon Ranos, the coaching staff have called up three strikers: Artur Miranyan, Artur Garibyan and Araik Eloyan.

Each of them comes into the international camp in a different situation.

Artur Garibyan

The 20-year-old Garibyan has received his first call-up to the senior national team.

He made a bright start to the season and showed that he possesses good physical and attacking qualities. However, the striker has not received much playing time in recent matches.

The main question is experience. Garibyan is only 20 years old and has almost no experience of matches at this level.

Looking ahead, he has the qualities required to compete for the role of Armenia's starting striker, but expecting him to immediately solve all of the team's attacking problems would be premature.

Nevertheless, he will almost certainly get his opportunity during this international window.

Araik Eloyan

Araik Eloyan has noticeably improved the speed of his decision-making recently and is making better use of his strongest qualities.

At the same time, there are still questions surrounding his ability to play with his back to goal and hold up long passes. Given the striker's physical attributes, this is an area in which more progress can reasonably be expected.

On the other hand, Eloyan continues to develop his strengths and could be particularly useful for Armenia in a more dynamic style of play and when there is space to attack.

Artur Miranyan

Artur Miranyan has had very little playing time recently. It was only in the latest club match that he once again received some minutes.

Nevertheless, Miranyan remains the most experienced of the three centre-forwards called up.

He is familiar with the national team's requirements and is capable of providing a certain level of performance even when he is not in peak form. In addition, his characteristics make it easier for the coaching staff to build a familiar attacking structure.

For that reason, at the start of the international window, Miranyan appears to be the most likely candidate to start as the main striker.

At the same time, four matches in a short period practically guarantee rotation, meaning Garibyan and Eloyan should also receive their opportunities.

Who enters the matches in the best form

Several Armenia players are currently in good form and could become key figures for the team in the upcoming fixtures.

First and foremost:

• Eduard Spertsyan
• Georgiy Harutyunyan
• Artur Serobyan
• Nair Tiknizyan
• Gor Manvelyan
• Julio Bueno

A separate question concerns the form of Ugochukwu Iwu. The midfielder remains one of Armenia's most important players in the centre of the pitch, and the coaching staff will certainly hope that he can reach his optimal condition as the matches progress. He recently returned from injury and has begun playing regularly for Rubin.

Serobyan is the first choice on the right, Cancarevic in goal

The hierarchy is much clearer in some positions, although the injury to Vahan Bichakhchyan has, of course, reduced Armenia's options on the right wing.

On the right side of the attack, Artur Serobyan arrives in good form and currently looks like the first-choice option. His main competitor and replacement is Edgar Sevikyan.

At left-back, Nair Tiknizyan remains the main option, while Melikyan has several possible combinations in central defence involving Georgiy Harutyunyan, Styopa Mkrtchyan, Sergey Muradyan and other defenders.

The situation regarding Armenia's first-choice goalkeeper is also clear.

Ognjen Cancarevic continues to play regularly and enters the matches in good form, so he remains the leading candidate to start in goal.

What Armenia's starting XI could look like

If Yeghishe Melikyan does choose a 4-2-3-1 formation, one possible starting line-up could look like this:

Cancarevic — Piloyan, Bueno, Harutyunyan, Tiknizyan — Hovhannisyan, Iwu — Serobyan, Spertsyan, Shaghoyan — Miranyan.

At the same time, the current squad gives the coaching staff enough options to make changes in virtually every area of the team.

The main task will be to manage the players' workload correctly over four matches. Given Armenia's packed schedule, the team will need not only a strong starting XI but also effective rotation.

Squad depth, particularly on the wings and in midfield, could therefore become one of the key factors during the upcoming international window. Armenia will face a demanding schedule in September and October, with four matches in ten days:

• September 25: Armenia — Latvia
• September 28: Armenia — Montenegro
• October 2: Cyprus — Armenia
• October 5: Montenegro — Armenia

Armenia National Team Squad

Goalkeepers:

• Ognjen Cancarevic — IMT Belgrade (Serbia)
• Arsen Beglaryan — Alashkert
• Aleksandr Mishiev — Urartu
• Gor Matinyan — Sardarapat

Defenders:

• Davit Terteryan — Alashkert
• Erik Piloyan — Urartu
• Sergey Muradyan — Noah
• Julio Bueno — Ararat-Armenia
• Erik Simonyan — Pyunik
• Georgiy Harutyunyan — Puskas Akademia (Hungary)
• Styopa Mkrtchyan — Nurnberg (Germany)
• Nair Tiknizyan — Olympiacos (Greece)
• Edgar Grigoryan — Ararat-Armenia

Midfielders:

• Karlen Hovhannisyan — Akron (Russia)
• Ugochukwu Iwu — Rubin (Russia)
• Narek Aghasaryan — Urartu
• Karen Muradyan — Ararat-Armenia
• Artyom Bandikyan — CSKA Moscow (Russia)
• Eduard Spertsyan — Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia)
• Karen Nalbandyan — Alashkert
• Gor Manvelyan — Noah

Forwards:

• Artur Serobyan — Ararat-Armenia
• Edgar Sevikyan — Ceuta (Spain)
• Narek Grigoryan — Farul (Romania)
• Zhirayr Shaghoyan — Ararat-Armenia
• Narek Hovhannisyan — Lechia Gdansk (Poland)
• Artur Miranyan — Ironi Tiberias (Israel)
• Artur Garibyan — Rodina (Russia)
• Araik Eloyan — Ararat-Armenia