Why are we so slow?

[DaSpurs]

People always go on about whl being a small pitch, teams playing a 9 man defence etc but what about Arsenal at the old library? I don't know the dimensions of their pitch but everyone seemed to acknowledge it being tiny, and I can't imagine too many teams going there and playing open football either. Yet it still didn't stop the likes of Wright, Anelka, Henry getting multiple chances a game because they moved the ball quick with one and two touches. We don't do this enough.

It's a good point and I agree with the gist of what you're saying, as I absolutely believe it to be the most contributing factor to our slow play, but I do think both are causes to different degrees. I think the small pitch exacerbates the problem of our slow midfield, as it allows the opposition to compact all the more efficiently to frustrate us.

 

[Xeeleeyid]

I don't think the slow style of play is anything to do with our pitch size. Under different managers we've managed a high-tempo style of play and opposition teams never seem to struggle.

The pitch does hamper us creating chances against well drilled teams and I think it explains why Arsenal with their massive Emirates pitch are such effective 'flat-back bullies' whereas we struggle to really thrash anyone at home to the same degree.

However, the main reason we've struggled in terms of slow build up is the type of players we have brought in, in central midfield under AVB. AVB is a 'safety first' manager. His brand of central midfielder is big, strong, able to carry the ball but who holds onto it and passes short, backwards and sideways.

Why do you think Mason was introduced into the team by Poch? Why do you think Bentaleb was introduced by Sherwood? They aren't on the face of it 'better' players than the midfielders already in the team, but what they DO do, is have the confidence, ability and inclination to play EARLY FORWARD BALLS.

Playing the ball early and forward is key to a high tempo game and also key to unlocking a stubborn defence.

It's no surprise to me that we've looked at our best mostly when Mason and Bentaleb have been the central midfield duo. We've looked okay to good with one of them there. When both are missing we struggle and look flat like we did last season (and to be honest the season before where Bale got us out of a lot of holes).

We need more midfielders with the mentality of Bentaleb and Mason and then we'll be ok.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

Interesting, goes against how a lot of people perceive us to play the ball backwards a lot...

 

[Amo]

Interesting, goes against how a lot of people perceive us to play the ball backwards a lot...

Now, if we only had a graph for sideways passes.

 

[nidge]

Too many of our players are slow of thought when it comes to doing something with the ball at their feet. This invariable leads to possible quick breaks stopping before they have had a chance to really get going.

 

[degoose]

I don't think the slow style of play is anything to do with our pitch size. Under different managers we've managed a high-tempo style of play and opposition teams never seem to struggle.

The pitch does hamper us creating chances against well drilled teams and I think it explains why Arsenal with their massive Emirates pitch are such effective 'flat-back bullies' whereas we struggle to really thrash anyone at home to the same degree.

However, the main reason we've struggled in terms of slow build up is the type of players we have brought in, in central midfield under AVB. AVB is a 'safety first' manager. His brand of central midfielder is big, strong, able to carry the ball but who holds onto it and passes short, backwards and sideways.

Why do you think Mason was introduced into the team by Poch? Why do you think Bentaleb was introduced by Sherwood? They aren't on the face of it 'better' players than the midfielders already in the team, but what they DO do, is have the confidence, ability and inclination to play EARLY FORWARD BALLS.

Playing the ball early and forward is key to a high tempo game and also key to unlocking a stubborn defence.

It's no surprise to me that we've looked at our best mostly when Mason and Bentaleb have been the central midfield duo. We've looked okay to good with one of them there. When both are missing we struggle and look flat like we did last season (and to be honest the season before where Bale got us out of a lot of holes).

We need more midfielders with the mentality of Bentaleb and Mason and then we'll be ok.

This all the way ,mason and bentaleb get the ball forward really quickly compared to dembele ,paulinho and stambouli of which dembele and paulinho are attacking players supposedly but they aren't like mason who plays more vertical passes .Basically going forward and over players and spreading play .It's something we have lacked since modric and huddlestone left and poch as seen at Southampton likes to play a quicker build up of play with decent forward passes he just doesn't have that all the time .

 

[DaSpurs]

I

Interesting, goes against how a lot of people perceive us to play the ball backwards a lot...

What I'd be interested to see is if they divided into quadrants instead of halves. If sideways passing were included, I'd be wicked surprised if we weren't at least in the top five.

 

[Lufti]

It's not pace we lack. It's purpose we lack. It's almost at times we just keep the ball for the sake of it, our possession stats are incredible but it makes for an eyesore and a fairly indifferent season.

What do you think you're doin' m9? Get back to the chat freds.

 

[ItsBoris]

Um am I going crazy or were we much quicker under Sherwood than AVB? I believe with Poch we still move the ball quicker and have better movement than we did under AVB.

Remember also that a lot of these players were bought by AVB for his style of play. Capoue, Lamela, Chadli, Soldado, Paulinho, Dembele were all purchased during AVB's tenure. I think some of them are suitable for Poch's style, like Lamela and Chadli perhaps, but we're also regularly using 5 players from our academy (Kane, Townsend, Rose, Mason, Bentaleb) rather than the big money signings. There's no question that we need a few players who are suitable for a quicker style of play to come in.