A lack of width

[PeterParker]

Sneidjer was plan A, Nasri plan B if you want to talk about that.

Nasri is one of those annoying players who isnt really anything, not a winger, not a striker, he wants to roam.

We need an upgraded 2012 SWP or Lennon. There has to be one out there. Wingers can come from abroad and do really well straight away.

Is Hazard another Nasri type? Suppose to be a winger but just cuts inside to no mans land? Its a shame AJ hasnt developed properly, or doesnt have a tiny bit more pace.

Valencia is a cunt but extremely effective.

Hazard is like an upgraded Nasri. Nasri tbf tracks back quite well imo but Hazard is much trickier & actually looks to shoot rather than trying to avoid it.

Ted, Nasri was a shooter at Arse, Milner at Villa and so on. Here no one does that.

[Ted Hughes]

Sneidjer was plan A, Nasri plan B if you want to talk about that.

Nasri is one of those annoying players who isnt really anything, not a winger, not a striker, he wants to roam.

We need an upgraded 2012 SWP or Lennon. There has to be one out there. Wingers can come from abroad and do really well straight away.

Is Hazard another Nasri type? Suppose to be a winger but just cuts inside to no mans land? Its a shame AJ hasnt developed properly, or doesnt have a tiny bit more pace.

Valencia is a cunt but extremely effective.

Hazard is like an upgraded Nasri. Nasri tbf tracks back quite well imo but Hazard is much trickier & actually looks to shoot rather than trying to avoid it.

Ted, Nasri was a shooter at Arse, Milner at Villa and so on. Here no one does that.

Nasri shoots more when he is on top of his game. He has had a few good efforts unluckily not go in for us. Arsenal tried to walk the ball in most of the time & were/are much less effective than us at breaking teams down, hence even Wenger is now trying to turn them into set piece specialists.

[kennyboy]

Ronaldo


(and JM in the summer)

[dazby]

Do the best Spanish and Italian clubs necessarily need width to be successful? Do we? Or do we need to attack the ball more when it comes in? Do we need more long shots? Do we need to be better at corners and set pieces?

I like our system and when it works it's breathtaking. I'm just not sure we are attacking with the same conviction at the moment.

I think it's purely psychological. We have choked. Pure and simple. The pressure has been applied and we have neither the experience as a team nor recent history as a club to rely on.

[Crossie]

Do the best Spanish and Italian clubs necessarily need width to be successful? Do we? Or do we need to attack the ball more when it comes in? Do we need more long shots? Do we need to be better at corners and set pieces?

I like our system and when it works it's breathtaking. I'm just not sure we are attacking with the same conviction at the moment.

I think it's purely psychological. We have choked. Pure and simple. The pressure has been applied and we have neither the experience as a team nor recent history as a club to rely on.

Width can also be a game changer. When we just cant get through, change the shape, ping ping bang bang, 1-0.

[bluechester]

this has killed our season the lack of width and also speed we have in our team, we are a posession team but we build & pass far too slowly,

we really need a speed merchant

fuck knows who that might be, like someone said lennon, on his day he is unstoppable, but he is far to incomsistant,

[bigblue]

Ronaldo


(and JM in the summer)

Ronaldo has all the width we need

[Sideshow Bob]

Ronaldo


(and JM in the summer)

Ronaldo has all the width we need

hahaha. great pic!

[ashton287]

Do the best Spanish and Italian clubs necessarily need width to be successful? Do we? Or do we need to attack the ball more when it comes in? Do we need more long shots? Do we need to be better at corners and set pieces?

I like our system and when it works it's breathtaking. I'm just not sure we are attacking with the same conviction at the moment.

I think it's purely psychological. We have choked. Pure and simple. The pressure has been applied and we have neither the experience as a team nor recent history as a club to rely on.

Our current system does work but it won't work 38 times a season.

Problem comes in when teams park 8 players on the edge of the area as we have seen recently. When this happens we need to be able to add width to make use of the space down the sides and when they try and defend this it stretches the defensive line which in turn creates the space we needed to begin with. So we don't need out and out wingers like Lennon who will sprint head down to the line and cross no matter what, we need players that can start in our current system and then when they park the bus move outside to apply pace and crosses to the game. We don't need a new system we just need a plan b.

Milner and nasri were doing this at the start of the season. Nasri is a fucking excellent crosser of the ball and so is Milner but Milner doesn't start anymore and nasri just stopped crossing.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

No one is saying that we have to simply play like stoke and just rely on wide players to lump it into the box.
When everything's going great and the Sun's shining ala Spurs and United away days then we don't need wingers. But we really could do with a plan B.

If you knock in 15-20 crosses a game, the chances are something will fall kindly for you at least once. That's what Baconfaces sides have always done. In the last 20 minutes or so if they need a goal they don't fanny around trying to pass through the eye of a needle, they simply stick in cross after cross after cross and attack the ball and they so often score from it.

[Ted Hughes]

Do the best Spanish and Italian clubs necessarily need width to be successful? Do we? Or do we need to attack the ball more when it comes in? Do we need more long shots? Do we need to be better at corners and set pieces?

I like our system and when it works it's breathtaking. I'm just not sure we are attacking with the same conviction at the moment.

I think it's purely psychological. We have choked. Pure and simple. The pressure has been applied and we have neither the experience as a team nor recent history as a club to rely on.

Our current system does work but it won't work 38 times a season.

Problem comes in when teams park 8 players on the edge of the area as we have seen recently. When this happens we need to be able to add width to make use of the space down the sides and when they try and defend this it stretches the defensive line which in turn creates the space we needed to begin with. So we don't need out and out wingers like Lennon who will sprint head down to the line and cross no matter what, we need players that can start in our current system and then when they park the bus move outside to apply pace and crosses to the game. We don't need a new system we just need a plan b.

Milner and nasri were doing this at the start of the season. Nasri is a fucking excellent crosser of the ball and so is Milner but Milner doesn't start anymore and nasri just stopped crossing.

As I said earlier, Silva was almost always the bloke playing in Nasri & Milner/Richards for crosses; his little passes were taking people by surprise & getting Nasri & Co the extra yard to get a ball in. Neville highlighted it on the Sky Monday thingy, basically meaning everyone else had sussed it as well. They've just stopped Silva from playing the pass ever since, meaning only about 10% get through.

Why they have all become so keen on working out how to stop us but then allow the rags to play the same obvious, telegraphed fucking pass to the wings 500 times is another question.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Do the best Spanish and Italian clubs necessarily need width to be successful? Do we? Or do we need to attack the ball more when it comes in? Do we need more long shots? Do we need to be better at corners and set pieces?

I like our system and when it works it's breathtaking. I'm just not sure we are attacking with the same conviction at the moment.

I think it's purely psychological. We have choked. Pure and simple. The pressure has been applied and we have neither the experience as a team nor recent history as a club to rely on.

Our current system does work but it won't work 38 times a season.

Problem comes in when teams park 8 players on the edge of the area as we have seen recently. When this happens we need to be able to add width to make use of the space down the sides and when they try and defend this it stretches the defensive line which in turn creates the space we needed to begin with. So we don't need out and out wingers like Lennon who will sprint head down to the line and cross no matter what, we need players that can start in our current system and then when they park the bus move outside to apply pace and crosses to the game. We don't need a new system we just need a plan b.

Milner and nasri were doing this at the start of the season. Nasri is a fucking excellent crosser of the ball and so is Milner but Milner doesn't start anymore and nasri just stopped crossing.

As I said earlier, Silva was almost always the bloke playing in Nasri & Milner/Richards for crosses; his little passes were taking people by surprise & getting Nasri & Co the extra yard to get a ball in. Neville highlighted it on the Sky Monday thingy, basically meaning everyone else had sussed it as well. They've just stopped Silva from playing the pass ever since, meaning only about 10% get through.

Why they have all become so keen on working out how to stop us but then allow the rags to play the same obvious, telegraphed fucking pass to the wings 500 times is another question.

How dare other teams stop us from beating them. What the same telegraphed pass to the wings that we never stop and they always score from?

[clawbaggio]

Clichy worst culprit for this. Never gets tight or closes and invites a cross every time. Our left always seems the most vulnerable.
Kolarov can't defend either. Pity.Him and Micah are our best options for offering width when we are attacking

[Ted Hughes]

Do the best Spanish and Italian clubs necessarily need width to be successful? Do we? Or do we need to attack the ball more when it comes in? Do we need more long shots? Do we need to be better at corners and set pieces?

I like our system and when it works it's breathtaking. I'm just not sure we are attacking with the same conviction at the moment.

I think it's purely psychological. We have choked. Pure and simple. The pressure has been applied and we have neither the experience as a team nor recent history as a club to rely on.

Our current system does work but it won't work 38 times a season.

Problem comes in when teams park 8 players on the edge of the area as we have seen recently. When this happens we need to be able to add width to make use of the space down the sides and when they try and defend this it stretches the defensive line which in turn creates the space we needed to begin with. So we don't need out and out wingers like Lennon who will sprint head down to the line and cross no matter what, we need players that can start in our current system and then when they park the bus move outside to apply pace and crosses to the game. We don't need a new system we just need a plan b.

Milner and nasri were doing this at the start of the season. Nasri is a fucking excellent crosser of the ball and so is Milner but Milner doesn't start anymore and nasri just stopped crossing.

As I said earlier, Silva was almost always the bloke playing in Nasri & Milner/Richards for crosses; his little passes were taking people by surprise & getting Nasri & Co the extra yard to get a ball in. Neville highlighted it on the Sky Monday thingy, basically meaning everyone else had sussed it as well. They've just stopped Silva from playing the pass ever since, meaning only about 10% get through.

Why they have all become so keen on working out how to stop us but then allow the rags to play the same obvious, telegraphed fucking pass to the wings 500 times is another question.

How dare other teams stop us from beating them. What the same telegraphed pass to the wings that we never stop and they always score from?

Exactly. We have fallen for the same shite year in year out & sat in the fucking stand you can see it coming a mile off, just like the short corners which I can see every time but the team has missed for 20 odd years. It does my fucking head in.

That's why you would NEVER pick Kolarov against them, but Mancini did.

[Grob]

Clichy worst culprit for this. Never gets tight or closes and invites a cross every time. Our left always seems the most vulnerable.
Kolarov can't defend either. Pity.Him and Micah are our best options for offering width when we are attacking

Interesting, I've never really noticed goals coming from wide areas where Clichy hasnt been tight enough. Sturridge rinsed him at Chelsea which resulted in a goal but cant think of anymore off the top of my head. Any specific examples?

Maybe we actually overate Clichy's seemingly solid defensive skills as we have Kolorovs non descript ones to compare them to?

Kolorovs problem is once hes turned, he's done for. His acceleration is apaling. Once he's into his stride he's quite rapid but if he gets tight and someone runs past him its like he's going in slow motion. Theres a reason he sat out the 2 games when he would have been matched against Walcott!

Whilst he can cross a ball wickedly, if given space (an attribute that funnily enough isnt much use in our current system), and can strike a free kick, I expect more from a 16 million supposed full back.

If he were an NFL player, Kolorov would be on special teams.

Richards is great going forward, I just wish he had a little bit more quality in his boots to make him a really great attacking full back.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Do the best Spanish and Italian clubs necessarily need width to be successful? Do we? Or do we need to attack the ball more when it comes in? Do we need more long shots? Do we need to be better at corners and set pieces?

I like our system and when it works it's breathtaking. I'm just not sure we are attacking with the same conviction at the moment.

I think it's purely psychological. We have choked. Pure and simple. The pressure has been applied and we have neither the experience as a team nor recent history as a club to rely on.

Our current system does work but it won't work 38 times a season.

Problem comes in when teams park 8 players on the edge of the area as we have seen recently. When this happens we need to be able to add width to make use of the space down the sides and when they try and defend this it stretches the defensive line which in turn creates the space we needed to begin with. So we don't need out and out wingers like Lennon who will sprint head down to the line and cross no matter what, we need players that can start in our current system and then when they park the bus move outside to apply pace and crosses to the game. We don't need a new system we just need a plan b.

Milner and nasri were doing this at the start of the season. Nasri is a fucking excellent crosser of the ball and so is Milner but Milner doesn't start anymore and nasri just stopped crossing.

As I said earlier, Silva was almost always the bloke playing in Nasri & Milner/Richards for crosses; his little passes were taking people by surprise & getting Nasri & Co the extra yard to get a ball in. Neville highlighted it on the Sky Monday thingy, basically meaning everyone else had sussed it as well. They've just stopped Silva from playing the pass ever since, meaning only about 10% get through.

Why they have all become so keen on working out how to stop us but then allow the rags to play the same obvious, telegraphed fucking pass to the wings 500 times is another question.

How dare other teams stop us from beating them. What the same telegraphed pass to the wings that we never stop and they always score from?

Exactly. We have fallen for the same shite year in year out & sat in the fucking stand you can see it coming a mile off, just like the short corners which I can see every time but the team has missed for 20 odd years. It does my fucking head in.

That's why you would NEVER pick Kolarov against them, but Mancini did.

Agree with you there. Every time they beat us they score at least one goal like that. It's always Giggs or Valencia standing out on the wing in acres and acres of space. We can all see it coming, they get the ball and have all the time in the world to cross, not a full back in the same post code as them.

[Grob]

I spotted a good cross from Nasri and also one from Johnson, from the left hand side no less, tonight.

Was nice to see us mix it up a little even if its not our main route to goal, keep the opposition defence on its toes.

[bluej]

I spotted a good cross from Nasri and also one from Johnson, from the left hand side no less, tonight.

Was nice to see us mix it up a little even if its not our main route to goal, keep the opposition defence on its toes.

I noticed we tried to thread balls centrally over the top a bit more often - even if you're unlikely to get on the end of it, it makes the defenders turn and we got a few hurried clearances gifting possession to us.

Everything seemed a lot quicker today.

[Tokyo Blue]

I spotted a good cross from Nasri and also one from Johnson, from the left hand side no less, tonight.

Was nice to see us mix it up a little even if its not our main route to goal, keep the opposition defence on its toes.

A good one from Silva too with his right foot.

[bobby brows]

Thought there was a lot more width tonight, and more importantly when Micah and Gael did get forward there was the fluidity of the forward player from Silva, Nasri, Herman and Sergio that there was someone to pass to inside.

I hate to be negative about anything tonight, especially Gael as he was excellent, just wish Gael had closed those crosses down. A minor complaint though