January Transfer Speculation and Shit

[Niall_Quinn]

If Silva is the best then a disinterested Ozil runs him fairly close.
http://www.squawka.com/comparison-ma...accuracy#total

The myth of him being disinterested and lazy just doesn't hold up. He doesn't have a hustle, bustle, blood and guts style of play. He's languid, composed, controlled, is that what people are mistaking for lazy?

[Injury Time]

If Silva is the best then a disinterested Ozil runs him fairly close.
http://www.squawka.com/comparison-ma...accuracy#total

The myth of him being disinterested and lazy just doesn't hold up. He doesn't have a hustle, bustle, blood and guts style of play. He's languid, composed, controlled, is that what people are mistaking for lazy?

Could you explain the attack and possession stats, and the large difference in your example?

Wonder what his stats would be like if added a bit of hussle, against City the thyroxin levels were right for about 5 mins and he really broke them up by getting in the mix (I'm not talking two-footed lunges, just nicking the ball, shutting down etc), result we scored. We keep getting the odd flash of his fancy feet, but a lot of the time the lack of effort on the wing is frustrating, however how much is that down to instruction from Wenger telling him to conserve energy, as I've noticed similar recently with Ox and historically Theo (remember him). The lack of subbing Özil feels like the Ramsay approach to play into form, and our inability to have a settled midfield with Özil played in position isn't helping.

[Niall_Quinn]

Could you explain the attack and possession stats, and the large difference in your example?

I'd surmise it's a classic demonstration of how he's wasted playing wide. Silva can go left or right from his position, Ozil is often penned wide playing short or triangles with the full back and/ or central player who has come to support. Classic Wenger. The gypos know how to utilise Silva. We don't seem to have a clue how to do the same with Ozil (and now Welbeck too).

[Niall_Quinn]

I agre with the last paragraph re playing in behind teams and i think the problem is two fold, one is that its diffuclt to to do so when teams like Chelsea sit back and stay disciplined and the other issue is that our system never changes no matter who we play.

That's why you have to have supporting forwards making the runs that will drag the defence out of shape. And in Alexis, Ox, now Welbeck and hopefully soon Walcott we have those players. But they are all engaged in a tight passing game that plods left, then plods right, then plods left again. It's child's play for a decent defence to shut that down.

EDIT: watch some highlights of Vieira, Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Overmars all the way back to Anelka (especially Anelka). When we'd break out we'd do it as pace as a unit, 3 or 4 forward players storming up the pitch with the opposition defence going left, right, falling over their own feet. 15-20 seconds from back to front and into the net. This was when defenders could still kick you up in the air with little fear of being carded. We never dreamed of holding it up and playing it backwards like we do today. We never gave the opposition a chance to press, it was all over before they knew what was happening. Remember when we used to love the opposition getting a corner, because we knew we'd be up the other end in seconds?

[Dein-machine]

That's why you have to have supporting forwards making the runs that will drag the defence out of shape. And in Alexis, Ox, now Welbeck and hopefully soon Walcott we have those players. But they are all engaged in a tight passing game that plods left, then plods right, then plods left again. It's child's play for a decent defence to shut that down.

EDIT: watch some highlights of Vieira, Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Overmars all the way back to Anelka (especially Anelka). When we'd break out we'd do it as pace as a unit, 3 or 4 forward players storming up the pitch with the opposition defence going left, right, falling over their own feet. 15-20 seconds from back to front and into the net. This was when defenders could still kick you up in the air with little fear of being carded. We never dreamed of holding it up and playing it backwards like we do today. We never gave the opposition a chance to press, it was all over before they knew what was happening. Remember when we used to love the opposition getting a corner, because we knew we'd be up the other end in seconds?

yes - those were the days. Now its totally the opposite - I shit myself every time we get a corner. Are we allowed to simply hand the ball back for a goal kick?