Wolves 0-1 Arsenal Player Rating and Match Reaction

[KSE Comedy Club]

The point being is that I’m not going to deny its existence simply because our managers have in the past blamed it for their own shortcomings. I wouldn’t mind but I only even mentioned it in reference to our own slow build up play

Yeh sorry, I wasn't trying to get at you or start this whole off topic debate off!

I've just heard this a lot from different fans this season 'they have come here and played the low block' and it really irritates me - I don't know why

[KSE Comedy Club]

Firstly, no he has outright refused to suggest there is any difference between it and ordinary defending. Secondly why take the two words when they have only been used in the broader context of saying our build up play is too slow to make an counter argument to an argument no one is making to begin with.

I don’t necessarily think it’s about not taking on shots, the expectation when a side is defending deep that the shot will be blocked by bodies…so you might get a fortunate deflection that wrong foots the keeper but ultimately it’s a wasted effort. Don’t get me wrong I do think often players don’t want to take responsibility for taking the shot on, but I don’t think that’s necessarily the biggest reason for our shortcomings.

It’s that because we play the full back as an extra man in midfield, we play defensive minded players in the no8 role that we seem to have almost no transition between defence and attack. You even see Odegaard do 180 turns and play the ball backwards as soon as anyone tries to close him down. You need aggressive passing and movement, what Liverpool have always been good at is to over commit defenders and defensive midfielders by sucking them in to deal with one player on the ball and then that player will pass to about three or four players who are now operating in acres of space.

To do that you need a player who is comfortable enough on the ball to deal with closing down and make passes under pressure

So what (purely out of curiosity) is ordinary defending and how is it different to defending with 11 men in the box?

[HCZ_Reborn]

I understand perfectly well.

But this idea that it isn't normal defending is something I find rather odd.

Do we not expect everyone to muck in and defend when the shit hits the fan?
Also based on how well we used to attack teams, do you not expect opposition to get everyone they can in the box to defend against us when we get in final thrid?

No I don’t think you do understand, because you wouldn’t answer like that if you did

Your response even acknowledges that having every player in the box is a particular kind of defending…and have stated that when our backs are up against the wall we’ve done it ourselves (we absolutely have of course)

Literally no one has suggested there’s anything wrong with teams doing this. And even the post you took exception to was making the point that it’s incumbent on us to deal with it.

So I’m literally at a loss as to what or who you’re arguing against

[HCZ_Reborn]

So what (purely out of curiosity) is ordinary defending and how is it different to defending with 11 men in the box?

Ordinary defending is when you have your defenders protecting the goal, your defensive midfielders tracking back and generally not being caught out of position


Deep block is when you are either playing for a draw or you are looking to hold on to what you have. If you start a game with a deep block defence it suggests you’re either happy with a draw or looking to play purely on the counter

Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re coming across deranged if you can’t even acknowledge that somehow playing with almost all your own defenders in your penalty box stands out as being particularly defensive in your tactical mindset


And I think you’re doing it because you seem to think that acknowledging this is the same as excusing us.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Can we draw a line under this now though, accept that because of some emotional issue you’re dealing with that you don’t like the term Deep Block, because you equate it with an argument no one is actually making and that it’s your problem to deal with?

[Niall_Quinn]

As I understand it the deep block is used by teams who are markedly inferior to the opposition, or are in a markedly inferior circumstance such as being Arsenal in a match reffed by Oliver. It denies space inside the attacking third the opposition might exploit through superior tactics or simply by having better players. It's not something new, Arsenal teams of the past have shamelessly deployed it against rivals particularly in away matches and we've been lampooned for doing it. I don't think it's used to play for a draw, per se, but more to nullify the advantages of a superior opposition. So when a quality team opts for it they rightly get laughed at. But when a team from the lower leagues goes up against top league opposition it's often viewed as "heroic" to deploy such tactics. And it's understandable. It can even be exciting when one team doggedly resists another in such fashion.

[HCZ_Reborn]

As I understand it the deep block is used by teams who are markedly inferior to the opposition, or are in a markedly inferior circumstance such as being Arsenal in a match referred by Oliver. It denies space inside the attacking third the opposition might exploit through superior tactics or simply by having better players. It's not something new, Arsenal teams of the past have shamelessly deployed it against rivals particularly in away matches and we've been lampooned for doing it. I don't think it's used to play for a draw, per se, but more to nullify the advantages of a superior opposition. So when a quality team opts for it they rightly get laughed at. But when a team from the lower leagues goes up against top league opposition it's often viewed as "heroic" to deploy such tactics. And it's understandable. It can even be exciting when one team doggedly resists another in such fashion.

Yeah I think that sums it up completely accurately

[KSE Comedy Club]

Can we draw a line under this now though, accept that you don’t like the term Deep Block, because you equate it with an argument no one is actually making and that it’s your problem to deal with?

I think I have already acknowledged that a few posts back

[Niall_Quinn]

I think I have already acknowledged that a few posts back

Oh no we haven't...!

[KSE Comedy Club]

Ordinary defending is when you have your defenders protecting the goal, your defensive midfielders tracking back and generally not being caught out of position


Deep block is when you are either playing for a draw or you are looking to hold on to what you have. If you start a game with a deep block defence it suggests you’re either happy with a draw or looking to play purely on the counter

Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re coming across deranged if you can’t even acknowledge that somehow playing with almost all your own defenders in your penalty box stands out as being particularly defensive in your tactical mindset


And I think you’re doing it because you seem to think that acknowledging this is the same as excusing us.

Not me, but I know some fans have been using it in that way - which is what irritates me.