Ozil - Do we need him?

[Power n Glory]

Yesterday proved what was patently obvious in the first place. If we use the talent we have at this club in an ambitious manner we can stand toe to toe with almost any opponent. Yes the chavs were poor, but I'm sure they didn't choose to be that way. We pulled their defence all over the place, we made them look bad. The chavs didn't sit back and invite us to have the ball, we harried them all over the pitch and when we regained possession we passed it quickly and accurately into the danger zone. We did the opposite of what we usually do. Can you imagine a similar result had we played the tippy tappy bollocks we've been suffering for several seasons now? About a year ago we ripped Utd apart in a similar manner. The challenge now is to build on this and not slip back into the conservative ways that have dragged our standard of football into the sewer. We KNOW we can do a lot better and we just saw the proof. How do we take this ambition and intensity into every game for the remainder of the season? That's the question and the challenge the manager faces now. No point making a bold statement if you don't follow it up decisively.

This is a very tip tappy goal, NQ. I can't speak for the overall nature of the game because I've only seen the highlights but if Iwobi takes a heavy touch after the first pass from Ozil or if Kante doesn't slip and nicks the ball off Iwobi after the second pass back form Ozil, the opportunity for the 2nd goal has gone and we're open for the counter.

It's great play from Iwobi to make that turn and slip Bellerin in. He spots the run and plays the risky pass. He could have played it back out ignoring the run to try and keep possession. We'll always be a team that plays possession football under Wenger but I don't know how his coaching can stop a player from picking out a good run when playing so deep in our opponents half. It has to come down to individual choices at some point.

For example, watch Theo's movement for the build up. He makes a good run into the box as soon as he sees Ozil getting a touch and he calls for the pass. But Ozil plays a simple pass to Iwobi who's not really in a great position to do damage with his back to goal. It results in the sort of tipp tappy moment you despise and would probably curse if that move breaks down. Could Ozil not have played the ball first time to Theo? Did he see the run? Is it too much of a difficult angle and pass? I don't know. Would a pass to his left for Monreal to whip in a cross be better? Who knows. But it results in a goal. Heck of a pass from Iwobi to find Bellerin, great movement from Theo and perfect cross from Hector. 2-0.

[Goonermerree]

We were so not tippy tappy yesterday.

[Power n Glory]

I'm can't really tell but there were a couple of moments where we overplayed a little and then countered. I don't know if we deviated from the usual way we'd attack.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

It was very tippy tappy, just with cutting edge. No need for us to pretend it was something else entirely because we won and played well. It was quick, incisive, progressive passes that cut them open to devastating effect.

[Niall_Quinn]

It was very tippy tappy, just with cutting edge. No need for us to pretend it was something else entirely because we won and played well. It was quick, incisive, progressive passes that cut them open to devastating effect.

There is no cutting edge with our regular tippy tappy, that's the problem. Always the extra pass, always the safe option. We started falling into that pattern after the match was secure and some have already said it was a shame we didn't go for the jugular and dish out a heavier dose of payback (which we could have done), but the extra energy, pace and the direct play is what won us this game. The crappy chav defence helped, but they would have loved it and been in the comfort zone had we opted to play in our normal manner.

[Niall_Quinn]

This is a very tip tappy goal, NQ. I can't speak for the overall nature of the game because I've only seen the highlights but if Iwobi takes a heavy touch after the first pass from Ozil or if Kante doesn't slip and nicks the ball off Iwobi after the second pass back form Ozil, the opportunity for the 2nd goal has gone and we're open for the counter.

It's great play from Iwobi to make that turn and slip Bellerin in. He spots the run and plays the risky pass. He could have played it back out ignoring the run to try and keep possession. We'll always be a team that plays possession football under Wenger but I don't know how his coaching can stop a player from picking out a good run when playing so deep in our opponents half. It has to come down to individual choices at some point.

For example, watch Theo's movement for the build up. He makes a good run into the box as soon as he sees Ozil getting a touch and he calls for the pass. But Ozil plays a simple pass to Iwobi who's not really in a great position to do damage with his back to goal. It results in the sort of tipp tappy moment you despise and would probably curse if that move breaks down. Could Ozil not have played the ball first time to Theo? Did he see the run? Is it too much of a difficult angle and pass? I don't know. Would a pass to his left for Monreal to whip in a cross be better? Who knows. But it results in a goal. Heck of a pass from Iwobi to find Bellerin, great movement from Theo and perfect cross from Hector. 2-0.

That goal is as far away from tippy tappy Wengerball MkII as you can get. This was Wengerball MkI, the original and still the best.

Four players in the box, moving the ball at high tempo, taking a risk with the pass, using width, having a player in a genuine striker's position as the ball comes into the box. All the things we normally don't do.

Under tippy tappy nobody would have moved into the box. They'd all have congregated around the edge of the box and held static positions, tapping pass after pass until the ball was eventually lost.

[Power n Glory]

That goal is as far away from tippy tappy Wengerball MkII as you can get. This was Wengerball MkI, the original and still the best.

Four players in the box, moving the ball at high tempo, taking a risk with the pass, using width, having a player in a genuine striker's position as the ball comes into the box. All the things we normally don't do.

Under tippy tappy nobody would have moved into the box. They'd all have congregated around the edge of the box and held static positions, tapping pass after pass until the ball was eventually lost.

You’re describing the same tactic just a different level of application. The exchanges of passes between Iwobi and Ozil aren’t necessary. But it worked. Our wingbacks always overlap and Theo always makes off the ball runs. It’s what he does most when we attack because he’s the one attacking player that has the least amount of passes and touches on the ball. Against a well organised defence, we’re sometimes shut out. It’s a thin line. As said, if Iwobi or Ozil lose get closed down quickly and lose the ball and we end up conceding, how is that different to when other teams sit back and hit us on the counter?

[Niall_Quinn]

You’re describing the same tactic just a different level of application. The exchanges of passes between Iwobi and Ozil aren’t necessary. But it worked. Our wingbacks always overlap and Theo always makes off the ball runs. It’s what he does most when we attack because he’s the one attacking player that has the least amount of passes and touches on the ball. Against a well organised defence, we’re sometimes shut out. It’s a thin line. As said, if Iwobi or Ozil lose get closed down quickly and lose the ball and we end up conceding, how is that different to when other teams sit back and hit us on the counter?

A "different level of application"? You mean it's the same thing but different?

If you are saying that we normally play with tempo and plenty of movement, and that our passing is usually decisive and aggressive and that we regularly get players into the kill zone in the opponent's box then I can't agree.

[Power n Glory]

A "different level of application"? You mean it's the same thing but different?

If you are saying that we normally play with tempo and plenty of movement, and that our passing is usually decisive and aggressive and that we regularly get players into the kill zone in the opponent's box then I can't agree.

‘Tippy tappy’ is our poor man version of Tika Taka. The way we try to attack and dominate teams with our passing has always been the same. The lack of movement and effort that we often see from the players comes either down to a lack of effort or we’ve come up against a frustrating defence that we can’t break down. Same tactic, just a different result. After a loss and when Wenger says we played with the handbreak on’ or ‘lacked a little sharpness’, the same characteristics you’re now applauding; the aggressive pinpoint passing, the movement….that’s what he’s looking for from the team. This is how ‘Wengerball’ ‘Tippy Tappy’ is always supposed to be played but it doesn’t always work out.

[Niall_Quinn]

‘Tippy tappy’ is our poor man version of Tika Taka. The way we try to attack and dominate teams with our passing has always been the same. The lack of movement and effort that we often see from the players comes either down to a lack of effort or we’ve come up against a frustrating defence that we can’t break down. Same tactic, just a different result. After a loss and when Wenger says we played with the handbreak on’ or ‘lacked a little sharpness’, the same characteristics you’re now applauding; the aggressive pinpoint passing, the movement….that’s what he’s looking for from the team. This is how ‘Wengerball’ ‘Tippy Tappy’ is always supposed to be played but it doesn’t always work out.

So Saturday was our usual game, except the chavs allowed us to play the way we want to but usually can't? Isn't that what BT was trying to paint?

Not buying it because very obviously we played differently on Saturday. We were much quicker to the ball, we committed far more players forward and we penetrated the penalty area for a change. And because the tempo was much higher is seemed to benefit our passing, almost as if we are better when we don't have time to think. Ozil dominated, though I guess you'll say he didn't. The team dominated and the chavs were overrun. Their defence may be disorganised but the pressure we placed on them played as much part as any troubles they are having on the training ground.