I think we are holding on to a somewhat arbitrary and subjective idea of the phrase 'tippy tappy'. Surely it alludes to the pass, pass, pass and one more pass ideology rather than giving a full picture of a gameplan or tactics.... it basically ignores what is or isn't happening off the ball, including positioning and runs made. I tend to agree with P n G in that on a good day it is lauded and on a bad day where the opposition don't cross the half way line until a counter attack emerges it is ridiculed.

Just as on a good day when team mates spot a Theo run and give him the ball Theo and the assister may be praised and another day when the run isn't spotted people will recite Theo's touches of the ball in 90 minutes and say he went missing. That's not to say all criticism of him is unjust but I think the difference between the sublime and lame isn't always as great as we think.

Penguin's line about down playing quick incisive passing kinda brings P n G's idea about application (or perhaps more specifically execution) into relevance.