Match reaction vs Anderlecht

[BOBN]

Frank Lampard the coward

The player who validated the theory for me and convinced me to take it to print.

Lampard - a shadow striker as he had zero defensive responsibilities at his peak, just had to ghost into the box and pick up knockdowns. Very similar position that Sanchez has played in the last couple of games. A midfielder is defined by his defensive responsibilities, an attacking player with nothing to do defensively is an attacker. FACT.

So 147 goals in 429 for Chelsea according to Wiki. By rights that sort of rates puts him in the James Beattie/Andy Carroll class of forward, pretty meh. But hes too smart for such a thing, so what did he do? Convince everybody hes "just a midfielder me". Every interview he did he always made sure to mention the word "midfielder", think about it. Coupled with his media pals drawing fraudulent formational diagrams showing 4-5-1s rather than 4-4-2s or 4-4-1-1s and all of a sudden hes the "greatest goalscoring midfielder for a generation".

[Letters]

"print"

[Marc Overmars]

BOBN's theories

[Syn]

Ramsey was he wasn't like that last season. He's got this incredible engine that allows him to sprint 95 minutes a game. So he ghosts into the right positions in the box but manages to get back, make tackles and spray passes around all over the pitch. That was apparent well before 2013 and even when he was getting all the criticism. He's a proper box to box, all action player like Yaya Toure. Last season he was leading the stats for tackles, interceptions, chances created, passes in the final 1/3, goals scored - anything you want to judge a proper CM as. He can do it all and that's why he's top quality.

But he was born in a shit country and all he had to do in pre season was relax and stay fit. We all took it for granted that he'd stay the same. But he's playing a different role now even when he hasn't been injured. Thought Wenger was behind it but quite clear he's not and wants ramsey to sit deeper and get the basics right. He's obviously struggling for form and thinks he can get it all back by scoring a few goals. But it seems very irresponsible to me. Should be reining it in and getting to the type of performances he was putting in second half of 12-13. We need a Milner/Henderson rather than an out of form Toure.

[BOBN]

Frank’s top five tips on scoring as a midfielder

Get in the mind of a goalscorer
“Work like a striker, think like a striker and train like a striker. After the team training session, practise shooting some more.”
http://performance.fourfourtwo.com/t...t-like-lampard

Yes, anything but "call yourself a striker"

What did folks say about ducks?

"Practice shooting some more" like dude, you just did that all session, any chance of some shuttle runs tbf?

Lampard and Gerrard, these are Ramsey role models. Let us not be suprised he is morphing into a self-serving penis.

[Master Splinter]

"print"

I'm not sure if it was the oblivious self-importance or the inaccuracy of using the word "print" which made it brilliant.

BOBN .

Still has his moments.

[Power n Glory]

The player who validated the theory for me and convinced me to take it to print.

Lampard - a shadow striker as he had zero defensive responsibilities at his peak, just had to ghost into the box and pick up knockdowns. Very similar position that Sanchez has played in the last couple of games. A midfielder is defined by his defensive responsibilities, an attacking player with nothing to do defensively is an attacker. FACT.

So 147 goals in 429 for Chelsea according to Wiki. By rights that sort of rates puts him in the James Beattie/Andy Carroll class of forward, pretty meh. But hes too smart for such a thing, so what did he do? Convince everybody hes "just a midfielder me". Every interview he did he always made sure to mention the word "midfielder", think about it. Coupled with his media pals drawing fraudulent formational diagrams showing 4-5-1s rather than 4-4-2s or 4-4-1-1s and all of a sudden hes the "greatest goalscoring midfielder for a generation".

You're on to something. I've never rated the guy.

[Maestro]

The player who validated the theory for me and convinced me to take it to print.

Lampard - a shadow striker as he had zero defensive responsibilities at his peak, just had to ghost into the box and pick up knockdowns. Very similar position that Sanchez has played in the last couple of games. A midfielder is defined by his defensive responsibilities, an attacking player with nothing to do defensively is an attacker. FACT.

So 147 goals in 429 for Chelsea according to Wiki. By rights that sort of rates puts him in the James Beattie/Andy Carroll class of forward, pretty meh. But hes too smart for such a thing, so what did he do? Convince everybody hes "just a midfielder me". Every interview he did he always made sure to mention the word "midfielder", think about it. Coupled with his media pals drawing fraudulent formational diagrams showing 4-5-1s rather than 4-4-2s or 4-4-1-1s and all of a sudden hes the "greatest goalscoring midfielder for a generation".

totally and utterly agree with this, just one edit before you go to print: any midfielder worth his salt, especially CM's, need to have great tactical discipline and very good passing ability not just defensive responsibility.

edit that bit, and send it to Tobias in repro and tell him to run the print for tomorrow morning's edition. good job.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

Please don't encourage him.

[Power n Glory]

http://www.espnfc.us/club/arsenal/35...ut-for-gunners

Ramsey needs to rediscover form quickly and be a team player again
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger rued a lapse in concentration as his side let slip a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Anderlecht in the Champions League.

At present, Aaron Ramsey is a long way off the form that saw him crowned Arsenal's player of the year in 2013-14. Fans will be desperate for him to arrest the dramatic slump in his form but there are signs that his game is regressing.

During Tuesday's 3-3 draw between Arsenal and Anderlecht, Ramsey was involved in one incident that drew a collective wince from the Emirates crowd. An Arsenal attack was progressing smoothly until the Welshman inexplicably decided to back-heel the ball rather than playing a straightforward pass. His teammates were bemused as the move broke down.


For the supporters in the stands, it was akin to enduring a traumatic flashback. These were the moments of wasteful extravagance that blighted Ramsey's career until the spring of 2013. It was then that a private conversation between Ramsey and Arsene Wenger saw the trajectory of his career dramatically shift.

Wenger has subsequently revealed: "I sat down with Aaron and I told him, 'I don't think people don't like you, but they don't like your game at the moment'. He had to come back to a more simple game. Then you saw a different player because he is intelligent and when I came out of the meeting I knew this guy would come back."

He did far more than just come back. With Wenger's words to guide him, Ramsey scaled unforeseen heights. His manager's advice was crucial and by simplifying his game, Ramsey was able to rebuild his confidence. Deployed deep alongside Mikel Arteta, the Welshman focused on the basics. He improved the consistency of his passing and paid close attention to his defensive duties.

Once those building blocks were in place, embellishments followed. The goals began to flow -- Ramsey racked up 16 across last season, despite missing four months with a thigh problem. He capped his season with an extra-time winner in the FA Cup Final. It was a fitting end to a remarkable campaign, one that seemed to be opening a new chapter in his career.

With Wales absent from the World Cup, Ramsey enjoyed a summer of rest. He was expected to lead the charge for Arsenal this season and goals in the Community Shield and on the opening day of the Premier League suggested he was primed for the task ahead. However, since then he has scored just once. More distressingly, the fundamentals of his game have gone awry. In his eagerness to recover his form, Ramsey has become guilty of overelaboration again.
Aaron Ramsey scored 10 goals for Arsenal last season. Ramsey inspired Arsenal last season and was helped them end their trophy drought with success in the FA Cup, but has started slowly this time around.

Having been through this process before, Wenger will be particularly disappointed to see those old habits creeping back in to Ramsey's game. Perhaps that's why he's chosen to take his instruction public. In a recent news conference, he said: "A midfielder is a player who defends well, attacks well and keeps his priorities right.

"He's not a goal scorer, so he has not to be obsessed by that. I just want him to do his job well. The goals are the consequence of the quality of his game. I don't believe that he has to be obsessed by that."

If Ramsey were listening, it didn't appear to show in his performance against Anderlecht. Blasting an 88th-minute free kick over the bar then needlessly committing himself forward in the build-up to the Belgians' eventual equaliser were evidence of a player still chasing individual rewards rather than prioritising the needs of the team.

It's inevitable to an extent. Goals changed the public perception of Ramsey, and he now sees them as key to recapturing the acclaim that followed him throughout last season. However, there is a bigger picture. Given the defensive instability that is riddling the team, Ramsey needs to show selflessness and restraint.

Arsenal need his all-round game more than he needs a few goals. It's time to show that the performances of 2013-14 were the work of the real Ramsey, not merely the consequence of a prolonged purple patch.

A good summary on how I feel about the Ramsey situation from ESPN. Wenger told once before that he needed to simplify his game and he said it again in the press this week. Ramsey took the advice on board last time so it will be interesting to see what he does with his next start. He just needs to cut out the Hollywood crap and get back to basics. We often blast Wenger for not giving in instructions but I think this one is on the player. Wenger never usually gives incite to specific instructions on the pitch and this was a bit of an eye opener.

Wilshere is another player that this can be applied to. He's been on a selfish streak for a while and it explains why him and Ramsey just don't work together. With both of them looking for glory up field, we're left vulnerable. I see no communication or link up play between the two when they play. Wilshere has a bad habit of trying the impossible before the simple and it's hampering his game. He's another that seems to be putting his form before the team. Wenger needs to sit down with the pair of them and hash it out. If we intend on playing Sanchez behind the striker like we've down over the past few games, we won't need two CM's that produce little going forward and zero work rate at the back. Just sit two destroyers behind Sanchez and he'll get the goals, provide creativity and work his socks off on defence. These guys need to sort their game out quickly because their little scramble to get back on form and score goals may cost them starting positions.