Match Reaction vs The 'Ammers (away).

[Power n Glory]

Oh, I do agree that getting a striker is a priority. Although technically we do have Podolski and Bendtner who can play as a CF too. As for our wide options you could say we can play Cazorla, Ozil, Rosicky, Ramsey, and Wilshere there but that's just playing players out of position, and they don't play there particularly well. It's like saying we can play Flamini at left back - we all know he can play there but we only want him there as cover in an emergency and not as a regular role over a season which our CAMs have been doing. Theo are Podolski are fine there but as I said before I don't think they are top level forwards and there is a lot of scope for improvement.

Cazorla's best position for us is right behind the striker regardless of where he has played before. Even when he's playing well on the wing he plays far too deep and central. He gets freedom to move around but usually comes infield to play a bit of tippy tappy triangles in front of the opponent's box which only helps us keep possession and doesn't normally contribute to breaking them down. It also means that when Ozil gets the ball on the counter there's usually only two players in front of him - Giroud and Theo - because Cazorla's in line with him or drifting somewhere else when he receives the ball. That's a waste of Ozil's best talent with his vision, especially since Giroud is slow and always runs towards the ball. So basically by playing Santi there we are restricting our two best playmakers rather than getting the best out of them.



Reus isn't a speed freak like Henry was but he does have a very good turn of pace and acceleration. He's also got great balance and is hard to shake off the ball like a lot of 'small' European attackers nowadays. Physically he's certainly no worse than Suarez or RvP so I can't see that being an issue. It's hard how well he'd do without actually seeing him play there so I personally wouldn't sign him specifically as a CF. But as a wide forward he's lightyears ahead of anyone we've got so it's a no-brainer if we've got enough cash.

Agree with that. I don't think Cazorla has played so badly this season, he's just been ineffective on the flanks. There is no point in playing a tippy tappy player on the wing. It's problematic. Whenever Rosicky is played wide, he abandons that position completely and moves to the centre. We've seen Jack really struggle there and Cazorla hasn't struggled as badly but he's had no influence. We need direct wingers for that position. Someone that will take on his man and drive into the box, not drift in to play one twos.

Ozil is a mystery to me. He drifts all over the field and only manages to rack up 40/50 passes a game. That's not enough for a central player and he's not having the sort of influence I expected. Seems to me he needs a player like Rosicky or Cazorla next to him in the middle to find him but I really hate having to say that about a £40m world class talent. He needs to make things happen and in due time maybe he'll grow in confidence but I'm beginning to think he's not essential for the middle but moving him out wide will properly result in the same problem we have with Cazorla and what we've had with players like Hleb, Nasri and Arshavin.

We'll see how the next few weeks pan out but once again it looks like we have the square pegs in round holes problem. We have so many talented central players but not enough positions for them.

[Power n Glory]

Spot on.

Im just glad we have so many grade A coaches and scouts on here.

Just a shame they cant use their skills and find a more sensibly priced prospect.

Until then, lets reserve the mega money for players adept in the position we require them for.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

Not to rain on the parade but I think we should have come off the blocks looking for the win. Dont see the killer instinct a team needs to win the PL.. I can see us losing steam very very soon. Dont see much different in this squad compared to the last 6-7 seasons.

Good win though. 4th place should not be hard to secure.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

One more tough game at Toon then we can start resting players.

We have Cardiff at home then the FA cup game, some players can be given 2 weeks off until Villa away.

Should be a good month.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Spot on.

Im just glad we have so many grade A coaches and scouts on here.

Just a shame they cant use their skills and find a more sensibly priced prospect.

Until then, lets reserve the mega money for players adept in the position we require them for.

I think the idea is interesting if nothing else..... and I wouldn't mind if my reservations were proven unfounded by us actually signing the bloke ...but I do struggle with the logic behind it and don't think a strong case has been made.

Even if Reus, like Cronaldo was the flawless player in footballing ability and physical stature that some think him to be, who's to say the best position for him would be CF in a 433. Cronaldo has a free role at Madrid and ostensibly plays from the left without the need to be placed at CF.

If a player is geared as such to being able to best any opponent using any number of his attributes, then it usually doesn't matter where he starts, as long as he is given free reign; or rather, a free role.

That is why players like Suarez, Cronaldo, Bale, Messi can pretty much start anywhere. I don't think that Reus is quite of that ability, even if the actual argument from a few here is that he will be. The advantage of starting from wide is that you don't begin from a positioning which is close to the CB's who want to rough you up and unsettle you. It is far better if you have the time and space to run at players which you are afforded as a result of where you pick the ball up.

For me it is comparable to the reason I don't think Ramsey needs to start as the furthest midfielder forward in spite of his goal tally. If he starts from a deeper position he has the time and space to manoeuvre, ghost into advanced positions when it is unexpected, or run at defenders who are on the back foot.

[Ollie the Optimist]

One more tough game at Toon then we can start resting players.

We have Cardiff at home then the FA cup game, some players can be given 2 weeks off until Villa away.

Should be a good month.

no resting players against spurs. don't care that its the cup at all, its spurs and right now they are shit. lets fucking destroy their season by sending out the best team to hopefully thrash them

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

We can rest the likes of Giroud, Ozil etc as we have players like Podolski back now.

[Penguin]

That's why I said to play CF 'convincingly'. I don't feel Walcott or Podolski have....least not for a lengthy period of time. Don't get me started on the great Dane. I was quite specific about our wide options too. I mentioned Cazorla, Ozil, Podolski, Gnabry and Walcott and not Rosicky, Ramsey or Wilshere because I feel the former group have played there convincingly and can continue to do so if asked to.

I will agree to disagree with many on Cazorla's positioning.

I'm pretty sure Podolski, Theo and even Bendtner could play CF to a decent enough level, but obviously several levels below the best in the business like Suarez or Aguero. But by the same logic Caz/Ozil can play nowhere near the level of the best wide forwards in the world, in fact they play the role completely wrong. Let me be clear, we both already agreed that a striker is the priority, I'm just using that to make my point.

For me Caz/Ozil don't play in the wide positions 'convincingly'. I would put them in the same group as Rosicky, Ramsey and Wilshere because, although they are better at it than those three due to their skill on the ball, they still fall into the same patterns of CAM play in front of the opponents rather than playing on the shoulder of their defence, running at and beating fullbacks and giving us a variation of play. They both do exactly the same thing the three CMs behind them do and It's all very slow and predictable. The fact that Wenger has consistently brought in the same type of player to play in those positions in the last eight years really grates - Hleb, Rosicky, Nasri, Arshavin. None of them were successful apart from Nasri to an extent, but even he played in a central position in his best season for us.

Suarez and RvP are tough boys. Anyone who has met RvP will tell you he has quite the stature and is 6'2 whilst Suarez has great balance, but also great strength and is constantly willing to knock anyone in the ground over to score, be it the opposition, the ref, the goaly, a little girl in the stand.... Anyone who points to Aguero or Tevez would be completely missing the fact both of those guys like Suarez give as good as they get and more so and both are powerful players. I've seen the pair of them regularly knock over defenders twice their size. Without that power they would be ineffective in that position and that is despite their ability as footballers.

The wide left position is probably the best served in the squad with Podolski, Cazorla and Ozil all able to play there so I am a little surprised quite so many would spend whatever it would take to sign Reus and playing him left or even more unbelievably CF.

It's all about balance. I remember seeing Messi go shoulder to shoulder with Vidic, beating him off, staying on his feet and keeping the ball. He can pretty much do that to anyone and he's 5'6 and not particularly well built. I'm not sure what you think of Reus but he's definitely not a lightweight and height has nothing to do with it. And as for the pace, he comfortably beats both Suarez and RvP in that department.

So why get him if we have players that can play there? The same reason we want a world class centre forward - he's a hell of a lot better than anyone we already have and would improve us significantly in an area we are weak in.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Podolski has been poor to say the least the few times he played CF. Walcott has been good in some games and completely ineffective in others, which is what you would expect from a player of his skills in that position. I'm not even going to mention the Dane.

I would really like the stat on how many games Cazorla played wide left last season to be public knowledge. I don't have it unfortunately. I fundamentally disagree with your view on him and Ozil though as I've intimated.

I think if you go back to Narsi's purple patch and note down the number of good games he had from the left you will be surprised. It is a myth in my opinion that he played better in that period in midfield. I acutely remember his best games coming when he started left.

Messi is one of a kind. There is no precedent for what many are suggesting Reus could do simply because it doesn't work effectively in practice. People are using players completely unlike him to build a case and that is because players like him don't play CF in a 433 in the prem imo. The fact you have to mention Messi at all does not help your argument. Reus is certainly no Messi and if he was I would be totally with you.

I know height is not the ball all end all of having power, which is why I used the examples of Tevez and Aguero who both have power. It's not about being lightweight or a powerhouse. You can be somewhere in between, but if you are, you have to have enough to avoid being dominated against big burly CB's in the prem. I'm not convinced Reus does or that his skills and talents are best served trying to give it back to centre halves over 90 minutes.

[milla]

It's all about balance. I remember seeing Messi go shoulder to shoulder with Vidic, beating him off, staying on his feet and keeping the ball. He can pretty much do that to anyone and he's 5'6 and not particularly well built. I'm not sure what you think of Reus but he's definitely not a lightweight and height has nothing to do with it. And as for the pace, he comfortably beats both Suarez and RvP in that department.

So why get him if we have players that can play there? The same reason we want a world class centre forward - he's a hell of a lot better than anyone we already have and would improve us significantly in an area we are weak in.