neonleon
Player Valuation: £35m
One thing that I noticed at Reading, was our inability to keep the ball, distribute it intelligently from the back and control the tempo of the game.
With arteta off colour and Reading closing us down (shades of our own tactics) we needed someone to sit on the ball, take the sting out of it and retain possession and make reading think about defending.
Our direct style was found wanting when under pressure, players like Valente, Hibbert, Cars and Neville kept giving the ball away.
All the pressure was on the forwards (when long balls came their way)and Arteta and the back four - for once they couldn't handle it with panic clearances order of the day.
With some technical minded players signed, a more european style player we can learn to do this. Its something most european sides can do - this is why the closing down style rarely works in europe - european sides learn to pass it out of trouble and find room for themselves.
Fernandes could do this for us and it would take the pressure of arteta, but ulitmately the back four have to change to a degree and learn to keep the ball from the back. Something I worry Hibbert, Valente and possibly Jags and Baines will struggle to do.
Certainly Moyes' heritage as adefender is of the school of clear it first, but under the kosch it's not always the best option.
Also, a striker able to hold the ball upfield (which Anichebe failed to do) is a necessity - especially in these types of games.
Hopefully if Manny signs and Yakubu signs we can improve on this, but I still feel some coaching needs to be done in these circumstances.
Its one thing to play like that at old trafford its another thing when its reading (although they are a good, well managed team).
The Uefa Cup will be mighty difficult if we can't start with quality distribution at the back. Possession in midfield and one striker to hold the ball up at the front and another to stretch defences with pace.
we are getting there, slowly but surely.
Just don't think Reading was a blip. When we loose a game like that its often for the same reasons (as mentioned above).
(Have to say the english national side seems to suffer from the above. I think its the english problem in football).
your thoughts?
With arteta off colour and Reading closing us down (shades of our own tactics) we needed someone to sit on the ball, take the sting out of it and retain possession and make reading think about defending.
Our direct style was found wanting when under pressure, players like Valente, Hibbert, Cars and Neville kept giving the ball away.
All the pressure was on the forwards (when long balls came their way)and Arteta and the back four - for once they couldn't handle it with panic clearances order of the day.
With some technical minded players signed, a more european style player we can learn to do this. Its something most european sides can do - this is why the closing down style rarely works in europe - european sides learn to pass it out of trouble and find room for themselves.
Fernandes could do this for us and it would take the pressure of arteta, but ulitmately the back four have to change to a degree and learn to keep the ball from the back. Something I worry Hibbert, Valente and possibly Jags and Baines will struggle to do.
Certainly Moyes' heritage as adefender is of the school of clear it first, but under the kosch it's not always the best option.
Also, a striker able to hold the ball upfield (which Anichebe failed to do) is a necessity - especially in these types of games.
Hopefully if Manny signs and Yakubu signs we can improve on this, but I still feel some coaching needs to be done in these circumstances.
Its one thing to play like that at old trafford its another thing when its reading (although they are a good, well managed team).
The Uefa Cup will be mighty difficult if we can't start with quality distribution at the back. Possession in midfield and one striker to hold the ball up at the front and another to stretch defences with pace.
we are getting there, slowly but surely.
Just don't think Reading was a blip. When we loose a game like that its often for the same reasons (as mentioned above).
(Have to say the english national side seems to suffer from the above. I think its the english problem in football).
your thoughts?
