Blaming 'Possession Football' is a lazy and stupid excuse

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Stonesy

Previously banned user
and I'll tell you why - because this quite simply isn't possession football. The notion of being brave in possession to create space and thus give players more options when they're on the ball is a sound one: it's creative, entertaining and effective. But it doesn't simply take care of itself... it requires bravery, risk-taking, intelligence and speed. We're currently lacking in all of those.

You've got Jagielka and Distin afraid to make even a 10-yard pass forward, favouring instead their pearolled sideways balls even when there's oceans of space ahead of them. It's cowardly more than anything, and totally handicaps us from playing effectively out from the back.

Once you've passed it, run forward to make yourself available. Our players need to start taking risks with their runs instead of with the ball. Martinez loves to encourage 'on-the-ball risks' which to me seems entirely stupid, leaving us with those painful failed stepovers McGeady, Barkley and Mirallas will continue to repeat, time after time even in the same game. What I don't see them doing, for example, is playing 1-2s, relying on a teammate's return ball rather than their own skills. Posession football doesn't work in isolation, but that's how Martinez seems to have our front four playing at the moment - all free roles, but zero link up. Too free, maybe.

There's so many plain stupid decisions made, too, that just defy justification. It's mostly failing to go for an easy pass, most glaringly when it's right on 5 yards away - how many times instead has, say, Barkley decided to do one more dragback and take it out of play? Or Lukaku going for a shot on the turn with 3 defenders in the way despite teammates all around him? Or instead of playing a Pienaar style one-two with Baines, seeing Mirallas ignore him completely and pelt down a blind alley on the wing?

And speed. We're cumbersome in both thought and execution. They plod around only to make a simple decision that could have been made instantly - so many times there's just nothing to be gained from these meanders on the ball. 4, 5 touches for no reason. It's one of the main reasons we're playing so badly, which is my main gripe with this awful run we're on: I hate how boring we've become. I really don't enjoy watching us at all. And the biggest worry is that Martinez no longer inspires me with confidence that he has command of our fate in games - we seem to start poorly and defy all expectations by getting worse and worse throughout the game. Lukaku and Eto'o don't work together. And his two golden boys - Lukaku, Barry - when they play badly (Barry rarely, Lukaku almost every game) it's like playing with 10 men, they're guaranteed to stay on no matter how rubbish they've been.

All in all, been an awful season so far.
 

We've played much better in this half, alot more of all those things we've been lacking, so it's good to know it's not beyond us. Even still we've had to contend with our centre halves' woeful ability on the ball and Lukaku's terrible first touch. I take those two things as granted every game though.
 
School of science alone will win nothing - dogs of war alone will win nothing.

Currently we're trying the former, however the team of the '80's had bags of the latter while still playing good football. They also had Neville Southall, like.

We need to kick seven shades out of some games and have a go, while playing the passing game - it's all about combining the two styles well and knowing when to utilise each style of play. And having a massive mental Welshman.
 
School of science alone will win nothing - dogs of war alone will win nothing.

Currently we're trying the former, however the team of the '80's had bags of the latter while still playing good football. They also had Neville Southall, like.

We need to kick seven shades out of some games and have a go, while playing the passing game - it's all about combining the two styles well and knowing when to utilise each style of play. And having a massive mental Welshman.
I do agree. But I just don't think it's anything to do with the School of Science or passing football in principal or as a philosophy (as is the trendy description thesedays), it's our insipid vision of it, our basic failure to carry it out properly that is the problem. I just hate hearing people say "You can pass all you like..." for example against Hull. We didn't do any passing of any note, we gave the ball away all the time, Distin and Jags passing back to Howard so he can boot it up does not in any way constitute 'possession football'
 

I do agree. But I just don't think it's anything to do with the School of Science or passing football in principal or as a philosophy (as is the trendy description thesedays), it's our insipid vision of it, our basic failure to carry it out properly that is the problem. I just hate hearing people say "You can pass all you like..." for example against Hull. We didn't do any passing of any note, we gave the ball away all the time, Distin and Jags passing back to Howard so he can boot it up does not in any way constitute 'possession football'
Yes.

We know what they're trying to do, but we can see they're doing it wrong.


And I stand by the fact that we've never replaced Southall properly.
 
Yes.

We know what they're trying to do, but we can see they're doing it wrong.


And I stand by the fact that we've never replaced Southall properly.
Absolutely. But then we were pretty spoilt with Southall. I felt spoilt with Martyn in my younger years, I was devastated when he retired. Tim Howard was never anywhere near as good as Martyn let alone Big Nev (who let's face it, is probably irreplaceable)
 
Absolutely. But then we were pretty spoilt with Southall. I felt spoilt with Martyn in my younger years, I was devastated when he retired. Tim Howard was never anywhere near as good as Martyn let alone Big Nev (who let's face it, is probably irreplaceable)
Martyn was the best we've had since Neville, however Southall was something else. Best player I've ever seen in an Everton jersey by miles.

His is the standard we should aim for now.
 
My observation watching today's game until Barkley's introduction was that the team was playing some kind of bizarre netball game- The possession football you describe above- pass and advance, pass and advance, off the ball movement progressing play along the pitch.
It simply wasn't present today. We pass sideways and backwards, and our static advanced players get closed down as soon as the 'brave' forward pass is made and thats the end of play.
Only Barkley actually advanced with the ball at his feet, often that meant he would be dispossessed. But it also at points drew City's players out of their static and comfortable positions marking our men.
 

Pass-pass-pass-pass-pas-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass back goalie

I really want it to click again, like.
Having a ball player in the back would make a hell of a difference, jags and distin would be happy to pass amungst themselves all day long, stones and even alcaraz will step out and play a forward pass to feet, or make the correct angles to play at
 
there is no movement its as if everyone is waiting or looking for the easy pass.

i want to see runners who get given the ball and also runners who create space for others to run into to recieve the pass not players taking a step back every time to create the easy option.
 
Having a ball player in the back would make a hell of a difference, jags and distin would be happy to pass amungst themselves all day long, stones and even alcaraz will step out and play a forward pass to feet, or make the correct angles to play at
Stones and Alcaraz is an OK combo.

There is something to be said for simply putting your foot though the ball to clear though. Alcaraz will play forward passes though, as will Stones. This isn't a Distin-Jagielka knocking session, btw. Don't do bandwagons, me. Only when it suits lol

Pass pass pass etc in the fukin center circle in the 92 nd min while city stand off and laugh........ Some tactic manual that he has
All well and good, but just a tip for the future: if you're going to quote staff's posts (which is totally fine, we like it and we don't bite), don't swear in the reply mate.

It's just grassing on yourself.
 

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