Futbol 2013-2014

[surfer]

[Antoine]

Ben and Antoine: better PSG weekend goal, Cavani or Ibra?

I watched that game, quite a weak team in front of PSG, but still fun to watch. The Ibra one is "pure Ibra", and the Cavani one is elegant... but in fact, I think i've preferred the Arsenal one.

Also, talking about surround in another topic:

[Antoine]

And 4 more goals tonight for Ibra (with still 15min to go).
Well, it's Anderlecht.

[surfer]

but in fact, I think i've preferred the Arsenal one.

Grudgingly agree that it was a nice tiki-taka ping pong team goal. But it highlights a problem for Arsenal that really showed itself in yesterday's (quite entertaining) match: that without the players like Podolski, Ox, Walcott who are comfortable playing wide, Arsenal just gets narrower and narrower with Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey, everyone cutting in, and they are left with increasingly small nanoscopic amounts of space to operate. That goal you referenced Antoine over the weekend was kind of an apotheosis of that, and also imo a dead end, judging from the way Dortmund shut down their midfield last night. Their only goal came when they played it wide to Sagna.

Also, Arsenal without Flamini in the midfield is pretty easily overrun by a good squad. I think he's one of the most important pieces of that team. Watch the winning goal last night and see what a difference a deep lying defensive midfielder might have made. Watching Rosicky and Cazorla "trying" to track back is painful.

[Antoine]

interesting analysis (haven't seen this game, just read the ZonalMarking "review" which also talks about this narrowness).
forget about marseille, but this group is quite intense and still very open (dortmund could have an advantage now, as they'll receive both napoli & arsenal... and will go to the velodrome).

[Antoine]

Anderlecht / PSG goals : http://youtu.be/nxu2Zr91KEU (nice ones again from Ibra, 2nd & 3rd)

[Antoine]

http://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments ... _maradona/

[surfer]

(nice ones again from Ibra)

The third one was a thunderbastard that would have killed the keeper if he had had the misfortune of being in the way of it. Clocked at 94 mph according to the BBC.

[Watt]

Grudgingly agree that it was a nice tiki-taka ping pong team goal. But it highlights a problem for Arsenal that really showed itself in yesterday's (quite entertaining) match: that without the players like Podolski, Ox, Walcott who are comfortable playing wide, Arsenal just gets narrower and narrower with Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey, everyone cutting in, and they are left with increasingly small nanoscopic amounts of space to operate.

To be fair, this is only a problem because all of our wide players are injured. It's not like it's really an inherent problem with the makeup of the squad. Well, apart from the reasonable suggestion that they are injury prone.

[surfer]

I'm surprised Arteta hasnt been sent off already.


Also, "Azerbaijan, Land of Fire" look really good. Diego Costa,

[Antoine]

Another form of replay for Arsenal's goal against Dortmund => http://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/ph ... 095792.gif

[Antoine]

http://eyeseedata.com/football-player-transfers/

[Watt]

Spurs

[crawjo]

Surfer's annual prediction that Tottenham will finish ahead of Arsenal in the standings not looking so hot at the moment.

[surfer]

Let it never be said that a gooner passed up an opportunity to gloat or whine.

Humiliation, and probably the worst loss in the last five years or as long as I've been a fan. Trying to remember worse; not even the various 5-2 derby losses. You had a feeling something like this was a possibility if the defense had a off day. Lloris had two inexcusable clearances right into the heart of the City midfield. Ths first goal was either incredible skill or fantastic luck, and after that, Spurs controlled the run of play and had decent chances for 15-20 minutes. Then it all becomes a blur. So many things wrong and not working. I'll start with Paulinho, who turns the ball over or is dispossessed every time he touches it, offers nothing going forward, and is a sieve on defense. Awful, worst player of the match for me. Holty was invisible, didnt even know he was on the pitch until halftime. Lamela's big EPL debut was a bust mostly, didnt see too much pace from him, and little service into the box. The left side generated very little the whole game. The right side did a little better with Lennon running at and around Nastasic, and Walker overlapping (way too often but still). I'm tired of making excuses for Soldado; yes he gets no / poor service, but the few times he does his touch is poor. Kills me to say it, but Adebayor's holdup play is better. Sandro was the man of the match. He vomited on the field at the end of the half (echoing the sentiments of many Spurs fans) and kept playing. He was great, fantastic tackles, distributed the ball well. Gilfi and Dembele (shorn of all confidence) offered nothing coming on, but by that point the ship had sailed. Defense was wretched, but I'm willing to give them a pass.

Aside from the scoreline, this match was hard to swallow because in very stark terms, City highlighted everything that Tottenham is not: direct, strong and physical on the ball, simple, incisive, smart use of pace, comfortable, calm, clinical on the finish. Spurs are needlessly complex with a hundred sqaure and backwards passes when one throughball to Lennon would suffice. Weak midfield except for Sandro. All shots seem to be poorly struck and have been for ages.

And then there's AVB who is going to come in for a lot of criticism, mostly deserved because he seems to have no Plan B. Its just more Plan A. Its, if Plan A doesnt work, let's just panic and start pulling midfielders and replacing them haphazardly. To his credit, he's tried a bunch of different formations, with Soldado alone up top, partnered with Defoe, in a 4-3-3 with Lamela and Lennon; he's tried every possible combination of midfielders. Nothing seems to be working (except Sandro, who is consistently good) and right now he's throwing stuff at the wall hopgin some combo will stick. Eriksen's injury has been a blow.

When he gets back, I'd put Eriksen in the hole behind Soldado, Lennon on the right for now (no more Townsend for awhile). Sandro as deep lying defensive mid. Defense is OK but Vertonghen isnt a leftback. I dont have any idea what to do with Ade or Defoe or how to play them with Soldado. Who knows what to do with the rotating cast of mid-fielders: Holtby, Capoue, Chadli, Chiriches, Paulinho (tired?), Sigurdsson, Dembele (who was so good last year, maybe he is hurt). This season is turning into a nightmare, and I fear that because this team has shown so little mental strength and leadership, things could get worse very fast. There's no system here, and if there is, either the players havent bought into it or they cant execute it.

[surfer]

I also wondered if Lloris was off his game because of the recent concussion. He didnt play well in the first leg of the WC qualifier either.

[surfer]

Diego Costa,

[Antoine]

http://matchstory.co.uk/england-premier-attack/ (and defense... and other leagues)

[surfer]

http://matchstory.co.uk/england-premier-attack/ (and defense... and other leagues)

That's an amazing graph. I read somewhere that Tottenham's Goals/Shots on Target ratio is historically low; the lowest ratio for more than 10 games in the history of the EPL. They actually lead the league with 219 SoT, but have only scored 9 goals in 12 games. They also lead the league in Key Passes (157), but only have 6 assists. They are second in the league in possession 59%, and first in time spent in their opponent's half (31%). But a ton (57%) of their shots are taken from outside the box. They are an amazingly frustrating team to watch. They define the word impotent. Their attack develops so slowly that teams regain their shape and sit narrow and deep, and Spurs can't get any meaningful penetration. Maddening.

[Antoine]

And meanwhile, Lille has only conceived 4 goals in 14 games, see http://matchstory.co.uk/france-ligue1-defence/