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Ryan Mason

Except realistically we won't end August with Kane as our only striker, right? I understand some people have zero faith in Levy or our transfer policy; but I doubt anyone honestly believes we won't buy at least one more striker / front-man (and probably even two).

Personally I also hope we get in an experienced central midfielder; and I think we're likely but not guaranteed to do that. But I am 99.99% certain that our list of goal-threats will be longer than just "Kane, Eriksen and Chadli" this season (whether it's N'Jie or Berahino or whoever).

Hopefully you are right.
 
Who are the 2 deeper midfielders at other teams? Goalscorers underlined.

Utd - Schneiderlin and Carrick
Ars - Ramsey and Coquelin
City - Toure and Fernandinho
Cheats - Fabregas and Matic
Liv - Henderson and Milner
Soton - Davis and Wanyama
New - Anita and Colback
Eve - McCarthy and Barry
 
Well I think Poch has made some changes this year. Firstly a DM to track runners and provide vital protection and we're not always pressing the ball. More often getting into a tight formation, then pressing from that foundation. Last year Mason and Bentaleb would be needed to press the ball and stop passing routes. If a full back or CB then fires a long ball over the top to a runner who gets in behind and scores, its churlish to blame Mason. Dier was promising on Saturday, do you prefer him in the middle to Mason?

Unless we sign a new player I would hope we give Dier more games to settle and see how he adapts yes.
 
I'm not sure I buy that. I can't possibly see how conceding 53 goals (one of the worst totals in the league) was part of the plan. Attack as the best form of defence agreed, but not to that extent.

Would agree I keep hearing about all the goals we score but our problem is we let far too many in and we need to sort that out.
 
Would agree I keep hearing about all the goals we score but our problem is we let far too many in and we need to sort that out.

A theoretical question here @parklane1 but please humour me.

If in plugging the holes at the back, we cut the supply to the front, what would you do?
 
A theoretical question here @parklane1 but please humour me.

If in plugging the holes at the back, we cut the supply to the front, what would you do?

We will not know that it will until we try it, so with all respect its a pretty silly question. There is always the thought that if we stopped so many goals from flying in we would not have to score so many;) but like the question my answer is pretty silly as well, with respect.
 
A theoretical question here @parklane1 but please humour me.

If in plugging the holes at the back, we cut the supply to the front, what would you do?

Milo, forgive me for butting in, but are you suggesting that conceding so many goals is just a by product of our attacking play and that we should not look to improve upon it?
 
Who are the 2 deeper midfielders at other teams? Goalscorers underlined.

Utd - Schneiderlin and Carrick
Ars - Ramsey and Coquelin
City - Toure and Fernandinho
Cheats - Fabregas and Matic
Liv - Henderson and Milner
Soton - Davis and Wanyama
New - Anita and Colback
Eve - McCarthy and Barry
Hmm, well that didn't inspire the debate I was hoping!

My point was that some people think 'Mason and Bentaleb' is not good enough, so it is worth looking at what other teams have... I suppose it shows the enormous gulf between the top 4 and the rest.
 
We will not know that it will until we try it, so with all respect its a pretty silly question. There is always the thought that if we stopped so many goals from flying in we would not have to score so many;) but like the question my answer is pretty silly as well, with respect.

Shame you couldn't humour me :( because I think that is the decision Poch mulled over last season
 
We won a lot of games last year by the odd goal late on IIRC

A big driver in scoring these late goals was the midfields fitness and attacking efforts plus of course having Kane, Eriksen and Chadli score them

The best we played last season (and I sound like a broken record) was when our attacking players actually worked as a unit. They defended and harassed as well as created and scored

When one of them didn't do his job we were exposed and that exposure highlighted the problem with having tow more attacking than defensive minded central midfielders

There were numerous times where Chadlis player would leave him up the pitch and the we were outnumbered in a key area. Maselab would go over to support Rose and leave a gap behind and a Palmer would run on from it

What didn't happen though was that we conceded from that. We obviously conceded some goals but most were from wider positions iirc not through the middle

It helps the opposition if they know that they can attack us without any danger of a defensive effort from our attacking counter part and they can still get back in position ... Hell its a major confidence boost before the game

But when they do work we play our best football (invariably with dembele in at the 10 role) as we don't concede the ball cheaply in their half, allowing a counter which is exactly what we did on Saturday. Our out ball needs to be ore than just Kane and we need palmers who can hold the ball up and not lose it cheaply allowing other players to get in better positions
 
Hmm, well that didn't inspire the debate I was hoping!

My point was that some people think 'Mason and Bentaleb' is not good enough, so it is worth looking at what other teams have... I suppose it shows the enormous gulf between the top 4 and the rest.

I was meaning to comment on the Liverpool pairing because it is my understanding that it was Henderson who was playing deeper at the weekend and it was Milner who got forward more. I wonder if that will change.
 
I was meaning to comment on the Liverpool pairing because it is my understanding that it was Henderson who was playing deeper at the weekend and it was Milner who got forward more. I wonder if that will change.

Surely it's should be a balance depending on the game

For what it's worth I thought Liverpool were poor and did t get a real grip in the game

Milner was his Usual busy tidy self but Henderson was kinda invisible for me and I thought Milner dropped. Dry deep for the ball.

A draw would have been a fair result comfortably but if you have a player who can do that something different like Coutinho then you have a chance
 
Who are the 2 deeper midfielders at other teams? Goalscorers underlined.

Utd - Schneiderlin and Carrick - both comfortable on the ball but carry a creative threat. Will IMO be exposed by genuine pace though
Ars - Ramsey and Coquelin - a player who is better in an attacking role and a recently promoted player who Wenger wanted rid of for me not a strong pairing as demonstrated at the weekend
City - Toure and Fernandinho - Toure never sits back though and they play almost 4-1-4-1 with him in. It does however have the double pivot balance
Cheats - Fabregas and Matuc - Fabregas went missing a lot defensively last season. It's why against the better sides Moirinho played him instead of Oscar at 10. Against us for example he was woeful
Liv - Henderson and Milner - new pairing lets see
Soton - Davis and Wanyama
New - Anita and Colback
Eve - McCarthy and Barry

To add to your debate I've added my comments against the ones that matter
 
A theoretical question here @parklane1 but please humour me.

If in plugging the holes at the back, we cut the supply to the front, what would you do?
I'd plug the holes in the back. If you let 0 goals in every match, you're guaranteed not to lose. And you're bound to score the odd goal. Scoring goals requires some luck. Not conceding not so much. If I were to focus on one area it would be the one where luck plays the smallest role.
 
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