Play him against the Scum. He will be up for it and know what it means for all of us.
His guy has outstanding technique. As someone above says, he always seems to go for the measured place, rather than the rushed thunderbolt. Even his shot, while spectacular was not a random "i'm just gonna leather this" shot, he looked up and placed it almost gracefully right into the top corner.
I totally agree with the thing about while everyone else was taking 3-4 touches, he takes 1-2. I don't want to go OTT, but considering how much better we looked in pre-season compared to the matches and how much better we looked last night when he came on, i want to go so far as to say he's a Carrick/Modric type player in that you stick him in the team and he makes the whole team look better as he gets the ball to the forwards quicker, giving them more space, making them look better, he takes the ball off defenders quicker and more confidently, allowing the defence to settle and not make panicked clearances, he gets the ball out wide quicker, making the full-backs look better.
He plays the game so simply, yet so accurately, he makes the whole game look better. Pleasure to watch both in pre-season and last night and I really hope he breaks into the team sooner rather than later and has a great career with us.
Think we could do a lot worse than this suggestion! Could be a Danny Rose all over again
i remember o'hara making his debut in NLD at Emirates, was damn good that day..ahh, if only robbie didnt miss a pen.
That was his debut??
Or do you mean that was his first NLD?
Mason and Carroll play different positions/roles, don't they?
Carroll - deep playmaker
Mason - attacking center mid/forward
Mason has moved back deeper. Regardless, he proved himself different league to paulinho. End of. The Brazilian can not get back in our squad
Paulinho isn't really in contention for the two CM spots anyway. He can do a job further forward, but not with Lennon and Townsend either side of him.
No he really can't and it's not Lennon or Townsend's fault either.
As for Mason i think he could do a really good job just behind the striker. Positionally in the deeper role he lacked positional sense but he has something about him when he attacks. As a poster said, he has striking similarities with Adam Lallana when in possession and the way he runs so yes i think he looks very promising but today he has Capoue to thank for putting in a superb performance in the DM role.
Judging by todays game i don't agree.We've got loads of players that can do that though. Whereas we don't have a deep-sitting ballplayer.
I think it will be easier to teach him positional discipline, than it will to teach any of our other CMs how to pass.
Him and Capoue are a nice combo - quite complementary.
Judging by todays game i don't agree.
It's not as easy as you make out to 'train' naturally advanced players to play that deep lying role because they're instinctively going to want to push forward. Today that's exactly what happened and mason was finding himself in very odd positions when Gooners attacked.
Judging by todays game i don't agree.
It's not as easy as you make out to 'train' naturally advanced players to play that deep lying role because they're instinctively going to want to push forward. Today that's exactly what happened and mason was finding himself in very odd positions when Gooners attacked.
I know Mason was an ACM/#10 when he was ripping up the youth team about 5 years ago. But I think he's been playing deeper for quite a while now. I saw him in CM in a 4-4-2 for Doncaster in about 2010 IIRC.
He's not been playing deeper out of choice. #10 is his preferred position but as you said we have a few players who can play there.
That's very evident from the way he plays. He looks like he can become a very good number 10.