Lack of pace on the wings

[HarrytheBlue]

We were already looking cumbersome compared tp previous seasons then we ripped all the pace out of the side in the transfer window. Jesus sale was a big mistake IMO + we should have gone for a Sane like winger.
Hope we can pull it out of the bag but Grealish really needs to step up.

We've signed a seriously good player in Alvarez - in terms of pure ability (from what I've seen of his River Plate form) at least on Sane's level, and the world's most prolific CF so Jesus wasn't going to play much through the middle or out wide. You can't keep a player who is young but experienced and is way too good to not be first choice anywhere.

But agree with your comment on Jack - he did ok last season but he's not here to be ok, he's here to deliver at Pep's standard - less of that safe outside of the foot lay-off and more risk taking.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

Foden is absolutely lightning, but keep it down because the rest of the league don’t seem to have realised yet.

Haaland is unstoppable on the break, and DeBruyne is the best midfielder I’ve ever seen on the break.

The threat we’ve lost on the break from wide we more than make up with the threat on the break down the middle.

Foden is monstrously quick and you always get the impression he can go faster because he has that easy stride.

 

[B\connellblue]

(Just got these from Google so haven't had chance to cross reference any figures...).

Top recorded speeds.

Foden 37.12 kph
Haaland 36.00 kph
Sane 35.48 kph
Walker 35.21 kph
Grealish 35.1 kph
Sterling 34.97 kph
Jesus 33.3 kph
Mahrez 32.00 kph

In terms of top speed our current wing options (I couldn't find a figure for Alvarez unfortunately) are up there with the players we've lost.

Walker doesn't just have pace, he also has space to run into because he's a defender, and the stamina to run up and down the pitch all day.

Sterling doesn't just have pace, he also has incredible short distance bursts of acceleration.

Sane doesn't just have pace, when he played for us he also had midfielders looking to ping balls to him early, so he could run at goal without hitting heavy defensive traffic.

We need to play in a way that benefits the skills our current wingers have in addition to pace, and what they have over the Sterling/Sane partnership is close control, accurate passing and strength on the ball. They're built for getting through defences, not bypassing them.

Which goes to show that stats mean little.
Some of those "recorded speeds" probably downhill on a windy day. Yaya was as quick as anyone but it took some time to get those pistons pumping at full throttle. Acceleration over a short distance is probably the most useful pace of all as its very hard to pull a lead back.

 

[big gaz]

I was gonna mention TC but you beat me to it.

That was down to timing defo not pace, not any more ;-)

 

[Citizen Mike]

(Just got these from Google so haven't had chance to cross reference any figures...).

Top recorded speeds.

Foden 37.12 kph
Haaland 36.00 kph
Sane 35.48 kph
Walker 35.21 kph
Grealish 35.1 kph
Sterling 34.97 kph
Jesus 33.3 kph
Mahrez 32.00 kph

In terms of top speed our current wing options (I couldn't find a figure for Alvarez unfortunately) are up there with the players we've lost.

Walker doesn't just have pace, he also has space to run into because he's a defender, and the stamina to run up and down the pitch all day.

Sterling doesn't just have pace, he also has incredible short distance bursts of acceleration.

Sane doesn't just have pace, when he played for us he also had midfielders looking to ping balls to him early, so he could run at goal without hitting heavy defensive traffic.

We need to play in a way that benefits the skills our current wingers have in addition to pace, and what they have over the Sterling/Sane partnership is close control, accurate passing and strength on the ball. They're built for getting through defences, not bypassing them.

What a load of horseshit, there is no way that Grealish has a top speed quicker than Sterling and I don't believe anyone is quicker than Walker.
Foden has to start over Grealish and our problem is solved.

 

[Avlk]

What a load of horseshit, there is no way that Grealish has a top speed quicker than Sterling and I don't believe anyone is quicker than Walker.
Foden has to start over Grealish and our problem is solved.

Faster than he looks.





@2:28, vs Bellerin

 

[Citizen Mike]

Faster than he looks.





@2:28, vs Bellerin

I'm still not having that he is anywhere near Walker

 

[Lauz9888]

I'm still not having that he is anywhere near Walker

I found a reference to Kyle hitting 37.8kph here:

410 GONE

410 Gone: The requested page has been discontinued and is no longer available.

www.news9live.com

Which seems more like it and would give him the highest top speed of all our players I googled, which feels right. (Like I said this morning, I didn't have time to go in depth with researching it, and unfortunately there doesn't seem to be one helpful source of this kind of info).

 

[blueparrot]

I found a reference to Kyle hitting 37.8kph here:

410 GONE

410 Gone: The requested page has been discontinued and is no longer available.

www.news9live.com

Which seems more like it and would give him the highest top speed of all our players I googled, which feels right. (Like I said this morning, I didn't have time to go in depth with researching it, and unfortunately there doesn't seem to be one helpful source of this kind of info).

We’ve seen Walker beat most wingers for pace including Mbappe so looking for a forward quicker than Walker is a bit of a hopeless search.

 

[Crooked_rain]

The ball is faster than any player I think is the philosophy. But yeah, it's nice to have some rapid players to put the shits up defenders. How fast is Alvarez?

Haaland is rapid, obviously not a winger

He could certainly put the shits up teams with his pace in behind if our players get their head up and release it earlier sometimes.

You could see the runs he’s making, they wouldn’t catch him but against Liverpool we didn’t utilise it but I’m sure that’ll come

 

[Bobby the blue]

Walker is the only defender I know who actively encourages the winger to have a go at him and try do him for pace. Never loses.

With regards to pacy wingers I think we could really do with one however the trouble is who’s out there that would fit the bill.
Such an asset having pace on the wings. We go back and recycle the ball way too much on the wings when it’s crying out to drive into the box. Makes defending so tough.
We lack pace all over the park. Granted against most teams we find a way but would be lovely to have a couple of speed merchants to keep the opposition honest. Especially on the break. Hopefully Haaland will be able to cause issues as he is no slouch.

 

[blueparrot]

Haaland is rapid, obviously not a winger

He could certainly put the shits up teams with his pace in behind if our players get their head up and release it earlier sometimes.

You could see the runs he’s making, they wouldn’t catch him but against Liverpool we didn’t utilise it but I’m sure that’ll come

It will but there aren’t many teams that play as high as liverpool do against us.

 

[Goater=Legend]

It can be frustrating at times when we manage to get our winger into a 1 v 1 scenario and they decide to pass it back. Hoping the realisation that someone will always be in the box will change things.

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

I dont know what this thread is about, we have a very fast team!

 

[invisibleandalone]

you must have a very short memory.

Sane and Sterling were a wonderful watch in season 2018, our counter attacking was devastating.

Says it all if you have to revert back to 2018

 

[Bluemooner33]

In games that we need pace we just play this front 3 Foden - Haaland - Alvarez ..Grealish and Mahrez can come in with one of the other front 3 against slower teams

 

[FantasyIreland]

I dont know what this thread is about, we have a very fast team!

Or,more to the point....play with wingers.

 

[Keeper!]

Says it all if you have to revert back to 2018

Sane left two seasons ago and the year before he has in rehab with a ACL, so it's difficult not to.

For me the 2018/19 was the best Pep team to watch, pacey, very direct superb attacking football.

 

[Craig]

It will but there aren’t many teams that play as high as liverpool do against us.

Yeah, be very rare to see a team play a high line against us so most of the supply will to Haaland will need to come from out wide.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Fast counter-attacking is the one thing missing from our game as a team.

Sterling was good at that for a couple of years (2017-2019 era) and Sané was excellent at it. But whenever we’ve had the chance to quickly counter-attack over the last few years we seem to slow down, check back and wait for numbers instead of just going for it. Sterling was probably the worst for that when he played after being a good counter-attacker previously.

de Bruyne seems to be the only player who’ll consistently carry the ball directly forward and entice runners to get ahead of him. This is where I think Grealish would be good in midfield because he’s a strong runner with the ball and can carry the ball through a broken field and the quicker players could get ahead of him then.

Foden and Alvarez could be the answer to this as they both have pace, with Grealish in midfield instead of wide. But that leaves us a winger short squad-wise so we’d have to sign another winger as well as a left back.