Lescott today...

[MCC]

Lescott has been absolutely fucking brilliant this season.

However, top teams know that they need to sit back against us, drop off, close off the options and allow time on the ball to our weakest passers on the ball, who will run out of options, panic and then fucking hoof it up field and fucking lose possession. Mancini needs to have a word with Lescott and Vinny and tell them to stop fucking doing this. If we need to pass it back to fucking Hart Dog, take a step back as a team and re-group, then so fucking be it.

 

[Dax777]

I think our CBs have been at fault for slowing our game down. They hold the ball for too long and just pass it between themselves. This is why de jong needs to play, he will come close to get the ball and get it moving quickly. Toure failed to do this tonight

This is ridiculous. De Jong was part of the slowdown problem last season. The CD's (Lescott in particular) just doesn't like taking risks so he'd rather go to Clichy or Lescott, unless Yaya comes to get it. Which Yaya does, WAY more often than Nigel ever did last season.

Lets stop reinventing history.

Then why the hell have they both taken to randomly hoofing the ball upfield to the opposition??

This is our biggest downfall. We play possession football and both the CB's and the keeper just wack it upfield and gives away the ball. Then suddenly there coming back at us.

There is no excuse for it whatsoever.

Because teams have figured out it is better to let our CD's have the free space, even AVB confirmed forcing the ball to our CD's. Most teams consider this our weakness and a way to get us tied in a knot. We have seen this often now. Remember Kolo's first mistake against Norwich? That was a function of being too scared and idealess. SIlva checked to Kolo (bringing with him a defender) got the ball and pointed to the area he just exited, expecting Kolo to step into it and create the mismatch. Kolo was reluctant, but SIlva forced his hand by passing into the space. Kolo jitterily followed the ball, then cut it back and tried to pass to Kompany, but the forward charged him down and got a foot in and a chance off it.

That exact sequence happenned again against Chelsea, this time it was Lescott (who for some reason had switched place with Komps, as he was on the right) He too was reluctant to step up into the obvious space. Instead he cut the ball immediately back to Silva who had just given it to him. Now nothing interesting happenned in that sequence, but it is indicative that the defender who came with SIlva, played hard inside, attempting his best to make sure Lescott couldn't return the ball to SIlva. Silva had to fake forward then quickly drop off to get Less out of his predicament. Teams are literally daring our CD's to make a play. And they are winning, as our CD's continue to be reluctant to do so.

By the way, NDJ or Yaya dropping into the middle of our CD's to bring the ball out, is itself a loss for us, and they (more so Yaya) do it often. But here is what happens. Now the opposition is defending 3 players with one guy. Leaving them with 9 players to crowd out our 6 or 7. We are going to lose the numbers game if this continues.

I know we all love our players, but sometimes what we need just isn't HERE. No matter how much we love our guys, they wouldn't get faster. And unless Micah is back for Arsenal, we will have very little speed outside of the forwards. And no matter how many headers or tackles they put in, our CD's will continue to be our achilles heel in possession, unless we improve the skill level there.

Some say wait for Savic to develop. And I don't question he has that skill, but how long it will take, I don't know. I am just stating what I see now. Rekik might very well be the answer, but as long as I don't see him on the field, I can't comment on him. Just commenting on those I see on the field.

I have seen Vertonghen. And I swear to you, he will bring a major difference to our game if we got him.

 

[Dax777]

Lescott has been absolutely fucking brilliant this season.

However, top teams know that they need to sit back against us, drop off, close off the options and allow time on the ball to our weakest passers on the ball, who will run out of options, panic and then fucking hoof it up field and fucking lose possession. Mancini needs to have a word with Lescott and Vinny and tell them to stop fucking doing this. If we need to pass it back to fucking Hart Dog, take a step back as a team and re-group, then so fucking be it.

Hart is also considered one of the weak links in our passing game. Teams know and want him to hoof it. Worse still, Lescott is often reluctant to make himself an option when the ball goes back to Hart. If you have watched the last 3 games, teams are allowing the ball to go to Lescott and Komps and they charge hard when it goes to Hart, because they want him to hoof it!

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

Please discuss.


FFS! How many points has his "unlucky" cost us in recent games?!

you really do have issues!!! lescott is a blue -end of.

 

[Dax777]

Don't think I'll ever understand why people put discuss in a thread title. What else do you propose we do on a forum, it's a given that we discuss things and you putting discuss in the thread doesn't suddenly make everyone want to add lods of points to the thread.

Shall we discuss this understanding issue of urs? :)

 

[MCC]

Lescott has been absolutely fucking brilliant this season.

However, top teams know that they need to sit back against us, drop off, close off the options and allow time on the ball to our weakest passers on the ball, who will run out of options, panic and then fucking hoof it up field and fucking lose possession. Mancini needs to have a word with Lescott and Vinny and tell them to stop fucking doing this. If we need to pass it back to fucking Hart Dog, take a step back as a team and re-group, then so fucking be it.

Hart is also considered one of the weak links in our passing game. Teams know and want him to hoof it. Worse still, Lescott is often reluctant to make himself an option when the ball goes back to Hart. If you have watched the last 3 games, teams are allowing the ball to go to Lescott and Komps and they charge hard when it goes to Hart, because they want him to hoof it!

Did I say Hart Dog needs to twat it up field? Don`t assume! Hart Dog should play it out from the back.

Anyway, how is Pastore?

 

[chesterblue]

A bit unfair to blame Lescott for all our problems against Chelsea. With Clichy being roasted by Sturridge, and on a booking, why did Mancin not consider subbing him, bring on another center back and move Lescott to left back? He has played there before (with Everton) and it might have relieved some of the pressure from their right wing and we might even have kept our unbeaten record.

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

A bit unfair to blame Lescott for all our problems against Chelsea. With Clichy being roasted by Sturridge, and on a booking, why did Mancin not consider subbing him, bring on another center back and move Lescott to left back? He has played there before (with Everton) and it might have relieved some of the pressure from their right wing and we might even have kept our unbeaten record.

as soon as gael got one at the start of the 2nd half....i knew what was coming!

good point chest`

 

[itisrising]

This is ridiculous. De Jong was part of the slowdown problem last season. The CD's (Lescott in particular) just doesn't like taking risks so he'd rather go to Clichy or Lescott, unless Yaya comes to get it. Which Yaya does, WAY more often than Nigel ever did last season.

Lets stop reinventing history.

Then why the hell have they both taken to randomly hoofing the ball upfield to the opposition??

This is our biggest downfall. We play possession football and both the CB's and the keeper just wack it upfield and gives away the ball. Then suddenly there coming back at us.

There is no excuse for it whatsoever.

Because teams have figured out it is better to let our CD's have the free space, even AVB confirmed forcing the ball to our CD's. Most teams consider this our weakness and a way to get us tied in a knot. We have seen this often now. Remember Kolo's first mistake against Norwich? That was a function of being too scared and idealess. SIlva checked to Kolo (bringing with him a defender) got the ball and pointed to the area he just exited, expecting Kolo to step into it and create the mismatch. Kolo was reluctant, but SIlva forced his hand by passing into the space. Kolo jitterily followed the ball, then cut it back and tried to pass to Kompany, but the forward charged him down and got a foot in and a chance off it.

That exact sequence happenned again against Chelsea, this time it was Lescott (who for some reason had switched place with Komps, as he was on the right) He too was reluctant to step up into the obvious space. Instead he cut the ball immediately back to Silva who had just given it to him. Now nothing interesting happenned in that sequence, but it is indicative that the defender who came with SIlva, played hard inside, attempting his best to make sure Lescott couldn't return the ball to SIlva. Silva had to fake forward then quickly drop off to get Less out of his predicament. Teams are literally daring our CD's to make a play. And they are winning, as our CD's continue to be reluctant to do so.

By the way, NDJ or Yaya dropping into the middle of our CD's to bring the ball out, is itself a loss for us, and they (more so Yaya) do it often. But here is what happens. Now the opposition is defending 3 players with one guy. Leaving them with 9 players to crowd out our 6 or 7. We are going to lose the numbers game if this continues.

I know we all love our players, but sometimes what we need just isn't HERE. No matter how much we love our guys, they wouldn't get faster. And unless Micah is back for Arsenal, we will have very little speed outside of the forwards. And no matter how many headers or tackles they put in, our CD's will continue to be our achilles heel in possession, unless we improve the skill level there.

Some say wait for Savic to develop. And I don't question he has that skill, but how long it will take, I don't know. I am just stating what I see now. Rekik might very well be the answer, but as long as I don't see him on the field, I can't comment on him. Just commenting on those I see on the field.

I have seen Vertonghen. And I swear to you, he will bring a major difference to our game if we got him.

Agreed but think the Spuds are in for him and Mancini is very uncertain on his capabilities.

 

[gratedbean]

To be honest I don't agree with comments about Lescott being 'superb' or our 'best defender so far this season'. On current form I don't think he or Kompany deserve to be dead certs in our starting eleven, the only reason they are is due to a lack of competition for their places.

Against Chelsea I thought the defence as a whole were pretty poor, Kompany was off the pace again and Clichy had what was probably his first bad game for us. To pin all the blame on Lescott because of the penalty is pretty harsh, it was second half syndrome all over again, but unlike Anfield, we didn't hold out for a draw.

We all know Lescott upped his game when Kolo got banned, but is he the calibre of defender we need if we want to be one of the best sides in Europe? In my opinion, not even near.