Not brave enough...

Asian Blue

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Joined
22 May 2005
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510
Location
Bangkok
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Man City
Yes realise the content would have been manipulated to create “click bate” but sky’s article from Souness saying England defenders (namely Walker and Stones) were not brave enough during W Cup, in not wanting ball from Pickford, and forcing him to go long, do not sit well with me !!!!!
 
Not seen the article myself but it's amusing that it's only our two players mentioned especially as it was clear both had a good world cup.
 
Well its bollocks. Throughout the tournament England tried to play out from the back and make the pitch big. There were times when they actually passed their way through teams that did remind me of City - against Sweden in particular and in the first half against Croatia.

Then in the second half of the Croatia match they started going long. That I thought was a lack of composure not a lack of technique. Either way the ball kept coming back at us, to the point where a second goal was inevitable- the only question being whether we would nick one on the break or they would equalise.

What Souness doesn’t seem to get is that a long pass is part of this game plan, when used properly. If the opposition commit too many men to the press, go long and take them out of the game. We’ve seen many times Sterling or Sane come off the wing to find acres of space in the middle, to re dive a 60 yard pass from Ederson. The problem with the second half against Croatia was that became the default option, and they weren’t long passes, they were ‘hit and hope’ balls.

For Souness to criticise the way we played throughout the tournament based on the one half of a game where we didn’t try to pass our way through seems to me to be either guesswork from him, or - more probably - simple clickbait.
 
Probably taken out of context or just picked at by the reporter, as Souness is normally quite complementary about how City handle the press from the opposition (yes I know it was England).

It’s not the defenders who are not brave enough as Walker Stones and Maguire showed as they should do but when the forwards close the defenders down it’s the midfield who need to be brave enough/good enough to get into the spaces between and behind the attacking press to allow you to play out. If they don’t then the defender has to hit the ball long anyway or risk losing it close to goal.

That’s why Pickford had to hit it long many time or he would have played his defenders in trouble.
 
Probably taken out of context or just picked at by the reporter, as Souness is normally quite complementary about how City handle the press from the opposition (yes I know it was England).

It’s not the defenders who are not brave enough as Walker Stones and Maguire showed as they should do but when the forwards close the defenders down it’s the midfield who need to be brave enough/good enough to get into the spaces between and behind the attacking press to allow you to play out. If they don’t then the defender has to hit the ball long anyway or risk losing it close to goal.

That’s why Pickford had to hit it long many time or he would have played his defenders in trouble.
Midfield? All I saw was a team with six defenders and four forwards.
 
We definitely went long far to often but for me I thought it was lack of experience mainly by Pickford
 

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