MSP said:Lancet Fluke said:MSP said:Nasri doesn't play - City have 45% possession, not really mobile midfield and defense are under more pressure and are outplayed all over the pitch.
And some people really think they're some advanced football experts after not noticing what Nasri brings to this team. #shakingmyheadindisbelief
I assume in terms of those possession stats you are referring to the match yesterday? There were other players missing that could easily have contributed to that stat. I'd think Yaya is a bigger miss in terms of possession and defence coming under pressure given that he sits in front of the back 4 and that so much of our build up play (ie possession) goes through him.
Nasri is essential to our possession game. Not Yaya, not Silva or anyone else. He is the one who keeps the ball and makes opposition to be under continuous pressure instead going out and making pressure on us.
MSP said:Possession is not all and everything, true, but with it your defense is less under pressure and have less chance to capitulate while you have more chance to score with having ball in your legs than when your opposition does.
Danamy said:MSP said:Lancet Fluke said:I assume in terms of those possession stats you are referring to the match yesterday? There were other players missing that could easily have contributed to that stat. I'd think Yaya is a bigger miss in terms of possession and defence coming under pressure given that he sits in front of the back 4 and that so much of our build up play (ie possession) goes through him.
Nasri is essential to our possession game. Not Yaya, not Silva or anyone else. He is the one who keeps the ball and makes opposition to be under continuous pressure instead going out and making pressure on us.
I would only say essential if he kept possession going forward and putting pressure on defences, the majority of his balls go back or sideways?
Yes, and for those insisting that possession only matters when putting defenders under pressure, keep this in mind when you watch the rags get dismantled if they attempt to play that way against top European competition. They don't any longer by the way. They go exceedingly negative after getting their heads handed to them for several years in Europe. Last time they even went a bit gung ho was against Barca in the CL final because they knew they had no other option. That didn't work out so well then either. Another example is look how nervous and on-edge all of us were yesterday when Liverpool was keeping possession often near the halfway line. It's demoralizing to the opposition.MSP said:Danamy said:MSP said:Nasri is essential to our possession game. Not Yaya, not Silva or anyone else. He is the one who keeps the ball and makes opposition to be under continuous pressure instead going out and making pressure on us.
I would only say essential if he kept possession going forward and putting pressure on defences, the majority of his balls go back or sideways?
Majority of his balls are to keep the ball until space opens for real pass. YOu have two options - to kick the ball in the box all the time as Rags are doing and we're not, or to wait for the space for good ball pass otherwise you're losing it and give the opposition a chance to counter attack you. And with Garcia and Barry in the middle you don't want to be counter attacked. Yeah, there's third one too to have very fast players and attack on the way Real Madrid are doing. We don't have fast players though.
So, we might talk if our style is good and effective or not but until it is like it is, Nasri is very, very important part of it.
They were set up to defend at all costs. They conceded possession. Surely you can see there's a difference between saying that we're going to give you possession and hope for a counter and saying that we want possession but can't take it?Lancet Fluke said:QPR didn't look particularly demoralised last week.
taconinja said:They were set up to defend at all costs. They conceded possession. Surely you can see there's a difference between saying that we're going to give you possession and hope for a counter and saying that we want possession but can't take it?Lancet Fluke said:QPR didn't look particularly demoralised last week.