Samir Nasri

[Lancet Fluke]

A new manager might especially if off the ball movement is heavily encouraged. As is, we're too static most of the time hoping the player with the ball will create something.

Nail on the head. Most of our problems come down to lack of work rate of one kind or another. Work rate at stopping the opposition play and then movement off the ball. During that wonderful spell last season we had such incredible intensity. We were Barca-esque at pressing the ball and winning it back and movement off the ball was immense. All the attack minded players seemed to never stop moving, all interchanging and always people in space. Now I know that teams may approach games against us differently now but that is no excuse for lacking movement, in fact it probably means we need that movement even more. Where did it go and why did it go? Does Mancini want them to stay static to retain shape or can the players not be arsed. I find the latter fairly unlikely given that the players have shown time and again in the past that they have a tremendous will to win and even when the chips are down have dug games out with sheer spirit. I find it baffling.

 

[taconinja]

A new manager might especially if off the ball movement is heavily encouraged. As is, we're too static most of the time hoping the player with the ball will create something.

Nail on the head. Most of our problems come down to lack of work rate of one kind or another. Work rate at stopping the opposition play and then movement off the ball. During that wonderful spell last season we had such incredible intensity. We were Barca-esque at pressing the ball and winning it back and movement off the ball was immense. All the attack minded players seemed to never stop moving, all interchanging and always people in space. Now I know that teams may approach games against us differently now but that is no excuse for lacking movement, in fact it probably means we need that movement even more. Where did it go and why did it go? Does Mancini want them to stay static to retain shape or can the players not be arsed. I find the latter fairly unlikely given that the players have shown time and again in the past that they have a tremendous will to win and even when the chips are down have dug games out with sheer spirit. I find it baffling.

I put it on the manager as either he wants them to hold their shape for defensive solidity or he isn't effectively communicating the need for movement. Either way, he has to do a better job either tactically or via communication. I think a Nasri-type player would do better in a movement-based attack. I also think all three of our strikers would do better that way as well.

 

[mcfcphil]

the FA cup match against united last season was the game I knew Nasri would not become the player I hoped. You find out a lot about players in a game where you're 2-0 down and down to 10 men against your fiercest rivals. Certain players stood up to be counted but Nasri was an absolute disgrace that day.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

A new manager might especially if off the ball movement is heavily encouraged. As is, we're too static most of the time hoping the player with the ball will create something.

Nail on the head. Most of our problems come down to lack of work rate of one kind or another. Work rate at stopping the opposition play and then movement off the ball. During that wonderful spell last season we had such incredible intensity. We were Barca-esque at pressing the ball and winning it back and movement off the ball was immense. All the attack minded players seemed to never stop moving, all interchanging and always people in space. Now I know that teams may approach games against us differently now but that is no excuse for lacking movement, in fact it probably means we need that movement even more. Where did it go and why did it go? Does Mancini want them to stay static to retain shape or can the players not be arsed. I find the latter fairly unlikely given that the players have shown time and again in the past that they have a tremendous will to win and even when the chips are down have dug games out with sheer spirit. I find it baffling.

I put it on the manager as either he wants them to hold their shape for defensive solidity or he isn't effectively communicating the need for movement. Either way, he has to do a better job either tactically or via communication. I think a Nasri-type player would do better in a movement-based attack. I also think all three of our strikers would do better that way as well.

Well Nasri looked incredible away at Spurs. Everybody's movement was fantastic that day and Spurs didn't know which way to turn. We were pretty much unplayable. If Mancini has deliberately stopped that to try and retain defensive shape then he's mental. No explanation for the utter lack of movement really adds up for me. I don't believe these players on the whole can't be arsed and I'm not convinced Mancini is mental. Although when he started talking about the virgin Mary helping us to win the league, I did wonder.

 

[the originalkippaxman]

I'd say Yaya has been very poor pretty much all season. Silva has been reasonable at times but still way off what he is capable of. Wouldn't criticise Barry or Milner, they have limitations but by and large they are steady and perform as well as they can and usually do a decent job for the team. Clearly something isn't right though overall and trying something different might work even if it does feel counter intuitive given that Nasri has been pretty terrible albeit supposedly out of position.

Have to agree with that. Early on in the season Yaya would just go wandering off and leave us vulnerable through the middle. Didn’t really matter last year when he had the support of Nigel and Barry. Nasri was okay last year not as bad as people are making out. But this season he really has not got going. I don’t see him as a player for the right side, which I also don’t think Milner is right for. Johnson was too lazy so leaves Sinclair, so we might as well give the guy a chance, push Nasri in the middle with Silva and see what happens.

 

[NipHolmes]

Nail on the head. Most of our problems come down to lack of work rate of one kind or another. Work rate at stopping the opposition play and then movement off the ball. During that wonderful spell last season we had such incredible intensity. We were Barca-esque at pressing the ball and winning it back and movement off the ball was immense. All the attack minded players seemed to never stop moving, all interchanging and always people in space. Now I know that teams may approach games against us differently now but that is no excuse for lacking movement, in fact it probably means we need that movement even more. Where did it go and why did it go? Does Mancini want them to stay static to retain shape or can the players not be arsed. I find the latter fairly unlikely given that the players have shown time and again in the past that they have a tremendous will to win and even when the chips are down have dug games out with sheer spirit. I find it baffling.

I put it on the manager as either he wants them to hold their shape for defensive solidity or he isn't effectively communicating the need for movement. Either way, he has to do a better job either tactically or via communication. I think a Nasri-type player would do better in a movement-based attack. I also think all three of our strikers would do better that way as well.

Well Nasri looked incredible away at Spurs. Everybody's movement was fantastic that day and Spurs didn't know which way to turn. We were pretty much unplayable. If Mancini has deliberately stopped that to try and retain defensive shape then he's mental. No explanation for the utter lack of movement really adds up for me. I don't believe these players on the whole can't be arsed and I'm not convinced Mancini is mental. Although when he started talking about the virgin Mary helping us to win the league, I did wonder.

We got hit on the counter so much that I believe Mancini sets up more defensively to prevent us being caught.

We've gone too far the other way now.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

I put it on the manager as either he wants them to hold their shape for defensive solidity or he isn't effectively communicating the need for movement. Either way, he has to do a better job either tactically or via communication. I think a Nasri-type player would do better in a movement-based attack. I also think all three of our strikers would do better that way as well.

Well Nasri looked incredible away at Spurs. Everybody's movement was fantastic that day and Spurs didn't know which way to turn. We were pretty much unplayable. If Mancini has deliberately stopped that to try and retain defensive shape then he's mental. No explanation for the utter lack of movement really adds up for me. I don't believe these players on the whole can't be arsed and I'm not convinced Mancini is mental. Although when he started talking about the virgin Mary helping us to win the league, I did wonder.

We got hit on the counter so much that I believe Mancini sets up more defensively to prevent us being caught.

We've gone too far the other way now.

Which is odd because I reckon we get hit on the counter just as much this season, we just don't score as many goals. We still pile lots of players forward and leave ourselves exposed, just there's much less movement off the ball and we create less.

 

[Shiekh.I Khalid Saad]

It's not his problem that he isn't performing, in reality he hasn't been allowed to perform the way he was at arsenal, he has been played out of position so many times, cm is not his position so it's Mancini's fault he hasn't settled into the team. Wenger is better at nurturing the talent and he was doing that very well,it showed in his performances for arsenal but he looks a different player now, not because he has regressed but he isnt getting managed properly by our man Mancini.

 

[blinkblue]

I'd suggest just trying this for a few games, if it doesn't work then fair enough. Cut our losses:

Milner______Nasri______Silva

---------------Aguero

 

[Joehannes]

I'd suggest just trying this for a few games, if it doesn't work then fair enough. Cut our losses:

Milner______Nasri______Silva

---------------Aguero

Why continue to restrict Silva though?