• ! ! ! IMPORTANT MESSAGE ! ! !

    Discussions about police investigations

    In light of recent developments about a player from Premier League being arrested and until there is an official announcement, ALL users should refrain from discussing or speculating about situations around personal off-pitch matters related to any Arsenal player. This is to protect you and the forum.

    Users who disregard this reminder will be issued warnings and their posts will get deleted from public.

Backpass FC

Big Poppa

Established Member
Trusted ⭐

Country: USA

Player:Saliba
The only thing more boring than our style of play is listening to Alan Smith commentating on it.

He could cure insomnia.
 
Last edited:

Football Manager

Copy & Paste Merchant
Making a backwards pass from the touch line is a good decision because we can move the ball into a more central area so that we can build better chances (for example, making a killer through pass in the central area).

However, our team including would always look for the forward option, without considering if that is a good option. Passing back to build a better chance is not a bad thing, people here consider that as a crime. To me, rushing everything forward is much more stupid. We should be patient and build our chances.

Possession football is not playing safe, it’s passing with a purpose to break down the opponent defence. It’s not about always passing backwards, it’s about making a backward pass so that you can have better forward passing options.

It’s about progressing play. The 09 era Barcelona makes lots of backwards passes before the actual killer pass. Do you think all those passes that progress play are meaningless? Pep’s Barcelona/Bayern/City they were all playing possession football, but it’s very attacking and definitely not playing safe. They are just being patient to create the best space to exploit.

Many Brits have problem understanding this. They think counter attack with passes always goes forward is adventurous. To them, possession football is playing safe. Which is totally wrong. The truth is, counter attack is defensive and boring. And possession football is attacking and entertaining.

Our team is rushing all our attacks and always looking for the most direct forward option. This has to be stopped immediately. We should be much more patient with our attacks, to make more passes and movement to break the opponents defence.

I just don’t get the hate on backwards pass. If there’s no room of progressing, pass it back and build up again, maybe start attacking the other side of the pitch. Just look at how 09 Barcelona do it. As long as you have possession you will create chance.
 

RunTheTrap

Kai Havertz Offense League
I agree with the general sentiment of the posts here but I think there are a few things people are forgetting. Firstly, this is a technically sh#t Arsenal squad. Technique wise we're bottom of the barrel so of course passing forwards is gonna be hard for this group of players. Even the more gifted players on our team won't make line breaking passes not because they're unable to but because they know the ball will probably bounce off the intended recipient and cause a transition. If we increase the general technical level of the the group and stop hyping up mid just because they didn't something stupid then maybe we'll see less backwards passing. I'm sure Arteta wants us to keep possession but if Arteta said "don't get yourself sent off" does that mean players shouldn't any tackles? It's about common sense, keep possession when you need to but don't forget to move the ball ahead.

Secondly, we are in the midst of the statistical dictatorship. I'm being melodramatic but my point still stands. Data plays a lot into many clubs understanding of what a good game is. Often, clubs will use possession based stats in training to assess a player's worth. I think it's why players like Elneny are seen as worthy because there s no doubt he shows up near the best in keeping possession. They use these stats when it comes to transfer dealings, contract extensions, loan deals etc. So yes, it's annoying but if you look good statistically it can do wonders for your career. Look at the StatDna signings and how they're still here. Numbers dominate and have unfortunately skewed how people look at football, which in turn has had an effect on players playing style. I'm sure Nelson is a victim of this for example.

Finally, it's a genuine tactic. You pass backwards and force the opposition to push up high on you to force a press and hopefully move some players out of position. Those goals when we play out the back are almost always praised for good football and coaching. However, if it doesn't lead to a goal or a chance at least, it's just seen as a catalogue of sideways and backwards passing.
 

krackpot

Established Member
Trusted ⭐
Think this is because our CMs are going down in quality.

No one can turn, everyone needs two touches to make a simple pass.

I remember the time when Mustafi would really zap the ball into Özil or Cazorla and they were good enough to control AND pass the ball generally with their first touch
 

bingobob

A-M’s Resident Hunskelper
Trusted ⭐

Country: Scotland
Possession football is boring. Peps football is boring in my view. Highly structured football is boring. The idea that only one style of football is worthy and the rest aren't is destroying the game. Go read a United forum or West Ham or basically any teams forum and see how many times boring or a synonym for it is used to describe a game.
 

Football Manager

Copy & Paste Merchant
Possession football is boring. Peps football is boring in my view. Highly structured football is boring. The idea that only one style of football is worthy and the rest aren't is destroying the game. Go read a United forum or West Ham or basically any teams forum and see how many times boring or a synonym for it is used to describe a game.
Possession football is the most beautiful style of football.

We are not Tony Pulis/Benitez/Morinho’s team. Do you know how boring those teams play? Carragher heading to Terry heading back to Carragher and then heading back to Terry.....Liverpool plays a long ball to the other end, lost possession, Chelsea then plays a long ball, then lost possession, and then another fxxking direct boring long ball is played. Are you telling me that losing possession is fun to watch? Are you telling me that forward pass means advantageous? No, fxxking not.

All modern tactics are highly structured, because freedom means there will exist gaps in certain points of the game, which could be exploited by the opponent.

You can design your tactics to be highly structured, but play beautiful attacking football.
 

Peterq

Member
Possession football is the most beautiful style of football.

We are not Tony Pulis/Benitez/Morinho’s team. Do you know how boring those teams play? Carragher heading to Terry heading back to Carragher and then heading back to Terry.....Liverpool plays a long ball to the other end, lost possession, Chelsea then plays a long ball, then lost possession, and then another fxxking direct boring long ball is played. Are you telling me that losing possession is fun to watch? Are you telling me that forward pass means advantageous? No, fxxking not.

All modern tactics are highly structured, because freedom means there will exist gaps in certain points of the game, which could be exploited by the opponent.

You can design your tactics to be highly structured, but play beautiful attacking football.
Yes and no. How would you describe Invincibles? Possession or direct? Structured or not? There is no one way. From my POV we don't move ball fast enough, you create that killerpass by moving the ball quick and finding right moment to go through. I never seen player in transition having ball at his feet correcting his hair then 10 sec latter passing the ball. It's no surprise that we are the slowest in progressive. Luiz could be great in dressing room for young players as a mentor or in some games as a leader but come it was 0:0 FFS. This team needs overhaul players like Luiz, Xhaka, AMN must go. Find players with better football IQ, quick thinkers, street player type, tough but with great technique. Buendia looks good.
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
Peak Wengerball was different to Pep's Tiki-taka, it was more exciting as the players would be allowed to lose the ball a lot more in Arsène's system (as they were encouraged to try more difficult things) Arsenal fans really were spoiled during that period.
 

bingobob

A-M’s Resident Hunskelper
Trusted ⭐

Country: Scotland
The biggest mistake I see there is that beautiful can only be attacking. And that to attack it must be possession. Its a throw back to footballers must be big, physical and get stuck in. Its a dogmatic mentality that's destroying the game. Should football be progressive, yes but not at the expense of everything else. Just as we played beautiful football under Wenger the football of Ac Milan in which they scored only 36 goals but conceded 15 is equally as beautiful (all be it in a different way). There are very few teams willing to break the mould of modern football. It's a shame because we are losing good players because of it. Just as we lost good players back in the day because they were too small. Football has to strive for a better balance.
 

vantoure

Well-Known Member
@bingobob you capture my thoughts with your first post. I've said it somewhere else on this forum before as well, but football really is dead. Now it's all mechanical and zombie-like. There're no more random acts of skill, the flow is gone.

There's no greater evidence of the terrible situation with football than the general acclaim of the "Number 10" position being dead. Maradona didn't do drugs only for for this **** to become the way of football :lol:

I really watch these days just for the banter.

P.S - Also, I agree that you can trace this situation back to Pep's tiki-taka. At the time, I found it mesmerising, but I remember a poster used to say it was boring. how right he was
 

Football Manager

Copy & Paste Merchant
@bingobob you capture my thoughts with your first post. I've said it somewhere else on this forum before as well, but football really is dead. Now it's all mechanical and zombie-like. There're no more random acts of skill, the flow is gone.

There's no greater evidence of the terrible situation with football than the general acclaim of the "Number 10" position being dead. Maradona didn't do drugs only for for this **** to become the way of football :lol:

I really watch these days just for the banter.

P.S - Also, I agree that you can trace this situation back to Pep's tiki-taka. At the time, I found it mesmerising, but I remember a poster used to say it was boring. how right he was
From Neymar/Mbappe...to Odoi/Sancho there are many skillful players.

It’s just that they are allow to express their skills in certain zones/in specific scenarios on the pitch. It’s freedom within constraints. But freedom is allowed.
 

akhil

Well-Known Member
Possession football is boring. Peps football is boring in my view. Highly structured football is boring. The idea that only one style of football is worthy and the rest aren't is destroying the game. Go read a United forum or West Ham or basically any teams forum and see how many times boring or a synonym for it is used to describe a game.

Everything you've said is pretty much the antithesis of what Arteta wants to do.

We need this double pivot to be little less strict honestly. Even in the last 10 minutes of the palace game Partey and xhaka were both holding their position. One staying back to sweep up is enough, the other needs to break the midfield line at least and be an option further up the pitch. Ramsey was a specialist at this stuff.
 

2Smokeyy

5.0 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (49)
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
Peak Wengerball was different to Pep's Tiki-taka, it was more exciting as the players would be allowed to lose the ball a lot more in Arsène's system (as they were encouraged to try more difficult things) Arsenal fans really were spoiled during that period.

Arsène Wenger got bums like Sanogo joining in with little flicks. Look at how fluid our football is here:


We look so far from this ffs.
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
Arsène Wenger got bums like Sanogo joining in with little flicks. Look at how fluid our football is here:


We look so far from this ffs.

Only option we have now, go and beg Nike to take us back...this **** wouldn't have happened on their watch!
 

Rasmi

Negative Nancy

Country: England
This is still the same team that struggles with low block tbh. Some of you got carried away against a Chelsea and Brighton, ball playing teams.

All we were missing was double digit crosses from Tierney to add to the mix, but we been playing this way all season.
So true. Those two results messed up our fans. Arteta was being exposed and was on the ropes. He really is not good coach and Steve round his right man was with Moyes in his United time and his way of seeing football is clear. I had to turn of second half yesterday I was that bored.
 

Rasmi

Negative Nancy

Country: England
Think this is because our CMs are going down in quality.

No one can turn, everyone needs two touches to make a simple pass.

I remember the time when Mustafi would really zap the ball into Özil or Cazorla and they were good enough to control AND pass the ball generally with their first touch
Look at the position our cm takes. I used this to defend el neny as well. Over and over you will see our two cbs with the ball. The two cms very close to them with opponent striker in between them. The two fullbacks right up next to the wingers. It’s clear as soon as the cbs pass to the cms their only job is to push the ball wide. Opponents know this because that’s all we do. 20 goals in 18 league games says it all
 
Top Bottom