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Gabriel Martinelli: Dogged and Determined

Tourbillion

Angry & Miserable
This extends to pretty much every position tbh, and it’s not so much about eye contact as it is about spatial awareness. You need to understand where you are in relation to others to do anything effectively, shoot, pass, take a touch, defend.

Watch any top level midfielder in the world, and see how many times they turn their heads to scan while moving on the pitch over a minute. They’re constantly checking where everything is around them. This makes you both more likely to receive the ball, and more likely to do something useful with it when you do.

Mitoma (who’s popular on this forum) - studied dribbling in uni (lol) - and found that the most successful dribblers were the ones that didn’t have to look at the ball when receiving it, or something to that effect. This is because they knew where the defender was as they were receiving the ball, not after they had received it.
I think he said the best ones look at the ball all the way as they receive it (first touch), but when they take the defender on they focus on the centre of the defender's body... Or something.
 

Bagels

Well-Known Member
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Country: Canada
I think he said the best ones look at the ball all the way as they receive it (first touch), but when they take the defender on they focus on the centre of the defender's body... Or something.
Interesting.

Something similar is often coached for defending - watch the attackers chest or hips. That’ll tell you more about where they’re going than anything their feet are doing.
 

db10_therza

🎵 Edu getting rickrolled 🎵
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Player:Martinelli
Interesting.

Something similar is often coached for defending - watch the attackers chest or hips. That’ll tell you more about where they’re going than anything their feet are doing.

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Batman

Head of the Wayne foundation for benching Nketiah

Country: USA

Player:Saliba
I think he said the best ones look at the ball all the way as they receive it (first touch), but when they take the defender on they focus on the centre of the defender's body... Or something.
You look at the defender's waist to see which side their momentum is carrying them towards. If you watch Messi who I think we can all agree is one of if not the best dribbler certainly today as well as of all time, he does nothing really fancy like a Neymar or Ronaldinho but he uses feints to force a defender to commit their momentum and then explodes the other way with quick, simple little touches. You can see his head is always aimed at their midline but he can also see to pick a pass or a shot because he's not looking at his own feet. Gabi looks directly at his feet which is something that can be coached out of you but really should have already been by now if he's ever going to consistently get his head up. You can still have a good career even with this limitation but it is a limitation that will frustrate and diminish what he can do with the ball, particularly as a provider.
 

yorch44

Commander of the Pelotudo Brigade
You look at the defender's waist to see which side their momentum is carrying them towards. If you watch Messi who I think we can all agree is one of if not the best dribbler certainly today as well as of all time, he does nothing really fancy like a Neymar or Ronaldinho but he uses feints to force a defender to commit their momentum and then explodes the other way with quick, simple little touches. You can see his head is always aimed at their midline but he can also see to pick a pass or a shot because he's not looking at his own feet. Gabi looks directly at his feet which is something that can be coached out of you but really should have already been by now if he's ever going to consistently get his head up. You can still have a good career even with this limitation but it is a limitation that will frustrate and diminish what he can do with the ball, particularly as a provider.
If you ask Messi I bet you he knows nothing about you said and he does it naturally without even thinking about all that theory. He is been dribbling the same way since he was a kid. Just watch his child videos and he dribbles the exact same way.
 

Batman

Head of the Wayne foundation for benching Nketiah

Country: USA

Player:Saliba
If you ask Messi I bet you he knows nothing about you said and he does it naturally without even thinking about all that theory. He is been dribbling the same way since he was a kid. Just watch his child videos and he dribbles the exact same way.
They teach you this as a child. I learned this when I was 6 in America where the football IQ is not exactly high. Really anyone who has played at even a school level should have learned this. It looks natural because he's been doing it for 30 years. Even footballers who make everything look easy and instinctual do so from a learned perspective. Messi is an extremely intelligent player who has a ton of natural talent but make no mistake, he's a cerebral player. I don't think he'd view waiting until a defender is off balance to gain an attacking advantage as "all that theory", it's a remarkably simple practice. It's why he's still able to perform more or less the same as he always has in his mid 30s without the same explosive pace he had earlier.
 

yorch44

Commander of the Pelotudo Brigade
They teach you this as a child. I learned this when I was 6 in America where the football IQ is not exactly high. Really anyone who has played at even a school level should have learned this. It looks natural because he's been doing it for 30 years. Even footballers who make everything look easy and instinctual do so from a learned perspective. Messi is an extremely intelligent player who has a ton of natural talent but make no mistake, he's a cerebral player. I don't think he'd view waiting until a defender is off balance to gain an attacking advantage as "all that theory", it's a remarkably simple practice. It's why he's still able to perform more or less the same as he always has in his mid 30s without the same explosive pace he had earlier.
Messi didn't play football before until he randomly played a match. Then he destroyed whole team. He has that naturally. Honestly nobody is thinking how is defenders balance when you dribbling in a match, you just make quick decisions every second. It's like you were thinking every time you make a pass what part of the foot use, or things like that. Yes, they teach you things like that as a kid, then you practice but you never think about it. Others doesn't even need that because it's natural from them. Even so, dribbling is unique for every player. It's like art, nobody dribble the same way. Once Bielsa said, you can't teach a player to dribble, they have it or don't.
 

dka1

100% Dark Chocolate
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Hmm that video is a lil funny I can't lie but definitely unfair on Martinelli.

Firstly a lot of the clips were when he was dribbling in tight spaces and I think players tend to look down more when trying to dribble with lots of players close to them, naturally.

You'll notice that as he was running into space he kept his head up quite well.

Secondly I actually noticed this when he first arrived but his posture is a bit slouched/hunched so I think is exaggerates the "head down" dribbling, making it look worse than it actually is.

Edit: For reference here's a video of how the best does it, the video is in slow motion too so that we can analyse his movements completely.

Notice how Messi does look at the ball and the feet of the players when going past them but then gets his head up when moving into space.

 
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Trilly

Hates A-M, Saka, Arteta and You
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Country: England
You just said I can't admit I have been wrong, and I busted you for trying to say you were right about Saka's shooting.

I also answered another reply to you above it.

But yeah, Mourinho throwing toys out of the pram fits you very well.
Busted me for what?

I said Rex and I called out his finishing problems a good year before the majority of the forum did?

There are multiple posts where I’ve said he has good shooting technique but poor finishing and that he just needs to get more reps in.

I’m not sure where being right or wrong comes into it?
 

Taylor Gang Gunners

Say Yeh or You're Making The List
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What I wonder is what Mikel actually wants from his LW? I’m sure he knows he’s not playing to Gabi’s strengths atm.

Is he trying to turn him into that player or is Gabi keeping a future signings seat warm?

Bit of both I’d suspect. He’s definitely mentioned how much better Gabi is when making runs in behind and adding the finish touch to moves. It’s up to him to improve in that aspect.

I think he saw Mudryk as that kind of player. Devastating pace and a decent enough finisher.
 

14Henry

Looking for receipts 👀
The flack Gabi is getting in here is unreal.

I genuinely believe people are so annoyed about Mudryk that now they want to batter Gabi and take their anger out on him.

Gabi (bar his last 3 or 4 games) has been brilliant this season. 9 G/A in 20 league games isn't to be sniffed at.

He's a young lad, he had the World Cup and things (which he looked quite bright in when given the chance).

We know Saka is on another level but why can't we accept that as a wide player you won't be effective every single game for a variety of reasons.

Almiron, Mahrez, Grealish, Anthony, any one of Chelseas 30 wide players have all been hit or miss at times. People talking about Mitoma because he's been brilliant over the last 5-6 weeks. However before that ask anyone in the street who he was and they would have hardly known. And now every thinks he's elite cause he did a dissertation on dribbling fs.

Gabi will be back and flying before you know it. I've no issue Trossard starting the next game as it maybe give Gabi a little wake up call but make no mistake. He's a hugely important player to this team.
 

db10_therza

🎵 Edu getting rickrolled 🎵
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Country: Bangladesh

Player:Martinelli
The flack Gabi is getting in here is unreal.

I genuinely believe people are so annoyed about Mudryk that now they want to batter Gabi and take their anger out on him.

Gabi (bar his last 3 or 4 games) has been brilliant this season. 9 G/A in 20 league games isn't to be sniffed at.

He's a young lad, he had the World Cup and things (which he looked quite bright in when given the chance).

We know Saka is on another level but why can't we accept that as a wide player you won't be effective every single game for a variety of reasons.

Almiron, Mahrez, Grealish, Anthony, any one of Chelseas 30 wide players have all been hit or miss at times. People talking about Mitoma because he's been brilliant over the last 5-6 weeks. However before that ask anyone in the street who he was and they would have hardly known. And now every thinks he's elite cause he did a dissertation on dribbling fs.

Gabi will be back and flying before you know it. I've no issue Trossard starting the next game as it maybe give Gabi a little wake up call but make no mistake. He's a hugely important player to this team.

I don’t think he’s getting that much flak? Most people are sympathetic to the lack of support he’s been getting since Jesus’ injury and the general lack of overlaps/under laps on that side.
 

El Duderino

That's, like, your opinion, man.
Moderator
I don’t think he’s getting that much flak? Most people are sympathetic to the lack of support he’s been getting since Jesus’ injury and the general lack of overlaps/under laps on that side.

He's not, people are discussing his current form and bar maybe a few, most are just memeing.

If you're going to be one of the most well paid wingers in the league tho..... But that's a conversation we should wait until the end of the season to have.
 

Blood on the Tracks

AG's best friend, role model and mentor.
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Country: England

Player:Rice
He's not, people are discussing his current form and bar maybe a few, most are just memeing.

If you're going to be one of the most well paid wingers in the league tho..... But that's a conversation we should wait until the end of the season to have.

I do think there's an element of taking it out on Martinelli because we didn't sign Mudryk though.

I don't know what people expect really. Martinelli has shown himself to be one of the most productive wide men in football in his age group. To sign him to a new contract he's going to have to be on fairly high wages. He's just going through a bit of a downturn in form at the moment, that's to be expected for a player his age.

From what I've seen to date I've got no doubt that Martinelli is a better and more developed footballer than Mudryk. He just can't run as quickly which seems vital on here for some reason.
 

Blood on the Tracks

AG's best friend, role model and mentor.
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Player:Rice
Blood straight up has an agenda against pace. Getting perennial last pick at gym class vibes. @Trilly would never…

I was more of a middle distance runner at school tbf.

I don't trust young attacking players whose main attribute is electric pace. rarely seems to work out that well. They tend to be fairly limited unless you're looking at a freak like Mbappe.

Theo became quite an effective weapon but I couldn't say he was a good footballer overall, for example. He maximised 2-3 good attributes as he developed but always had too many weaknesses in his game to be a top player.
 

SA Gunner

Hates Tierney And Wants Him Sold Immediately
Moderator

Country: South Africa

Player:Nketiah
Gabby is getting a lot of stick, and it’s ok to critique him. But let’s not pretend the kid is trash, far from it.

Yes you have to pay proper wages to keep him. We have a new structure, we can afford to do the deal and Gabby will only get better.

 

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