Time on the ball in the Premier League

Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster

Jul 5, 2003

72,015

• Aug 21, 2017

• #1

Now this might sound really thick but my excuse is that I watched virtually no Premier League football until we got here, I may have had MOTD on in the background on a Sunday morning but didn't pay much attention.

Now I could have sworn that there were threads on here saying how much more time we'd have on the ball until the final third of the pitch once we got to the top division.

I cannot believe how quickly our players are closed down all over the pitch, it is seriously frenetic stuff with no small amount of jaw dropping skill on what I've seen so far. We are passing the ball like it's a hot potato and being hassled as soon as we get the ball with no time at all.

My question is, is this a Premier League thing that we are going to have to cope with all season or have we just played two teams whose game is based around pressing the opposition?

 

brightn'ove

cringe

Apr 12, 2011

9,137

London

• Aug 21, 2017

• #2

Icy Gull said:

have we just played two teams whose game is based around pressing the opposition?

Click to expand...

Yes.

Pep's tactics require them to have the ball, he wants his players to regain posession within 10 seconds of losing it I believe.

Leicester won the league by hassling & pressuring opponents into mistakes and scoring on the counter attack.

That isn't to say by any means that they will be the only teams to play that way. Liverpool and *gulp* Huddersfield play that way too.

 

GreersElbow

New member

Jan 5, 2012

4,870

A Northern Outpost

• Aug 21, 2017

• #3

Pep's philosophy is about possession, if you don't have the ball; you win it. If you have the ball, you recycle it until gaps appear. They will always have higher possession and time on the ball because they will pass backwards to protect possession.

 

F

Finchley Seagull

New member

Feb 25, 2004

6,916

North London

• Aug 21, 2017

• #4

Icy Gull said:

Now this might sound really thick but my excuse is that I watched virtually no Premier League football until we got here, I may have had MOTD on in the background on a Sunday morning but didn't pay much attention.

Now I could have sworn that there were threads on here saying how much more time we'd have on the ball until the final third of the pitch once we got to the top division.

I cannot believe how quickly our players are closed down all over the pitch, it is seriously frenetic stuff with no small amount of jaw dropping skill on what I've seen so far. We are passing the ball like it's a hot potato and being hassled as soon as we get the ball with no time at all.

My question is, is this a Premier League thing that we are going to have to cope with all season or have we just played two teams whose game is based around pressing the opposition?

Click to expand...

I completely agree. It was frightening how quickly the Leicester players closed us down in the first thirty minutes especially (see I can agree with you). I think it will be a mix. Some teams will be happy to sit back and catch us on the break but of course if they see us struggle in midfield under pressure, more teams will do that I suppose.

 

B

BensGrandad

New member

Jul 13, 2003

72,015

Haywards Heath

• Aug 21, 2017

• #5

I believe that is what Stephens and Propper are finding it hard to deal with they have no time at all on the ball. I also think that more teams will adopt that attitude and play that way as the season goes on so we have got to learn to overcome it but learn fast.

 

trueblue

Well-known member

Jul 5, 2003

10,377

Hove

• Aug 21, 2017

• #6

The Premier League is frantic. Laughed when I heard Bob Booker peddling the old 'have to be patient, more time to play' cliches. Used to be true but in the past few years it's more like basketball: end to end. Not just good players any more but exceptional athletes.

 

beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius

Jul 21, 2003

35,292

• Aug 21, 2017

• #7

Liverpool is another and arguably Spurs, though they dont seem to be as effective but will maintain pressure for 95+ minutes. Leicester won the league from this approach. young eager players hound you to pressure you into a mistake, then rush forward with 3-4 runners into the box at any opportunity.

 

Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati

Helpful Moderator

NSC Patron

Jul 23, 2003

34,111

Up and Coming Sunny Portslade

• Aug 21, 2017

• #8

Not just Pep. Klopp's teams are totally built on high pressure game. Football has changed massively in the last few seasons due to these 2 coaches & others. It's filtering down too, Wagner at Huddersfield learnt under Klopp for example.

It requires a remarkable level of fitness too. Like a Tour De France cyclist. Cough.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

R

Rogero

Well-known member

Aug 4, 2010

5,713

Shoreham

• Aug 21, 2017

• #9

Propper and Stephens really need to get up to speed. We are missing Kayal.

 

Don Tmatter

Well-known member

Jul 7, 2003

4,993

dont matter

• Aug 21, 2017

• #10

Spurs are the one team I'm fearing a real hiding from, the rest 2 or 3 - 0's.

 

P

pishhead

Well-known member

Jul 9, 2003

5,246

Everywhere

• Aug 21, 2017

• #11

3 centre backs to either accommodate 3 central midfielders or 2 strikers is something that'll be new to us this season.
I do wonder if this will be a system we try to employ at some point.

 

perseus

Broad Blue & White stripe

Jul 5, 2003

23,456

Sūþseaxna

• Aug 21, 2017

• #12

Icy Gull said:

Now this might sound really thick but my excuse is that I watched virtually no Premier League football until we got here, I may have had MOTD on in the background on a Sunday morning but didn't pay much attention.

Now I could have sworn that there were threads on here saying how much more time we'd have on the ball until the final third of the pitch once we got to the top division.

I cannot believe how quickly our players are closed down all over the pitch, it is seriously frenetic stuff with no small amount of jaw dropping skill on what I've seen so far. We are passing the ball like it's a hot potato and being hassled as soon as we get the ball with no time at all.

My question is, is this a Premier League thing that we are going to have to cope with all season or have we just played two teams whose game is based around pressing the opposition?

Click to expand...

I think it is only Man City and Spurs that press almost all of the game? Hopefully. A few teams like Liverpool and Arsenal and Chelsea have quick players.

 

S

scooter1

How soon is now?

Sep 12, 2006

4,725

Past the Leisure Centre, left at the lights

• Aug 21, 2017

• #13

Rogero said:

Propper and Stephens really need to get up to speed. We are missing Kayal.

Click to expand...

I agree with the first sentence. But Kayal is not the answer.
I expected Propper and Gross to hit the ground running, but this hasn't happened. Hopefully the first 2 games has been an awakening for both our manager and the players. Time to kick on, and hope that the players(old and new) gel quickly

 

M

matbha

Well-known member

Apr 13, 2014

983

• Aug 21, 2017

• #14

At the mo the only player which is up to speed is Bruno ,oozes class

 

GolfingGull

Active member

Jul 21, 2013

587

Costa del Worthing

• Aug 21, 2017

• #15

trueblue said:

The Premier League is frantic. Laughed when I heard Bob Booker peddling the old 'have to be patient, more time to play' cliches. Used to be true but in the past few years it's more like basketball: end to end. Not just good players any more but exceptional athletes.

Click to expand...

Very true. Watching MOTD closely now, it has really stood out how strong, physical and quick most players are now. I thought we played at a fast pace in the Championship but now we really seem pedestrian compared to most other PL teams. Good to see CH and the team are bringing in pacey attackers as Hemed, Murray, Murphy, Skalak, etc will really struggle to match the pace and power of most other teams.

 

Wrong-Direction

Well-known member

Mar 10, 2013

13,416

• Aug 22, 2017

• #16

I'm looking forward to stringing more than 3 passes together

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LamieRobertson

Not awoke

Feb 3, 2008

46,673

SHOREHAM BY SEA

• Aug 22, 2017

• #17

Wrong-Direction said:

I'm looking forward to stringing more than 3 passes together

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

When u making your debut?

 

Surf's Up

Well-known member

Jul 17, 2011

10,165

Here

• Aug 22, 2017

• #18

Closing down, pressing, denying space to play is the name of the game now, we must've known that and yet we seem singularly unable/unwilling to adopt this tactic ourselves. Maybe it's the players we've got, maybe it's the manager, maybe it's both but we'd better bloody well start doing it or we will be sunk without trace.

 

C

Conelli98

New member

Dec 18, 2016

674

• Aug 22, 2017

• #19

Surf's Up said:

Closing down, pressing, denying space to play is the name of the game now, we must've known that and yet we seem singularly unable/unwilling to adopt this tactic ourselves. Maybe it's the players we've got, maybe it's the manager, maybe it's both but we'd better bloody well start doing it or we will be sunk without trace.

Click to expand...

Totally agree with this post!