This.
Its about the right style of play at the right time and as Bier says if you have intelligent players this can be achieved.
But football diesn't work like that. How many teams in English football mix and match their style of play? They all have an identity, a playing style and for the most part they stick to it. The way we played last night is not the way we have tried to play this season for the most part, sure we passed it around BUT the ball went forward early and high on a number of occasions.
My take on a few of our rivals:
Arsenal - Pass it, pass it, pass it. Good tempo, they rarely cross the ball in the air, they look to play one-twos and cut-backs from the by-line when they get behind you. They for the most part do not have a plan B (to their detriment).
Unitited - Have played the same way for a number of years. They come up against bus parkers week in week out but find a way to beat them over and over. They keep the ball all day, notice they will pass it pass it in and slowly switch play in and around the oppo's box patiently until they find an opening, Fergie's teams are INCREDIBLY patient in this respect. they rely on always having skillful wide players who can beat players and drag others out of position.
Chelsea - Over the years not neally as pretty as their rivals but still keep the ball all day and generally work it forward quite slowly (hence Torres has struggled), particularly across the back line where they have a habit of playing from full-back, through the CBs and out again until the right pass becomes available to get it forward. Not a long ball team by any means but a little more direct and far less fluent than united and Arsenal.
City - Classical Italian approach (as you'd expect) from Mancini. Built on strength at the back and fairly cautious. I'm not sure he really has it in him to coach a side to play the way of an Arsenal or a united BUT he if you can afford players like Silva, Nasri and Aguero you don't need to because they will bring guile, craft and style to any set-up no matter how defensive or rigid you look to play.
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