[Archived] Pace

[adam lodge]

Hi is anyone else on here worried by the lack of pace we have in our team all the top teams in this league have pace somewhere in their side and we don't have any thats why it takes us so long to get the ball forward and we have to try and thread little through balls into the front men and it allows the oppistion to get men behind the ball what are your thoughts on this subject.

[DanLad]

Hi is anyone else on here worried by the lack of pace we have in our team all the top teams in this league have pace somewhere in their side and we don't have any thats why it takes us so long to get the ball forward and we have to try and thread little through balls into the front men and it allows the oppistion to get men behind the ball what are your thoughts on this subject.

Adam, you might not know when to use a full stop, but you're right about our lack of pace.

;-)

[ElTwis]

Adam, you might not know when to use a full stop, but you're right about our lack of pace.

;-)

I've always considered pacy players a bit of a luxury, I'd much rather have someone like Toogs who can play a fantastic ball from basically a standstill whilst still retaining what could be a defensive position as opposed to someone who insists on trying to beat people down the wings and leaves us open to the counter attack. Plus just because someones fast doesn't mean they're actually very good at football, George Donis anyone?!

That said though there's nothing better than watching a really good fast player ripping into a negative team like Notlob!

It would be nice if we could sign someone to address the problem in January but I think we have to look at left back first.

[FourLaneBlue]

Since Bellamy left...Who is our fastest player anyway?

[ElTwis]

Since Bellamy left...Who is our fastest player anyway?

It's a good point! MGP's not slow I guess but there isn't anyone who really stands out...

[Shevchenko]

Since Bellamy left...Who is our fastest player anyway?

Probably Emerton.

Peter maybe...?

[den]

It's a good point! MGP's not slow I guess but there isn't anyone who really stands out...

Slowest rovers winger I've ever seen.

[DanLad]

It's a good point! MGP's not slow...

Are you being ironic, somehow?

[ElTwis]

Slowest rovers winger I've ever seen.

Think thats a bit harsh! Maybe before the next home game they could all race and the winner gets a pie.

[Alan75]

Slowest rovers winger I've ever seen.

I'll second that.

Think thats a bit harsh! Maybe before the next home game they could all race and the winner gets a pie.

They will be cold by the time MGP gets there

[Fife Rover]

Think thats a bit harsh! Maybe before the next home game they could all race and the winner gets a pie.

If we get Dunny back in January that will give us all the pace we need!!

And it will ensure that we dont get overstocked in the pie dept as well

[AggyBlue]

Slowest rovers winger I've ever seen.

Who told you he was a winger? Never trust that person again

[rover6]

I've always considered pacy players a bit of a luxury, I'd much rather have someone like Toogs who can play a fantastic ball from basically a standstill whilst still retaining what could be a defensive position as opposed to someone who insists on trying to beat people down the wings and leaves us open to the counter attack. Plus just because someones fast doesn't mean they're actually very good at football, George Donis anyone?!

A luxury? Lazy mercurial players are a luxury not fast players who can turn average passes into splendid by sheer speed.

I agree with those who consider our lack of pace a problem - certainly on the flanks, but also in defence and in the absence of Roberts, up front.

Without players who can really run with the ball with purpose (as opposed to the Jesper Gronkjaer/Keith Gillespie type) our counter-attacks are certainly less potent. Arsenal and Man U are packed with pace and you only need to see Spurs' form whilst Lennon was out to know how important a pacy, skilful winger is to their team.

Pace up front can, to an extent, compensate for a paucity in midfield (Bellers last year and AJ for Everton this). And the current Chelsea side is reliant on their full backs to provide the width and speed as Mourinho has turned to playing central midfielders on the flanks.

Edited November 12, 2006 by rover6

[G Somerset Rover]

Completely agree Rover6. Our ability to turn defence into attack makes us easily one of the least effective teams in the league right now and this is mainly due to our distinct lack of pace.

Edited November 12, 2006 by Somerset Rover!

[Presty On Tour]

reidy and emerton i would of thought were our quickest players, lucas neill isn't exactly slow when his hamstrings arn't tight either.

[AxesFirstTouch]

I would say Bentley is nearly as slow as MGP, although Bentley is ok as hes got speedster Bert to help him out.

[Exiled_Rover]

Neither Bentley or Pedersen have any speed. The difference is Bentley has shown the ability to trick his way past a player. Perhaps more helpful, when his close control isn't on top form, is that he has obtained that Beckham-eque quality of being able to put in a good cross without actually beating his man.

Pedersen on the other hand always hits his marker in said situation.

As for lack of pace in the team, well Bellamy masked just how slow the squad is last year. It's been a problem since the Souness days. Unfortunately pace is a valued commodity, so unless we get the quick players young, or indeed old, we don't have much chance of signing a decent one.

That said, we're missing the pace of Reid in midfield - three of the current starting four are incredibly slow, which (as rover6 highlighted) stunts our attacks.

Edited November 13, 2006 by Exiled_Rover

[grizfoot]

Reid, Neill & Emerton are our only players with real 'pace' as such. Although Savage isn't exactly slow.

Its true we are lacking in pace upfront since Bellamy left.

Edited November 13, 2006 by grizfoot

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Savage isn't exactly slow ?????????? He's so one paced it's unbelievable, I reckon he wouldn't beat Tugay over 20 metres. I'm 57 and ten years ago I could have out sprinted the pair of them running backwards. As for Pedersen well, enough said.Our midfield problem in a nutshell, nobody capable of breaking out of defence into attack. That's not the end of it though, Neill and Reid aren't exactly pigeon catchers and Brett is fast rather than quick ( there is a diference ) ,explains a lot doesn't it ?

[s_simpson_9]

Savage looks like he is treading water when he is running.

Fast v quick is the real problem.

Emerton, neill and reid take a while to get going.

We need someone with blinding acceleration.

The first five steps make the world of difference.

[blue phil]

It's not necessarily the lack of pace that's doing us , it's the lack of movement and the subsequent lack of options for the player on the ball . Laziness in other words .

[RevidgeBlue]

You can also compensate for lack of out and out pace by shifting the ball about quickly and effectively. A well struck pass travels far quicker than a player can run. When you're not doing this, and there's no movement off the ball either, sheer pace is the only way left to trouble the opposition.

We don't have that last resort "catch them on the hop" type outlet since Bellamy left, so we'll either have to be a lot cuter with our movement or a lot quicker and more accurate with our passing or preferably both.

[DanLad]

When you have no pace up front the opposition pushes up and condenses the midfield. It isn't necessarily lack of movement, but the fact that there's no room to run in to in the first place.

[Lathund]

Like others have said, Emerton is the first one that springs to mind, and then Neill & Reid.

Derbyshire, if he'll ever get a game, is ridiculously quick though isn't he?

[Martyn]

I think Peter is our fastest player. I'm sure he actually made a yard or 2 on Cristiano Ronaldo when he chased him back 50 yards in the 90th minute of the United game. He got booked ensuing for the challenge but still.