Quote Originally Posted by WES View Post
It is amazing how difficult we make passing through a press look.

At one point in the Sporting match one of their defenders had the ball at the top of their box as we pressed. A midfielder ran into the space behind the press, the defender clipped the ball over the pressing players to the midfielder who took one touch and then played it to their left side where the left sided defender had run into space and away they went.

I remember wondering why we can't seem to do something so simple. Three players playing a simple pattern using skills that you would expect every professional footballer to have.

Baffling
We've had two midfielders under Arteta who could play through the lines- Partey and Jorginho. He has replaced them with Zubimendi and Merino.

I have no idea what Zubimendi is supposed to be doing. But he provides absolutely nothing other than sideways passes. It is not unusual to see him hopelessly out of position (where on earth was he for Bournemouth's winner?) and we have seen the odd slip in possession. Maybe that has made him scared to try anything.

Either way, I am watching a midfielder who seems to have no real range of passing. And we know that isn't him.

Two things always helped us in trying to play through a press- Odegaard always wanting the ball and showing for it, and those runs inside that Saka used to make. Both of those things have disappeared from our game over the last year and a bit.