by account deleted by request » Sun Nov 19, 2006 3:14 pm
The whole idea behind pass and move football is to pass the ball with purpose. Liverpool seem to be passing the ball because Rafa has told them to keep passing, not because we believe passing the ball will improve our chances of scoring. The ball is getting played around at the back not so much to allow our forwards and midfield players to make space for themselves but because this is the instruction they have been given. So we pass the ball about for a bit, then someone gets a challenge, panics and hoofs the ball 50yards up field. That is not pass and move, thats Wimbledon football with a bit more style and less purpose.
The idea behind long ball football is to miss out the midfield and catch the opposition unprepared. Not give the opposition defenders time to prepare and then launch it. We have good passers in midfield, more intelligent movement would allow our midfield to find them with purposefull balls instead of the high chips to small attackers we are now playing.
The main problem with pass and move is you need confidence to play it well, players have to run into space leaving their opponent unmarked and gambling that the pass will be a good one and we retain possession. When confidence is low(like now) players arnt making those runs they are too busy covering the opposition in case the move breaks down.