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Ryan Mason

Bedfordspurs said:
I think Mason is a good back up for a central role behind the striker but he has to get more goals... For a player with great youth record of scoring (and he scored some crackers) his senior level scoring record is gash
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Absolutely agree.

My suspicion is that it's just he hasn't hit rhythm/momentum with his goalscoring, rather than he lacks fundamental technique or composure.
 
Gutter Boy said:
For me his quick transitioning and assertive passing is his standout quality. I'm not sure anyone else is so relentless at moving the ball forward and trying to find gaps.
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I agree with you on that point, most of his passes go forward and he rarely stops the ball. His injury problems have stalled his development and he would have to be a stand out player for a team to be prepared to gamble on his continual presence and ability to influence games. I've never thought he could be a deep lying player as he doesn't have a defensive set of mind and he's not as good as Ali, Eirksen or Lamela, at his age he should be. For both parties it would be better is he moved on.
 
Bedfordspurs said:
I think Mason is a good back up for a central role behind the striker but he has to get more goals... For a player with great youth record of scoring (and he scored some crackers) his senior level scoring record is gash
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I think that is reasonably easy to explain. In his first season in the side he was playing alongside a similarly inexperienced player in a side that was struggling defensively and in a deeper position to he played in the youth set up, so he did not get as many opportunities to get forward. Last season he was injured and his form was mixed when he came back. We have never seen him on form, in a settled side and with defensive cover.

Apart from a hot streak last season, Dembele's goal scoring record is poor too.
 
milo said:
I think that is reasonably easy to explain. In his first season in the side he was playing alongside a similarly inexperienced player in a side that was struggling defensively and in a deeper position to he played in the youth set up, so he did not get as many opportunities to get forward. Last season he was injured and his form was mixed when he came back. We have never seen him on form, in a settled side and with defensive cover.

Apart from a hot streak last season, Dembele's goal scoring record is poor too.
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I dont mean as holding midfielder I mean as one of the three behind the striker

Im not expecting goals galore from the midfield, but I am from the 4 in front (striker +3)

Mason has had a lot of chances where he has busted a gut to get there and missed the goal or tickled it at the keeper.

I saw him play youth football and he was scoring all sorts of goals from everywhere and tats what he needs to do more of when he gets his chance
 
I know Mason player no.10 as a youth player, but from what I've seen in the first team I just don't see him succeeding as a no.10. To me he clearly doesn't have the tools suited to that position. To me his biggest strength is his passing from deep, whereas some of his bigger weaknesses are finishing, playing with his back to goal and playing without much time on the ball - all key attributes needed for a no.10.
 
elltrev said:
I know Mason player no.10 as a youth player, but from what I've seen in the first team I just don't see him succeeding as a no.10. To me he clearly doesn't have the tools suited to that position. To me his biggest strength is his passing from deep, whereas some of his bigger weaknesses are finishing, playing with his back to goal and playing without much time on the ball - all key attributes needed for a no.10.
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We know from his youth career (record goalscorer in the history of our academy) that he can score goals in the right environment. I'd also say that he's one of the best pressers in the squad. And back to goal, is that really important for a CM/ACM, isn't that really only CFs?

Re a #10 - doesn't he possess the skillset of anyone in the squad most resembling Alli's. High tempo, lung bursting runs to get up to support Kane, and an eye for a pass

IMO his primary weakness is his defensive positioning. But then as he hadn't played CM until 20 months ago, is that so surprising?
 
Gutter Boy said:
We know from his youth career (record goalscorer in the history of our academy) that he can score goals in the right environment. I'd also say that he's one of the best pressers in the squad. And back to goal, is that really important for a CM/ACM, isn't that really only CFs?

Re a #10 - doesn't he possess the skillset of anyone in the squad most resembling Alli's. High tempo, lung bursting runs to get up to support Kane, and an eye for a pass

IMO his primary weakness is his defensive positioning. But then as he hadn't played CM until 20 months ago, is that so surprising?
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The problem is that scoring goals at youth level is much, much easier than at PL level. Not all players can turn scoring goals at youth level into scoring goals at the top level. Simply hitting the target is often good enough at youth level, it is very rarely good enough at PL level. A good example would be Mason's chance to put us 3-1 up against Chelsea late last season. That strike would probably have resulted in a goal in 9 out of 10 games at any level up to and including under 21s, but at PL level 9 out of 10 keepers probably would save it.
 
Finney Is Back said:
The problem is that scoring goals at youth level is much, much easier than at PL level. Not all players can turn scoring goals at youth level into scoring goals at the top level. Simply hitting the target is often good enough at youth level, it is very rarely good enough at PL level. A good example would be Mason's chance to put us 3-1 up against Chelsea late last season. That strike would probably have resulted in a goal in 9 out of 10 games at any level up to and including under 21s, but at PL level 9 out of 10 keepers probably would save it.
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You just beat me to it i was just typing more or less the same type of thing. I have had a good chuckle at some of the posts saying ( he is/was a cracking finisher at youth level), its a different game and Mason is showing just that.
 
Finney Is Back said:
The problem is that scoring goals at youth level is much, much easier than at PL level. Not all players can turn scoring goals at youth level into scoring goals at the top level. Simply hitting the target is often good enough at youth level, it is very rarely good enough at PL level. A good example would be Mason's chance to put us 3-1 up against Chelsea late last season. That strike would probably have resulted in a goal in 9 out of 10 games at any level up to and including under 21s, but at PL level 9 out of 10 keepers probably would save it.
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I just meant that on a basic level he possesses the technique and instinct. If there's questions it's over mentality - whether he can re-establish the confidence in it he used to have
 
@Finney Is Back @parklane1 - it is of course true that the game is different at youth level to the Premier League.

Surely, another factor that we need to consider though is that he hasn't had many opportunities to play in an advanced position in the first team and has therefore had less opportunities to score. We also need to accept that last season was a write off with injuries and struggling to recover his form after that.
 
Mason has played most of his first team football in the 'Dembele' role for us, hasn't he? Dembele has scored 6 goals for us in 114 league games. (Overall, 9 goals in 158 games total).

I'd like to see Mason used as cover for Alli -- I think, given that role, his goalscoring would become adequate for a squad player.
 
the dza said:
Mason has played most of his first team football in the 'Dembele' role for us, hasn't he? Dembele has scored 6 goals for us in 114 league games. (Overall, 9 goals in 158 games total).

I'd like to see Mason used as cover for Alli -- I think, given that role, his goalscoring would become adequate for a squad player.
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considering his talent, and the ease with which he has scored on occasion, Dembeles goal return is criminal

if we had a player of Dembeles talent and Masons determination and speculation they would score 7/8 goals a game
 
Gutter Boy said:
We know from his youth career (record goalscorer in the history of our academy) that he can score goals in the right environment. I'd also say that he's one of the best pressers in the squad. And back to goal, is that really important for a CM/ACM, isn't that really only CFs?

Re a #10 - doesn't he possess the skillset of anyone in the squad most resembling Alli's. High tempo, lung bursting runs to get up to support Kane, and an eye for a pass

IMO his primary weakness is his defensive positioning. But then as he hadn't played CM until 20 months ago, is that so surprising?
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The problem with Mason is that his natural position before he got in the first team was an attacking player but since he joined the first team squad he is normally deployed as a defensive midfielder which is not his natural game.

While I agree he is not good enough to start with everyone fit I think he is a capable squad player which is what we need when completing in 4 competitions. I also think that the goal he scored last season when he got injured showed the type of value he is capable of adding to this squad.
 
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Gutter Boy said:
We know from his youth career (record goalscorer in the history of our academy) that he can score goals in the right environment. I'd also say that he's one of the best pressers in the squad. And back to goal, is that really important for a CM/ACM, isn't that really only CFs?

Re a #10 - doesn't he possess the skillset of anyone in the squad most resembling Alli's. High tempo, lung bursting runs to get up to support Kane, and an eye for a pass

IMO his primary weakness is his defensive positioning. But then as he hadn't played CM until 20 months ago, is that so surprising?
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Personally I think his high tempo, lung bursting runs and eye for a pass are bigger weapons coming from deep than from no.10. And yes I do think you need o play with your back to goal more from no.10 than CM - I think probably by definition the higher up the pitch you are, the more you have to (less so for wide players).

I know what you mean about their skillsets looking similar on paper, but in practice it seems to me that they're subtly different, meaning that Alli flourishes further forward whereas Mason flourishes further back.

Happy to be proven wrong, especially if Mason can suddenly rediscover his goal scoring form.
 
Okay so his overall defensive awareness as a DM may be a bit suspect but let's not forget the number of times he's been our last-ditch saviour, through either clearing off the line or coming hurtling in to dispossess a striker otherwise clean through on goal.

For sure he has his shortcomings but no doubt his tough, never-say-die bull-dog spirit and the positive impact these attributes can have on team morale help compensate. The kind of qualities Poch values highly - and so should we.
 
Jurgen the German said:
GB, Mason is 25. Do you not think he would have played at this level for longer if he was as good as you believe he is?
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He had a lot of injuries, and Timmeh sent him on a couple of duff loans.

CM is also a position you tend to come through a bit older in (compared to forwards, wingers or full-backs).

And remember Dembele didn't really become any good until he was 28/29.
 
Gutter Boy said:
He had a lot of injuries, and Timmeh sent him on a couple of duff loans.

CM is also a position you tend to come through a bit older in (compared to forwards, wingers or full-backs).

And remember Dembele didn't really become any good until he was 28/29.
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All so all Sherwood's fault, even the years be Sherwood had anything to do with loans and the first team.
 
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