Ryan Mason

[GrimsbyYid]

If Mason had played today, we'd have won that game.

Leicester are crap, frankly, and were there for the taking. But time and again, our central midfielders passed sideways. Time and again, opportunities to pass forward or break quickly were spurned and missed. Too safe. Too slow. Too pedestrian. Too unimaginative.

Mason won't stand for that bollox. He'll move the ball quickly. He'll always look to pass it forwards if he can.

He might not have half Dembele's or Capoue's physicality or talent. But he's got more than twice Dembele's and Capoue's intelligence, courage and positivity. That's what we want at Tottenham.

"To dare is to ****ing do". Not "Stay in your comfort zone".

But our footballs been like this all season... Even with Mason.

 

[jimmyb]

But our footballs been like this all season... Even with Mason.

No it hasn't.

We haven't always played well, granted. But when Mason has played, the presenting problem hasn't been the desire or ability to play the ball quickly and forward.

 

[jimmyb]

deleted: double post.

P.S. Are you long suffering mods working on this double post issue? It's becoming a bit boring!

 

[WestBerkshire]

Incredible today

 

[DubaiSpur]

It's the same old problem though. Lack of genuine fighters. Mason was MOTM for me. He was dirty, sneaky, annoying and disruptive but what a will to win he displayed today. Not one of our players was up to the challenge of standing toe to toe with him.

http://arsenal-mania.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=324671&start=480

Brilliant today. Hassling, harrying, fighting with energy, passion and commitment. He gave the ball away a few times, but that's a very, very secondary concern right now.

 

[Cochise]

Yeah he was. The first 30 mins his passing was a bit wayward, but my goodness he and Bentaleb set the tempo in the second half and really got the team going.

 

[the dza]

He never stops running, personifies Poch's Spurs.

 

[Storky]

I think he's great. I don't care if he's missing passes as he's trying to attack. The only slight concern is he dives in a little much sometimes and occasionally misses completely causing openings behind him.

 

[90sSpursBook]

Just a word of warning.......Mason is now one yellow card away from a domestic suspension having picked up his 6th yellow card of the domestic season today. Would prefer him to miss Spammers game than the Cup Final.

 

[Denmark Spur]

Just a word of warning.......Mason is now one yellow card away from a domestic suspension having picked up his 6th yellow card of the domestic season today. Would prefer him to miss Spammers game than the Cup Final.

Pretty sure you need 10 bookings to get a suspension

 

[braineclipse]

http://Ar5ena1-mania.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=324671&start=480

Brilliant today. Hassling, harrying, fighting with energy, passion and commitment. He gave the ball away a few times, but that's a very, very secondary concern right now.

Agreed. Very good game from him!

Wonder about some of his lose passes, might just be down to concentration and him still getting used to this level and the intensity. I really don't think it's a lack of actual quality.

Tremendous work rate that gets a bit overshadowed by Kane and Eriksen, but he's always moving and always looking for the ball. Joy to watch.

 

[DubaiSpur]

Agreed. Very good game from him!

Wonder about some of his lose passes, might just be down to concentration and him still getting used to this level and the intensity. I really don't think it's a lack of actual quality.

Tremendous work rate that gets a bit overshadowed by Kane and Eriksen, but he's always moving and always looking for the ball. Joy to watch.

Personally I think it's Poch's tactical instructions being carried out by the lad to the letter, which in the process leads to some give-aways which strictly speaking aren't necessary but are also a by-product of the approach he's been asked to use.

He's been assigned the role of creating play and doing useful things with the ball from deep: that necessarily requires some risky passes that won't always come off, and more time on the ball than other players, which will naturally lead to more mistakes when in possession.

The former can't really be helped much, but its my hope that the latter can eventually be largely overcome with experience and on-field maturity, which will both come with time. I agree though, I don't think it's down to any shortcoming on his part.

 

[elltrev]

Personally I think it's Poch's tactical instructions being carried out by the lad to the letter, which in the process leads to some give-aways which strictly speaking aren't necessary but are also a by-product of the approach he's been asked to use.

He's been assigned the role of creating play and doing useful things with the ball from deep: that necessarily requires some risky passes that won't always come off, and more time on the ball than other players, which will naturally lead to more mistakes when in possession.

The former can't really be helped much, but its my hope that the latter can eventually be largely overcome with experience and on-field maturity, which will both come with time. I agree though, I don't think it's down to any shortcoming on his part.

I like the guy, but think your two arguments - which many people are making - aren't the whole story. I think it's clear as day he also just isn't a consistently accurate passer - he often misplaces straightforward passes, and even the riskier ones he doesn't have a great ratio on.

His first pass on MOTD was a good example, and a look at pass completion % rates this season shows he's lower than all similar players at other top teams.

I want him to stay in the team though because I agree with what everyone can see as his strengths, and because he's young and can hopefully improve his accuracy.

 

[braineclipse]

Personally I think it's Poch's tactical instructions being carried out by the lad to the letter, which in the process leads to some give-aways which strictly speaking aren't necessary but are also a by-product of the approach he's been asked to use.

He's been assigned the role of creating play and doing useful things with the ball from deep: that necessarily requires some risky passes that won't always come off, and more time on the ball than other players, which will naturally lead to more mistakes when in possession.

The former can't really be helped much, but its my hope that the latter can eventually be largely overcome with experience and on-field maturity, which will both come with time. I agree though, I don't think it's down to any shortcoming on his part.

For me at least he has been giving the ball away a bit too often in the easier less pressure situations. Particularly after coming back from his injury. Not talking about his creative passes, I agree that we have to accept the risks of the style we play.

I think he will get that ironed out though.

 

[Finney Is Back]

I like the guy, but think your two arguments - which many people are making - aren't the whole story. I think it's clear as day he also just isn't a consistently accurate passer - he often misplaces straightforward passes, and even the riskier ones he doesn't have a great ratio on.

His first pass on MOTD was a good example, and a look at pass completion % rates this season shows he's lower than all similar players at other top teams.

I want him to stay in the team though because I agree with what everyone can see as his strengths, and because he's young and can hopefully improve his accuracy.

Ignore pass completion stats, they do not account for the circumstances the passes are being made in, nor the positivity of the intent of the pass. Paying attention to pass completion stats is the type of thing that results in having Capoue in the team.

 

[DHSF]

I fudgein hate passing stats - stats in general - urgh!!!

I dont mind someone giving the ball away its what is expected when you try to create... I would rather have someone giving the ball away trying an inventive and creative pass than someone who just slids it a couple of yeards to the left.

 

[elltrev]

Ignore pass completion stats, they do not account for the circumstances the passes are being made in, nor the positivity of the intent of the pass. Paying attention to pass completion stats is the type of thing that results in having Capoue in the team.

I'm not relying solely on them - I'm relying on what I see in the game (as with the MOTD example I gave), and backing that up with the stats - his % is lower than any other comparable player in his position, and from what I've seen he doesn't have significantly more 'positive intent' than every comparable player in his position - think people are getting a bit carried away with this facet of his game, after being used to Capoue and Dembele for the first half of the season.

 

[elltrev]

I fudgein hate passing stats - stats in general - urgh!!!

I dont mind someone giving the ball away its what is expected when you try to create... I would rather have someone giving the ball away trying an inventive and creative pass than someone who just slids it a couple of yeards to the left.

You seem to have ignored the rest of mine and others posts. It's not just about the single stat.

 

[Spur of the moment]

After yesterday's performance in front of Woy, what chance Mason for England?

No one has even mentioned the possibility in passing but he could just surprise us all and make it into the squad.

 

[DHSF]

You seem to have ignored the rest of mine and others posts. It's not just about the single stat.

I wasnt aiming the post at your post... more a case of putting my two cents worth into the discussion