Can Europe cope with the English tempo of our play?
After the result from Madrid tonight and Real, after spending all their Millions on the new breed of Galacticos, knocked out of the competit...
https://www.chelseadaft.org/2010/03/can-europe-cope-with-english-tempo-of.html
After the result from Madrid tonight and Real, after spending all their Millions on the new breed of Galacticos, knocked out of the competition, United putting 4 past Milan and Arsenal putting 5 past Porto it begs me to ask the question "Just how good is our standard of football in the Premier League compared to the rest of Europe?".
Some of you may wonder why I am posting the question after the other two English teams results and ahead of our second leg at the Bridge against Inter Milan, but believe me it has a very relevant significance.
Let's take a look at all of the first legs of each of our three games and then the second legs this week. All of the first leg games were played away from home, so immediatley you set your stall out with a different approach. To keep it tight and look to play on the counter. United played it perfect in a way as under severe pressure in the first half from Milan, they rode the storm and hit them where it hurts with three away goals as soon as they upped their tempo to their play. In the beginning though, they got sucked into Milan's way of playing, the slower game.
Arsenal did the same at Porto. Got sucked into playing the slower European game and paid for two mistakes but still scored and came back with an important away goal. As both return leg's have proven, it was a completley different tempo and performance back in England.
Last night Arsenal came out and brushed Porto to one side and made them look ordinary. They upped the tempo of their play and Porto couldn't cope. United did the same tonight against Milan. They too upped the tempo of their play, dictated to them the pace of the game and Milan had no response.
So will this be a similar story on Tuesday night against Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge?. It doesn't matter about your tactical ideas, formulas and individual player instructions if you are unable to cope for 90 minutes with the pace of English football. Jose can set his team up on Tuesday to either attack us or defend his lead but to do it for 90 minutes will be a big ask. In the first leg we too were sucked into the European tempo and that played into their hands. Both sides nullified each others threat as the game was played too slow. Back at the Bridge it will be a different story. Its whether or not Inter will be able to cope that will be key to the result.
As long as we concentrate on dictating the pace of the game, the tempo of our play throughout the game then I believe that Inter Milan will fair the same as Porto and Milan. Inter will look to break up the play, slow it down and draw breath so its important we maintain the tempo of the game. I do not believe that there is a European League that rivals the pace of our game and this will show once more on the European stage for all to see. I really have been encouraged by the other two sides results and performances and truly believe we can do the same!.
A word finally on Real Madrid, who in the summer stunned the world of football by splashing the cash to put together their new breed of Galacticos. They are out of the competition after losing 2-1 to Lyon after a 1-1 draw in Madrid last night. You can have the individual players that on their day can be world beaters, but you need players who will work hard and graft and give every last ounce of energy they have to get the result. Real have found this out at their cost as this season is their sixth in a row that they have been knocked out of the competition before the quarter finals while the English go marching on!.
KTBFFH & CAREFREE
Some of you may wonder why I am posting the question after the other two English teams results and ahead of our second leg at the Bridge against Inter Milan, but believe me it has a very relevant significance.
Let's take a look at all of the first legs of each of our three games and then the second legs this week. All of the first leg games were played away from home, so immediatley you set your stall out with a different approach. To keep it tight and look to play on the counter. United played it perfect in a way as under severe pressure in the first half from Milan, they rode the storm and hit them where it hurts with three away goals as soon as they upped their tempo to their play. In the beginning though, they got sucked into Milan's way of playing, the slower game.
Arsenal did the same at Porto. Got sucked into playing the slower European game and paid for two mistakes but still scored and came back with an important away goal. As both return leg's have proven, it was a completley different tempo and performance back in England.
Last night Arsenal came out and brushed Porto to one side and made them look ordinary. They upped the tempo of their play and Porto couldn't cope. United did the same tonight against Milan. They too upped the tempo of their play, dictated to them the pace of the game and Milan had no response.
So will this be a similar story on Tuesday night against Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge?. It doesn't matter about your tactical ideas, formulas and individual player instructions if you are unable to cope for 90 minutes with the pace of English football. Jose can set his team up on Tuesday to either attack us or defend his lead but to do it for 90 minutes will be a big ask. In the first leg we too were sucked into the European tempo and that played into their hands. Both sides nullified each others threat as the game was played too slow. Back at the Bridge it will be a different story. Its whether or not Inter will be able to cope that will be key to the result.
As long as we concentrate on dictating the pace of the game, the tempo of our play throughout the game then I believe that Inter Milan will fair the same as Porto and Milan. Inter will look to break up the play, slow it down and draw breath so its important we maintain the tempo of the game. I do not believe that there is a European League that rivals the pace of our game and this will show once more on the European stage for all to see. I really have been encouraged by the other two sides results and performances and truly believe we can do the same!.
A word finally on Real Madrid, who in the summer stunned the world of football by splashing the cash to put together their new breed of Galacticos. They are out of the competition after losing 2-1 to Lyon after a 1-1 draw in Madrid last night. You can have the individual players that on their day can be world beaters, but you need players who will work hard and graft and give every last ounce of energy they have to get the result. Real have found this out at their cost as this season is their sixth in a row that they have been knocked out of the competition before the quarter finals while the English go marching on!.
KTBFFH & CAREFREE
I agree.. it will be a totally different game at the bridge, even Barca couldn't cope with the game play at the bridge and we need a performance reminiscent of that game. Drogba needs another arsenal performance and there is Definatly a goal or two in it for us, I mean we dominated the play at the san siro whilst playing so poorly and they won't be able to get the space they had in Milan, we have turned away first leg defeats around before.. barca, fenerbace, porting etc and I'm confident for Tuesday night, I mean its the poorest united side I have seen for years and they turned over ac, so why can't we do the same to a mediocre inter side
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