PL: Fulham v Arsenal | Saturday, September 12 | KO: 12:30 BST | BT Sport

[celestis]

First touch and finishing is a technical skill, it’s literally all about ball control and execution. If you just mean sexy dribbling say so.

In all honesty not a big fan of countless step overs , usually lose a passing option ad the whole team has time to get behind the ball .

 

[Trilly]

Always baffling when people don't take into consideration ball striking when determining how good a player is "technically". Its one of the most technical aspects of the game.

Technique seems to mean ball control, dribbling, ability in tight spaces on here. That's what I (and most I think) go with on here.

When I talk about ball striking I tend to just say ball striking. I think the seperation of the two happened because there isn't really a link between ball striking and ball control/dribbling.

 

[Big Poppa]

Technique seems to mean ball control, dribbling, ability in tight spaces on here. That's what I (and most I think) go with on here.

When I talk about ball striking I tend to just say ball striking. I think the seperation of the two happened because there isn't really a link between ball striking and ball control/dribbling.

Hmm excuse the lengthy post but I think dribbling belongs in it’s own distinct category and has its own specific acumen. As do ball striking and ball control.

It also depends on the tactical requirements of a player in a game. There are players like Pirlo with elite first touch and ball control who never really dribble - but then they don’t need to because their spatial awareness and peripheral vision means they know exactly where they are and where their teammates are.

A lot of high skilled dribblers don’t know where they are on the pitch, nor the runs of their teammates which means by the time they’ve done the hard bit and beat several players, like @celestis mentioned, they find that the chance to pass for useful outcome has gone. Vinicius Jr suffers from this.

This is where I think Cristiano in particular improved. He never lost his technical ability, he just improved his reading, and therefore impact on the game. As did RvP.

Technical ability to me is just about being able to execute a difficult skill with good form. Maybe I’m over simplifying it though.

 

[Trilly]

Hmm excuse the lengthy post but I think dribbling belongs in it’s own distinct category and has its own specific acumen. As do ball striking and ball control.

I feel that there's definitely a link between dribbling and ball control.

I can think of players with a great touch who can't dribble but I can't think of great dribblers who haven't had a great touch as well.

Your definition of technical ability is accurate, at some point though it just became a blanket term to describe silky players. Probably because our team was full of said players.

 

[akhil]

^^ Technique is an umbrella term for pretty much being able to manipulate the ball. It should involve anything to do with the ball.

Even something like crossing, so many people hit a sweet cross from a dead ball like situation but the moment they're running at full tilt they have zero accuracy on it.

It's weird when people claim Theo had no technique but he was really accurate at striking the ball cleanly and accurately at his ridiculous speeds, this is not including the fact he'd receive the ball in stride without breaking a step.

All the current speedsters, Adama Traore , St. Maxim still are so inconsistent at this even though they are far more tricky players when standing up the defender.

Leroy Sane is another one, has scary good technique at full speed.

 

[Big Poppa]

^^ Technique is an umbrella term for pretty much being able to manipulate the ball. It should involve anything to do with the ball.

Even something like crossing, so many people hit a sweet cross from a dead ball like situation but the moment they're running at full tilt they have zero accuracy on it.

It's weird when people claim Theo had no technique but he was really accurate at striking the ball cleanly and accurately at his ridiculous speeds, this is not including the fact he'd receive the ball in stride without breaking a step.

All the current speedsters, Adama Traore , St. Maxim still are so inconsistent at this even though they are far more tricky players when standing up the defender.

Leroy Sane is another one, has scary good technique at full speed.

Will get back on topic after this. But I agree. Aaron Lennon v Gareth Bale at Sp**s for example. Lennon was a very good close control dribbler but had abysmal striking /crossing ability. Bale’s striking technique was and is, one of the best you’ll ever see - his close control dribbling though is just okay.

 

[Big Poppa]

I feel that there's definitely a link between dribbling and ball control.

I can think of players with a great touch who can't dribble but I can't think of great dribblers who haven't had a great touch as well.

Your definition of technical ability is accurate, at some point though it just became a blanket term to describe silky players. Probably because our team was full of said players.

All valid points

 

[MikeVinna]

Wasn’t the following season after he left Arsenal one of RVP’s best years in his career? I don’t think he lost his technical ability then.

No RVP and Utd wouldn’t have had title number 20.

And we all knew we were selling them that title along with RvP. Shame we’re run like a business first because we should have kept RvP another year.. Was his last good year as well.

 

[Big Poppa]

And we all knew we were selling them that title along with RvP. Shame we’re run like a business first because we should have kept RvP another year.. Was his last good year as well.

Wish we'd gone all out for an elite striker to replace him rather than Giroud & Podolski. Lewa just had his breakthrough season at Dortmund, Auba was going toe to toe with Giroud for golden boot at St. Etienne, Ibra was sold by Milan that season for just 20m Euros.

Maybe I'm dreaming

 

[MikeVinna]

Wish we'd gone all out for an elite striker to replace him rather than Giroud & Podolski. Lewa just had his breakthrough season at Dortmund, Auba was going toe to toe with Giroud for golden boot at St. Etienne, Ibra was sold by Milan that season for just 20m Euros.

Maybe I'm dreaming

We just tend to do things the hardest way it seems.

 

[lillejohn]

Expecting too see:
Leno
Holding-Luiz-Tierny
Bellerin-Ceballos-Xhaka-Saka
Pepe-Lacca-Auba

Would like to see:
Martinez
Saliba-Luiz-Gabriel
Maintland-Ceballos-Xhaka-Tierny
Saka
Auba-Lacca

 

[Mo Britain]

I don't see how Arteta benches Martinez. Having kept him for the Community Shield, and seen him give another good performance, for him to be benched would saying he'll never be our number 1 however well he plays and an invitation for an immediate transfer request.

 

[Macho]

@Football Manager 's posts gave me a headache.

Thankfully @Big Poppa and @akhil salvaged the thread.

As for Fulham, I am looking forward to it. Praise be to Arteta who has somehow got me looking forward to Arsenal matches again.

 

[GDeep™]

Hearing from trusted source Vinai and Artera so start in midfield.

Vinai bringing his cricket bat with him.

 

[Manberg]

Vinai bringing his cricket bat with him.

I would've thought Vinai has the stature of a water polo player. What makes you think he's a cricketer?

 

[GDeep™]

I would've thought Vinai has the stature of a water polo player. What makes you think he's a cricketer?

Hmmm, I seen an interview with him where he said he carried a cricket bat with him, everywhere. No other reason, Dave.

 

[Manberg]

Hmmm, I seen an interview with him where he said he carried a cricket bat with him, everywhere. No other reason, Dave.

Fair enough. Thought you meant his d!ck was a cricket bat

 

[GDeep™]

Fair enough. Thought you meant his d!ck was a cricket bat

@Riou

 

[EmeryCouldnt]

In all honesty not a big fan of countless step overs , usually lose a passing option ad the whole team has time to get behind the ball .

or it can unlocked a defense by pulling an extra defender

 

[Chaoz_Enigma]

Here's two players we can all agree were world class...



...2004/2005, probably the last season Arsenal had a complete squad...had some top teams since, but all them seemed to just be missing something compared to this one and the ones previous.

The invincibles are class, they were breaking records in England and rightly belongs to the best of histories. Unfortunately, as we were so dominant on the domestic side, we weren't exactly continental. Stylistically and tactically we are simply more "English" than "European".

It was until we got to 2005/2006 season with hybrid 4-4-2/4-5-1 that we looked more continental. However that season we sacrificed our balance as I believe by Wenger trying to be more European-like caused us to be too soft domestically and we barely got into the top 4. However we were at least finalist in the Champions League beating teams like Real Madrid with Zidane/Ronaldo/Beckham in it. We were simply too modernist in 2005/2006 that we forgot that EPL werent like it is today. In my honest opinion 2004/2005 team would struggle today as at that point of time were too reliant on superior speed and physicality which many teams already have now. I know many people will hate me for this but 2004/2005 are simply a damn good team for its era, in England.