because it's largely responsible for our style of play

we can't just hit a long ball to Pukki or in the channels, we have to play it very precisely on the ground. Which is why we are so slow and deliberate, looking for the opportunity to play that precise, prefect pass. And because the opposition know they aren't under any threat from a longer ball they are able to push up into the middle and deny us any space there, invariably taking it off us and launching a counter attack as we try to play short passes in a very confined space. That happened over and over again yesterday, including both goals.
If we posed a threat from a longer ball the opposition have to sit deeper to watch for that, which would then free up more space for the short passes in midfield.

Posted By: mr carra, Dec 15, 08:17:36