When it comes to this aspect of the game, Leno truly is terrible at it. He repeatedly picks the wrong pass and puts his defenders under unnecessary pressure, just like today. Leno needs to be free to kick out any time he feels pressure. Better to do that and chase 2nd ball potential, than threaten our own goal with risky passing too/with unreliable GK feet and bad decision making. This is another example of Arteta's lack of ability. He either needed to let him kick out as he feels fit or make sure the defenders are actively always telling Leno where to pass next so, he can't feck it all up by choosing the wrong pass. He's failed to do either all season.
Xhaka got stitched up proper with that pass, so shouldn't get hammered here. Don't actually want to give Leno that much stick either. It's management failure, this has been a glaring weakness in Leno's game forever. It's the manager's job to have recognized it and adjusted tactics accordingly. Not take the "pounding own head against a brick wall" approach, insisting to himself that the impossible will happen and Leno will get this, he won't. Shouldn't have to either, you're supposed to spend your time in possession attacking the other team's goal. Not constantly passing back to your goalie and CBs, feckin around in your own half and in front of your own goal all the time.
Arteta encourages far far too much of that and we've paid the price for it all season. A basic aspect of management is being able to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of your players. Just like playing out for Leno, Arteta can't do it.
Leno Can't Play Out & Arteta Can't Manage
posted on 12/3/21
Asking for it by doing what is told of me and going into the house?
posted on 12/3/21
Yep. And then on top of that not realising there's a fire extinguisher to your left or simply just reversing and going back out the way you came.
I like this analogy
posted on 12/3/21
In his case the fire extinguisher to his left was surrounded by flames, just as behind him and to the right of him was. Out forward was a way out but it would be putting someone else in high risk danger
posted on 12/3/21
A quick, first time pass would've found Luiz on his left. Which he didn't do, because he had no idea what was going on around him. And Leno could've just cleared it had he given it back, no danger there at all unless Leno tried another short pass (which I really don't think he would have).
CBA with the fire analogy anymore
posted on 12/3/21
The Luiz pass wasn’t simple, he was still running back to goal while pressed and had to attempt a 30 yard weaker foot cut back pass with low room for error.
The pass back to Leno was the right option it would have put Leno in a worse position than he was in before the Xhaka pass. Which means it wasn’t a smart pass from Leno in the first place. I blame the person putting Xhaka in the high risk - low reward situation to start with
posted on 12/3/21
It was simple, the touch that he took gave time for the advanced presser to close the gap a little, which made him piiiiss his pants.
If he passed it back, then a goal wouldn't have been conceded, and we literally wouldn't be talking about this.
posted on 12/3/21
It wasn’t really that simple - I doubt you could have played it m8
posted on 12/3/21
I'm not that good at football, but I genuinely reckon I could have. I'm right footed, but could even have pulled it off with the outside of my left.
Xhaka is a professional footballer, which makes it worse.
posted on 12/3/21
Deluded
posted on 12/3/21
Nope.