Ryan Mason

[Juicy Sushi]

It's not "most" though, because we generally tend to control the tempo and flow of the games. Against some teams, yes, I would agree that we could use a little more physicality in the middle of the pitch or at CB positions, especially late in games where we tend to get porous.

I find we don't control most games at all. We're usually one step away from being sliced open up the middle. And that's mostly down to Bentaleb and Mason being too easy to drag out of position and cut through.

Jan being too eager to come forward doesn't help, but Mason and Bentaleb are not a top-4, or even top-7 midfield pairing, really.

The totals in their stats hide the number of errors they make which lead to fast breaks for the opposition.

 

[Joe Clash]

when's the last time we every controlled a game with bentaleb and mason

The scum and the chavs?

Edit: It been pointed out to me that Mason went off injured after 10 minutes against Woolwich so shouldn't really count.

 

[Wikipedia Brown]

I find we don't control most games at all. We're usually one step away from being sliced open up the middle. And that's mostly down to Bentaleb and Mason being too easy to drag out of position and cut through.

Jan being too eager to come forward doesn't help, but Mason and Bentaleb are not a top-4, or even top-7 midfield pairing, really.

The totals in their stats hide the number of errors they make which lead to fast breaks for the opposition.

I'm sure there are those of us that will cede your point about Mason not being a starting top 4 midfielder, but Bentaleb is a revelation.. he's absolutely shown the ability to boss games (AND, at only 20). Didn't catch anything but the highlights from the ManU game -- his back pass for Rooney's goal was awful, but he'll learn. Footballers don't peak at 20.

 

[Joe Clash]

Footballers don't peak at 20.

I did

 

[Juicy Sushi]

I'm sure there are those of us that will cede your point about Mason not being a starting top 4 midfielder, but Bentaleb is a revelation.. he's absolutely shown the ability to boss games (AND, at only 20). Didn't catch anything but the highlights from the ManU game -- his back pass for Rooney's goal was awful, but he'll learn. Footballers don't peak at 20.

No, they don't, and he's learning. But while he's learning that means that some days he's great, and some days he's fucking terrible. Against Utd we got the latter. Instead of vision and control we got sloppy passing and poor positional coverage in the press.

Yesterday wasn't on him alone, the whole team cocked up on that first goal, and you can apportion some of the blame to Nabil, Andros, Ryan, Eric, Jan and the tooth fairy. But the fact that they (Bentaleb and Mason) are running hot and cold means that you either need to add a third man (which we did when we brought on Dembele), or need someone better alongside them. That would be a project for summer.

 

[siggy]

I did

was this your peak ?:llorisunsure:

 

[Joe Clash]

was this your peak ?:llorisunsure:

No, I was twenty :llorisserious:

 

[mistayif]

The scum and the chavs?

pretty sure mason got injured against the scum after 10 minutes though

 

[Joe Clash]

pretty sure mason got injured against the scum after 10 minutes though

Yes, you're quite right. My mistake.

 

[siggy]

No, I was twenty :llorisserious:

ayy the kid looks like 20 to me, then again i cant count, do math or think logically.

 

[Joe Clash]

ayy the kid looks like 20 to me, then again i cant count, do math or think logically.

It was the red trunks - I never had red trunks - similar ability though but pet.

 

[siggy]

It was the red trunks - I never had red trunks - similar ability though but pet.

no worries i recently turned 20. yet to touch a football, but i can proudly say i tottally suck as a basketball player.

 

[Joe Clash]

no worries i recently turned 20. yet to touch a football, but i can proudly say i tottally suck as a basketball player.

I was good at basketball at school. Used to love it.

 

[siggy]

I was good at basketball at school. Used to love it.

oh love playing NBA 2K series, watching basketball, sometimes hoop a bit, but i still havent figured out how come i have a bronze junor medal ( second school league) at it. im like 1.74 meters tall, cant jump, basically useless, but i get rebounds.

im an athlete(still 1.74, 58 kg ohyeah)

 

[HeroesAndVillains]

no worries i recently turned 20. yet to touch a football, but i can proudly say i tottally suck as a basketball player.

What?

How is that even possible?

 

[Mick Cooper]

I'm sure there are those of us that will cede your point about Mason not being a starting top 4 midfielder, but Bentaleb is a revelation.. he's absolutely shown the ability to boss games (AND, at only 20). Didn't catch anything but the highlights from the ManU game -- his back pass for Rooney's goal was awful, but he'll learn. Footballers don't peak at 20.

Oh really?
I wouldn't mind watching one of them.
because the ones I have watched - he definitely hasn't.

 

[Totti]

Oh really?
I wouldn't mind watching one of them.
because the ones I have watched - he definitely hasn't.

Bentaleb bossed Chelsea at home, in my opinion of course.

 

[Mick Cooper]

Bentaleb bossed Chelsea at home, in my opinion of course.

Dembele played well, and Bentaleb had a steady if unspectacular game, but he was a long way from the best performing midfielder in the game.
"Bossing" a game means no other player of either side outperformed you, surely?

 

[Totti]

Dembele played well, and Bentaleb had a steady if unspectacular game, but he was a long way from the best performing midfielder in the game.
"Bossing" a game means no other player of either side outperformed you, surely?

Depends on how you define the term. For me, he bossed midfield. Chelseas midfield consisted of Fabregas, Oscar, Matic and Bentaleb outperformed all of them. Chadli and Kane took the plaudits for their goals but I feel without Bentaleb it wouldn't have been quite as easy.

 

[Mick Cooper]

Depends on how you define the term. For me, he bossed midfield. Chelseas midfield consisted of Fabregas, Oscar, Matic and Bentaleb outperformed all of them. Chadli and Kane took the plaudits for their goals but I feel without Bentaleb it wouldn't have been quite as easy.

He played a part, steady and generally reliable. It was a safe performance
I don't want to knock him to try to make a point, but in my view he wasn't the stand out performer