Good points and well put. But I think that sometimes his avoidance of the 'speculative pass' extends to when there is a actually a clear opening and he still passes it sideways, particularly on the counter attack. From my point of view he puts the back half of the team under unecessary pressure when he picks it up deep and passes it straight back. They usually then have to hoof it forward as the man that was chasing Holland then just runs straight at the person he passed it to. Sometimes you just need to hit the sharp but simple pass forward and then go and pick it back up. It helps to move up the pitch and stretch the other team, which creates space for it to then be spread backwards and across until an opening comes up. Too often he congests the midfield and the defence, allowing the other team to push up and as I said, we then have no option but to hoof it. From my POV anyway.
Semedo is slightly better in this respect. Racon is tons better in this respect.
I see your point there, Chunes - but it all depends who's moving off the ball around Holland.
If team mates are static, not losing their marker or not coming short for the ball, then I agree, Holland will move the ball sideways or back in order not to lose posession. But if players are moving well off the ball, then Holland just slips a short ball to feet or into the pathway of their run.
His game is to play the simple ball, short neat & tidy passing, and link up play with team mates - and he needs their movement into space in order to be effective when attacking.
If you say he congests the midfield, I would suggest that happens when he has no options to give the ball because there is no movement off the ball - Holland will always try and retain posession.
Holland is not primarily a ballwinner and he is not a flair player like say Reid, Jensen or Murphy were for us.
He's probably like many midfielders today best in a CM 3 - but with the right combination of players around him, he links the team together.
Semedo plays a similar sort of game but more defensively positioned as a ballwinner, but doesn't take the team responsibilities on his shoulders in the same way as Holland does.
Holland is getting older now and players like Semedo and Racon should be stiff competition to his 1st team place.
Holland was perfect for us when we had Parker and Jensen, a true ball winner who could take the ball forward and a creative player.
Someone that only plays the safe pass is fine when you have the right players around him. At the moment we don't, so Holland can only do what he does and at times that isn't enough.
Semedo runs normally. Holland runs like a duck. Legs pumping away but looks like he is travelling in slow motion. Running through treacle, turns like an ocean going liner, but still manages to jump higher than Andy Gray
I've never understood why Gray doesn't jump, it's as if he just waits for the ball to fall to his head, feet or chest. If it's over his head he either has to win a free kick or lose the header.
Comments
Semedo is slightly better in this respect. Racon is tons better in this respect.
If team mates are static, not losing their marker or not coming short for the ball, then I agree, Holland will move the ball sideways or back in order not to lose posession. But if players are moving well off the ball, then Holland just slips a short ball to feet or into the pathway of their run.
His game is to play the simple ball, short neat & tidy passing, and link up play with team mates - and he needs their movement into space in order to be effective when attacking.
If you say he congests the midfield, I would suggest that happens when he has no options to give the ball because there is no movement off the ball - Holland will always try and retain posession.
Holland is not primarily a ballwinner and he is not a flair player like say Reid, Jensen or Murphy were for us.
He's probably like many midfielders today best in a CM 3 - but with the right combination of players around him, he links the team together.
Semedo plays a similar sort of game but more defensively positioned as a ballwinner, but doesn't take the team responsibilities on his shoulders in the same way as Holland does.
Holland is getting older now and players like Semedo and Racon should be stiff competition to his 1st team place.
Someone that only plays the safe pass is fine when you have the right players around him. At the moment we don't, so Holland can only do what he does and at times that isn't enough.
I've never understood why Gray doesn't jump, it's as if he just waits for the ball to fall to his head, feet or chest. If it's over his head he either has to win a free kick or lose the header.
It's like, because they were bigger than the rest, they never needed to, so never really added that to their game.