ESR: Page 12 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

ESR

Klaus

His impact really has been extraordinary:

Not that assists are necessarily a great indication of creativity, but Smith-Rowe is at the top of the charts for chances created too:

Claudius

Chances created are probably a better indicator. When you have leaden booted forwards like Willian and Lacazette, it attributes more to the creative than the assist stat.

He has been a revelation. We are really lucky to have him. What I really love about him is how he speeds up the game. The first Aubameyang goal, that first time pass to Xhaka opens up the play. The Bellerin goal, the fast lay off to Ceballos does the same. Defenders do not have time to react because the ball moves faster than the man

QuincyAbeyie

Klaus wrote:
His impact really has been extraordinary:

Not that assists are necessarily a great indication of creativity, but Smith-Rowe is at the top of the charts for chances created too:

Where do you see that he's at the top of the charts for chances created?

Klaus

Quincy Abeyie wrote:
Where do you see that he's at the top of the charts for chances created?

It doesn't show in that tweet but it was mentioned in a pre-game breakdown on tv before the Leeds game. I think Bruno Fernandes, some City player and Smith-Rowe were at the top. It was chances created since he made his first start in December I should add, not for the season as a whole obviously.

QuincyAbeyie

That's really good. Let's just hope that his injury problems are behind him, that was always the thing standing between him and a special career.

Claudius

Weren’t his injury problems just an outcome of his body growing? I suspect he should largely be fine

Klaus

Hard to know for sure, he was still having issues earlier in the fall. He missed a lot of Europa League because of it.

I don't know what Speedy has to say on the subject, but I remember one of the issues with Ronaldo was that he was so explosive that his knees and hamstrings took damage during the sudden starts and stops. Smith-Rowe is a fairly big lad who ticks like a heartbeat on the pitch. He's listed as 1.82 but I'm almost sure he has grown a few centimeters since then, and I don't think he has ever run in a straight line in his life. It's all sudden tempo changes and quick dribbles and switching directions and accelerating past opponents. Players who play like that are usually smaller or leaner in my personal observation.

He does seem to be alright as long as he maintains peak fitness, but I think he'll have to be carefully managed throughout his career. Hopefully he'll never have to spend 6 months nursing a bad hamstring ever again.

jones

Had no idea he's close to 6 foot, looks a couple inches shorter. Might be just because of his close control and dribbles where he's mostly hunched over but I would've thought he'd be closer to 1.75 or something like that.

goon

I really hope he can stay free of major injuries, because more than anything i'd hate for him to lose that burst of pace. If he can I reckon he'll be unstoppable with the ball at his feet in a couple of years when his body fully develops.

speedy

Klaus wrote:
Hard to know for sure, he was still having issues earlier in the fall. He missed a lot of Europa League because of it.

I don't know what Speedy has to say on the subject, but I remember one of the issues with Ronaldo was that he was so explosive that his knees and hamstrings took damage during the sudden starts and stops. Smith-Rowe is a fairly big lad who ticks like a heartbeat on the pitch. He's listed as 1.82 but I'm almost sure he has grown a few centimeters since then, and I don't think he has ever run in a straight line in his life. It's all sudden tempo changes and quick dribbles and switching directions and accelerating past opponents. Players who play like that are usually smaller or leaner in my personal observation.

He does seem to be alright as long as he maintains peak fitness, but I think he'll have to be carefully managed throughout his career. Hopefully he'll never have to spend 6 months nursing a bad hamstring ever again.

People have different levels of physical durability naturally. You can work people up to their potential bit some people are just brittle. For exapmple (i'm just making these figures up ) if you sign 100 people up for the army, 20 of those will break in basic training. The ones that survive. Maybe 20 of them could survive special ops training. And 5 could survive navy seals training. Before you account for mental toughness. If your shin bones crack in half "toughness" isnt going to get you through. You'll have your diabys and your lampards.

Now changes in training or surfaces cause injury spikes, your body just get tougher at doing the specific tasks you do regularly. A maraton runner would almost die if you gave hm a day with a pro bodybuilder and visa versa. what you ahve to add to that is new guys to a team are over eager to impress teamates and coaches in the gym and on the field, I think we actually need to manage these transitions better. Mari, partey I think even cedric initially are all picking up a lot injuries. I'd keep their gym stuff the same for 2 months while they get used to the drills. The S&C coach would no doubt disagree.

Klaus

Cheers mate. Do you reckon the issue with Smith-Rowe is just that, a change in training and eagerness to prove himself in a first team environment, or that he's got a bit of a Diaby type about him? I'm thinking the other young players who broke through around the same time and have established themselves in the first team haven't had much injury issues so far.

Kel Varnsen

He has pretty decent pace and strength as well.

Claudius

Kel Varnsen wrote:
He has pretty decent pace and strength as well.

More than that he has the same stop-start ability Saka has. That’s how they disable a lot of defenders.

Anzac

Klaus wrote:
Quincy Abeyie wrote:
Where do you see that he's at the top of the charts for chances created?

It doesn't show in that tweet but it was mentioned in a pre-game breakdown on tv before the Leeds game. I think Bruno Fernandes, some City player and Smith-Rowe were at the top. It was chances created since he made his first start in December I should add, not for the season as a whole obviously.

Best thing about it is that he's not your typical passing playmaker type, and he creates opportunities by his general play rather than via miracle passes etc.

Claudius

Movement. Remember how frustrating it was watching the team earlier in the season with all these players just standing around waiting for the pass. Then it would eventually just go back to Xhaka. Now movement from ESR especially solves thst

speedy

Klaus wrote:
Cheers mate. Do you reckon the issue with Smith-Rowe is just that, a change in training and eagerness to prove himself in a first team environment, or that he's got a bit of a Diaby type about him? I'm thinking the other young players who broke through around the same time and have established themselves in the first team haven't had much injury issues so far.

I cant remember all the different injuries hes had. But some of it is just adjusting to first team footbll and his body growing. We'll just have to see.

Ricky1985

Smith Rowe's injuries were muscle related. I don't recall any knee or ankle problems at all. There were just recurring short-term muscle strains. I always thought he would grow out of it.

And talking of his movement, it really is unusual in modern football. I can't really think of any other give-and-go players around at the moment? The way he progresses the ball with simple passes and quick movement shows an extraordinary awareness of where the space is, and what's going on around him. It used to be a pretty common phrase to say of the Bergkamps, Zidanes, and even lesser players like a Sheringham, Le Tissier or Zola, that they were "one step ahead" or a "yard quicker" in their head etc., but there's very few of that ilk around now. To such an extent in fact that I find it really refreshing and exciting to watch Smith Rowe play at the moment.

Ray

Doesn't work on the left, needs to be a decision between ESR or Ode.

Coombs

Just play them both in the middle and ditch Xhaka.

Think ESR is a good player anywhere on the pitch, but he'll have ups and downs due to age and experience as much as anything.

Gazza M

I don't think shifting him around moves the needle much. he's just a young player still finding his feet, and people have been throwing far too much expectation on him

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