Robert Pires

[richard moore]

One of the best games of recent years was our Boxing Day 4-4 down at Chelsea. The game had the lot in spades.

If I were a neutral watching Everton 2-3 Villa from two years ago I would remember it as a bit of a classic as well.

Very exciting granted and memorable for Villa fans, but not 'wow' games in terms of fantastic quality football played throughout with superb goals....and remembered by all and sundry

[Shrek]

Well Pires did well today. How come he kept finding himself in space, when Ireland couldn't.

If Albrighton isn't fit next week Pires has to start unless we go 442 with Delfouneso.

[Matt Collins]

I didn't think pires was that great. It meant we had nobody on our left.

[Dave]

One of the best games of recent years was our Boxing Day 4-4 down at Chelsea. The game had the lot in spades.

If I were a neutral watching Everton 2-3 Villa from two years ago I would remember it as a bit of a classic as well.

Very exciting granted and memorable for Villa fans, but not 'wow' games in terms of fantastic quality football played throughout with superb goals....and remembered by all and sundry

Well if that's the criteria, I don't think I can really remember any random Premier League game for it's fantastic football and and superb goals.

I can remember plenty of Villa results, but I can't remember many specifics beyond that.

[VillaAlways]

He made 17 passes today in 25 mins.The same amount that Ireland did in 65 :O

[supertom]

I thought Bobby did okay. He had little time to be fair. He got, as expected, burned for pace a few times. I wouldn't want him playing left wing though, because it leaves Warnock isolated and the lad is a liability.

But yes, he finds space well, and you can sense his composure and the fact he's thinking 2 steps ahead. He doesn't waste the ball either. He tried a couple of killer balls that didn't come off because of a lack of movement by the forward and also because how deep Blackburn were. But he's certainly gonna give us a bit more of a cutting edge I think. There were a couple of good moves that he seemed to be at the heart of.

[strevs]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/nov/22/premier-league-chalkboard-analysis

The Guardian points out the Pires v Ireland passing.

[Yeltzer]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/nov/22/premier-league-chalkboard-analysis

The Guardian points out the Pires v Ireland passing.

Kind of sums it up really, how little Ireland actually puts in in a claret and blue shirt

[pauliewalnuts]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/nov/22/premier-league-chalkboard-analysis

The Guardian points out the Pires v Ireland passing.

Kind of sums it up really, how little Ireland actually puts in in a claret and blue shirt

Although Pires needs to get rid of the ball a lot quicker than Ireland does - with his advanced years and lack of pace, he has to make the ball do the work.

[Dribbler]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/nov/22/premier-league-chalkboard-analysis

The Guardian points out the Pires v Ireland passing.

Kind of sums it up really, how little Ireland actually puts in in a claret and blue shirt

Although Pires needs to get rid of the ball a lot quicker than Ireland does - with his advanced years and lack of pace, he has to make the ball do the work.

Disagree, Pires is the kind of player that can keep the ball for that few extra seconds when he needs to, you don't need to be young and fast to retain possession, you need technique and composure, which he has in abundance. There were a few times i noticed that he took the ball under pressure, yet made time for himself to control and turn and pick out a good pass.

The good thing about Pires is that he has the nous to know when to get rid of the ball quickly and when to hold on to it. I won't be expecting him to be running at players all the time, we have Young, Albrighton and Downing for that. But no doubt we will also see some nice pass and move from him. The good thing about the stats from Sunday is that the 4 unsuccessful passes he made were all attempts to thread the ball into the box, other than that he retained possession with all of his passes. 

[pauliewalnuts]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/nov/22/premier-league-chalkboard-analysis

The Guardian points out the Pires v Ireland passing.

Kind of sums it up really, how little Ireland actually puts in in a claret and blue shirt

Although Pires needs to get rid of the ball a lot quicker than Ireland does - with his advanced years and lack of pace, he has to make the ball do the work.

Disagree, Pires is the kind of player that can keep the ball for that few extra seconds when he needs to, you don't need to be young and fast to retain possession, you need technique and composure, which he has in abundance. There were a few times i noticed that he took the ball under pressure, yet made time for himself to control and turn and pick out a good pass.

The good thing about Pires is that he has the nous to know when to get rid of the ball quickly and when to hold on to it. I won't be expecting him to be running at players all the time, we have Young, Albrighton and Downing for that. But no doubt we will also see some nice pass and move from him. The good thing about the stats from Sunday is that the 4 unsuccessful passes he made were all attempts to thread the ball into the box, other than that he retained possession with all of his passes. 

That's what I mean.

He's not going to run at players and try and take them on, he's going to pass the ball.

[Yeltzer]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/nov/22/premier-league-chalkboard-analysis

The Guardian points out the Pires v Ireland passing.

Kind of sums it up really, how little Ireland actually puts in in a claret and blue shirt

Although Pires needs to get rid of the ball a lot quicker than Ireland does - with his advanced years and lack of pace, he has to make the ball do the work.

Disagree, Pires is the kind of player that can keep the ball for that few extra seconds when he needs to, you don't need to be young and fast to retain possession, you need technique and composure, which he has in abundance. There were a few times i noticed that he took the ball under pressure, yet made time for himself to control and turn and pick out a good pass.

The good thing about Pires is that he has the nous to know when to get rid of the ball quickly and when to hold on to it. I won't be expecting him to be running at players all the time, we have Young, Albrighton and Downing for that. But no doubt we will also see some nice pass and move from him. The good thing about the stats from Sunday is that the 4 unsuccessful passes he made were all attempts to thread the ball into the box, other than that he retained possession with all of his passes. 

That's what I mean.

He's not going to run at players and try and take them on, he's going to pass the ball.

Still more than Ireland *winky*

[Dribbler]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/nov/22/premier-league-chalkboard-analysis

The Guardian points out the Pires v Ireland passing.

Kind of sums it up really, how little Ireland actually puts in in a claret and blue shirt

Although Pires needs to get rid of the ball a lot quicker than Ireland does - with his advanced years and lack of pace, he has to make the ball do the work.

Disagree, Pires is the kind of player that can keep the ball for that few extra seconds when he needs to, you don't need to be young and fast to retain possession, you need technique and composure, which he has in abundance. There were a few times i noticed that he took the ball under pressure, yet made time for himself to control and turn and pick out a good pass.

The good thing about Pires is that he has the nous to know when to get rid of the ball quickly and when to hold on to it. I won't be expecting him to be running at players all the time, we have Young, Albrighton and Downing for that. But no doubt we will also see some nice pass and move from him. The good thing about the stats from Sunday is that the 4 unsuccessful passes he made were all attempts to thread the ball into the box, other than that he retained possession with all of his passes. 

That's what I mean.

He's not going to run at players and try and take them on, he's going to pass the ball.

Ah sorry, misunderstood you, i retract my disagreement then and agree with you fully. 

[The Left Side]

I liked the look of Pires at the weekend, the role of coming on for 20 mins could suit him down to the ground, as for Ireland he just didn't seem to fit in the system, the sunday papers said he could be off to Liverpool!

[curiousorange]

I'd have liked to have seen Pires drop a little deeper to give himself the space to pick a pass because from what I saw yesterday he's still pretty accurate. Trouble was Blackburn hustled him, which would have been their game plan and many other teams will do the same. Intriguingly, he might get some joy against Arsenal if he plays.