Why do people say he needs to pass forward? Who is he suppose to pass to? Have you seen us play? We play with two strikers and don't have anybody occupying the space between their midfield and defense. Morata needs to be in the penalty box while Cristiano likes to drift to the left when he's not in the box. This is why we always pass the ball to Cuadrado and Chiesa on the flanks because that's how we're built to play.
Yeah, sure, you spread the play as quickly as possible. Why though? What's the function of that? If it's done quickly, it opens up spaces in between. I mean, dependence on crossing makes more sense with Morata in the box but first, we've been without him for about a month and the only player providing the same option in the box has been McKennie; second, it's much, much easier to defending wide ball after wide ball; third, to get said cross into the box a wide player must be found quickly before he's double marked; and fourth, the beauty of a CF like Morata is that you play the ball
forward to his feet. In fact, that's what makes us play so much better with Morata in the side.
Ideally, you open up the spaces with quick, lateral movement of the ball so that you can work it through the best and most likely route to goal: through the middle.
You're not wrong that spreading the play quickly is a basic principle in Pirlo's plan but does Arthur help to achieve that? You spread the ball quickly through
long passes or intricate passages of passing that misplace defenders and open up spaces (ala Iniesta, Mascherano and Xabi). And what do/did other regista's do? Did Pirlo only pass laterally? Or Xavi Alonso? Or even Pjanic? Nah... nah. Even Jorginho at least has a bit of range to his passing, as sideways as that man is.
Arthur seems like he's got that Barca style in him and it's not coming out. He needs to be close to other players and touch, touch, touch - quick, short and precise. He's never going to open things up off his own boot from no man's land like real creative registas do. That's why it's wiser to put Bentancur deeper. Let him be a Busquets, even a Thiago Motta, while the creative players do their work up the pitch where it's most needed.
P.s this is what Arthur should be doing in his position, at least passing wise....
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