http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1779

Arsene Wenger's side have used long-ball passes only 10.40 per cent of the time, with Chelsea (12.42 per cent) and Manchester United (13.97 per cent) behind them.

Premier League long-pass percentages: Arsenal (10.40), Chelsea (12.42), Manchester United (13.97), Manchester City (15.26), Blackburn (16.28), Tottenham (16.61), Liverpool (16.66), West Ham (17.14), Aston Villa (17.79), Sunderland (17.94), Portsmouth (18.10), Derby (18.18), Everton (18.24), Newcastle (18.5), Wigan (19.34), Bolton (19.39), Middlesbrough (19.64), Birmingham (20.65), Fulham (21.32), Reading (22.47).

Stats, love them or hate them, they make for a good starting point

PS- yeah we're great

CHELSEA AND LONG BALL FOOTBALL IS A MYTH...I HAVE SAID IT ALL ALONG.

MUCH LIKE GERRARD'S LEADSHIP SKILLS

AND GENERAL BRAIN CAPACITY

AND ALL ROUND LIKABILITY!

ALL MYTHS I TELL YOU! MYTHS!!!!!!!

I hate him.

Thanks for stats, it's almost always useful to analyse that sort of information. Well, coincidence or not, the best teams are playing the Latin style, of course adapted to England. Anyways, I thought that Arsenal plays short ball MUCH more than we do.

I would say that we sometimes play too many long balls when we are down a goal.

if we're honest, these "stats" are rubbish- no computer can tell you whether a side plays "long ball football"- it can only tell you what percentage of passes played are over a certain distance. that is not the same.

Lies,damm lies and statistics.

if we're honest, these "stats" are rubbish- no computer can tell you whether a side plays "long ball football"- it can only tell you what percentage of passes played are over a certain distance. that is not the same.

Hello there.

Party Pooper

Goodbye.

There was a bad period when we played about 7 or 8 passes between the defenders then launched one up to Drogba. That explains the 12%. It also constitutes playing the long ball game.

It also depends how accurate those long balls are, nothing wrong with it if you have people that can hit that long ball and a strong forward that can take it down.

thers a difference between long ball and long passes.a lot of the balls we play are to drogba who 9 times out of 10 will control the ball and allow midfielders to go beyond him. compare to the likes of bolton who just hump it in thte general direction of 2 or 3 big lads hoping for a knock down.

Last season we were dangerously long ball, pumping it up to Drogba all the time, at the moment it is passing, passing passing. The goal last night Malouda to Cole must have been 30 yards, but was most certainly a pass not an aimless punt for a big man to fight for.

Liverpool or Newcastle on the other hand...

*sits quietly waiting for Just to jump in with his 'Stats don't prove anything!' argument...*

bri doesn't know that I've already covered that.

I think in films and such, they call it 'dramatic irony'. that's another thing he won't learn.

thers a difference between long ball and long passes.a l

How right you are! In another thread I read a poster intimating Joe Cole's CC goal was a product of long ball, but it was actually a great pass directed to Joey.

Reminds me of the time that Frank LeBeouf joined when us when a friend of mine commented that he had been in a pub watching the game and people were shouting 'Hoof' every time he delivered the ball. (Think it was the 6-0 against Barnsley, when he had been sublime in spraying the pitch with 40 yarders)

There seems to be a recurring discussion on this forum about the style of football, but if you cant tell the difference between long ball and a long pass then you are stuffed!