Blue Smarties
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 10 Aug 2008
- Messages
- 26,951
I've packed in posting my pre-match predictions because I used to get hounded. I was saying pre-match that Kolarov should start for my exact reasoning. The moment we knew Coleman would be out then it was imperative that Kolarov played vs Everton and Clichy vs Bolasie/Zaha/Sako/whoever they turn out.To be fair, a lot of people in the pre-match thread were saying Clichy should start to nullify Deloufeu's pace. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Not many people were predicting that Everton would sit back as much as they did.
I really do hope we win it mate. It's just infuriating me watching some of the performances and decisions made. I really do hope we snatch it out of Arsenal who appear to be crowned champions already however I also hope we start to allow Sterling to play like the boy we bought from Liverpool. We have so many fantastic players at our disposal that it is criminal that we find ourselves passing sideways and slowing our attacks down.The responsibility will always end with the manager but we performed last night did we not?
That second half was well on the way to what we are capable of and for a bit of luck in front of goal, a keeper not having his best game of the season against us and a bent ref, we pick up the points.
We are 3 points behind, 3, not 10. Thats just 1 win! Going off that i guess its fair to say if you think we are consistently not performing then nobody in this league is.
Come the end of the season and thats all that matters, we will have won the league again. Bookmark this post ;-)
I've made it clear that I don't like Bony and the reason behind that is that he doesn't suit our style of play. He can hold the ball up well at times however we don't need that, our best attacking football has always come from when we hit teams with pace in combination with an air of fluidity and unpredictability which leaves the defenders second guessing one another.
I've said it before however we need Aguero leading the line with Sterling and Iheanacho just behind, feeding off the play and making the runs in behind when possible. We should then utilise one of Silva or KDB to pull the strings and lay the ball to the trio. The midfield would be a duo so would of course be an area which needs strengthening. For the remainder of the season I would perhaps play Delph and Fernandinho simply to have that tenacity in the centre of the park. Regardless of what Delph offers going forward he has that desire and stamina to close down a lot of ground. A combination of him and Fernandinho wouldn't leave much space for the opposition to play in the middle.
At fullback it should switch depending on who we're playing. If we're playing pacey wingers such as the threat that Palace will bring on Saturday then I would opt for Sagna and Clichy, however if we're facing a team like last night who we know will sit back that bit more and try and launch it up to a centre forward, then we should play Zabaleta and Kolarov who can aid the attacks with additional width and overlapping play.
The 6-1 at Old Trafford was a game where that sort overlapping play worked wonders.
I just don't think we're playing to our strengths and that's what is annoying me. We have one of the worlds best strikers, get him in behind. We have one of England's best wonderkids of recent years who thrives when he's running at defenders and yet we seem happy to tell to hold the play up and pass it sideways. Iheanacho is so much more than a striker which is why he would truly compliment that attack of Sterling and Kun. Look at the pre-season link up play where he was feeding players for run whilst making his own runs into the box.
The annoying thing is mate, it's changes that we all know Pep would make. We could be so much better than we are.