Ok, here's the thing. I don't want to hammer on about this match. It's gone, probably the title with it.
But just look at this (of many incidents that you could select). Match highlights on the OS. Match highlights are always skewed to make us look as good as possible. Nothing wrong with that. Every club does it.
Seventh minute. Pass through from midfield. No less than three players — Mangala, Kompany, Zabaleta, are all drawn to Sterling likes moths to a flame. Pause it right at the point where the midfield pass is made — Lalanna is running through into a great windy space, all on his lonesome. That should definitely have been a goal, right there. No question about it.
This back line just has no understanding any more. Do they talk to each other? Sterling is Zab's man, there. Vinny and Mangala should be much more central, Vinny possible hovering to cut across to help out Zab in case Sterling leaves him for dead (which he did, a bit later on, to Mangala, in fact). Alternatively, Kolarov seeing the danger straight away, and racing over to cover Lalanna. We had a few chances, but at no point were we given that kind of space by the Liverpool defence (which is not the greatest in the world).
I repeat that there is no understanding. What I cannot explain, what beats me, is that there was. Home match against Chelsea, that back line was rock solid. Chelsea didn't get a sniff until their goal. I don't understand where the sense of zonal responsibility has gone in that back four. Unless it is the case that Vinny doesn't trust Zab, Mangala doesn't trust Vinny, Zab doesn't trust Mangala. That in fact their confidence is collectively shot.
It's not the only problem in the team at the moment. But it is a big one.
