Good post even though I don't necessarily agree with a few bits. When I saw the team, I was happy as we had two covering midfield players in front of the back four and Toure where he should be, at number 10. It was very similar to the Derby, where neither side wanted to attack the other. We held our shape, which is something I've criticised us for not doing enough in the past. No one played great but no one (apart from Aguero) played badly. The two Ferns sat and were generally anonymous but that's because they really didn't get involved in going forward that much. Fernando had a couple of dodgy moments but did a solid enough job.
Our problem was that we were sloppy in possession, winning the ball back then gifting it back to Spurs within a couple of passes. We seemed to have lost our previous ability to retain possession. We only started to cut loose a bit after the penalty and I do wonder what the plan would have been if that hadn't happened. What was disappointing was that we reverted to type with the second goal and opened up like the Red Sea. No one seemed to take responsibility and go to the ball, which will be something Pep addresses.
In hindsight, taking Fernando off was probably the wrong decision but we were going for it at the time.
I agree with a couple of your points, and disagree with a couple.
I agree that we were quite slopping in possession in the first half. We were clearly playing deeper, being more disciplined and holding our defensive shape in the first half especially. I think this was the right call, considering we have been a defensive shambles recently, and Spurs scored 4 against us last time. We conceded possession in order to remain solid and not leaves ourselves vulnerable in behind.
I think the effect that had when we had the ball was that because we were so much deeper than usual, we didn't have the same amount of forward passing options as normal. Also when you don't have possession for long periods, it's inevitable that you are not as composed in your decision making and passing when you eventually do get the ball. That led to us giving the ball away cheaply at times, but personally I think that was probably a consequence of us being deeper and more solid.
Personally I don't think Yaya's best position is as a number 10. He's often brilliant there in the last 10 minutes of games when they become stretched and there is space for him to exploit. I think that's why we defended deeper, to encourage Spurs on to us to create space for Yaya to exploit when running with the ball. He did that a few times and on another day we may have scored from it. But as in the derby at the Swamp showed, I don't think Yaya is very good with his back to goal. Silva is the master in the number 10 position of receiving the ball on the half turn and finding space. I don't think Yaya is very good when he's in front of play, which is where a number 10 spends a lot of the game.
Yaya is better behind the ball with space in front of him. So yesterday by us playing deeper, it allowed us to play to his strengths. But the way we play usually, the number 10 needs to be in front of the ball, and I don't think that suits Yaya at all. Especially when the majority of teams we play don't come and attack us.
For me Yaya's best position now is as a box to box player in a 433. Exactly like we played in Seville. Fernando sat behind giving him the security blanket, and Yaya and Fernandinho pressing. That allows him to dictate play from a bit deeper, stay behind the ball, produce those surging runs from deep. Having the extra man in there means we don't look vulnerable through the middle when we lose possession, and it means Yaya doesn't have to be playing with his back to goal where is much less effective.
The goal undoubtedly sparked us in to life, I guess that was inevitable. But I think we were always going to step it up at some point. I'm often frustrated at Pellegrini's selections. Yesterday I wanted us to go 433, same as Seville. When I saw Yaya as a 10 and Silva on the left I thought he'd fucked up again. But after about 10 minutes it was clear we weren't playing our usual high line pressing game, we were sitting deeper and holding shape. So Pellegrini clearly did have a game plan this week that was specifically designed to deal with the opposition. That's all I have ever asked of him, so it's only fair I credit him for that.
I hate to blame referees and officials, but they clearly had a disproportionate affect on the game yesterday. The way we set up and the way we played, there's no way we deserved to lose that match. They had one shot on goal, from 30 yards. They didn't get behind us once, until the last minute when they scored. Their first corner was on about 75 minutes. Although we didn't have possession, I felt we were in complete control of the game. In the second half Yaya and Silva showed flashes of why they are club legends. If we can perform to the level we did yesterday, we've got a good chance of winning the league.
