GHoddle said:
I fear this. Sorting through the wreckage of last Sunday, I fear that AVB may have waited a bit too long to make some much needed changes. As a matter of fact, I think that he was actually pretty proactive with his setup and at halftime with some pretty radical changes. He dispensed with the inverted wingers, dropped Townsend, switched to 4-4-2 at the break. Actually, I kind of like what he was trying to do w/ Holtby and Lamela having kind of a fluid situation on the left with Holtby looking to get out wide when Lamela cut in. Unfortunately, Verts really doesn't have the pace to get in on the action as some one like, say, Benoit Assou-Ekkoto might. As a matter of fact, I know this might be outrageous but desperate times and all that: could Townsend fill in back there the way Bale did early in his career? He can run forever and has a left foot to whip some crosses in. Could also push Verts back to the middle where he belongs.
Anyhow, I think the real issue with AVB is not recognizing that changes needed to be made, but the fact that he got us to the desperate straits where we had to make them in the the toughest away fixture on the list with a visit from the champions the next week. Also, in AVB's defense, the players do have to take a bit of a look at not putting the ball in the back of the net on those few occasions (and there have been some) when we have actually been battering the opposition (1st half Chelsea, 1st half Everton, Newcastle). A goal in just a couple of those would see us looking at a few more points most likely and a much more advantageous table position to get stuff sorted.
That said, tomorrow is HUGE for the club and the manager and I am not particularly confident that we will respond. Big test, though, and we will see what kind of professionals and manager we've got.