Damocles said:
I'm not being a dick here, I just cannot work this out for the life of me.
From what I can see, and correct me if I'm wrong, people are annoyed that we didn't change from the two up top that had already scored for us twice in a game and change this to (some other tactic never mentioned) because we should have been aware of the possibility of losing a one goal lead to a losing position despite us twatting them the whole game.
This is what we should have done, despite goal difference being the deciding factor in the title race several years ago? Stopped playing at a one goal advantage in the same manner that we did against Cardiff where we replaced Navas with Milner?
As I say, I'm not being a cock here I'm just miles away from understanding what you actually wanted to happen based in the moment and not in hindsight
Goal difference could be a factor again but you can't go after goal difference in every game and sometimes you have to accept that making sure you get the 3 points so that at the end of the season we can even consider a goal difference conclusion is the most important factor.
It's not like taking one of the 2 strikers off would have automatically stopped us playing nice football, controlling the game and giving us chances. All I think it would have done in a defensive aspect is sure it up, make sure we get the ball back earlier and so that our centre-backs had more cover.
So my first change would have been Dzeko off and Navas on. This would have left Negredo up front, and he's the harder worker of the two so would have been more effective up front on his own imo. I would have shifted Milner into the middle so the formation looks as follows:
-------------------Negredo---------------
-Nasri-----------------------Navas-----
------------Yaya------Milner----------
--------------Fernandinho---------
I just think that allows us more cover, less open in defence but still allows us to have a front 4 in attack with wing backs coming in as needed.
We now get into the territory of assumption over what would have happened from here on. Do I assume they still score or it stayed 2-1? I don't know, that's your call, but if they'd scored I'd have made a double change. Jovetic on for Nasri(identical role) and Garcia on for Milner(that would have pushed Fernandinho up to exploit his passing and pressing higher up the pitch allowing Garcia purely to concentrate on cleaning up). If we'd stayed 2-1 up I would have made a slightly different change, it would have been Nasri off for Garcia, to create a 5 in midfield with Milner out to the left mainly to cover with Garcia going into cover behind Fern and Yaya. I would have also put Clichy on for Kolarov to sure up the defensive side of the left-back role, as Clichy with his better defensive capabilities would have been useful if it had stayed 2-1.
That's what I would have done, and I've only done that because you asked for my opinion.
