So here we go. Hold tight on the upper deck.
Hands up who can name two or more players from the Swansea side that we played yesterday? Three or more? Four or mo… oh look if you still have your hand up you’re either on a wind up or your on the playing staff at The Liberty.
So am I saying that they wanted it more? Am I saying that we screwed up? No, I’m making the point to that we need to focus on what we actually saw there and not dumb down our analysis to just whether we were were pants or not.
Swansea were excellent. They defended convincingly in number and to be frank their attempts on goal frequently had us looking like we were up against a marauding European outfit. Ball on the floor, wave upon wave of attacking football.
So beyond marveling at the discovery of the finest team the world has ever seen, where did we go wrong?
Well, we didn’t have much possession. And without the ball we only appeared to have Sandro who stood half a chance of winning it back. PNB is beginning to look pooped and what looked like a twisted knee might just be great opportunity to rest him up for a game or two.
On that whole ‘winning the ball back’ business, Bale and Modric do a good impression of two people waiting for their butler go fetch it for them. Modric tracks back, but it’s rare to see either putting their shoe in.
The substitution of van der Vaart revealed we had nothing creative enough left on the pitch to threaten them with. The removal of PNB revealed we will be horribly vulnerable without him. Any sparks that might have flown from us were extinguished there and then.
Livermore and Walker? Walker I’ll persevere with as there is only Charlie to replace him and he’s better than that. But when is young Kyle going to get some proper instruction from one of our illustrious coaches?
Livermore can go back to the reserves and pay off his outstanding dues. After some promising performances I’ve come to the conclusion he’s a pretender. Not a con man, rather he’s mastered looking the part but he’s a long way off from being the required standard. Swagger, sadly little substance.
I see in a few places Friedel getting some stick. THFC want to make that Arry quote, ‘People want goalies that don’t make mistakes – and they don’t exist’ made into a bumper sticker and include as the crappy ‘free’ gift with next season’s membership pack.
For those genuinely seething of course there is I suppose always the option of having a butchers at the league table and taking a deep breath.
The real answer lies in our forwards! Harry chose a system of what was essentially a 4-5-1. That did not work. We still need a proper striker. A complete all rounder. How many times was adebayor off side?! Also when we attack ade pulls wide to collect the ball we need him in the box when bale or modric have the ball but 9 times out of 10 he is out wide. Also with vdv essentially playing in a 5 man midfield he doesn’t have to pace to keep up with walker and bale to get in the box. This basically has us playing 4-6-0! We need to get players in the box! Why we didn’t play 4-3-3 yesterday I really don’t know! Sandro-Modric-Parker and Vdv-ade-bale. We sat far too deep in harrys formation and modric needs to be in the centre. Personally whilst lennon is out we should play 3-5-2 Kaboul-King/Gallas-Dawson. Walker-Sandro-Modric-Parker-Bale. Ade-vdv/defoe. We need a striker and sell pav, we also need another winger and possibly a new CB and sell bassong.
Doesn’t have the pace to keep up?? Unbelievable. I despair. ffs.
The real answer lies in our forwards! Harry chose a system of what was essentially a 4-5-1. That did not work. We still need a proper striker. A complete all rounder. How many times was adebayor off side?! Also when we attack ade pulls wide to collect the ball we need him in the box when bale or modric have the ball but 9 times out of 10 he is out wide. Also with vdv essentially playing in a 5 man midfield he doesn’t have to pace to keep up with walker and bale to get in the box. This basically has us playing 4-6-0! We need to get players in the box! Why we didn’t play 4-3-3 yesterday I really don’t know! Sandro-Modric-Parker and Vdv-ade-bale. We sat far too deep in harrys formation and modric needs to be in the centre. Personally whilst lennon is out we should play 3-5-2 Kaboul-King/Gallas-Dawson. Walker-Sandro-Modric-Parker-Bale. Ade-vdv/defoe. We need a striker and sell pav, we also need another winger and possibly a new CB and sell bassong!
FFS i really could cry at you lot! you seem to know better than Harry you know that fella who picked the team/tatics that have taken us to third in the table and made us play some of the best football many have seen.
So if you are right we would have been 10 points clear at the top by now or…………………… You could be wrong and Harry knows what he is doing.
FYI City have just lost to Sunderland so i ewill pop over to vital city and see if they want to sack the manager and buy a new team
That puts it into perspective. Look at the money that Shitty/Manure/Cheatski aand all of them have lost unexpectedly in the past week. We took four points from two away games, which was better than the above trio, and equalled bindippers/arse who had two home games.
Nobody is any better off against us than seven days ago, and last season’s top three are all a point to the bad against us in the past week.
I feel that Harry has done a good job so far this season, we miss Azza more than i thought. We all have different views and that adds to the debate, i feel Benny was at fault because i played at the back and simply quote basic defending, others blame Freidel and have every right to that opinion. Perhaps i look for higher standards than most because i remember the glory days and wish to recapture them. Here`s wishing all Yids a healthy, happy and prosperous 2012.
Nothing wrong with having higher standards, but realism also helps to soften the blow too. Just looking at last season results where we took two points from nine away from home to the “promoted” teams. So far this season, we have managed 4.
In virtually every field I look at compared to last year, we are a couple of points better off in this area, and couple better off in that area and really, every stat that you look at we are just that bit better than this time last year. Repeat this again next year, and three out of four seasons in the CL, and teams like Liverpool will be referring to us as one of the Sky4.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I suspect that there will be a new Colosseum a few yards along the road in the near future which will be part of our new empire.
Seasons greetings to you too Raz.
His name is Aaron, so don’t call him Azza like he is a mate of yours……you clearly have very few of them.
Listen, our team v Swansea was lop-sided. We got away with it v Norwich but a team playing 4 central midfielders (2 of them holding) is not a great tactic for a team that is usually set up to play down both flanks. When Lennon got injured we should have gone like for like and either played Niko or alternatively pushed Walker further forward and played either Kaboul or Corluka RB. We only needed to make 1 change but have managed to totally re-shuffle a midfield that didnt need re-shuffling. All in all a good festive period for us, win our next 3 home games and we are genuine contenders…COYS