DronnieBlade
Only in S2 !
One pass from our CB (Egs ?) to Dids completely opened them up after a deft flick from Dids found Sharp.It's the balance that is wrong, not Sharp. He's more of a Firmino these days - in this system. Drops into the ten position and gets involved in the interplay with MGW and Ndiaye rather than getting manhandled by six foot odd centre backs . The problem we have is that this allows the opposition to play a high line and squeeze the pitch as none of these lads make medial runs behind the backline to keep them honest and make sure they drop. Osborn and MGW or Ndiaye have to run beyond the backline to give the other two or three the space in the ten position(s), before they hopefully arrive late to finish the chances.Teams just crowd the half spaces in central areas and stop us creating chances that way as we continually try and play through the eye of a needle with three or four bodies there and none running behind. We don't have players making penetrating runs off the ball which is a major problem. It also takes any counter attacking threat from us - everything is slow and deliberate. Easy on the eye, but lacking in efficacy.
There was a period yesterday when we got the balance right: one touch and two touch football with the third man running beyond. Unfortunately we missed the chances and it fizzled out for the rest of the game until the subs.
Moose's introduction made it even more obvious what we are missing -he played on the shoulder and opened the spaces up.There was two games yesterday, the one pre Moose and the one post Moose. It was exactly the same at Bournemouth.
It’s this type of incisive play that sits behind all the patient backwards and sideways stuff that I so wish more of our fans would understand better and appreciate more
UTB
