- Jul 15, 2014
- 3,592
- 11,648
In the past two seasons there was an indestructible air to the team. They just didn’t got two down. And when they went a goal down, they roared back. There isn’t the same feel this season.
The sloppy defeat to Chelsea; the lapses in concentration against United and Burnley; the inability to handle Arsenal’s press; and going two down to Leicester in 45 minutes.
Now every game looks tricky. Watford away? Don’t fancy that.
We can analyse the reasons why to death but I think it was Ferguson who said teams go in three year cycles. We’re kind of at that point. It doesn’t require wholesale changes but perhaps some of the key players we relied on need refreshing.
It also hasn’t helped losing Wanyama and Alderweireld - whose negotiation position for a lucrative contract must have improved - to long term injury.
But for all the criticisms of our attack - which are overblown - it’s central midfield that’s a problem. We don’t move the ball in the midfield fast enough, making it hard for our attackers to carve out opportunities. We’re also not as imposing. Now whether that’s a personnel or confidence issue is for Poch to work out.
But either way this season is quickly falling away from high hopes to hopeless. The bigger budgets are starting to make the difference.
One of the biggest problems has occurred because of Dier in my opinion. I'm pretty sure over the summer he and Poch had a chat and it was decided he was going to mainly be CM this season. This meant we spent big on Sanchez (all good) but it also meant we didn't look at getting a DM cover for Wanyama.
Personally I'm cool with Dier at CB but ever since that Chelsea battle away game that spark has gone from Dier in CM for some reason, he just isn't aggressive enough or mobile enough to fill in for Wanyama. That's bad enough but because Toby got injured it's meant Dier has gone back to CB and meant we literally have no proper DM.
Over the summer we should either have bought another CB who was ready to start so we had 4 for 3 spots or purchased another DM in case the scenario of now had occurred. Dier's ability to play CM and CB has caused us to try and be clever and get away with not having enough backup players and it's blown up in our faces.