- Dec 30, 2007
- 1,434
- 310
Apologies, don't have time or inclination to re-do the post from FrontPage, but the points are there to make, so here goes:
The result was perhaps more or less expected, and of course 6 points out of 9 from the last 3 games is probably better than most people would have thought. But it is the certain selection decisions against Man U again that make one ask questions.
Strange that we bought Kaboul as primarily RB cover for Corluka, and yet decide to play the LB Assou-Ekotto there. Especially after Kaboul has just played quite well as RB against Arsenal and Chelski. BAE is a good defender, but gets understandably more edgy when under bigger pressure than usual and without a proper support from a RM - the utterly ineffective Bentley today.
Bale had perhaps his best performances this season in the last 2 matches and really relished the LM position ahead of BAE as LB. Why then tinker with the successful formula?
Palacios was quite shaky and again, after the last 2 big games, why wasn't Kaboul on for the 2nd half at least - seeing that Palacios was not exactly on the game today, to change the shape of the team back to the successful set up v Chelski?
Today was a perfect example of what Crouch factor does to the team performance.
Even just before 1-1, with Lennon and Gudjonssen on, we were beginning to play much more cohesively and effectively on the ground. But when Crouch replaced Pav, the team resorted to the predictable long ball to Crouch, for him to flick it on to a Man U defender 4 out of 5 times. So Lennon hardly saw the ball and the quick pass and move game disappeared, with Crouch offering much more inferior link up play and movement than Pav. We did not get a chance to see Modric, Gudjonssen, Lennon, Bale and Pav combine skill, vision and pace in the last 25 min, esp after equalising and gaining advantage. No, Crouch came on and the team went back to long ball.
Man U did not have to do much to neutralise Lennon threat; Harry did it for them by sending Crouch on.
Everything is spot on and this is how i saw it as well. As for Bentley, he looked like a someone on a death row - no matter how well he was going to play 20 mins from final whistle he was going to get subbed anyway and not allowed to play another game until the next time someone gets injured.