- Mar 7, 2005
- 9,018
- 6,900
I think because DM's assessment shows a lack of tactical nous. Mason wasn't the tactical ammonium per se. Our play really wasn't showing massive signs of improving after he came on, because the same dimwits were still floating around the attacking third (I like Kane but he's no brain surgeon either).
He hit a worldie. Then Soldado used his instinct to divert yet another misguided pot shot that shouldn't have even been taken. Nothing of quality was being produced. Still plenty of huffing and puffing.
Forest got a bit tired and then (when we got the second) had to open up and we finally, with Lamela, played the only intelligent piece of football in 90 minutes, punishing that new found bit of open space in the final third.
It wasn't that a switch flicked and we became more tactically vivacious with Mason on. It's not like we were getting outplayed either before hand, they were just playing the deep waiting game and our fuckwits were making it easy. Then we get two lucky breaks in reasonably quick succession and at the same time Forest are tiring and also then needing to chase a game.
This isn't a dig at Mason either, I'd have started him (and said so).
I think if you read what I said, I said I didn't think it was tactics that made the difference. I agree that it was Mason's goal which really ignited the our play, rather than simply him per se, but you've got to allow a bit of poetic licence. What made the difference was the mind-block which had befallen us for the past 200+ minutes of football suddenly fell away and the team poured forward as a unit, they pressed together, they tried things, they made more ambitious passes and runs and did it all with more zip, and yes there was a feedback loop due to forest tiring and being disheartened, but whatever it was, Poch's task is to get us playing with the same lack of fear, purpose and determination from the start of matches and not need it to be ignited by a moment of genius. we've seen it already in fits and spurts, both pre-season and against QPR, and for the first ten minutes against Sunderland and the last 20 against Forest, but we've also seen its severe lack for over a season under AVB, and then for large periods if not whole matches this season (I leave TS out because under him we faced issues of an entirely different variety).