I don't think I've seen a really convincing midfield display over the 90mins this season. Am I being harsh?
We won 6-1 at the weekend, but I thought we poor again in the middle of the park, particularly in the first half when the opposition were still in the game. This midfield seems quite happy knocking the ball about when the game is comfortable for us, but change that up and we're suddenly all over the place - unable to keep the ball, dragged out of position, chasing shadows and leaving the defence compromised.
The defence has been very fragile this season, no question about it. Individual errors as well as our vulnerability at set-pieces have really seen us struggle to exert our usual dominance in games, but you can't keep pinning it down to individual mistakes game after game. At some point you have to admit there is a deeper issue.
This side's success has always been built on the foundation of our strength in midfield and on the evidence of what we've seen this season, that's gone. I mean, take this evening - after all, it's obvious that it's prompted this post - I know the team as a whole were very poor, but where was that midfield? Where was it? We spent 45mins chasing shadows, no-one able to put a meaningful tackle in or put their foot on the ball and pick out a pass. Insua got raped time and time again down that left hand side... but where was the cover from Yossi? Where was the cover from the DM's when Insua got forward? Nowhere.
We're desperately missing the Alonso - Masher partnership and one just has to hope that Aquilani can come in and hit the ground running and Masher picks himself up and starts to do the business for us. We've made it past the shit sides this season (at times barely), but in the three times we've played above average opposition, we've been made to pay.
We won 6-1 at the weekend, but I thought we poor again in the middle of the park, particularly in the first half when the opposition were still in the game. This midfield seems quite happy knocking the ball about when the game is comfortable for us, but change that up and we're suddenly all over the place - unable to keep the ball, dragged out of position, chasing shadows and leaving the defence compromised.
The defence has been very fragile this season, no question about it. Individual errors as well as our vulnerability at set-pieces have really seen us struggle to exert our usual dominance in games, but you can't keep pinning it down to individual mistakes game after game. At some point you have to admit there is a deeper issue.
This side's success has always been built on the foundation of our strength in midfield and on the evidence of what we've seen this season, that's gone. I mean, take this evening - after all, it's obvious that it's prompted this post - I know the team as a whole were very poor, but where was that midfield? Where was it? We spent 45mins chasing shadows, no-one able to put a meaningful tackle in or put their foot on the ball and pick out a pass. Insua got raped time and time again down that left hand side... but where was the cover from Yossi? Where was the cover from the DM's when Insua got forward? Nowhere.
We're desperately missing the Alonso - Masher partnership and one just has to hope that Aquilani can come in and hit the ground running and Masher picks himself up and starts to do the business for us. We've made it past the shit sides this season (at times barely), but in the three times we've played above average opposition, we've been made to pay.
