I just don't understand why there's no passion and fight in this team. As much as I like a lot of the players, and they are 'good guys' - try hard, professional etc, they are obviously not able to play well enough. Is it naive to think that even if tactics are not right or effective, players should be fighting and bringing something individual themselves to the team?
From the team today, these are the tough choices that need to be made
- Coleman - has been brilliant, we love him, but he's lacking in the captaincy (We need more assertive behaviour and more vocal leadership and he's not got that attacking edge he used to have. The players aren't just following his lead, we need a vocal leader on the pitch. And he needs a season of playing cup games or only matches where there is no pacey winger up against him - or a proper partnership around him in RM and RW
- Gomes - nice guy but I can't work out what he offers any more. Is he a box to box, a playmaker, a defensive midfielder, a passer?
- Siggy - solid professional, good behaviour etc, very cool under pressure, but just doesn't have anything to offer. If he MUST stay then cup games against weaker opposition is all I can think of
Then there are the players who are worth keeping on and investing in, but they're totally off the boil
- Richy - I am giving him loads of slack here. I can't imagine how hard it must be to be away from home and family when COVID hit his home country so far, and so I'm thinking he's emotionally and physically jaded
- Holgate - potential but he's the weakest of the back 4 now, when last year he looked the strongest for a few weeks!
- but then so did Keane - looked an England starter, same but better than Harry Maguire, but now he's back to average.
Then again, we didn't concede today, so were the defence ok?
Even in the 2011/12 team, we had at least 5-6 goals from each of Baines, Fellaini and maybe 5 total from other defenders, 5 from Mirallas, and then a bit further back we had Cahill of course. We need goals from other people. I wish there was one old-fashioned tactic we could bring back, cos we have the personnel. Remember when we had no ideas and style we still had this plan of wicked corners from Hinchcliffe to Big Dunc or Rideout? Couldn't Digne, James, Siggy at least have great routines with Mina, Keane and DCL of course on the end? Those 2 defenders are able to score from set pieces. But we don't even win enough corners any more, or we have this weird free kick routine that GYlfi just takes it to try and score. No wonder richy tried to take on cos they're just wasted anyway.
The main problem I'm seeing again and again is effort and leadership, and I feel bad about this because I think Richy, DCL, Allan, Doucoure, Godfrey, Digne are really good , but we just need a new leader, another injection of 3-4 players and some rest for DCL and RIchy.
