Gomes has 0 pace
Siggy has 0 pace
Davies has 0 pace
Allan had 0 pace
James has 0 pace
how are you going to play fast attacking football when your midfield has no pace? Our midfield is the weakest in the league, we also have 1 RB who end product is generally terrible and is old(for a footballer)
We spent alot of the season with 4 CB at the back
We played with pace through midfield v Spurs? We moved the ball quickly, we pressed high?
Davies and Allan gave a foundation and that pushed Gylfi and James on, so they were doing their work in the final third rather than the middle third.
Against Arsenal he brought Gomes in for Davies (and then Delph on???) so suddenly our midfield went back to not having that foundation and instead being pretty cramped.
I know we need better players. But it's not the only factor.
Isn't it mad that we're saying our midfield is the weakest in the league yet in the last two summer windows we've spent around £80m on it?
For their many faults, these players can be capable of attacking patterns of play and building moves. We just don't see it enough. I'm happy to say the players aren't good enough, I just also think that more could be being done in that regard too.
Atm, if James has an off day, or isn't fit, we don't really have any creativity. I don't think that's good enough from anyone involved tbh.
I saw good things v Spurs and suppose it would have been nice to see that carry on, in some regard, against Arsenal. We need to start getting Digne into dangerous positions at the byline/in the box, like we do with Coleman occassionally. We need to start playing the ball quicker through midfield. I appreciate they aren't 'quick' players but you don't need to be rapid to not take 3/4 touches when one or two will do.
But, we got the points so if we can see some nice attacking stuff v Villa but get the result to boot, then hopefully it's the start of seeing some better stuff in the run-in and something to really build on for next year.