I think it's difficult mate. Koeman obviously wanted to give all the senior lads an opportunity before then introducing younger players. He'd have ideally waited longer and introduced them to a winning team. It's a fairly sensible strategy.
I'm not sure we could have got the win against Arsenal without such an experienced team. With rugby they often say the first few yards accross the game line are the hardest. That was our accross the game line moment.
From that moment on, blip in the Derby aside, the momentum has been going forward, accelerated by the form of the younger players.
You do have to protect young players. The senior lads had taken the flack when it was difficult and that's fair enough for me.
I get that mate. I understand that RK had to give the established players an opportunity to show what they could do. I just feel he gave them too long at a time when the results and, more importantly, the performances were poor at best.
Both Davies and Holgate had shown earlier in the season that they are comfortable at this level. Davies, in particular, seemed to energise us in his cameos. When he came on against Chelsea, he also gave us a period of control in the game that surprised me. I know Chelsea had taken their foot off the pedal at that stage, but even so his passing, movement and composure on the ball completely surpassed everything else we had on the pitch at the time. But he was them dropped from the squad altogether for about 5/6 matches.
You may be right about the Arsenal game but I don't know how you can say that with any certainty. He was included in the squads for Leicester and Hull, came off the bench and as instrumental, so much so that he fully deserved his start against Southampton. The rest, as they say, is history, albeit very recent
.
I just feel as though RK could have had the balls to make the decision to bring him in earlier, especially as things on the pitch were going o badly. His movement and quick passing, aligned with his energy and composure, does give us another dimension in my view.
I do agree that he needs looking after, and I am surprised that RK hadn't rested him for at least one of the last 2 home games.
