Keep aside the fact Leicester had a week to prepare for the game and they had clear plan.
Our coaching staff looked like they tried to come up with a plan to counter them -
pack the midfield and try to overcome their high press, but it just didn't work. Fred and Pogba got bullied
and we were giving the ball away too many times. Lack of options for the man in possession.
Lack of any runners, lack of any understanding between the two attackers.
Yeah, that game just highlighted what's wrong with the team at the moment.
Martial going back to his usual useless contribution, poor at holding up and lack of any urgency from him.
VDB lacking confidence, not growing in the game and looking like a round peg in a square hole.
Fred proving once more that he's limited. Yes, he's had good games, but if we want to make that step up
we need someone better. Someone who can see a pass and is a threat at the edge of the box. Not just
distributing it left and right. Just the energy is not enough.
Cavani didn't seem as if he's that eager to make an impact.
On the good note, we'll have a couple of fixtures less, so we could concentrate on cementing our place
in the league and if we manage to get the job done in Spain, we could recoup energy and the squad would be
at full disposal come the end of the season. Pogba got minutes, so did Amad and Greenwood managed to
score again. Makes you wonder if he was getting more service what could it have been.
Looking ahead into the next season it's obvious where the team should strengthen:
- An upgrade in the midfield. A player who could be defensively solid next to Pogba, but also be a more adventurous compared to Fred, if paired with one of McT or the Brazilian in case Pogba is not playing.
- A right winger. The threat we pose from the right is almost non existent. AWB is still young and learning on improving his attacking output.
- A striker. Top class striker. Not a makeshift pre-retirement #9 on a one year deal. Don't get me wrong. Cavani has good movement and a great header in him, but I don't see him committed to our cause and his inability to shift the ball out of his feet and strike it or his poor tapping in just doesn't cut it. We need someone to be in competition with Greenwood and push each other. Martial is not it either.
This loss is a hard to swallow pill, but we have to look forward and hope that being knocked out is a blessing
in disguise.