That we are as poor as some on here are suggesting. Do we have issues in this team? Absolutely. Are we lacking quality in certain areas? Yes.
But if we take a step back and analyze our last 2 games, we'll see it isn't all doom and gloom. Over the last 2 games we conceded 3 goals but I don't remember the opponents having loads of chances. Wolves had probably one good attack apart from the goal and Palace had again one shot by Zaha, apart from the goals. Both of Palace's goals resulted from individual errors by Lindelof and De Gea respectively (you could argue Pogba shouldn't be losing the ball but that's another individual error), rather than our system getting sliced apart defensively.
Offensively, we have struggled in the last 2 games, no two ways about it. Against Wolves, bar the goal and penalty, I don't remember any meaningful chance and against Palace too we should have created more. But having said that, if those 2 missed penalties go in, or if the ref gives a stonewall penalty for the tackle on Martial, we are looking at very different results. Again, I concede we should not be dependent on penalties to beat the likes of Palace, but even great sides need these slices of luck from time to time.
Now there are certain issues that can be addressed in the short term, but there are certain that cannot. For instance in the 1st half yesterday, we had James go down for an injury and stop the game, followed a few minutes later by Shaw doing the same. These stoppages both occurred around the 20 min mark, just as we were starting to build up some momentum and played right into Palace's hands. A team that is coming here to defend will welcome these little stoppages and its upto the players on the field to see through it. An experienced side will be aware of how these stoppages can lead to a lapse in concentration and this exactly what happened with their first goal. I'm willing to bet a SAF side doesn't concede that goal because the players would have asked the injured guy to get off the field to receive treatment so as not to stop the game just as you are trying to put the screw in. Its better to play with 10 men for a couple of minutes as it forces the players to up their concentration levels rather than stop and break their focus. But these little things come from experience and we lack that in our side and these little mistakes, such as allowing the opposing side to slow the game through their tactics will continue to frustrate us this season and its not something we'll get a short term solution.
Another problem that can't really be addressed is the lack of quality in that no. 10 role. For whatever reason we didn't buy a CAM and we will suffer in breaking defensive sides down if we don't get a early goal. To that end I get why Lingard plays, to try and harry the opponents into making a mistake, but its more of a hail mary rather than a long term strategy. If we play Pogba further afield, we lose creativity from deep, its an area there's really no short term solution to until we dip into the transfer market.
But having listed all these issues, its encouraging to see us trying to find a way around them. We are trying to make the pitch as wide as possible with James and Rashford and even though they are both inconsistent, they do create moments of quality from time to time that leads to chances. As long as we keep the back door shut (which we seem to be doing for the most part) we will eventually get our attacking patterns right and there were evidences of that happening in the 2nd half.
Its hard to feel positive following yesterday's result, but there's fine margins in a game and while being great means being able to ride a wave of bad luck without your results suffering, we all know we aren't a great side yet. But the form of Martial, James, Pogba and our defense does give me confidence we will be getting things right soon. Yes we struggled at times in the last 2 games, but still created enough to win and that gives me hope we aren't as poor a side we are being made out to be and we will turn this corner if we stay confident in the approach we have adopted.
But if we take a step back and analyze our last 2 games, we'll see it isn't all doom and gloom. Over the last 2 games we conceded 3 goals but I don't remember the opponents having loads of chances. Wolves had probably one good attack apart from the goal and Palace had again one shot by Zaha, apart from the goals. Both of Palace's goals resulted from individual errors by Lindelof and De Gea respectively (you could argue Pogba shouldn't be losing the ball but that's another individual error), rather than our system getting sliced apart defensively.
Offensively, we have struggled in the last 2 games, no two ways about it. Against Wolves, bar the goal and penalty, I don't remember any meaningful chance and against Palace too we should have created more. But having said that, if those 2 missed penalties go in, or if the ref gives a stonewall penalty for the tackle on Martial, we are looking at very different results. Again, I concede we should not be dependent on penalties to beat the likes of Palace, but even great sides need these slices of luck from time to time.
Now there are certain issues that can be addressed in the short term, but there are certain that cannot. For instance in the 1st half yesterday, we had James go down for an injury and stop the game, followed a few minutes later by Shaw doing the same. These stoppages both occurred around the 20 min mark, just as we were starting to build up some momentum and played right into Palace's hands. A team that is coming here to defend will welcome these little stoppages and its upto the players on the field to see through it. An experienced side will be aware of how these stoppages can lead to a lapse in concentration and this exactly what happened with their first goal. I'm willing to bet a SAF side doesn't concede that goal because the players would have asked the injured guy to get off the field to receive treatment so as not to stop the game just as you are trying to put the screw in. Its better to play with 10 men for a couple of minutes as it forces the players to up their concentration levels rather than stop and break their focus. But these little things come from experience and we lack that in our side and these little mistakes, such as allowing the opposing side to slow the game through their tactics will continue to frustrate us this season and its not something we'll get a short term solution.
Another problem that can't really be addressed is the lack of quality in that no. 10 role. For whatever reason we didn't buy a CAM and we will suffer in breaking defensive sides down if we don't get a early goal. To that end I get why Lingard plays, to try and harry the opponents into making a mistake, but its more of a hail mary rather than a long term strategy. If we play Pogba further afield, we lose creativity from deep, its an area there's really no short term solution to until we dip into the transfer market.
But having listed all these issues, its encouraging to see us trying to find a way around them. We are trying to make the pitch as wide as possible with James and Rashford and even though they are both inconsistent, they do create moments of quality from time to time that leads to chances. As long as we keep the back door shut (which we seem to be doing for the most part) we will eventually get our attacking patterns right and there were evidences of that happening in the 2nd half.
Its hard to feel positive following yesterday's result, but there's fine margins in a game and while being great means being able to ride a wave of bad luck without your results suffering, we all know we aren't a great side yet. But the form of Martial, James, Pogba and our defense does give me confidence we will be getting things right soon. Yes we struggled at times in the last 2 games, but still created enough to win and that gives me hope we aren't as poor a side we are being made out to be and we will turn this corner if we stay confident in the approach we have adopted.
