burst?
Nah, but he will have learned that those games you might expect something from usually end in disappointment when you’re at Spurs. And the luck doesn’t run with you all the time.
Saying that I wasn’t living in too much hope yesterday even though it was at home, just come off a midweek win and facing a team in Everton we usually beat, though it’s now three straight at home they’ve done us, who are struggling to get eleven men on the park. There was just something telling me before hand and then all the way through the game it wasn’t going to end well yesterday.
And it didn’t, only ‘Arry’s second loss in ten games in charge and it will give the boss a good reason to let the players know they’re not out of trouble yet, especially if they put in more performances like the last two.
There should be less consoling arms round shoulders this week and a bit more telling them in the strongest possible terms that things have to be done in a professional manner if they want to stay in this division. So no more lollygagging and turning your back on the opposition when they have a set piece a few yards from your box and no more standing there like you’re waiting for a bus in a line of four when you can get forward Mr. Bale.
How many times did ‘Arry, Joe and Kev shout at the Welsh left back to get forward and get involved after he came on, they weren’t happy when he just stood there. Yes as a full back your first duty is to defend but when they’re playing a one up and back nine formation there’s no need for four defenders staying back to cover and if you can’t figure this out when someone is shouting it at you there’s something seriously wrong. And you have to say there is something wrong with Bale, is he fully fit or is he like Hutton and still not over the injury after being brought back too soon or is his head just not on it right now. Either way no matter how bad you rate Assou-Ekotto you can see why he’s first choice, will ‘Arry be making a move in January, certain player at his old club looks the part but then so did Bale when he first came into the side.
The real problem, apart from lazy big time Charlieitous, is the missing link. Who is bridging the gap between the midfield and the front men? Well without Modric in the side no one is, Huddlestone and Zokora are too deep and far away from the strikers, resulting in too many long balls and wasted possession, with the wide guys not providing adequate support and there’s no guile and trickery to break a strong defensive line, Bentley certainly doesn’t have it, hell he can’t even put decent crosses or set pieces in these days never mind run rings round a player.
Though it’s not just the fancy stuff you also need some guts and bite in the side and there wasn’t exactly much of that about yesterday, I don’t know why O’Hara didn’t get a game.
‘Arry and his staff have got a hell of a lot of work to do with the players available and some homework to do to either increase or change those available.
On the plus side no game losing howlers from Gomes this time round.
Oh and Wigan at home in the F.A. Cup, could’ve been a lot worse.