Perhaps a little "knee-jerk" and no doubt, a thread that wouldn't exist if we hadn't just lost to West Ham at home 0-3...but still, not a thread entirely without merit.
These are a few things I feel the team has been getting away with lately:
1. No Sandro starting league games, especially London derbies. He is one of the only players we have who exudes intensity, who can get the crowd going with a thumping tackle and just increase the anger and passion levels of a game. This is very important to us imo, because we need to play with a faster tempo in our home games. Especially for derby games, players like Sandro can raise the level of their team mates. I think that Sandro and Paulinho should be allowed to build a partnership in our midfield.
2. Two right-footed players on the left flank. Maybe it works with players like Lahm and Ribbery, but Naughton isn't really on that level (and neither's Sig, let's face it). They are decent players in their own right, but we must have width down both flanks.. If Naughton is the go-to man as cover for Rose, then we need a left-footer infront of him for balance. I'd use Townsend.
3. Might be a controversial point, but I think we have been getting away with Dawson + Vertonghen in partnership. I don't see how we can play a really successful pressing game with two slow players at centre-half. When we went behind today (and panicked a bit), we pushed on a bit higher and our lack of recovery speed through the centre of defence was exposed badly. I think Dawson and Vertonghen are decent defenders individually, but it doesn't seem the right blend as a partnership. Surely, one of the pair needs to be (at the very least) 'not slow'.
4. My last point (for now). We have been getting away with no physical presence/athleticism upfront. Even the goons have got Giroud. All the top sides have some sort of size/strength and/or speed up top. Maybe not Barca, but they have that little Argentinian lad who's fairly handy and he's also no slouch. Soldado isn't particularly quick or strong, neither us Defoe. If the service isn't good for these players, then the opposing centre halves end up having a pretty easy afternoon. Sometimes, it'd be nice if we could work it wide and bang it into the box, knowing that the player in there can make something of it.
These are a few things I feel the team has been getting away with lately:
1. No Sandro starting league games, especially London derbies. He is one of the only players we have who exudes intensity, who can get the crowd going with a thumping tackle and just increase the anger and passion levels of a game. This is very important to us imo, because we need to play with a faster tempo in our home games. Especially for derby games, players like Sandro can raise the level of their team mates. I think that Sandro and Paulinho should be allowed to build a partnership in our midfield.
2. Two right-footed players on the left flank. Maybe it works with players like Lahm and Ribbery, but Naughton isn't really on that level (and neither's Sig, let's face it). They are decent players in their own right, but we must have width down both flanks.. If Naughton is the go-to man as cover for Rose, then we need a left-footer infront of him for balance. I'd use Townsend.
3. Might be a controversial point, but I think we have been getting away with Dawson + Vertonghen in partnership. I don't see how we can play a really successful pressing game with two slow players at centre-half. When we went behind today (and panicked a bit), we pushed on a bit higher and our lack of recovery speed through the centre of defence was exposed badly. I think Dawson and Vertonghen are decent defenders individually, but it doesn't seem the right blend as a partnership. Surely, one of the pair needs to be (at the very least) 'not slow'.
4. My last point (for now). We have been getting away with no physical presence/athleticism upfront. Even the goons have got Giroud. All the top sides have some sort of size/strength and/or speed up top. Maybe not Barca, but they have that little Argentinian lad who's fairly handy and he's also no slouch. Soldado isn't particularly quick or strong, neither us Defoe. If the service isn't good for these players, then the opposing centre halves end up having a pretty easy afternoon. Sometimes, it'd be nice if we could work it wide and bang it into the box, knowing that the player in there can make something of it.
