I’m implying (to be belligerent) that the team is now playing better as we have our best players fit and able and having only 2 goals scorers really isn’t an issue of everything else works
We IMO played the way we did as a reaction to West Ham. I think we all agree on that
We also then had a spell of great results that followed and we went top of the league with the players we had fit and available (that didn’t include Dele and his now more known issues or bale for big chunks for example).
After the pool defeat something went wrong and we crashed badly. The players made repeated mistakes to concede goals and were very poor in front of goal with the chances we had. In that spell we actually lost quite a few players in the attacking areas for varying reason (lamela, Moura and Vinny over Christmas for Covid issues [im guessing around the Brazilians] and we didn’t have good Dele or Bale available either). That spell was when we were poor in front of our goal and the oppositions
As players have come back Jose has actually adapted the team. We played 3-4-3 successful games when he had the right full backs available, but it was a disaster when they weren’t.
Now what we’re seeing is a fully fit squad injury wise and also some players capable and able of playing 90mins which they couldn’t pre Christmas (despite being professional footballers). And we look miles better for it
We have actual width again from the FBs, we have creativity in attack and because we have more capability wide we’re actually seeing less crosses hurting us which is a weak spot in our defence.
I don’t think the CBS are playing any higher but our FBs certainly are and that’s the key dynamic change. Reggie is overlapping son giving son options wide and central. That puts a decision in the mind of the position defender that they don’t have to make with Davies. Aurier does the same and Doherty does too which means the opposition naturally get pegged back more. And that can then mean the CBS can step out more (we have seen some great examples of that lately). It’s a more natural game for our players which was a lot of people’s frustrations with the more defensive tactics.
I think the "only two goal scorers" narrative was always a little oversold
- It was always a EPL only issue
- When players are on a hot streak (as Kane/Son were) it automatically skews the numbers on a smaller sample size
- First team was not locked, i.e. RW and 3rd CM (role now held by Bale and Lucas but we had cycled through Bergwijn, Lamela, Winks, Sissoko, etc.)
- We very rarely had everyone fit, which as I mentioned not only limited 1st team, but bench capability,
That said, I do believe tactically we have adapted
- Kane doesn't drop as deep, as Lucas/Dele/Lamela plays the #10 role
- Reguilon/Son totally overload the opponents right side supported by the player in #10 role
- While Aurier/Doherty do sit higher, they don't push on as much as Reguilon, this creates a space for Bale to drop back into and use his passing range
- Bale adds an aerial threat (at least half of his 10 goals are headers) that we simply didn't have
- There is more license to pack the box (Kane goal from outside box against Palace, I think they were four Spurs players in front of him)
Sounds simple, i.e. just attack more, but to use Jose's expression, it's a puzzle and the pieces need to work together.
For what it's worth, we have 3 players in double figures, with two more 1 goal away from reaching that figure.
