Good post.
Well, the fact that we played a 4-4-2 against a 4-4-2 yesterday indicates that confidence and momentum are a problem. Norwich played the same system as we did and we were at home, we have the better players, in our earlier confidence filled run of form, we'd have won. We even had the luck that we had in that run of form. I remember we got penalties, we had a ton of decisions for us and hardly anything against us. (Walker not getting done for handball at Fulham is an example of that, as was VDV's goal being allowed to stand against Arsenal.)
A lot of the things that we've been complaining about - missing Lennon and / or VDV, switching lineups and systems from game-to-game, playing Sandro and Parker together, playing Livermore and Modric together etc - were constantly happening throughout the season, when we were on such a high.
It doesn't help to be missing Lennon, but I'm fairly sure everyone remembered that happened earlier in the season. Same with VDV being missing from time to time. (His hamstrings kept going.) Switching lineups and systems did happen from time to time, I remember us complaining even when we were winning in OMTs when Modric was playing on the wings and then got moved to the center for 15 minutes and we played much better.
But you can look at the match against Saudi Sportswashing Machine at WHL and say "Saudi Sportswashing Machine have better players than Norwich, but we played well and if we'd have played that well yesterday we could have won 5-0 against Norwich.... Or if we'd have played Saudi Sportswashing Machine yesterday, we might have lost. The atmosphere of that game was totally different, as was each player's form and our confidence. It was handy for us that Tiote was missing for Saudi Sportswashing Machine, but we won that because of our players, not our tactics. If we'd have been playing really well yesterday, we could have taken advantage of Norwich's kamikaze first 15 minutes, we could have been 2-0 up before they even had a noteworthy attack and if we had been playing at that level, we'd have been fine.
King's awesome run ended at Emirates Marketing Project when he gave away that penalty, before that, whenever his name was on the team sheet, we all -knew- we weren't going to lose. Maybe it was the same for the players.
The reason I am disappointed in Harry's tactics is because he doesn't seem to learn. The Arsenal match when the wheels came off was 4-4-2... The WHL match when we got fudged in the ass in midfield was 4-4-2, at their place, he signed us up to get fudged in the ass even more.... Now, our spectacular confidence and a bit of luck with Bale's penalty got us 2-0 up... Harry knew we were very close to getting fudged, he wanted us to get to half time so he could say something to the players, but we conceded a couple of times before then.
We then had a Manchester United game, in which Harry's formation actually worked. Livermore in for Parker alongside Modric and Sandro, we dominated the game even though we lost.
Everton, in the first half, he played people all over the place and we were brick. In the second half he put players where they should play and we completely dominated them but didn't get a goal to even draw. Harry's tactics let us down there.
We played Stoke and Chelsea, then we had a good win against Swansea.
But then away at Sunderland he played the most defensive formation/lineup he could realistically have lined up with. This was a tactical disaster. It was like he hadn't done his homework, everyone knew what Sunderland's game plan would be.
So after that, he goes to the other extreme and plays one of the most attacking lineups he could realistically have put out. (Aside from Kranj for Livermore or something.) We were still playing 4-4-2, Livermore is still a DM, so if we'd have played well and taken advantage of Norwich playing like they had nothing to lose, we could have scored a ton of goals in a very open game and come away with a clean sheet after Norwich heads went down after 15 minutes or so.
But when Norwich pressed us and exposed the weaknesses we've always had in that formation, we ended up losing. There was a moment in that game, a golden moment in which we showed exactly what could have happened if all our players were in form... We were getting pressed near our left corner flag, we played one and two touch passes all the way through their team and transformed being pressed by our corner flag into an attack. Much of the time, we hoofed it, but that was one shining moment in the match that showed how good our players can be.
The thing is, everyone in that OMT saw that our defence didn't have its usual standard of protection and our defence did not have a good day at all. So when their second goal came from Livermore not closing a long range shot down, it highlighted the stuff we all saw. When BAE stopped and looked for about 5 seconds for someone to pass to and had to go long, it highlighted the lack of an extra body in midfield to help out. The lack of a link between attack and the midfield is also in the OMT and VDV in his usual position helps us gain superior numbers in the middle of midfield and is the link between attack and the midfield.
Kaboul getting injured took one sub away from Harry, so with just two he couldn't change much. Saha was awful and according to Harry "sort of did his groin", which might mean "was brick, but I don't want to embarrass the lad", he didn't want to use his last sub before the second half and risk finishing with 10 men, so his starting line up fudged him up that match.
Harry coming out after the game and saying "people keep telling me to play 4-4-2 but we were too open" is going to enrage some people, because some people could have told him that his starting lineup would be open before the match. Some people know how Norwich play and know what to expect. But after Sunderland and his 3 attacking players idea didn't break down a team that were always going to park the bus, it was awful to hear Parker and Harry say after the game that they expected Sunderland to attack more.
The fact that he hasn't sat down with his players and watched Sunderland vs Emirates Marketing Project to give them some idea of what to expect is a bit disappointing. Earlier in the season, he might have sent his teams out against the unknown, but the players were good enough to save him, now they need some help.
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The managerless match at Anfield was 4-5-1, 10 of our players defended and Ade sat up on his own until he was subbed off for Saha, who sat up the field on his own.
The formation at Sunderland was 4-5-1, not 4-3-3... When we play in a 4-4-1-1, Bale is exactly how forward he is in that 4-5-1 and VDV plays on the right wing in the same position he plays in a 4-4-2 when stuck on the right wing.
