Our lack of cohesion. It's been a similar story all season, even largely last season.
A talented squad but for me the balance has been off since the sales of Luka Modric and Van der Vaart.
Before we had a creative fulcrum, a pivot from which we could spring board attacks. Modric, and even Huddlestone were able to transition defence to attack very quickly, to switch play to the danger men.
Now we struggle to get Lennon involved. Isolate Soldado. I alluded to it in another thread. But I think someone like Emirates Marketing Project would still be awesome if they swapped Dembele and Sandro for Fernandinho and Toure. Because the four in front of them don't rely on the service from the midfield two. All the need really is for them to provide a solid base from which to spring attacks. Of course Toure and Fernandinho offer a lot more.
We look at Lennon's most successful periods. When he played with Modric, Huddlestone, Van der Vaart, Carrick. Players who can play progressive football to try and get players like Lennon in the right position. One on one with his full back. Or get Soldado performing in danger areas where he is more effective. These are multipliers. Enablers. Players who get more from other players.
Right now we lack that cohesion. We have two components which are incompatible in my mind. Lennon and our attacking midfielders don't need defensive beasts as such. They need creative pivots from which we spring attacks. Our defensive or more pragmatic minded centre mids like Paulinho rely on the likes of Silvas, Cazorlas, Hazards to make them seem more functional.