The midfield and defence clearly didn't turn up.
The first half was absolutely crappy, we didn't get any fluent movement going, the players looked intimidated by the atmosphere as though it was their first time out in a European competition. We were second best for everything I felt, failing to pose any threat whatsoever to them in the first half at all. I can't recall us having a decent shot on goal at all in the first.
At the start of the game, the defenders looked more satisfied with rolling the ball sideways, and there were at least 3-4 Fiorentina players exerting pressure on us as we failed to manoeuvre our way out of our own half. There wasn't any fluidity in our play, there wasn't any good off the ball movement at all.
That coupled with the Fiorentina players who looked determined to win every ball, they were threatening, motivated to prove something and they went for everything they could. Off the start I saw a lot of their attacking players chasing the ball with intensity, that I actually had a feeling that this was going to be a tough game for us. They had good chances early on, a through ball from their own half finding Jovetic, who shot, and Johnson was nowhere near, and he needed Skrtel to clear up the mess for him.
From a corner later on, a Fiorentina player picked up a loose ball in the box and sent a pinpoint cross, and the lad had an overhead kick. Where was the marking? He was left free to do what he wished to, no one had spotted him and was sticking to him - another error.
The first goal could be prevented, as JD posted the screenshot, there was no one exerting pressure on the lad who squared the ball through to Jovetic, Carra and Skrtel weren't even closing him down, our fullbacks not doing anything to help matters either by leaving both Fiorentina players on the wings onside. He had so much time on the ball, it was a sickening goal, could easily have been prevented.
For the second, Insua was well beaten. The cross came in, Johnson was running back to cover his position, Lucas was behind Jovetic but left him unmarked. If we had our positions in sync and we knew what we did, I think it wouldn't have happened at all.
These goals came from open play, not set pieces and they were mistakes as a team, not from an individual. Overall, we failed produce anything in defence in the first half, it was horrid, the marking was all over the place and out of sync. Both goals could have been prevented but lets work them on the training ground, analyse them and then ensure we don't commit them again.
We've got Chelsea coming up, let us pull our act together, this game has suddenly become more important after the loss, we don't want two losses in a row after 6 wins on the trot. Put our faith back in the lads, with them we always know anything is possible!
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