I did not watch yesterday's game, but I think the question is still relevant.
I'll say three things.
The wings
As good as Diaz is, he is not Mane yet. Not in terms of skills, but Mane was very good a connecting with Robertson and our No.9, whoever he was. Diaz still needs to develop that, not for himself but for the team. The reason the stats of our midfield is so poor (goals and assists) is that the threat comes from Robertson and TAA but if they cannot go forward, the balance is off. There's' not enough threat in our attack.
The attitude
I think our preseason was not good. The team was not ready even though we found a way to win against M.City. I suspect we played too much last season and during preseason too. Preseason was too short.
For whatever reason, the team was not mentally ready. A lot of things were off. VVD was too complacent, Henderson showed little to no leadership in midfield and in front, everyone was finding the marks. TAA was forcing things and for sure defensively we were very very silly.
Midfield
Playing without a proper DM (Fabinho) is a fatal mistake for us when we're in a difficult phase. As I said earlier, TAA and Robertson need to be able to go forward, otherwise the balance of the team is off. Henderson and Thiago are not expected to score or assist regularly because that's not their role in the team. They are here to recycle the ball and move it forward as quickly as possible, that's it. With TAA and sometimes VVD all over the place, not having Fabinho against ManU was fatal. And lacking a DM when we need control, puts us in a more difficult phase. Also, Milner should not start. HE would not got on the bench of most teams in the top 10 of the league, to think that he can do a jod as a starter is a joke.
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