Positives:
-Having Konate back is great. Lad is at least a notch or two above Gomez. Much less prone to a mistake or dangerous panic tackle. VVD is usually the calming figure in that backline, but since the season started it feels like he's all alone with Robertson trying to put out fires left and right to the point where you feel he's in a panicked state as well. Konate just cancels that off. Its almost like the master can just finally relax and focus on his own job because he knows the guy next to him splits the bill 50/50 not 75/25% with him.
- Nunez scores yet another one. Like we said countless times, he needs goals no matter how ugly they can be. All of that plays into him building his confidence which will in turn make everything else smoother in terms of improving. It makes a world of difference to try and improve when you know you're capable rather than first try to prove to yourself you are capable then go and actually do it.
- The frontline in general. Very dangerous for 3 guys with next to no service given to them during the entire 90%. What some will describe as Bobby or Mo ''trying too hard'' or ''losing the ball too much'' is the direct byproduct of the inexistent midfield behind them (more on that in the negatives)
- Set piece. Good to know we can rely on that to get on the scoresheet considering how bad we are from open play. Nunez, Konate, VVD all in the box for a corner is a big threat for any team in the world on any given day regardless of our form.
- Bajcetic and Ramsay. I know they both played like 8 minutes, but they looked smooth on the ball, full of energy and very combative. Honestly, I would have no problem seeing the former get bigger chunks of our games if not start some. If you're wondering who sits, its Fabinho I'm talking about.
- Alisson. That's it. That's the positive point, we have Alisson as our goalkeeper.
Negatives:
- The midfield is next to non existent. We cannot keep hold of the ball if our lives depended on it and that's even with Thiago in the team. I lost count of the number of times we got pressed into a back pass followed by a press all the way down to our box with no answer other than trying a long pass to one of the front three and see if it sticks. This and the full-backs having a run down their respective flanks to deliver a cross have been our only two creative plays for more than 6 or 7 games now. As long as this is the situation, pointing fingers at the forwards is a ridiculous exercise. You can't watch this brand of football we are playing and then turn around and say forward X, Y, or Z did not score tonight. We simply do not come out of our half with the ball at our feet. All the attempts to do so lead in a direct turnover of the ball.
- I know he had the tough task of marking one of Europe's hottest new talents in Kvaratskhelia tonight, but TAA continues to be very fragile defensively. Offensively, he's still the player we know, but in his own half he's a liability and I'm not sure what is the solution to this problem.
- Fabinho. I'm not sure what to say anymore. Maybe he needs rest. Long season last year, short summer. Maybe he's knackered.
I'm probably missing a few points, but this is the gist of it. We are good in the area behind the midfield and good in the area in front of it, but we have no midfield so none of the proper connexions are made and until this is corrected, we're gonna struggle and keep on winning one losing two or winning one convincingly then be completely depleted for the next two. Midfielders needed ASAP (midfielders with an S, but I'll settle for one in January then more in the summer). And I hope they dont get us Laimer. Lad fits the profile of what we need but unfortunately, his injury record rivals the Keita one.
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