Three issues I have with the long ball for runners. 1) you need players who can make the pass. 2) you need players who can cushion, control and keep the ball whilst receiving a ball from over their shoulder. 3) why not do it sooner, into space behind their back line and give AA a chance to use his pace. Three issues with having 3CBs. 1) ABK has never looked comfortable in a back 3. 2) Salisu has never looked comfortable in a back 3. 3) Most of the time NJ has been working on this system, ABK & Salisu were at the World Cup, so have had little time to improve their ability to adapt to the system.
My hopes that we were going to play a high-tempo, Bielsa-esque vertical passing style hasn't exactly been proven out in the first 50.
AMN has is being cut out of every pass by the screening fwd and is doing absolutely nothing about it, just jogging in line with the player. Apparently not needing to find space and time.
I know our passing and build up play has been poor, but the inability of AA to make any sort of impact against a L1 team should see him benched from here on.
