If we are looking for someone to simply score goals we should be giving Seagar the chance over Long. The poor lad can't do much more than he has done over the past season and a half
I've said this before but Shane Long is 90% of a very good striker. Sadly the missing 10% is that he can barely finish his dinner. He does a lot of good things but his goal record is poor and has been for almost all his career.
The midfield is no good - most teams handle our midfield with ease. Davis JWP Romeu Wanyama all too slow and all very poor offensively. Its one paced with no cutting edge at all.
It's not really that our midfield is bad. It's that we have like 5 players that all do basically the same thing.
I don't see it. Wanyama = brick wall Davis = runs forward Classie = runs around JWP = takes free kicks Mane = takes ppl on Romeu = collects cards Tadic = passes the ball reed = is ginger Seems quite varied to me.
And none of them are noted for playing at high tempo. I largely agree with Mikey, with one caveat: to get back to what worked, we may well need additions, unless Clasie shows major gains in short order. Schneiderlin's value came in both being our defensive rock and the guy initiating attacks...we no longer have anyone capable of both, and we're often slow to get moving (or end up hitting long diagonals instead). Could also be just our usual November/December lethargy, but there were signs of it earlier in the year, as well. Last year we scored 76% of our goals from open play; thus far this season, it's 52%. Crossing into congestion is a tough way to manufacture goals.
We need to trim the midfield a little. Then replace with players that can link midfield to attack. Before anyone says it no Ramirez isn't that player.
And if we lose Mane in the summer, we need to redouble those efforts. We're going to need a bevy of attack-minded midfield players to replace him, wide and central alike.
Romeu maybe, but can't agree about the rest. Especially Bertrand, thought he was poor at defending today.
Urgh. That defending gets worse every time you see it. edit: and the finish at the end. Top bin, Shane.
I think Ramirez will come good this season. This season is make or break for him. It just takes a while for other players to catch up with what hes all about.
My argument wasn't with anyone saying that someone was poor. That's a reasoned thought. It was the use of the word "****" (attributed to ten players on the pitch) to which I objected. Vin
