I feel like our defending is actually improving. I know people have worries about Still, and yeah he needs to prove himself, but defensively he has been willing to abandon the bigger names for the players who actually make the defence work. They have not played together very much and already I feel more confident than I have for a while watching us defend.
No way! Who could’ve seen this coming? Thankfully the club prepared for this eventuality and have a direct replacement…
My feeling is it was better to start him with two weeks off after the game than bring him on later. So unless you planned on not using him at all, this was the best option.
Agree with that but my only concern is the left. Derby were exploiting that a bit too easily in general on Saturday.
He would have been given the green light by medical professionals. If anything it would have been stranger to have been told by someone extremely qualified in their field that he is fit to play, but decide that you know better and go against their advice.
I find it very difficult to believe the medical team wouldn't have advised any caution at all given he's out for months simply after stretching for the ball.
They probably said: he needs to build up fitness. Start him. You have two weeks off after. If he feels any little niggles he can come off. The idea he would just break like this was not likely on the cards.
I suppose we'll probably never know. But I do think the medical team would be led more by what scans/tests other data they have available is telling them than the fact he hasn't played regular football for a long time.
