It is also about what system he wants to play. Combining a good attack with solid defence. It is relatively easy to put the best players you have for each position on the pitch and say go and play. But who do you leave out? who can do a better job for the system you want to play and against which team? I really think it is not that simple. It ought to be but there are so many other factors to take into account and also changing it when things do not work out. He had the balls to play long balls when Fellaini was available, just to get the points. He could have said: "Stuff that. He is a Moyes buy and he is never a United type of player." Most pundits last year said he is a waste of money and would never settle in. He managed to identify a system that would stun his opponents. Use fellani on the flanks to drop balls to Blind and Young to isolate and run the full back ragged. Zabaletta didn't know what hit him. He needed help but none was forthcoming. Kompany tried to help but nearly (should have) got a red. You have give him some credit for that team. Yes, it took a while for this to happen. A mixture of things being forced on him and some he tried and got the rewards for.
Not that he was incapable of playing elsewhere, just that he wasn't as good elsewhere. He was one regarded as one of the best No.10's around in that role. Same as Rooney was one of the best strikers around, and it just didn't make sense that both players would be played out of position to shoehorn Falcao or RvP in to the side when both of them were clearly failing this season as strikers.
The truth is closer to this. Our first good run back in xmas coincided with Carrick's return. But our performances back then were ****e. Why? Bcos Fellaini was playing beside him and offered fck all defensively or creatively in a deeper role while Herrera sat on the bench. The one game where he played Fellaini further forward with Mata was against Hull. He had to bring Herrera on inside 10 mins bcos of an injury to Di Maria and we were virtually the same setup as in our last 4 games (but with 2 up top). It was our best fcking performance of the season up to that point. For some insane reason LVG then goes kamakazee and starts putting Rooney in midfield with Fellaini in a deeper role while Mata and Herrera sat once again on the bench. After Hull, there was absolutely NO excuse not to play Mata and Herrera. And there was NO excuse to play Rooney and Fellaini in central midfield. If the last 4 games has proved anything it is that those who were calling for Rooney to play centre forward and for Herrera and Mata to start, have been proved right. Not to mention the end of 3 at the back. Another fcking disastrous experiment put to bed. And that's really the problem. Much of the problems we've faced have been of our own making and totally unnecessary. Anyway, another good win BUT if Carrick really is injured and is not available for the Chelsea game then we'll see just how much LVG has learned with what he does.
