I keep seeing people say we need an experienced spine, in the team, and that's a fair comment.
But following on from what you said I wonder if, yesterday, there were many better spines than Ballard, Neil, Jobe. To buy them now would set us back £30/40m? We have them in the team already, improving all the time, and they've cost next to nowt.
What we've lacked, this season imo, is players being in the side long enough to form partnerships. If we have a more settled team/style I think those improvements will quicken.
Hume and Aouchiche seemed to understand each other yesterday and so did Ekwah and Rigg ...
... but it takes a little time and patience.