Is this not the nub of the problem? Hughes has a wealth of midfield / winger talent - Faurlin Granero Park SWP Taarabt Hoillet Derry Mackie Diakite As a midfield selection thats great but he can't play them all so what does he do? Plays them out of position. Park needs to be central so that means he drops Granero or Faurlin. He opts not to do that and its square peg round hole time for Park on the wing. I feel sorry for the guy as he is a quality player but he must be very fustrated Meanwhile in Defender Land its headless chicken time - Dyer Ferdinand Bosingwa Traore All injured Hill Nelsen Onouha M'Bia Can just about cover it but its all in the wrong positions and making do with no continuity or depth I think Hughes cannot decide a Midfield Line Up A and B which he needs to do even if it means Park doesn't start and one of Taabs / Hoillett does replaced by the other Meanwhile in defence its just all hands to the pump isn't it? 6 games in thats grim. Can anyone tell me the last time we played the same back 4 or in fact the same starting XI? Hughes needs to go back to the drawing board, agree his options and then deploy them. So far it just seems he's trying to justify his purchases by playing them regardless of whether they are effective in their roles.
Stating the bleeding obvious if you don't mind me saying Wubbers. There was not a single voice on here who said we needed more midfielders above CBs and strikers in the summer but guess where the money went? And now chickens are well and truly home to roost. Having said that he can make better use of his midfield pool than he is doing by adjusting tactics and team to suit the opposition. Granero and Faurlin can work well against the ball playing teams such as Arsenal and Spurs but not against the mad house approach of Reading, Stoke, etc.
Probably best that TF doesn't blame the injuries to our back four because the man whose reputation he's protecting decided to leave a decent fullback out of the squad.
Didn't understand that decision myself and I agree that there seems to have been too much money thrown at the midfield and not enough on the defence. (All depends on who's available and at what price, of course).
If its stating the obvious, why was it not sorted? I posted this when the window was still open, I knew our team was wrong and we would lose before we kicked off. I fI can see it, why cant Hughes? Thats what worrys me. I have no confidence in him at all.