Most people would agree that they dominated the game for large spells. Sam is known for a dour style. I wonder if his plan was to let them play like that and hit them on the break. If so, it worked brilliantly. I reckon most of us would settle for this kind of display if it means we get out of trouble and enjoy mid table security for a few seasons. Not great to watch but (at least today) effective.
Oh no doubt about it. It's the part of the game plan which went perfect. Stand off, stay organised, restrict them to ranged shorts then hit them on the break. Not being able to string passes together remains a concern. We give the ball back to opponents far to easy. That's where Sam wil have his work cut out imo.
Towards half time I had convinced myself that leaving so much space down their right wing was to invite them and then hit them on the break.
We certainly gave them enough space in the first half!! Scared the hell out of me! And so often we let their guys run at us, 20, 30, 40 yard at a time before they were closed down. Still lots of work to be done by Big Sam.
My answer is no. If Sams plan involved Toivonen it wasn`t working. For whatever reason the lad was having a mare. His subbing was a plus imo.
"Blessing in disguise" I think they call it!! As for the OP and most posts - did any of us, bar Mitrovic's shot in the second half, have our hearts in our mouths thinking "goal" when they hit a shot or had a header at goal? only once in 90 minutes did I feel like that and that was because a left footer faked a shot and used some nice skill in the box. The rest of the time they looked completely toothless up front and shaky at the back. But TalkShite and all of the press think they're great and we're ****e because we did to them what they did to Norwich a week earlier! Who give a **** - we won 3-0!
Coloccini had a shot saved from a yard out in the first few minutes, that's all I recall from the highlights and a free kick that would have possibly hit the bar anyway.
Free kick was comfortable for the keeper - straight arm (and I think, as you say, would've probably hit the bar or gone over) - I'm at the other end to the Coloccini one so maybe that's why it doesn't stick out!
