the pink palermo wrote:
In the first half of last season we regularly had four players in the oppositions box when the ball was delivered in .We won loads .
In the first part of this season we regularly had 4 players in the oppositions box when the ball was delivered in .We won loads .
Recently, much as the second half of last season we rarely have more than three, often only 2 .We've stopped scoring .
To get the goals you need numbers in the box .
Very succinct point and its been glaring in our recent outings. Take yesterday for example, Antonio finally delivers and gets to the by line and puts in a cut back ball to the middle of the area, no one there, no one coming in from the edge of the box. Perhaps he should have checked his run, held the ball and then played it backwards 30 yards down the pitch. As has been already have posted, its belief, intent, confidence, not only from those on the pitch but the manager as well.
Have we been opting out and taking the path of least resistance because we can't play our football without Payet, imo yes and that includes the manager. Thats not meant as a dig, just that a mentality seems to have set in. Chances are at some point we are going to be without Payet and other key players in the second half of the season as well, so we better find a way (quickly) to be more effective in attack and that includes getting players in and around the box.