I agree.

In writing what follows I am not being critical in a negative way, VfaB calls it as he sees it and I don’t disagree over much with anything he has scribed either here or on the ‘Thoughts’ page. What I would point out is that we were playing with a makeshift CH pairing and a DMF which is not the managers preferred pairing by some way.

So two forced changes, why should that matter? Let’s start with the comments re Zaba;

Quoting VfaB – We desperately craved width and quality last night but whilst Zabaleta was sound defensively, he didn’t quite bring that spark in attack – 6 (ends)

He was playing RB to a CH who is a DMF in real life, so how do we think that changed his game? Do we think the Manager might have instructed him in a different manner than when he plays alongside Vince or Kolo?

Quoting VfaB – [Garcia] Could have injected more tempo into his passing as we looked ponderous with the ball in defence – 6 (ends)

So we should expect the makeshift CH to dictate the tempo? I thought Garcia had an exceptional game in the circumstances and gained my nod for MoM

Quoting VfaB – Without Garcia alongside him, he [Barry] was forced to sit that bit deeper throughout the match – 6 (ends)

Yes he was, and despite the fans who big up James Milner for a midfield Yaya role, this speaks volumes. I like and admire Jimmy for his professional diligence and wholehearted commitment, but he doesn’t do the sort of job that Garcia or Rodwell are equipped to do much better in DMF. Neither does he doesn’t give us the passing game of Yaya or the attacking threat through the middle. What he does well is what he has done for the last few games, playing on the right of an attacking three including Tevez and Silva. The following quote from VfaB says it all:

Milner – Moved into his favoured central midfield position but didn’t have the impact he would have desired. Tried too many long, crossfield passes bearing in mind the conditions and lacked that thrust when joining attacks – 6 (ends)

Absolutely, he so desperately wants to play that role and hasn’t the right skillset for it.

What should our expectations be from a player who is coming back from injury after injury as has Rodwell? Well I’d hazard a guess that you won’t get dynamism. He is a player in the Barry mold and either he or Garcia may well be the inheritor of the incomparable Gareth’s position in a season or so if they lift their game to his consistently high level.

Finally, our problem is really evident to all. We defend very well these days, we have an excellent range of midfield players and some superb creativity. There are 3 strikers that any PL club would be glad to have but we are failing to convert the many, many chances. Avergae sides have worked us out, they come with little ambition other than to sit, to frustrate, to cancel out, keep a clean sheet and maybe grab a goal. We can’t mock them, sometimes it works, after all Sibneft FC won became European Champions doing the self same thing.

Hopefully this will change, someone like RvP would probably have changed it, it must frustrate the socks of Roberto!

Overall I dont think we played as bad as some others make out, with the same performance and a 1-0 victory which i think we were worthy of, all these marks would be 1 higher.