I am reminded of the Brazilian teams from the 70’s, who had a football philosophy of ‘You can score three, we will score five.’
Although it is incredible that we scored six goals away from home, I am extremely concerned about the goals that we conceded against Cardiff. In particularly, the second goal. Jordan Mutch collected the ball at the halfway line and had up to ten seconds to dawdle on it. He was under no pressure what so ever. He had time to look up, see a pass, change his mind, see another pass, before spotting Frazier Campbell moving into the space between Agger and Flanagan. Where was the pressure on the ball? In the Premier League, we cannot allow players to have so much time on the ball, simply because we have now seen the results of what happens when we do. Even the third goal is a concern, in that none of our midfielders tracked the Mutch run. We need to tighten up defensively, it's as simple as that.
So how do we beat them?
I would have preferred if Sunderland would have nothing to play for. Alas, they are fighting for survival. However, they have not shown anything in their recent performances that gives me pause. Matches that they would have targeted for wins, such as against Hull, Norwich and Crystal Palace ended in two defeats and a draw. I do not see the Black Cats getting anything from The Reds.
Again, I see at least four more goals from our strike force, but hopefully a clean sheet as well. In terms of line-up, I would like to see a change in the defence, with Daniel Agger being replaced by Mamadou Sakho, and perhaps a starting run for Raheem Sterling, in place of Joe Allen.
And our competitors…
Arsenal were incredibly disappointing this weekend, getting thrashed 6-0 by a rampant Chelsea. Although, we would have preferred that Arsenal would have taken points off Chelsea, our chances of finishing above Chelsea in the league is still in our hands. Midweek, Arsenal are playing Swansea and should redeem themselves some and collect a win.
But the big game is Man Utd hosting Man City. I intend to cheer on the Red Devils because, unlike Chelsea, our finishing above Man City is dependant on the Citizens dropping two points at least somewhere. The Manchester Derby is a chance for this to happen. Although, we may be concerned that Van Persie is injured and will not be playing, I believe this is a blessing in disguise for Moyes, as it removes some decision making from him. Now, he will be able to move Rooney forward and play Mata in his preferred, most effective position, which is in the number 10 role. I think United should play with two wings, preferably Valencia and Young with two of Fellaini, Carrick or Fletcher screening for an aging back four.
Follow Kurt Ellis on Twitter @kurtellis2
Latest Forum Discussion