After watching Barcelona demolish Munich last week (and numerous other teams this season), I am starting to understand why, despite our array of great goal scorers, we just aren't scoring the way we should (5th in the league I think). With the devastating threat of Messi, Alves and Henry pulling defences wide, Barcelona's midfielders have room to roam. I don't think Xavi and Iniesta are necessarily better than Carrick and company, it's that they have space with which to manoevre.
A quick look at our team reveals a real shortage of true flank players. The best of the group, after Giggs' shift to the middle, is CR, and he plays wherever he wants on any given day. Nani would be next best but suffers from selfishness and poor decision-making. Park is obviously an atypical flank player and tends to migrate to the middle when given the chance. The same can be said for Evra moving forward, I think he must be afraid of his own left foot because I cannot remember the last time he put a good ball into the middle. Take your pick on the right from Neville, O'Shea or Brown and none are really capable of consistent service. Maybe Tosic, Fabio or Rafael will make it right but they are obviously too young to know for sure.
As a result I think mediocre teams can now defend us predictably, game in and game out, and we are therefore left to rely on our own defensive strength to get us through so many of those 1-0 games. This is fine when they are playing well, but without Brown, Hargreaves and one of Vidic/Ferdinand, we are now starting to be exposed at the back as the limitations of O'Shea & Neville become apparent, as well as the youth of Evans.
Although, like nearly everyone, I would love to keep Tevez, I am starting to feel strongly that we need to add at least one established flanking midfielder in the off season to make our game less predictable. Ashley Young would do nicely, though I think Villa would have something to say about it. I always thought Pedersen would have fit in well a few years back as well.
A quick look at our team reveals a real shortage of true flank players. The best of the group, after Giggs' shift to the middle, is CR, and he plays wherever he wants on any given day. Nani would be next best but suffers from selfishness and poor decision-making. Park is obviously an atypical flank player and tends to migrate to the middle when given the chance. The same can be said for Evra moving forward, I think he must be afraid of his own left foot because I cannot remember the last time he put a good ball into the middle. Take your pick on the right from Neville, O'Shea or Brown and none are really capable of consistent service. Maybe Tosic, Fabio or Rafael will make it right but they are obviously too young to know for sure.
As a result I think mediocre teams can now defend us predictably, game in and game out, and we are therefore left to rely on our own defensive strength to get us through so many of those 1-0 games. This is fine when they are playing well, but without Brown, Hargreaves and one of Vidic/Ferdinand, we are now starting to be exposed at the back as the limitations of O'Shea & Neville become apparent, as well as the youth of Evans.
Although, like nearly everyone, I would love to keep Tevez, I am starting to feel strongly that we need to add at least one established flanking midfielder in the off season to make our game less predictable. Ashley Young would do nicely, though I think Villa would have something to say about it. I always thought Pedersen would have fit in well a few years back as well.
