The Selections
I have no problem with Kane being rested at all, I think it should happen more often for his sake, and us as a team keeping him fresher, and we always seem to play OK when he is, I don’t think it hurts us to change the dynamics occasionally and give the opposition a different set of problems than one they’ve been expecting all week. My only question would be that it would have made more sense to try to not rest Kane and Eriksen (our two most productive players) at the same time, and maybe Kane could have been rested for the Southampton game?
The Structure
We started with the 4312 Diamond, with Dier at the base, and Alli at the tip. The pundits at half time seemed to suggest we switched to a 433 at some point in the first half, if so, I didn’t figure it, I know there was fluidity there, as always, and they all (Son, Moura, Alli) all popped up in each other’s spaces at various times, but it always seemed to default back to that 4312 diamond to me? Until the subs anyway…
The Game
This was a really strange game. I quite like Puel, think he got a raw deal at Southampton, and has had to cope with a Leicester in transition, losing some good players etc, and whenever I’ve seen them lately, they seem to be playing OK, but I have no idea what he was trying to do tonight, it was just really limp and we really didn’t have to be anywhere close to our best to win this. And it’s fair to say we weren’t.
We weren’t bad either, we went through much of the right motions, and it was nice to breeze into a two goal lead without really breaking a sweat, and defensively we were pretty solid, but if there’s a concern it’s that we actually created so little of tangible quality chances against such a feeble resistance. In the end we’ve scored with our only two shots on target, one of those was probably offside, and Alli, who had a very good game generally, was possibly guilty of Levying about a couple of times instead of just getting a shot off, if Sissoko didn’t have the technique of a baby elephant we might have been clean through a couple of times, and generally if people had made better decisions we might have created a little more. Neither full back really contributed enough either.
Sissoko, had a pretty poor game, against such a passive opposition he saw very little of the ball (completed a pitiful 23 passes from 35 attempted, giving the ball away 35% and it’s not like he was on it much or attempting anything clever) in this CM3 system he’s got to provide some thrust in transition as well as some ballast. It’s not like this was Cheslea and we were defensively under the cosh for most of this game.
Got to say, I was a little disappointed by Winks too if I’m honest. He was metronomic, neat and tidy and did see a lot more of the ball than Sissoko (67/74 90%) and he did get about, but, again, against such little resistance, in this CM3 system I would like to see him providing a little more ambition and incision with his passing.
Alli had a decent knock, providing the fulcrum that his remit required and most good things hubbed through him. Needs to be a little more clinical in the box sometimes and Levy around a little less though. Son was close to his effervescent liveliest, and scored an absolute beauty, then created the second for Alli.
As is often the case, Poch’s subs utterly baffled me. They baffled me because it seems counter intuitive to rest two important players and then risk them getting injured in a game that’s effectively over, it baffled me because the game just didn’t need Eriksen playing as a LM at that stage, if you are going to put him on, just swap out Alli, and why a CF who’s slower on the counter than Moura and Son, and at that point stifling and countering was what we were doing, which you would think would suit at least one of Son and Moura.
I would have been tempted to swap Alli for Skip, go 433, push Sissoko up into the front three to charge at tired legs and have Skipp sitting to the right of Dier helping him mop up and counter. As it was, Poch’s subs changed us to a 4411 and it was our worst phase of the game.
In the end this was a pretty facile win, about as facile as the PL gets to be honest, but it’s a little concerning that a couple of years ago we’d have smashed such a weak opponent. Tonight we scored with our only two shots on target, one a worldy, one offside.
Individual
Lloris – not loads to do, but did it fine.
Aurier – They got behind him a couple of times early on, and he didn’t contribute enough offensively. Meh.
TA – Decent game.
Vertonghen – Decent game
Davies – OK.
Dier – Solid enough game, if he’s got to play in midfield then this simplified central holding role is a more bearable one, plays to his limitations, he just has to sit, mop up, water carry, and allow the two either side to play football and provide the thrust. Unfortunately the two today didn’t really do it enough.
Sissoko – Apart from a couple of good covering tackles early on, this was a pretty tepid performance and didn’t contribute enough against such an insipid opponent. 23/35 passes and 12 of them were backwards.
Winks – Did get through plenty of the ball, was metronomic enough, but I’d like a little more creative input from him. Got to be a little bit stronger without the ball too at times.
Alli – Good game, most things hubbed through him, but didn’t actually create much in terms of real quality chances. There were a couple of times when a killer pass was on (one of the few times Winks had made a run and got into the box) and he didn’t play it. Took his goal well, but was offside.
Son – Such an enigmatic player, almost like he has a twin, one of them capable of scintilating things and the other of infuriating bumbling. Tonight we got the good twin. Good game, also worked harder without the ball.
Moura – Pffftt…OK, I still am a bit confused as to why he played the ball to Son for that second goal, it was a nice pass, but surely if he carries it two yards and then releases Alli, he’s clean through? He flitted about as ever, couple of decent moments, but not enough of real substance really.
