A comprehensive win. And credit must go to Sherwood for wanting to correct what he was so obviously getting wrong.
Dropping Dawson in order to play a more proactive back four with a higher line was undoubtedly a good idea.
As was finally grasping the value of a centre midfield 3. This time comprised of Bentaleb, Paulinho and Capoue.
Of the 3, Capoue bore the brunt of the defensive duties, and he did a really excellent job. This allowed Mousa to be moved into a more danger making forward position, whilst Bentaleb could play give and go balls, letting Paulinho feed Mousa and Lennon.
Or at least, that’s my analysis of what I watched.
The reality was that Paulinho was the weak link in the chain. Despite his sexy flick and well taken goal, we got a subdued, off the pace performance. I heard a nasty unsubstantiated rumour last week that he’s trying to avoid injury ahead of the World Cup.
If he wants to play for Brazil this summer, he’ll need to not only improve his tackling, but work on a currently awful first touch.
A 0-4 win at Sid James Park under any circumstances is a brilliant result. The Bar Codes are struggling. That’s now just one win in 7; their 4th home defeat on the bounce.
You can only play the team in front of you, so the fact that player wise, Toon been asset stripped by a combination of Mike Ashley and the physio’s bench, is neither here nor there. All will be revealed when we’re playing someone that isn’t on their knees.
What is very helpful though, is that we’ve now got a couple of games against Norwich City and Cardiff City, that will give Sherwood further opportunity to work on this new shape, and hopefully have it close to fully functioning by the time we face Chelsea on the 8th of March and the Arse on the 16th.
Tim’s tactical idiocies – and idiocies they were – appear to be in remission. On the strength of this one game, his previous laments soundbites of “holding the ball”, “pressing” etc for the very first time, actually relate to what was happening in the pitch.
He’s made sensible adjustments that were crying out to be made.
The result wasn’t just that we won, but that we won playing some entertaining and (and dare I use the word in a flattering sense for once) cohesive football.
Last night was light years removed from much of the mindless dross we’ve been served to date. More please.
Mentions in dispatches: Hugo Lloris is the best keeper in the league. What a signing. Naughton’s inclusion I find baffling. Presumably Zeki Fryers is actually worse. Bonzo teetered on stoopid a few times, I think he got away with it.
Kaboul looked great. Please do not break.
Capoue is my MOTM. Everyone and their dog was telling Tim to play him, and he lived up to expectations.
Bentaleb will hopefully have calmed those worried about him. He goes to sleep defensively, on occasion, but in a 3, there’s greater latitude. Mousa will need a few more games to get this advance role thing perfected.
Azza was much improved. Mind you, he was utterly worthless last time out. So he can lap up his faint praise, and snooze like a warm and content, breast fed baby afterwards. He blew at least 3 breaking moves. He hit the post with a shot that experts measured travelling at 16mph.
Townsend has only had 2 brief cameos of late. When he’s not doing that cut in, find a yard, wallop! thing, he’s looking like he doesn’t have a plan.
Chadli. Heh. I never understood where the hate for the guy emanated from. He sauntered on, scored a fabulous goal, and sauntered off again. Hilarious.
Soldado wasn’t on the park long enough long enough to irritate anyone. This may be the way forward.
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