Onwards and upwards. Meanwhile, here's my prescription for saving the season:
What I would do now is tweak the side like this:
- get Sanchez into the side in an advanced midfield position.
- I'd keep Leo at RB but with licence to get forward a lot more. I'd keep our gameplan of attacking from wide out on the right but I'd look to overload that side to make things a bit more varied.
- I'd give Ifill a freer role nominally on the left coming inside. This would be the same role for Fenton - either way I'd be splitting roughly 60 mins/30mins depending on who starts and who comes off the bench. Ifill has to get into goal scoring positions and I would be encouraging both him and Fenton to start making runs beyond the strikers. I'd pretty much free Ifill up from defending - he'd be the link and has to be the guy we're looking to play to quickly out of defence. Same with Fenton. Both would be instructed to sweep in behind the front two from the left and play the ball out right quickly when we attack, where Brockie and Leo overlapping would try and overload the opposition fullback
- I'd look for another midfielder in the transfer window to play along side Muscat at the base of our midfield. The emphasis would be on someone who could pass the ball both short and long. I know this is a stretch but this is really important. Doesn't have to be a super star but needs to be able to get the ball under control and use it. Use the money freed up after Pavlovic has gone if necessary - I think we're ok up front. If all else fails I would consider Clapham, it's a bit desperate but desperate time and all that
- Muscat's job would be solely to defend and with Leo bombing on he may have to cover wide right from time to time - that's fine he's comfortable out there. Crucially, I'd take the responsibility for "playmaking" off him. His passing isn't good enough - I'd instruct him to receive the ball and look to move it on more quickly to Ifill, Steyn and Sanchez and Mr X in midfield, all of whom should be looking to receive the ball quickly and then get it wide and try and isolate fullbacks
- I'd be looking for a way to get Alex Smith off the books. He's just not good enough as an import to hold down a place in the squad. There must be a kiwi or an aussie who can do what he does (I'm not even sure what that is by the way). I think he's really limited player
Overall, we'd still be direct but direct in a little bit more thoughtful way. We're not Barcelona so it's not going to be about lots of possession deep. Lots of vertical passes but all done a bit quicker and with less balls in the air and when we break break quickly and try and isolate the fullbacks. Higher tempo and try and force mistakes rather than playing balls in the air or behind full backs which are easy to defend
I think it's funny JD that although I completely disagree with you on the big picture (doom and gloom v. optimism), I agree almost completely on how to improve the side. I disagree that Sanchez is the long term answer for the attacking midfielder, and I think Bertos gets up and down plenty, but other than that spot on. Smith isn't good enough as an import, nor really as a starting midfielder if we are to keep Muscat as we should. During the offseason I have said we need a creative midfielder import that can receive the ball and distribute, preferably also with the ability to play a decisive pass, as I think we have the back line and the front line of a very good side, but with a complete inability to link the two via anything but long ball/quick direct counter - and nothing I have seen so far this season changes that.