I think we have strayed too far from what got us up last year

you say we play nice football, and I agree that last season and the first few games of this season we played brilliant football. But the last 15-20 games we simply haven't done so. We've been slow in possession, not taking enough risks in attacking areas. It's been pretty turgid for the most part; as our lack of goals suggests.

We should have been braver and stuck with players like Leitner, Vrancic, Hernandez and Stiepermann (basically the cup team) - even if they had games where they were getting bullied off the park or struggling. Instead we changed our style to become more solid, but a midfield with limited hard workers like Tettey, McLean, Rupp and Duda is just nowhere near capable of playing the kind of football that worked so well for us last year.

We may well have got relegated anyway, even if we had started with our technically superior players. And would certainly have taken a few real hammerings. But at least we would have been able to out-class a few teams along the way - like we did to Newcastle. And it would have been much easier on the eye.

Posted By: Mecagoenti, Jun 24, 15:37:24