I've just watched the goals again. I can see now why TA didn't sprint out to close down the scorer immediately, as there were two Norwich players to his right, if he rushes out to the eventual scorer he could have just played them clean through. It was a kind of VVD v Sissoko/Son at Anfield moment - unfortunately the Norwich player wasn't Sissoko. But it doesn't happen at all if Foyth wasn't such a fucking ditherer.
I don't give a fuck if Foyth's a silkier passer of the ball than Sanchez, this dithery shit happens too often, and there's something flimsy about him. Even when he made some important blocks/tackles today my heart was in my mouth as he just never looked like he was in control of the moment.
The second goal doesn't happen if Moura a few seconds earlier just makes a fucking simple pass out to Alli in acres of space - which would have set us on an attack - his energy is great but for the umpteenth time he fucks up a straightforward pass that could build something, and a few seconds later they are on the attack.
For their second, Aurier has to take a huge chunk of the blame. Sanchez has read the situation and got himself into he right place and makes the right challenge on his man, but Aurier just does not read the situation and leaves Puki all on his own through the centre. I get that he has one eye on their fella outside him, but that's a massive secondary danger to their CF being allowed to run through the centre in acres of space.
Sanchez has his faults, he lacks a bit of composure when he gets shoulder to shoulder with players and he's not exactly silky, but he's a vastly better option than Foyth.
It was a breath of fresh air to see us actually play some football through midfield today. Eriksen completed 84 passes, Ndombele 61. So much better than scant 40 odd that Sissoko and Dier average, even against shit teams at home. But I want to see Ndombele getting the ball from a 6/DM and advancing it from a bit further up, not doing so much of the water carrying for others.
I saw some people say Lo Celso didn't bring much, but he played two lovely through balls, one Alli fucked up and one he scored and was just offside - but it's exactly this composure and incisive type of passing we've been lacking for months. There was so much right about having Eriksen, Ndombele and Lo Celso out on the pitch, but that set up today was just a little bit too flimsy and light on busy cuntedness. It just needs a sight week back the other way, get a busy cunt in there to do the dirty graft and water carry for the likes of Ndombele, Lo Celso, Eriksen.
Sessegnon didn't contribute much tangible, but the kid needs time, the one thing he will bring if he develops on, is a combination of the good things Moura and Alli have - he has some of Moura's energy and some of Alli's ability to get into the box situations on the end of things but he is less erratic than Moura with the ball and makes more simple choices on the ball than Alli. He doesn't have either of their match experience and confidence yet, but if he can develop on, he'll be useful. Pace and composure together is something we lack up top.
Fuck knows what that format was in the first half, but it was a fucking mess, I enjoyed that second half more than any other under Mourinho so far. Norwich are a lively side who can play some decent football but we absolutely dominated them - turned a 52/48 negative first half possession turned into a 71-29 second half.
Unfortunately too much bumbling by the likes Alli and Moura (although both put in a lot of effort) really cost us today, after a lot of decent approach work and some good situations.
Their X/G for the game was 0.27 ours was 1.90.
Little tweak to that line up, a decent busy cunt in there to anchor it and provide the insurance, and we could start to look like a proper football team again.