Overall, a thoughtful article but I disagree on some points.
- Beg, borrow, steal or recall a genuine left back. The best at our club is ludicrously on loan in Shepherd’s Bush whilst we make do & mend. Daft
-True: We lack depth here. Simple. Getting Rose back could be massive but we obviously lack depth.
- Choose a CB partnership & stick with it. For me, it’s Vlad Chiriches and Jan Vertonghen – two classy composed, fast, elegant ball players.
-AVB hasn't had much of a choice here. Necessity rather than choice has driven Vert to LB. I agree that Vlad and Vert may be our best choice but until its possible to select them both its a moot point. If Vlad and Vert are the choice I do have some small doubts about their ability in the air and their lack of strength.
- Send Brad Friedel out to grass & blood or buy an adequate like for like sweeper keeper so that when Hugo Lloris is rested or knocked out, the sight of Brad doesn’t cause collective panic attacks in the back four.
-Agreed. Friedel served well last year but we need a back up sweeper keeper. Without an active keeper our defense is not comfortable.
- Give Kyle Walker a bloody good shake and reiterate the need for positional awareness for 90+minutes every game
-Walker is young as shit and has plenty of growing to do. This is a pretty weak criticism. He consistently puts in a huge shift every game but is prone to mental lapses. This is the essence of inexperienced exuberance.
- Have a look at a DVD of the devastation Aaron Lennon has caused for several years against the best defenders in the PL. Then select him to play. Often. His partnership with Walker is worth revisiting
-Lennon is still returning from a long term injury struggle. He has to earn his position back now, not based on DVD highlights. He hasn't shown shit recently so I think calling for him to start and often is premature. I have serious doubts about whether he will ever fit as an inverted winger - I think he lacks the technical ability. Sprinting down the touchline is not everything.
- One sitting midfielder is ample (particularly at home). He’s an essential starter & his selection usually permits a more ambitious game from Paulinho
-Again, just like with the complaints about the starting CBs, this complaint is hollow because either Capoue, Sando or both have been injured at any given moment. Of course we want a true dm playing but do we really want to blame AVB for not rushing players back for home games versus Hull and Newcastle. I believe AVB was trying to protect Sando by not starting him this week - it was a gamble and it failed (it failed b/c Dembele has been shit more often then not this year, especially when he has been playing out of position). However, AVB didn't hesitate to remedy the situation and get Sandro in. Once Capoue and Sando are fit again and games don't have tostart without either of them, the team is going to see major improvements.
- Erik Lamela must start games – he’s unlikely to get good enough to play every week sat on his arse.
-Agree. Starting would be ideal but at the very least he must play 20 minutes EVERY GAME.
- Draw a line under Project Andros – he’s simply not good enough & maybe never will be. The outrageous hype is exactly that. He lacks pace, the ability to beat a man & has a dreadful addiction to (wasteful) shooting. Lennon & Lamela are both significant upgrades
-I agree with the general point - Andros should be earning his time and needs to reign in his long shots. However, saying he lacks pace and the ability to beat a man is flat out absurd. He has shown he has pace comparable to Lennon and possibly better technical ability. He has shown more than Lennon lately and Lennon is by no means a SIGNIFICANT upgrade.
- Make full use of a lethal poacher but actually giving him something to feast on – the continued starving of crosses or incisive passes for Roberto Soldado is unacceptable. Again we need width and the deployment of talent that can deliver.
-I agree. Soldado needs better service. I'm not positive this necessarily has to come from more width. I think it can also come from better CAM play.
