BY I.
We have actually blamed the defence for our bad results recently. Reading Hector Bellerin’s statement after the match against Brighton, I think there is a blame in the dressing room against the attackers.
He said in the Mail: ‘The team gave its best, we created chances, we defended good, but it seems like we need so many chances to score and teams score every chance against us. I am lost for words a little bit’.
In modern football both defence and attack are products of collective team efforts. The defenders aid the attackers in transition from defensive play to attacking play. The attackers as well assist the defenders by being the first defenders when the team loses possession. There seem to be a gap in this team between the defence and attack.
Opposing teams tend to have freedom to run at our defence without much help from our attackers causing panic defending. It is easy to see the defenders contributions towards our attacking play but you don’t see much from the attackers when we are defending. You see the likes of Luiz, the fullbacks, Guendouzi, Torreira, Xhaka taking risks in turns to help in attacks.
When we have good attacking plays like the early parts of the first half at Norwich, opponents find it difficult to attack us.
Let’s talk about conversion of chances. I see lack of hunger in our finishing. We hardly have enough bodies in proper positions in the opposition 18 yards box when we are attacking. And the team’s attacking set up seem to be planned for only Auba and Laca to score alone. You hardly see cutbacks to other players.
I need to mention the waste of Martinelli here. That lad needs to play directly through the middle as a main striker not playing from the wing or behind the main striker. We have seen his monstrous displays in the cup games. He should be replacing either Auba or Laca directly at the middle.
I think there is a lack of team spirit in the attacking side of the team. Could there be a dressing room problem? Factions?
I