We Lost from the Start

It is difficult and too early to say AVB is wrong about anything – But I know that there will be screams for my head but the formation was the killer and the attitude was next. We knew that whoever won the match, would have a huge boost and Man United got it.

                              

Although to the credit of Villas-Boas, our team is geared up to win anywhere in Europe, and had the team had the right motivation this must win match would have been so different. I for one think that we played extremely good football and tore United to pieces at times, I just don’t know how we didn’t come out with all three points or at least a point.

                                

In the first 20 minutes, the goal attempts were nine-to-one in our favour, and in the end we had an incredible 21 efforts on goal, yet we are still licking our wounds for not taking our chances. Man United defence was shell-shocked and out of no where Torres returned to his old self. Please, let’s not talk about the missed goal, I hope he scores a brace against Swansea, so we can forget that miss.

I thought we were going to play with a tighter midfield, like many Blues, my friend is still very angry that Luiz did not featured. How do you play a weakened Lampard, a new Meireles and Ramires against Young, Nani, Anderson and Fletcher? I like AVB a lot, but I must say this is a blunder that must not be repeated. This is the Premier League, we can’t even play that midfield against Everton, Spurs, Villa, or any  team that uses strength and moves the ball well.

                              

There was no protection for our defence or Petr Cech. It’s good for us to attack, but you build a team from back to front. Seeing the line-up I told our other fans, ‘ the Coach is going to play well and he is not bent on winning this match.’ Thanks to the score-sheet he got what he wanted, well apart from the result -The team played their best football to-date. In fact, I can’t remember the last time we played like this, unfortunately, it is the three points that matters most.

                                        

In subsequent matches of this nature, I don’t think we should be shy of playing 4-5-1; especially now that Torres is back. We played this formation twice in pre-season, I thought it was practiced for matches like this yet I don’t know if our players think it is a completely defensive approach. This is an offensive approach as well as defensive – It is a strategy usually adopted by the German team. I know last year Ancelloti and Frank Lampard lambasted this approach – I respect Frank’s line of thought, but he has to look at it from a different angle.

                            

I tried to imagine what would have happened if we had adopted this approach:

                              

                              Cech

                     

             Bosingwa Ivan Terry Cole

                        

                      Lampard Mikel

                        

               Ramires meireles Mata

                       

                             Torres

                    

Since we didn’t use it, it will be unfair for me to say it would have worked, but I am very certain that there is no team that can defeat us with this offensive and defensive formation. Cole, was too left alone which allowed Nani to mesmerize. Mikel’s presence would have eased the pressure, as much as we want sexy football, winning is our thing – Let’s win after all, that’s just what we live for.

                                   

By Stan Blue