smudgerfox

Wingers are the problem for me. They’re exciting, skilful, fast, dangerous but not ruthless. In this system a lot of your chances fall to the wide players and ours are simply not clinical finishers - except perhaps McAteer. Neither are they prolific assisters. And that’s untenable. Add in the fact that the system tends to isolate the striker and you end up with a team that dominates possession but doesn’t translate that domination into the scoreline.Win or lose , that’s been the story of nearly every game this season - Southampton, Blackburn, Preston , Swansea might be exceptions.

The wingers were crossing it to one another - true. But to the back post? Not so much. Usually to a position roughly ten yards beyond the back post. Which means the cross needs to be nigh on perfect (it usually wasn’t) and the strike at the other end of the cross likewise (which it wasn’t). In fact I can only remember one instance when the cross was good enough to allow a first time strike at all and Fatawu screwed the volley. At times what really happened was that one winger would get into a dangerous position say eight to ten yards out, then put a slow cross out to their opposite number, ten to twelve yards out on the other side, giving the Leeds defence time to reset. Why? There were just too few options in and around the six yard box where a cross is more likely to create a goal.

Id like one, could take two, if anyone has any going…

Pub flying a city flag in Bideford in Devon last year