Bournemouth v Everton

[GLewis]

I suppose a lot of this comes down to the choice of words.

For example saying I hope that we improve in terms of attacking would be read as a positive comment; whereas saying there has to be an improvement would be read as a negative one.

Obviously the end target is the same.

I would say a fair point re lack of progression re attacking is the lack of training time between a large number of games and I’ve no doubt that we have been spending a lot of time on organisation.

You don’t improve defensively without work on it.

That needed sorted first and foremost.

I’d expect better attacking as the season goes on when it’s less hectic and the organisational stuff is more ingrained.

And we have a proper striker.

[GLewis]

There’s nothing inherently wrong with more direct styles (aside from aesthetic preference).

The issues are, as with short passing, a) whether you keep it and b) whether you look like doing anything with it.

At the moment our passes forward aren’t great and DCL is inconsistent in terms of whether he’ll keep the ball either through flick ons or retaining it himself.

The usual chicken and the egg stuff as to which comes first etc.

But SA sorting it out is likely to involve getting better with a direct style.

[GLewis]

McCarthy is usually a bit better going forward when he’s in a 3 (rather than in the 2 of 4-2-3-1).

Guess he’s gone for someone just running up the other end of the pitch rather hoping the passing improves.

[GLewis]

I'm hoping that McCarthy playing is nothing more than his shop window audition

Every manager seems to pick him when fit.

[GLewis]

Rooney rested for Man U... stupid that.. should start today if fit.

SA said he’s been laid up for 3/4 days. Tough to start if that’s the case; especially with Utd on Monday.

[GLewis]

The plan will have to be today, to take the ball off them when they’ve got men forward (or press high up the pitch) and run through the massive gaps that they leave in midfield as this reduces the need for clever passes.