Your thoughts on playing the three forwards?
I didn't think it was a coincidence that Danny looked so properly dangerous when he got to act as the central striker, a rare thing for him this season. But the negative was RVP getting the ball so high up. He put in work all game, though, especially on defending set pieces.
But as the other forwards left the game, he got more into his zone, moving out left when the situation called for it, not because the formation demanded it. They didn't really click as a unit. Seeing as how we've done it so rarely, I have to wonder how often it's implemented in training.
I would not have been mad at seeing Chicha get a crack at that back line. They were most vulnerable against onside runs.
Well i think anyone saying Ferguson wasn't brave tonight would be talking rubbish, he sacrificed solidity at the back for counter attacking potential.
Of course it helped us defensively through the middle as well but it left our full backs exposed, especially when we counter attacked and lost the ball, then got counter-counter attacked, because Rooney and Welbeck were so far inside trying to link up they didn't have time to get back. In games like this when we play wingers, they act almost as extra full backs when we're defending, then we spring out and attack via the wings. Where as tonight we were going through the middle then working it wide, often with RvP criss-crossing with either 'winger' then crossing to whoever he criss-crossed with(we/he do/does this A LOT).
RvP not getting the ball a lot isn't a problem for me, him and Kagawa were specifically there to link up quickly and succinctly and create an opening. Kagawa wasn't there to dominate play, he's not that sort of player so i'm not sure why some people expect that of him. RvP hasn't had a huge amount of the ball season, but he usually take the chances he gets, he didn't tonight but that's football guys.
Cliche but the atmosphere will help at OT, go out at them from the off as quick as possible and we could stun them i think.