You can't pin it all on tactics. We have so few personnel worthy of a place in the squad it's unreal. That makeshift defence was dreadful tonight not because of tactics but because they can't defend. Fuchs is appalling at CB, Chilwell just isn't anywhere near ready as a defender to slot in at LB although he was still better that some. Benalouane hasn't been totally convincing since he came in if we are honest other than in sporadic matches against lesser sides and Simpson wasn't his usual dependable self tonight, perhaps because he was pulled about of shape by a CB pairing going AWOL every two minutes.
We were toothless in midfield because Amartey is not in anyway creative and we just had no spark. Ndidi has, for some reason, begun to look backwards instead of forwards. Where could we have changed it though? Gray came in and delivered little. The boy's got good feet but no end result. I like the kid but he's not quite good enough yet (I know he didn't have bags of time and to make a difference tonight before the inevitable comments). Who else could CS have brought on?
Up top, Okazaki was totally useless as he can be at times but who could we replace him with? Slimani, who charges around the pitch like a bull without any sense of purpose or Musa who has shown all the ability of a Trevor Benjamin?
Okay, it was negative from Shakespeare tonight, let's agree on that but don't underestimate the sheer lack of quality he has at his disposal.
