by woof woof ! » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:26 am
Honestly thought that after having had a moan about our strikers they were going to make me eat my words and stick 3 or more past City ,but yet again after dominating a game we end up sneaking in with just a 1-0 win . We have been playing some excellent football but once again our inability to kill off teams was exposed .In fact despite going down to 10 men you could argue that City were unlucky not to have sneaked an equaliser (although it would have been very unjust ) . Rafa was obviously concerned as with still six mins plus inury time to go he took of a sparkling Harry Kewell and put on Traore, all of this against at home against a team of ten men ! . It was probably the right decision as we got the 3 points we fully deserved , but did that decision suggest that even Rafa didn't believe our stkers could score another goal ? or was it just a case that he was content to play doubly safe and protect the one goal lead and the points it gave us ? .
I along with thousands of others thought that when he elected to introduce Garcia earlier in the game surely it would be Morientes that would make way but instead MOM Crouch is taken off !!! Morientes did show one or two glimpses of his ability but for the most part he was once again his ineffectual self . Lots of runs but never actually anticipating anything . I honestly don't know what it is that prompts Rafa to display so much faith in Nando but I'm sure the crowds reaction to Crouch's departue will give him pause to stop and think.
Finally ,yet another game in which we racked up a cricket score of set pieces , are we just unlucky ? yesterday we had twelve corners and not a sniff from one of them . And I'm losing count of the number of stuffed up free kicks we've engineered this season .
In spite of the flaws ,we're right up there with Man U and at lot closer to Chelsea . Early days I know but looking at the next window I'm praying Rafa is given the cash to splash on 2-3 more players that will elevate us from being a very very good side to a great one.
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