Nerd Central

I really was looking forward to this match. A chance to rest tired legs and for me to see fresh players come on and put on the style. 

I’m a huge fan of Benayoun, Rosicky and Park and it was heartening to see the first 2 start after clamouring for them to play for so long. I wasn’t so sure we should have started RvP. I felt that he needed his rest before injury might curtail his season but I was adamant that perhaps we’d sub him out when we’re 2 goals up.

That moment never came.

The first 10 minutes were great. Rosicky was his wily self, keeping tidy in possession and spraying those passes well. Benayoun was quick and incisive, putting on a brilliant pass for Gervinho to score the first goal.

For the first time in a long time, I have to say that we became complacent. 75% possession yet they were willing to play keep-ball without looking interested to score. A 2 goal cushion would put daylight between us and Wolves but they decided to put the foot off the gas. And they paid for it.

Wolves have always been a tough fighting unit and they managed to claw back a goal from a corner. Is it just me or is Steven Fletcher a pretty good striker? His strike record is pretty good for a guy playing in a supposed lower level team with an equally inferior midfield supporting him. Hell, I’d take him over Chamakh right now to score the goals for us. 

I knew it was tough to score another goal but it did seem that we were putting good pressure on them. Their keeper did make some good saves and the defence threw their bodies into everything we gave them.

Here are some points I took away from the game:

1. Why didn’t we start with Park and Chamakh in a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1? RvP looked tired and dare I say, a little nervous, as he was trying to break Shearer’s goal scoring record. Yes, Chamakh hasn’t been playing well but 442 is a much more adventurous formation and you get more bodies in the box. 
2. Why did we sub off Benayoun? He did fade off a little bit but so did Gervinho at that point. If I had to choose between the 2, I’d take off Gervinho as he has played more games and is more physically jaded than the former.
3. We didn’t need Ramsey brought in at the 71st minute. That midfield was a little cluttered in my opinion. We needed a striker, who eventually got introduced at the 85th minute. 
   
   
4. It’s imperative that we have our fullbacks return from injury. Our attacks look a little blunt without the support from Sagna and Santos. Sagna’s return isn’t too far away but we need to bring in a temporary solution at left back. There’s talk of Wayne Bridge and I don’t think he’ll be that bad slotting into the team.
5. Benayoun and Rosicky need to play more. Their range of passing is great and they’ve got that extra bit of skill to make that difference in the final third. Unfortunately, the latter has been quite averse to shooting ever since he got back from his injury nightmare. 

It was frustrating because I certainly felt that this was a golden opportunity to catch up with our rivals with Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City drawing. Much more improvement is needed against QPR this Saturday. I know we can do it if we keep Rosicky and Benayoun on the pitch and if we rest RvP in place of Park and/or Chamakh.

No slip ups in concentration this time.