Well that was an interesting game, to say the least. Handy one for me because this match featured a number of familiar Benitez media tropes, aspects of our recent games and a whole lot of little tactical and mental issues, both good and bad, that are standing out this season, some of which are permanent ‘issues’ that simply reflect Rafa’s management ‘flavour’, namely things that Rafa will never change...you either like them or you don’t.
Don’t expect a neat little conclusion to all the strands, I want to look at a lot of little separate things here and won’t be trying to weave all, or even many, of them together.
Team Selection
Start with the obvious. Firstly, I think Rafa would rather have played a line up more like this in the cup games. I’m sure he would have against ‘lesser’ opposition but the fact is that Everton are one of 4 other domestic sides where we have to play our strongest side. Only in the Carling Cup could Rafa get away with resting players against Everton.
The team set up in a 3-5-2 variant, in my view a very clever move. This is a formation designed to work against a more traditional 4-4-2 which has gone out of fashion precisely because that kind of 4-4-2 is a rarity these days. Pompey’s line up was as traditional a 4-4-2 as I’ve seen in a long time.
For most of the first half it was a great example of what happens when these formations meet. Not much midfield battle, two strikers suffocated by the three CBs, and wing-backs dominating the extra space up wide while the support strikers have acres of space and the tactical freedom to go where they want.
In spells I thought we played some of the best football we have this season, at least in the build up play. The quick one touch passing through the middle is something I’d like to see a lot more of from us. It’s interesting that it sometimes takes us to play something of a second string team (but one filled with decent technical players) to see the kind of play we’re capable of. I used to think it was more a problem with Gerrard, but he’s adapted well. It’s perhaps more a case of the rest of the team consistently stepping up and realising that this is how we should play regardless of who’s in the side. Don’t stop passing and moving (and pressing) in order to try and work in Torres/Gerrard/Alonso all the time.
On the other hand, it was also perfect critic fuel: “Rafa starts with 6!! Defenders!,” “Torres on the bench!,” “Alonso should have started, or if not come on sooner, but when does come on it has to be after Torres,” etc etc
Typical hindsight punditry really. Lack of cutting edge is ascribed to the formation/defenders, no mention that in terms of team play it was a very coherent first half. Second half changes are then put down to Pompey having more spirit, rather than what I thought was a subtle change of shape, with Crouch dropping consistently deeper making more of a 4-5-1...the very formation that led to 3-5-2 becoming a rarity.
This brings us neatly to:
Substitions
Rafa is unfairly maligned for his substitutions. This is very much one of those flavour things. If you want a manager who appears proactive (IE throws strikers on...actually a move that is not at all proactive, and generally gives me confidence when opposing managers do to us, I personally think it’s a sign of desperation. To paraphrase the genius Earl from Tremors: “Damn it Val, throwing strikers on isn’t a plan, it’s what you do when a plan fails...”) then Rafa is not your man. If you want a manager who is capable of identifying ways to subtly change the pattern of play while (I’m sure) timing his subs due to some analysis suggesting that this is when they’ll make the most impact, then Rafa’s your man every time.
In short, Adams went 4-5-1, Rafa does so shortly after and has the faith that our 4-5-1 is superior. Torres looked fit and fresh and (key for me) unselfish with his cameo, Alonso steadied the ship and looked back on form while Kuyt provided the industry he always does plus some very crisp finishing. Again this is a flavour issue.
Of course we’ll never play as well as we can with our best players all on form, but is a fresh 2nd 11 (first half here) really so much worse than a tired 1st 11 (Everton FA Cup) that we can’t play the second string, ever? Surely it’s just as valid to argue that the freshness, sharpness and sheer impact that the three subs made shows that while, yes, we perhaps rely on these players too much, we rely on these players when they are fit and on form. In that state we can score 2 in 10 minutes. Tired, overplayed and kicked from the start they can struggle at least as badly as any perceived 2nd string we could play.
Media Tropes
The above is caviar on the media blini from what I can make out (or rather the chips on their pizza – they’re not that classy after all) as it gives the media a great opportunity to bash Rafa regardless. Against Everton, we have his wisdom at playing his stars openly questioned. Against Pompey, they all should have started. Had we played a second string in the FA Cup we would've course have had him hung drawn and quartered for the defeat, and had his respect for the competition called into question, which has of course laughably happened against Marseilles in the CL as well as Barnsley in the FA cup, among many others.
It must be nice to be a media pundit. Simply criticise whatever is being done today, even if that’s exactly what you suggested he should do yesterday, and offer the Godlike Ferguson as the gold standard against which all manegerial decisions are measured, and like a true religious fundamentalist, simply ignore all the various contradictions and hypocrisies this forces you to indulge in. Cover these up instead by repeating the point only louder and with added sarcastic ‘I told you so’ or ‘Oh that Rafa’ type remarks if your already nauseating presenting skills stretch to that level of wit based subtlety.
Mind you, that’s worthy of a subheading because so many of our fans do it as well:
The Gold-Standard of management
Everything we do is compared unfavourably to Fungus, by our own fans almost as much as the media. Why is this? Why should we be expected to be the same as Man Utd? People forget that they are not the perfect team and manager. Fungus struggles with the CL, for example, make Rafa’s coming to grips with the Premier League seem like an absolute cakewalk. He’s been like a duck to water in the Prem compared to Fergie’s efforts in Europe (when the win was almost papering over the cracks, it’s only in the last few seasons that they’ve actually looked the real deal in the CL, seasons in which Queiroz was clearly a huge tactical influence).
So firstly it’s wrong because no team is the be all and end all, never has been, never will be. I don’t want to be more like Man Utd or Arsenal, I want us to be ourselves at the highest level we can possibly be. Our dominance was built on difference, more than anything else our unique willingness to play the continental style.
In that respect I think the cycle’s come back...once again we are seeking to play a more continental style than our rivals and while it’s yet to truly click in the league (though it can) our European status is almost back to what it was in our heyday...something all to readily overlooked by some of our fans, not least because it’s this, not domestic titles, that truly sets us apart as the dominant English team.
Mainly though, it’s wrong because it’s just plain wrong. Apparently Ferguson would never make so many changes for a game like today’s. In reality, Ferguson rotates massively, and his team has become better for embracing this policy. Frighteningly good in fact, and the reason for this is not Rooney et al, but how effective Fletcher et all are when called upon, and how happy they are when they are out of the side...which I’ve no doubt is helped by the relative lack of media attention on say, Tevez getting games as opposed to Keane.
Even more annoying is that when the Fergie doesn’t rotate myth is challenged (which happens occasionally) the response will shift oh so quickly into ‘but when he rotates he does it with quality’. Now, OK, there’s an argument there, but either his methods are the gold standard or they aren’t. Again it’s have-your-cake-and-eat-it punditry. When Benitez rotates he’s wrong because Fergie doesn’t do it, when Fergie does it he’s right because he has better players. I don’t see the logic in saying we need to rotate our best players that we supposedly rely on more less...surely in that case the risk of injury is even higher for us and therefore we need more, rather than less, rotation of our stars?
Then again, this of course ignores the crowning glory of this particular bit of stupidity because Rafa doesn’t rotate his best players. Never has. Plays them more often than Man Utd (based on the last couple of seasons) in fact. Sheesh.
Same goes for formation. Apparently Fergie never changes his formation from game to game. That must come as something of a shock to his players who’ve lined up in quite a number of variants of 4-5-1/4-4-2. I’d say they’re second only to us in terms of tactical flexibility both in game and in the starting lineups they pick.
This also flows nicely into:
Refereeing Decisions
If has been a noticable effect from Rafa's justified attack then it's not been in our favour. If anything I feel we've had a number of harsh decisions go against us recently, and more than our fair share all season (the Stoke non goal for example). It's not an excuse, as we should have won many of the games regardless, but I think it is an important factor especially when we (inevitably) compare ourselves to Man Utd. While I've no doubt that 'bigger' teams in general (though I strongly believe any club with enough fans and especially media profile, Spurs for example, benefit too) do get decisions, I don't think any team benefits like Man Utd. Season after season they get more penalties given, less given against, and generally seem to get the rub of the green a lot more often. Taking that Stoke game as an example, we have a perfect goal written off dubiously, Man Utd get a dubious penalty in their favour and win 5-0 in exactly the kind of game that is easy if you score early and a nightmare if you don't.
Torres and Ronaldo is another great comparison. Torres simply does not win many fouls for us, and no penalties I can remember, despite being clear with Ronaldo (I would think) as the most hacked at player in the league. Ronaldo wins penalties, fouls, and gets opponents booked in almost every game. Torres also picks up a lot more yellow cards for a lot less sin, and lets not even mention Rooney.
Sadly, there's not much we can do about this other than enjoy the extra sweetness when we do win, but I do think it's a factor, especially in winning number 19...big decisions will be easier to come by if we're seen as a team that revel in our over-dog status. Thought it was worth a mention though, after that ridiculous 'tale of two offsides' which could have seen us (and Rafa) hung out to dry, like Lucas' red did.
Still, this does mean that a win at Old Trafford would then give a massive boost to our...
Mentality
Today showed both our strengths and frailties very clearly. Incredible guts and determination to win the game, complete lack of self belief in making tactical dominance count for goals. First half showed an irony for me, in that our best players can actually be a hindrance to our best football at times (none of Agger, Alonso, Gerrard or Torres seem excel as one might expect playing quick one-touch possession stuff, especially at pace through the middle, while all excel at finding the killer pass/run/move which almost eliminates team play) those same players are of course the ones who have the killer instinct in abundance which can seem so lacking from the otherwise often high quality all round play from the likes of Aurelio, Babel, Mascherano, Kuyt, Lucas, Arbeloa and Skrtel.
I say ironic because for me the first half had a lot of the team play (and general sense of team over individual ethic) that we’ve been missing, while the second half showed the deadliness we lack when key players are out, even though these players can sometimes be as damaging to our team football as an off form Kuyt.
Torres
Delighted with his cameo today, to follow on from above what I really liked is that he looked first to hold up and play in rather than turn for goal. He’s been doing the latter far too often, and defenders are wiser to it, while the former is something vital to making our team play.
So many valid criticisms of our play (full backs fully back, holding mids gripping to tightly, too little movement) can at least partially be put down to the team’s and Torres’ unpleasant habit of always looking for the first time ball in behind, or to his feet for him to turn and be in on goal. This is great on the break, but a hindrance against the bus-parkers. He did this almost all game against Everton to no effect. 2 of the very, very few times he held up play properly, at around the 70min mark when he was already knackered and way off his best, and we suddenly had both holding mids near the ‘D’ area and both fullbacks in great overlapping positions, and made decent chances from both moves.
He did that from the off today and it was devastating. Also noticable how many more of his goals this season have been from ‘poacher’ type positions, exactly the kind of positions he can get into more regularly by playing it back/wide and then making his run into the box. If he keeps doing this then defenders will adapt, and in adapting he will then find it easier to do his favourite trick of receiving and turning or just running in behind. He has the quality to do both as well as anyone, he has the hamstrings to preserve as motivation for slightly adapting his game, and if he can achieve this balance of Drogba play and Anelka play he can be one of the best there’s ever been. There’s nothing stopping him. Take this cameo and bottle it Nando because in my view you playing like that is almost impossible to defend against, and ties our whole team together with a frightening degree of potential.
Ngog
Just a few words on this lad. For me he looks like a very raw Torres. He’s not done much so far but the little bits and pieces he has showed excite me. A great example would be a perfect run in behind and instant pass to an onrushing Aurelio when a different striker might have gone himself. Yes he’s raw, but his decision making and coolness under pressure are very hard things to teach, and are almost as good as I’ve seen in a striker his age. Makes his mind up instantly and in doing that catches defenders cold, the Aurelio chance was a great example.
This also highlights another gripe I have with some of our fans at the moment, this division of all players into good/shite as neat categories. Ngog has been placed in the shite-box, but I personally suspect that if Nemeth shows the same level of ability in his first few chances it will be hyped as the birth of a superstar.
Of course, it also has to be Nemeth Versus Ngog, like Lucas Vs Alonso or Spearing, it doesn’t seem to occur to many that on paper Nemeth and Ngog looks like the perfect modern strike-partnership (One creative, crafty and all brains, the other pacy, physical yet both capable of large aspects of the others game, Nemeth is good with his back to goal, Ngog has some very clever passing and positioning in his locker).
In short, he excites me and could be a major bargain at £1.5million.
Dosenna & Babel
I’ll finish on these two, lumped together because I want to say the same for both of them. Neither is at their best in an attacking sense just now. Both seem lacking that little bit extra that comes from a confidence injection, basically both need a telling assist or goal and I think they could really build on it. However, both have also worked really hard recently. Both seem more tactically aware. Both seem to be doing the job asked of them.
Dosenna in particular, had he started on this kind of form, would be receiving massive plaudits and a lot of excitement about the future. The juries still out on both, and as it stands both could turn out as great arguments for or against Benitez, namely that players have a hard time with him but on the other hand those who can handle it tend to keep on improving in a way that players at other clubs very rarely do. For a final time it’s a flavour thing...in this respect Rafa’s a bit like the training half of ‘Full Metal Jacket’. He can turn softies like private Joker into lethal murderers, he can turn lethal snipers like private Pile into suicidal basket cases.
There’s plenty of food for thought here so fire away!
