well that's not really all charlie's fault, is it? he provided three plum chances that our misfiring attack failed to take.
what you're suggesting is a wider malaise that needs to be addressed in summer recruitment.
I counted only the cross from left flank that should have resulted in a goal. Which were the other two good chances he created?
The problem is that Charlie Adam is part of that wider malaise, a big part. If you watch again that compilation of his touches, notice the positions that he is taking up. He is nearer the centre circle than he is to the other side's box. He takes up exactly the same position that Alonso used to take up. He tries to spray the balls that Alonso used to spray (but not as well, of course). He tries to play in the through ball that will show him as a Riquelme. But he fails to move INTO the danger area himself and play one twos and encourage other players to get in there. Which was what I was veyr happy to see Aquilani play for us when he did, because that was what he did. If you play with him, you have to move. Give and go, and do it again and again till you prise opne the door.
Benitez signed Aquilani precisely to move the creative hub of his team into the last third of the pitch so that that will facilitate pass and move movement into the box and thus bring as many of our own players into the danger area. But Adam encourages the long range "passmaster in the back" kind of attitude and as a result the team skitters around on the outskirts of the other side's backline and tries to get in through throughballs and crosses instead.
Do you blame Suarez for trying to dribble his way in then? Typically only he and Kuyt ever get into the box. Carroll would be in the box allright, but he would be barely moving the way he should have been moving.
This is what I meant about appearances being deceiving - we look like we are creating a lot of chances and dominating - but we are still knocking on the outside of the other side's door.
