There is little doubt that Gianfranco Zola’s team selection against Middlesborough was defective. But if anyone can pick up the players he can. They ought not to need geeing up in advance of the Man City game. They know they let themselves down. And then there’s Craig Bellamy to look forward to.
When Bellamy left, we appeared not to miss him at all. Well we do now. Let’s be honest about it. Di Michele isn’t a replacement and like many of you commented after the game, I am beginning to wonder if young Freddie Sears is the real deal we all thought he was. Zola has to make a choice now, and stick to it. He can’t chop and change every game.
If I were him I’d stick Savio in and tell him he has got at least five games. He doesn’t appear to be a conventional striker, but I just have this gut feeling that he would do rather well alongside Cole. Tristan is not an option – he’s lost whatever he had. But if it isn’t Savio then he should tell either Di Michele or Cole that they are in for the long haul.
The other thing we desperately need is width. Playing four central midfielders worked in January, but in February it’s proved disastrous. It’s now left to the full backs to get crosses in. The trouble is, apart from the untested Junior Stanislaus we don’t have any wide players left. Even Boa Morte always drifts infield when he is supposed to play on the left.
Noble is suspended for the Man City game and I believe Behrami is suspended for West Brom, so some changes are going to have to be rung in midfield come what may.
PS A first team member has agreed to be interviewed by me for the blog sometime in the next few weeks. I’ll tell you who it is when it’s all set up. The only clue I will give is that the player’s uncle is my theatre agent (I host a theatre show called A NIGHT WITH ANN WIDDECOMBE, you see, but that’s another story).
