481 replies to this topic

[wxwax]

TrojanMan, on 19 December 2011 - 06:18 PM, said:

But at Wigan this past weekend, it looked to me like the team, as a whole, was largely uninterested in actually playing. Like they just figured they could sleep walk, go through the motions, and bag a 1-0 win.

Yes, and the manager essentially admitted that. Beyond this squad's inability to execute AVB's strategy, I think the problem was that Wigan was a "trap" game. It fell between some much bigger fixtures, it was away at a place with little atmosphere and it was against a lightly-regarded club.

All of that contributed to the players letting down a bit and not bringing the energy you might normally expect.

[TrojanMan]

Oh I totally get it. "Trap games" are called that for a reason. But that's precisely why I wanted Torres and Bertrand, specifically, to play. Guys who just want minutes to prove what they've got, regardless of who the opponent is. Luiz too (except he was hurt).