Vieira's subs are just always so telegraphed. Up a goal, add a defender. Down a goal, lose a defender or take off a midfielder to add a forward. There's virtually never a like-for-like change, it's always a formation change.
What I don't understand about Vieira's sub of Brillant is, why are we changing formations there? We had allowed one goal in 69 minutes, looked great on both sides of the ball, and were totally dominating. Then we take off a forward and decide to bunker for 21 minutes? Why? Why bunker when we're playing so well? It killed the game for us the rest of the way -- this team had absolutely nothing cooking once they went to five in the back, or whatever the hell that was. Just brutal from Vieira. Trust your backline to close the game out, and try to see if we can't poach another. There was no need to kill our offensive game. If Harrison was tired, try Ugo or Lewis in that spot.
Part of this is also Brillant, he's just terrible at this point. Not a reliable defender, and every time he's on the pitch I feel like a goal against is coming.
Other stuff from the game: What a performance from Maxi. Everyone who buried that signing in February, it's time to eat some crow. This guy is a hell of a player. Carried the rest of his woeful midfield on his back.
Tommy and Mikey were totally aimless, and all the attacking had to come up the flanks because Tommy and Mikey were completely incompetent in the midfield. There was no one to link up with the front line, and that was a huge problem. We saw just how crucial Ring is to our attack -- he's the engine that keeps this team rolling.
Speaking of Villa: Was it just me, or was he playing more as a winger tonight? I wonder if that had to do with the way the midfield was playing, that it was either Maxi or nothing. But I felt like there was virtually nothing up route 1 the way there is most games.
