I wrote a week or two ago of the problems we face when CM is absent – no supply to forwards and impossible pressure on the defence.
I honestly believe that we have a back four good enough for the NL but that they have four, five, six times more defending to do than a side with a proper midfield in front of them.
Every defence will make errors and concede sometimes.
Minimise the pressure they have to endure and you also minimise the number of chances created. It ain’t rocket science.
Even with Butterfield in the side and the rapidly improving Shrimpton – our midfield never seems to work.
It can be argued that this is down to management with wrong formations and wild experimentation – but when did we last have an actual functioning midfield?
I suspect that the bigger problem is not so much lack of leadership from the dugout but rather, a total absence of leadership on the pitch.
Sorry to go on but I dream of those heady days when Bish’ was the ultimate in leading and also leading by example.
A full Charlie Brown sigh!
