26 Jan 2015 16:26:57
The Irons were poor yesterday - very poor and there were two reasons for that in my opinion.
Enner Valencia simply cannot play with Andy Carroll at the present time and Kevin Nolan can't play in a diamond - he doesn't have the legs to be getting up and down on the right side.
And if that's the shape we are going to keep - which we should - I think he will have to be excluded from the team.
Chjeif Kouyate is the obvious candidate to play in that role when he returns because even Morgan Amafitano didn't seem to understand it and wanted to stay out wide which I found surprising.
As for Enner - the boy had a shocker and was taking up ridiculous positions dropping off in midfield with seemingly not a clue how to work with Andy.
Ok, he is in his first season and settling into the club so let's not talk about him getting fed up with his role. He has to adapt and learn the same lessons as Diafra Sakho.
That lad made an immediate difference on his arrival because he has such a great football brain and reads the game brilliantly - he really is the man and loves running off players!
Alex Song was right off his game because the way we played saw him swamped in midfield and he had to be taken off looking leggy and tired.
But at the end of it all we are through and a nice little home game against moderate opposition will do us fine from tonight's draw.
But Sam has some hard thinking to do about Nolan if he is going to persist with the diamond because personally I really don't believe he can hack it in there these days.
Are these your personal views Phil?