Sometimes we over complicate things!
And the ongoing discussion about Sebastian Haller surely falls into that category as the French striker’s misery in claret and blue goes on.
The arguments range from him needing a partner, through being lazy, not interested, not capable of fitting a Moyes system and even to him not smiling.
Any or all of them may be true but quite simply the fact remains that without Mikey Antonio and despite the results against the likes of Fulham, Sheffield United and Villa, the performances have been sub standard until the first hour against United.
Even during that 60 minutes Seb managed to fall over when nailed on to score and although, as bitterly disappointed as everyone else, I couldn’t help feeling for the bloke.
It could happen to anybody!
Had he stayed on his feet and been responsible for what could easily have been a goal that put a win to bed his confidence would have soared and he would have been a hero. A game of small margins football!
However, when all the discussion is done and the backside has been well and truly torn out of it one simple fact remains – we need Antonio or somebody very much like him if we are gonna get back to what were pre=Manchester City.
All the convoluted arguments on the Frenchman and the inevitable social media abuse (BIG SIGH) are pointless and I would be pretty certain that Moyes is already frantically working on a new front man o two.
The club look certain to lose a load of dough on Haller and of course Anderson should he finally be sold but they look to me as if they are gonna have to swallow it.
I still hold a fragile hope that the bloke can be the player we believe we’d bought but this sage looks to have only one outcome.
Can’t blame haller for slipping at the key moment. Except same thing happened to Bowen last week, twice. Bowen blamed his boots. Is it a boot problem? Are they over watering the pitch before the game? Why are players slipping and sliding so much? Surely it’s their responsibility to work out what are the best boots to wear for the pitch conditions. Or is it the boot man getting it wrong?
Did you see Haller’s reaction when Soucek scored? That wasn’t a bloke that never smiles.
I think he is turning a corner and will start banging them in starting against Leeds. He’ll never be Antonio but I do think he’s starting to buy into the Moyse philosophy and the effort is increasing.
He was certainly a lot busier than previous games.
The other thing I really enjoyed was that tackle from Rice that floored a full flight Rashford sending him crashing into Oggy. What a tackle!!
I hope you’re right. Haller is a team man and a good outing may get him to turn the corner.
Rashford chipped, Haller choked.
Hope your are right about some new competition. Haller can then play the U23s instead of Antonio. Perhaps with some time he will find his mojo.
Watched part of a Porto match the other day, Anderson nowhere to be seen.
“Anderson nowhere to be seen”. He got the full 90 then? 😀
I feel for him. He obviously arrived thinking that this was going to be a team that would soon be fighting for European places at the very least. The change of system with a new manager, however, is just not to his strengths and if Moyes is going to continue with one up top then i think it is best for both parties for him to be moved on.
It would be a shame as i see a really good striker in there, someone who likely will go somewhere else and show us what we are missing if played in a system that suits him but i think it’s going to take Moyes 2 or 3 windows to get the players in that enables him to go to a four at the back and possibly 2 or even 3 up top and waiting that long without having a fair crack at the whip in a different formation wouldn’t be fair on the Frenchman.
From what I can gage this season, i think Moyes wants to go to a 4-4-1-1 or 4-3-3, with Benrahma or Fornals in the middle behind a striker, but until he gets an attacking left back, a mobile centre back and another central midfielder i see the same formation that just doesn’t play to Haller’s strengths. Sadly, that results in him likely leaving.
Saturday, to me, was a classic example of a man with no confidence and you only get that from playing well and scoring goals. He doesn’t really look likely to do either as a lone striker