Fab holds key to manager’s future
There has been a lobby within the club hierarchy for weeks believing the return of Fab, in particular, will play a major part in restoring stability and confidence throughout the team.
That, with the outstanding form of Michail Antonio, and a fully recovered Manu Lanzini is seen as being able to produce the chemistry to see the team shake off the dreadful form blight of recent weeks.
There is also believed to have been a frank exchange of views on the need for him to take a good look at his system which – with the help of Felipe Anderson’s illness – finally saw the team firing as an attacking force with two up at Southampton.
However, the return to a one up formation could see him in deep trouble as, an in form Lanzini apart, there is not the creativity in the team to make that work.
Six points from the last 12 is also seen as a respectable return and should the team remain unbeaten over the next two games the manager will be treading on much firmer ground.