Manuel Pellegrini has knocked back suggestions that Felipe Anderson was taken off at Cardiff because of injury.
TV and radio reports at the time claimed the record signing had taken a knock but the manager has since revealed that it was a tactical decision.
However, Anderson’s disappointing display, was particularly irksome given that on a day when we were being man marked all over the park, he was one player whose creativity could have been expected to deal with that.
Sadly, he chose this match to offer one of his more inept displays and found himself replaced by the more direct approach of Marko Arnautovic.
That Michail Antonio was also brought into the action was a departure by the manager from relying on the more technical players he prefers although Samir Nasri was also brought on.
The team finished the game with no further injuries although Fabian Balbuena could make a return against Huddersfield.
Discussing the Anderson substitution Pellegrini told www.whufc.com: “It was a tactical change because we didn’t create chances in the first half and at least in the second half Marko had a shot which was blocked by the goalkeeper and we had another shot from Declan Rice off the post.
“We improved a little bit but we didn’t create the amount of chances you need if you want to win away. Cardiff didn’t create too many chances also, but they scored their two goals.”
It was an awful display by the whole team …. end of . It’s up to Pelligrini to sort it out .
I won’t blame any single player because it is supposed to be a team effort . They failed as a team and as a unit . Very poor for a team that wants Europe ;;; or is it just us fans dreaming that the team wants it ??
Maybe too many fancy boys and not enough fighters .
I notice in particular that Anderson is heavily marked in most games. Some times he has two or three opposition players on him. In the old days a Billy Bonds or similar would have protected a player like an Anderson or a Lanzini to allow them to do their stuff.