New blog from CandH’s Rich Sprent

Slav got his win and the team finally got over that well known ” line drawn in the sand.”

We saw some pragmatism  added to the performance at home against Boro. At Palace, the team were given balance in the selection.

Many will crow about the tactical changes and the way the players were set up. Slav has praised the attitude of the players. Of course it is both and more.

Any who have heard Slav speak about formations, tactic etc will know that he expects players to evolve during a game; to respond to different situations and not be rigid in the old English way of thinking that players play set in place in a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 etc.

It’s not the formation, it is the jobs the players do when selected. The team game has always been about angles and movement. It is about power and balance. We have skillful players. We have experienced players. At Palace, the team looked right. The covered each other and there were always players available for a pass. We didn’t dither in possession and looked good for the win.

I have expressed concern that Slav has shown idealist tendencies in the way he has insisted the team play this year. I don’t buy the never ending list of excuses thrown up week in week out by so many to apologize for the latest failure.

The players were there to be selected and he has to be the one to take the flak. That he has looked so downtrodden suggests that he was taking it to heart whether openly criticized or not.

He was allowed to get it right in South London on Sunday. The team worked. He has a perfect opportunity to show that he can put a balanced side out in adversity this coming weekend. It is something that he has failed to do this year.

Firstly, he has no fullbacks to choose from. Arbeloa, Byram, Masuaku and Cresswell are all out. He played the wonderful Antonio at right wing back at Palace and can call on Nordtvelt if he decides to go with four at the back.

Ogbonna can more than be adequate at left back in a flat four. If he goes with three at the back then his selection at left wing back becomes experimental and interesting to say the least. It may prove too much to expect Ogbonna to link the forward play to his game out wide.

He could play Antonio on the wrong side and go with maybe Feghouli on the right. Whether either can play there is another point entirely.

Of course he could dispense with a left wing back and play an out and out wide midfielder. It would leave Ogbonna with a lot to do and Obiang and Noble will have to be lively to cover the extra ground. Thankfully, Pedro stuck around this year and in the last two games is showing what an excellent player he is.

Zaza, along with all the other new signings, have come in for a lot of stick this season. I don’t hold the view shared by the majority. Foreign players often take 6-12 months to settle into English football.

For them to be written off after half a dozen games is really an indictment on those judging more than the players. They’ve been chucked into the deep end and expected to perform. They’ve all been found wanting despite being excellent players in the leagues they arrived from. Zaza produced his best performance at Palace. He didn’t score and still looked a little static waiting for crosses but his work rate was what I have previously seen him produce in Italy.

For those insistent on judging the new signings harshly remember that Pedro Obiang has just had consecutive starts. It’s no coincidence that the team had produced two very balanced performances over those games. This was ably helped by a bit part player last season that so many were ready to ship out this.

So to Saturday. Sunderland are awful. If ever there was a game to take on the chin Cresswell’s unfortunate and absurd suspension then it is this one. It is of course still the English Premier League and the Mackems have dangerous players so should not be taken lightly.The expectations at home will be for the Hammers to control the game and attack the away side.

Slav mentioned that he needed Cresswell or Masuaku to play in the same way as we saw on  It is certain that, despite the needed win having been accomplished in this 3 game set, he needs to show that they can be sent out to achieve gaining 3 points without the planets all being aligned.