Andriy Yarmolenko is up for the battle but has declared: “It’s really difficult to take and I don’t know what to say.
“I want to say sorry to our fans and we must perform better after the international break.”
He told www.whufc.com: “It’s a difficult moment, of course, but we must sit down and think about our game and every player must think about his game.
“After two weeks, we must play better because we must play for our fans and for our club. This result is very, very bad for us and we must think about how we can improve our game.”
In fairness to the Ukranian he was the one player to provide a serious attacking spark when he appeared off the vench and said: “We played better in the second half, but we lost.
“We have good players and a good coach, but we must fight for results and I think now we must think hard about our next game, concentrate hard and win.”
I think from what Pellegrini said at the beginning of the season that Yarmolenko has an ongoing fitness problem history ( his words were Thigh and hip ). Even with that he should start the next game. It doesn’t matter who makes way for him, he has the right attitude.
Another who has the right attitude is Noble. If Wilshere has a probem being on the pitch, then bring back Noble to buck the whole team up. He is our most effective captain. Some say that Arnie can lead by example from up front, but that foreign idea will never be better then a captain who uses his voice to keep his troops focused on the job in hand.
Of course another option to do would be to bring in Zabaleta ( a much better right back ) and he will help Noble to do that job. Of course he doesn’t run so fast but then this is football after all.
He’s right about needing to fight. What’s needed is professional footballers to be professional! He played reasonably well but a lot of them were out played with no fight in them whatsoever.
They need to go out and on that pitch focused, with their minds on the job in hand. To be able to put the game plan that (supposedly) the coaching staff had been drumming in to them all week, not, wonder about looking like they didn’t want to be there.
Just go out there and do what you’re paid to do!
Half of them just looked clueless.
If they can’t show pride in wearing the shirt, if they can’t show passion and commitment, or give 100% leave them out.
Put back Noble, Zaba and Ginge (till Christmas) to show these new boys what it means to wear the shirt, be professional and show some commitment!!!
Time to say sorry on the pitch.Fed up of reading players excuses on whats going wrong.Talk is cheap as they say.Watch the way Watford and Cardiff got stuck in yesterday,Man Utd too after their troubled week. This team seems unable to respond and play at a high pressing tempo at the moment.We had it toward the back end of last season but its all gone wrong somewhere.
The lack of energy (or is it commitment I dunno) is really worrying. I agree that most of the other potential strugglers are showing that, which adds to the concern. The fact that this has crept in so early under Pellegrini should be causing major concern at the top. What was it Moyes said ‘if you don’t run you don’t play’. Also remember that interview with Guardiola- think his comment was ‘They have to run’.
He came on at half time only had 45 minutes to prove himself and I didn’t see him putting himself about ,all I hear is talk ,do they watch other teams play ? Why is it the likes of wolves ,watford and alike are running hard the full 90 minutes.doing step overs is great but shouldn’t end there !