When I played poker to a reasonable level what got you to the end of tournaments was sensing the moment. When it was the right time to "tighten up", be more aggressive, play more hands, avoid getting involved, when to bluff and when to avoid it etc. While you can have a generic understanding of what to do when, you also get a feel for these things.
In a football sense, this could be seen as when is the right time to be dribbling towards your own corner flag, or pulling people down, and when is the right time to put your foot through it.
I don't think Davies picks up on the flow of games. That's the biggest criticism I can level at him. He does lots of things well, but he doesn't read the context of games at all.
He wasn't helped yesterday, Digne gave him a hospital ball at 2-0, for reasons unbeknown to me. However had Irwin given that pass to keane, he lashes it out and has a serious word with Irwin. I didn't see, but I'm not sure Davies said anything? Diane has to take some culpability too.
The problem is, that it happens much too often with Tom. It happened with Brighton. He makes a sloppy pass. The situation dictated just push the ball past the players towards the corner flag and chase. It just doesn't seem to resonate with him at all.
The disappointing part is he has natural ability. You look at say Henderson for that lot across the park, and you have a polar opposite footballer. Similar ability (perhaps even less ability) but goodness me does he know how to squeeze ever ounce of talent out of himself and does he grasp the flow and situation of a match.
I'm lost with this team and players like Davies. I've seen much worse teams than this, and much worse players than him (Thomson, Mitch Ward, Everton through the 90's) however none of those players would make the poor decisions he does. I'm a bit flabbergasted with it all.
