Tony Hibbert's Wife
Player Valuation: £1m
I don't understand the selection of McNeill over Dibling. When you're expecting to defend a lot you need players who can carry the ball up the field both to relieve pressure and as a threat to the opposition. I can't see how the replacement for Ndiaye, a player who can do that, can possibly be McNeill, a player who assuredly cannot do that. One of the few things we do know about Dibling from watching him play for Saints is that getting the ball in the middle and taking it forwards quickly is something he can definitely do.
The selection smacks of someone trying to avoid losing the game rather than trying to win the game as the only positive McNeill has over Dibling is that his defensive positioning is likely better (probably puts in a better set piece, but all the balls into the box on Saturday were pretty poor, including McNeill's efforts so he doesn't have that going for him on performance basis). If that's the only positive then that must be the only reason he's on the pitch.
So the decision from Moyes, either consciously or unconsciously, is that the team doesn't score many, we've lost both our main threats and the priority in that case isn't replacing goals, but minimising concessions.
Problem is with that tactic is you have to keep a clean sheet and against a team like this Arsenal that takes an enormous amount of luck. As soon as that Arsenal goal was scored Plan A - don't concede - had failed.
The selection smacks of someone trying to avoid losing the game rather than trying to win the game as the only positive McNeill has over Dibling is that his defensive positioning is likely better (probably puts in a better set piece, but all the balls into the box on Saturday were pretty poor, including McNeill's efforts so he doesn't have that going for him on performance basis). If that's the only positive then that must be the only reason he's on the pitch.
So the decision from Moyes, either consciously or unconsciously, is that the team doesn't score many, we've lost both our main threats and the priority in that case isn't replacing goals, but minimising concessions.
Problem is with that tactic is you have to keep a clean sheet and against a team like this Arsenal that takes an enormous amount of luck. As soon as that Arsenal goal was scored Plan A - don't concede - had failed.
