Defensively we continued a worrying trend
Chelsea opening goal: set piece Birmingham own goal: set piece Portsmouth goal: set piece ManU Goal: set piece Bolton opening goal: set piece
Fixing this has to be Rafa's first priority
Attack wise we played OK, but still suffer the same problems up front, I mean, if we can't convert against Birmingham, then we are going to struggle against the best defence in the league. This is how it is going to be for the rest of the season until we make changes up front in the summer. Rafa is having to make the best out of a bad lot, so to speak, and against the lesser teams we get away with it.
But having said the above, yes I am encouraged this season, and still believe we can finish top two. I liked the way we approached yesterday's game (as I was in the ManU game), and would have felt much worse if we had lost 1-0 playing 8-1-1. Rafa must know we don't have the first team to compete with Chelski, but he is not fazed by it in such a way as to make him change the formation and style of play.
Q
