Partly the problem last night was playing whatever wanky formation that was and then sticking to it for 80 minutes despite it clearly not working.
I mean, when I saw the line up I assumed it would at least be Palmer in the false #9, Bellingham in the pivot. But Palmer in the pivot? What the fuck was that?
Palmer has proved he can basically play anywhere across the front line and is most dangerous when you have him close to the goal. So big brain Carsley decides to have him deep and dictating the play next to Declan Rice. Bizarre.
That then also provides the problem that Palmer isn't very good defensively - nor, for that matter, are either of our fullbacks - so when we lost the ball and Greece counter attacked they had basically a free run through our entire midfield. And over the top of our fullbacks who for some reason seemed to both be playing inverted (ring any bells?). Absolute mess all round.
To me, it should have been obvious by at least half time that we should drop Foden, who's yet again done fuck all in an England shirt, move Palmer back to the #10, Jude back to the pivot, and play an actual #9 like Solanke rather than whatever false #9 mess we ended up with.
But that would require a manager with the balls to actually build a balanced team, rather than shoehorn all our stars into the same midfield as if he were a 12 year old playing Fantasy Football.
The subs were if anything even worse. He finally brings on a striker only to sub off Gordon and move Madueke over to the left? The fuck? Anyone who's ever watched Madueke for more than about 5 minutes knows he's absolutely useless if he's anywhere other than the right wing.
Then finally the stadium is put out of its misery when Carlsberg shanks Foden, and we're all waiting for Palmer to be deployed in the #10 where he's most dangerous, only for Carsley to bring on another striker and go 4-4-bloody-2
Couldn't make it up. Utter nonsense.
Please,
please can we go and hire a manager with a modicum of common sense? We've just put up with a decade of Hodgson and Southgate, Potter and Howe are right fucking there, Tuchel even, anyone, PLEASE.
