The change back to 4231 (from 3421) was equally significant as, with Wanyama being crocked from there-on in, Dier was indeed playing DM a lot more again..... In that scenario, as soon as you need a back-up CB you're gonna reach for Dav rather than drag Dier out of MF when there's no obv replacement for him(*).
(*It's not like Sissoko has ever been trusted in that deeper role..... And with Dembele crumbling and Dier accumulating time off, we eventually resigned ourselves to WinkSoko as the season came to a conclusion. through necessity rather than choice.)
Toby should have been made to earn his way back as were doing just fine without him..... I wouldn't say Dav didn't like it per say, but there's little more than he could have done to prove himself and that it would have dented his confidence...... All the while Toby was playing games over a new deal when Poch had already gone to bat for him to get the pay-rise he wanted......
We saw very similar when Rose returned from injury and despite him cunting us off in The Sun he was put straight back in at Davies's expense when Ben had done a good job for the prev. year or so with little rest or rotation.....
It was the end of the meritocracy under Poch.
