Three Reasons for the Marseille Loss

It was bedlam in more ways than one at the Stade Veledrome last night.

The hostile and crazed atmosphere created by the Marseille fans, Barnes early goal which sent our 3,000 supporters wild, and the mad 10 minutes that led to us being 2-1 down.

Yet again we lost after taking the lead in an away game to make it only one win in our last eleven games in all competitions.

An awful stat that, if continued, will see us finish mid table and could even threaten our group CL qualification.

There are always reasons for a defeat and last night I am making a claim for these three;

1. Playing Gordon at CF

A CF is the focal point of the attack and the fact is Gordon has never looked anywhere near being the player to lead the line in the games he has played.

He drops too deep, doesn't link up play or hold the ball up, and doesn't have a strikers knack of being in the right position in the box.

In short, he blunts our attack and we lose his penetrating pace and skill on the wing.

I cannot understand why Barnes wasn't played as a ST - all three of his goals in the last two games have come from a central position.

He is as much a 'fox in the box' as he is a goalscoring winger.

2. Poor passes on multiple breaks

How many break opportunities did we have, especially in the first half?

Marseille had to go all out for a win and never more so than after we scored early.

On at least three or four occasions - and more in the second half - we had massive chances on the break, with space galore to get forward in numbers and in on goal.

Every one was wasted with a poor pass.

And, yet again as we have done all season, we conceded possession far too easily when under pressure with sloppy passes, poor control and hoofs out of defence.

3. Aubameyang

In my preview I picked out Greenwood as the threat, more fool me.

At 36 Aubameyang showed that a world class ST never loses that goal scoring instinct that can turn any game around in an instant. Yet again, he was a thorn in our side.

Yes, Pope was at fault for rushing out when he never had a chance of getting to the ball.

He did the same against Haaland early on on Saturday but Haaland for once never hit the target. That was a lucky escape.

Pope wasn't so lucky this time. Aubameyang had it all to do from a wide angle at some distance from goal but he arrowed it at pace into the far corner. A brilliant finish.

His second goal was every bit as brilliant. Anticipating the cross, running across his marker and a deliberate toe poke into the roof of the net that gave Pope no chance.

The contrast to starting with Gordon at CF couldn't have been more stark.

Summary

My view after the win over City was that the next episode of Judgement Day for the team was not against Marseille, but against Everton away on Saturday.

Despite last night's loss we still have every chance of qualifying from the group stage.

Eddie will be playing his best team at Everton and it is a game where, if we lose, the Man City win will be forgotten and the pressure on Eddie and the team will be back to full on.

What is Eddie's best team is the next question.

Pope or Ramsdale? Tino and Hall at FB? Burn, Schar or Botman alongside Thiaw? Jo back in mid? Gordon and Barnes in a front three?

Eddie has big and crucially important decisions to make.

What do you think?

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