Midweek Moyes: Rating Dave's decisions v Leicester!

Team Selection: Inconsequential

I want to give Moyes some credit for finally switching things up, but ultimately we still didn’t find the result we were after, and more importantly we didn’t score. Last night was the sixth game in a row in which we failed to find the net. It’s just not good enough.

I read fellow writer Damian Brown’s article today, and I couldn’t help but agree with everything he said. It really wouldn’t have made a difference who we put out last night because the team just aren’t playing with any real structure, identity or iota of confidence.

We’re almost certainly relegated, so why not just go hell for leather?

Tom’s rating: 0/10 - We haven’t looked close to winning in a long time now.

Tactics: Lacking

As already noted, it hasn’t looked like we’ve had a plan for weeks now. Moyes tried to change things up last night, but unfortunately it just wasn’t enough. His persistence to stick with Borini is a fool’s errand, and why Khazri and Januzaj were both benched is mystifying.

Didier Ndong’s return to the starting line-up was a bonus, but still it just wasn’t enough. Moyes has brought 13 players into the club this season, yet constantly bemoans a lack of quality - I’m not buying it.

This runs deeper than quality, just look at Burnley and West Brom as examples of teams who we look just as good as on paper - yet the gulf in difference is staggering. Personally, I think Moyes doesn’t know how he wants us to play. Yes he’s had to contend with a plethora of injuries, but ultimately - and anyone who’s played football can vouch for me on this next statement - if you know your job and the way your team is supposed to play then you perform well. You might not win every game going, but you certainly won’t be running around the pitch unable to muster a single goal in six games.

Tom’s rating: 0/10 - I don’t think there’s a coherent, well-thought plan whatsoever.

Substitutions: Proactive vs. reactive

Moyes refuses to make a change before it’s too late. He refuses to try and make a difference via substitutions. Why?

Leicester scored in the 69th minute in a game where in all honesty we didn’t properly threaten the Leicester goal - 3 shots on target tells you all you need to know. Why had we waited until then to make a change? Anichebe and Khazri were brought on 5 minutes after the goal went in - why weren’t they introduced sooner in an attempt at influencing the game when it was still up for grabs. Why can the man not be proactive in his game management?

Moyes’ substitutions reflect his entire tenure at this club; they’re reactionary damage limitation. The same kind of damage limitation witnessed when Moyes told us we’d be scrapping for our lives before we’d even kicked a ball, or when he told us he didn’t have enough quality despite bringing a host of faces to the club. It’s cowardly and pathetic.

Tom’s rating: 0/10 - What’s the point?

Post-Match Comments: Sake

I'm really disappointed we didn't get something out of the game. We played really well for 60 minutes. If we'd been in front, nobody could have complained.

At Everton we were 1-0 down and hit the bar - like today. Small margins are important. We just didn't get it today. It's desperate now.

I felt we had to win one of these past two games. The boys have given a good go of it. We have maybe lacked a bit of quality.

We'll keep going again - it's still in our hands to stay up.

Just do one, mate. What game was he watching? Chewing on about Everton and a lack of quality - same old, same old. Leicester had 8 shots on target, and probably could have won that game by a substantially larger margin if not for their profligacy and Pickford’s quality.

For 60 minutes we did manage to keep up with a Leicester team struggling to find a goal against us; however, we certainly didn’t look like grabbing a win.

I didn’t expect us to win last night in all honesty, and I know this is an angry tirade, but nothing looks promising for this club’s future other than the fact that our U23’s are in the final of a European competition. There is absolutely nothing that has me excited about the future right now. I could take bottom of the pile if we were atrocious, but giving it a good go - much like the 19 point season - but the fact of the matter is that this team is better than the position in which they find themselves. That is an issue that falls at Moyesy’s feet.

Tom’s rating: 0/10 - Broken record. Nee personality. Feeling deflated after a season of absolute dross.