Okay ‘arrogance’ may have been pushing it. But leaving your best-performing midfielder so far on the bench in favour of a man who has proven himself not the right fit for our team is just not right imo. And if he was fatigued then how is he fit enough to come and play 25mins. If he can do 25 then he can do 65-70 and come off when we’re 2-0 up. I will never, ever buy into the idea that players you’ve ‘rested’ can come off the bench. You’re resting them or you’re not.
We’ve been without 8, 9, 10 senior players every match for the best part of a calendar year. That’s a separate issue in some ways - and one we are no closer to resolving by the looks of it - but weakening yourself further because you’re not playing one of the division’s ’big hitters’ is really poor. Barlaser should’ve been upgraded in the summer, let’s be honest. To have him starting games when Morris is sitting on the bench is madness. It comes across as trying to be clever. If we’d had the next round of the cup coming up and he was saving him then at least he’d have that to fall back on but we don’t. We’re out of the cup because we capitulated and lost 5-0 at home to Stoke. 5-0 at home to Stoke. Jesus Christ.
