There was something about us yesterday that had me believing we'd still win the game at five minutes, despite having to chase the game to a very early goal. It was because they hadn't outplayed us for it, it was that we made a mistake trying to do the right thing.
Like I wrote the other day or at least I think I wrote, you will make mistakes doing new things and the match day is very different to a session on the training pitch. It also doesn't just happen because you want it to happen. That we're playing this way, seemingly learning on the pitch, is a massive positive.
And let me clear, the quickest way to learn is to make mistakes.
So even after five minutes yesterday, I thought we could win and as things turned out we did. Yesterday also raised a big question I think worthy of debate and it's a big one, Danny Ings or Ollie Watkins? I ask because I don't think we can play with both.
Now, let me say that we could play with both, but if we're going to setup the way it appears the manager likes to set up his team, I think we'll struggle with both because as I think yesterday showed, we need that Buendia type player up there not only to support the main striker, but to play in those players driving forward from midfield, into the space that the main striker creates.
So, if we're to play with one of them, who should it be?
Also and going back to the mistake early on yesterday. You could take the position that Emi played a poor pass or you can just as easily take the position that Luiz wasn't strong enough. But if we accept we're learning, we take it on the chin. I also think it worth pointing out that how Luiz lost that ball, was very much how he won the ball leading the winning goal yesterday. Did he learn that quickly?
All that said, the three points yesterday was needed and puts us in a very good position heading into this joke of a World Cup. As things stand we find ourselves four points from 6th place after fifteen games. We might have this tournament happening now, but we still have most of the season ahead of us.
And if the manager can do this after such a short period of time and maybe he gets to bring in one or two players to support his vision in January, where might we find ourselves after another 23 games?
I'm off to prepare for the World Cup. I might have called it a joke just a few seconds ago, but it will be enjoyable to watch if for no other reason than it's football and hopefully the quality will be high. I'll be back in a few days after I've stopped drinking.